CS2: Best Weapon Animations In The New Update

Summary

Counter-Strike 2's recent update brought all-new animations for iconic firearms, refreshing the game.
The AK-47 and USP-S have smooth, satisfying new animations that pair well with older skins.
The FAMAS, M249, and MP5SD also received noticeable animation upgrades, adding more love to these weapons.

For one of the most popular competitive FPS games of all time, Counter-Strike hasn’t changed much over the past 25 years or so. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The release of Counter-Strike 2 marked one of the biggest upgrades for the series by moving over to the new Source 2 engine in 2023. But the game just got one of its biggest updates yet, bringing in all-new animations for the game’s roster of iconic firearms to finally replace the old ones that were over a decade old. Here's a look at some of the best animations that the new update brought to the table.

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By Ronald Immanuel

7 AK-47

The Old Standby

It would be impossible to start without mentioning the AK-47, one of the most well-known and recognizable rifles not just in gaming, but across the entire world. The AK is the T-side staple when it comes to rifles. At only $2700, it can hit one-taps from any distance, with or without a helmet.

Like most of the new animations, the new animation keeps true to the original, but adds a bit more impact to it, with a nice new charging handle sound to go with it. The animation looks great with CS2’s new model, but also looks just as good with the older skins that still use CSGO's model.

6 M249

Finally, Some Love For The LMG Class

It's easy to see why LMGs have never been a popular option for nearly every Counter-Strike game, especially for competitive play, where they have become the go-to “random buy” for the final rounds. The combination of their high price, poor accuracy and lower damage across most of CS’s lifespan have made them generally unpopular, and while that hasn’t exactly changed, their animations have.

The M249 is another weapon with updated animations that look a lot smoother and more fluid than before. Unfortunately, it still won’t be seen as often as the others due to the gun's lack of use, but it's still worth mentioning for its satisfying look alone.

5 USP-S

The Classic CT Starting Pistol

Nothing beats the sweet sound and satisfaction of a pistol round one-tap like Counter-Strike’s Silenced USP, the main starter pistol on the CT-side up until CSGO offered the optional P2000.

CS2 brought a nice update to the model of the USP-S, and the recent large update has finally brought it some nice, fluid animations. Almost all the new pistol animations are noticeably different from before, but the USP-S has one of the smoothest and most satisfying of the bunch, and it pairs well with almost any skin on offer.

4 FAMAS

The CT Budget Rifle

The FAMAS is a sort of “backup” rifle when an M4 is too expensive, or for players who want to save some cash. It's had its ups and downs across each CS game, but has always remained a solid option.

The budget rifle has hopped in and out of popularity across various Counter-Strike updates, but thanks to the combination of full-auto and optional burst, the FAMAS can make the difference during save rounds. It has one of the more noticeable animation upgrades as well, giving a bit more love to the rifle that has sat in the shadow of both the M4s for so long.

3 MP5SD

Counter-Strike’s Least Popular SMG

Despite the MP5 being one of the better SMG options in the older games, the MP5SD hasn’t gotten much love in modern Counter-Strike since it was introduced a few years back in Global Offensive. The MP5 itself is one of the coolest and most popular guns in gaming, mostly known for that classic “HK slap” of the bolt, and the silenced variant is no different.

The MP5SD has gotten a slight update to its animations that may be hard to notice at first, but it brings a nice polish to the gun’s draw and reload animations. Like the M249 mentioned above, it probably won’t be seen as often, but there are still players out there that opt for the H&K classic as their go-to SMG.

2 R8 Revolver

"The Pocket AWP"

The R8 Revolver caused quite an uproar when it was initially added to CSGO some years back, because it was incredibly overpowered upon its introduction. Being able to hit one-shot kills to the body even with armor broke the flow of competitive matches so badly it was patched within roughly a day.

Even though it was fixed long ago, and generally not a very popular choice, it's hard to deny that the R8 has always had some cool looks to it. The new animations take it a step further with some nice flow to the movement, especially when drawing and inspecting the gun.

1 Desert Eagle

Gaming's Most Iconic Pistol

The Desert Eagle, better known simply as the “Deagle”, is almost impossible not to mention here. After all, it is one of the most recognizable pistols in the FPS genre, and for good reason. A.50 caliber handgun is an absolutely ridiculous idea, and that's what makes the Deagle so cool. While its $700 price tag makes it one of the most expensive pistol options, it’s high-risk, high-reward for those who can land the coveted “one-deag”.

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The Deagle’s “twirling” draw animation has been pretty much the same across nearly all the Counter-Strike titles. However, the modern polish added with the new animation makes it more satisfying than ever before.

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