Counter-Strike 2 is finally here, and completely supersedes the decade old CS:GO. While the game has clearly been given a graphical overhaul, there have been a number of changes under the hood as well, to gameplay systems. One new mechanic in particular, has been especially contentious: Follow Recoil. This CS2 guide will explain what Follow Recoil is, and whether it makes sense to turn it on, or keep it off.
What Is Follow Recoil in Counter Strike 2?
Follow Recoil is a newly introduced crosshair feature in CS2. Turning it on causes the crosshair to decouple from the center of the screen and exactly reflect the recoil pattern of the weapon you’re firing. What this means in practice is that, while firing your weapon, especially full auto, you will know exactly where the round you fire will land, as well as where the next round chambered will strike, as the crosshair’s current position will instantly account for the recoil.
What Is CS2 Like With Follow Recoil Off?
Without Follow Recoil tuned on, the crosshair remains static and centered at all times just like it’s always been in CS:GO, and will not accurately reflect where your burst-fire or automatic rounds are actually striking. Previously, this has often led novice players to question why none of their shots connected when the crosshair was fully over their target.
Should Novice CS2 Players Enable Follow Recoil?
The primary advantage of Follow Recoil is the opportunity to learn spray and reset patterns without having to stand in front of a wall and figure it out the long, hard way. By flattening the learning curve, rookie players can start experimenting with a variety of weapons during actual play instead, and receive immediate visual feedback from observing the crosshair as it bounces around while firing, as well as enabling them to counter that recoil in real-time.
Should Veteran CS:GO Players Enable Follow Recoil?
While returning CS:GO players may scoff at the new option, there is a legitimate reason to enable it, at least for a little while: many guns and their spray patterns have been tweaked, just enough to throw off any muscle memory that veterans may have trained up. And as stated above, the instant visual reference can greatly speed up the time it takes to learn those recoil patterns anew.
How To Set Follow Recoil In Counter-Strike 2 Settings
Follow Recoil can be turned on or off by navigating to the Settings menu, then the Game tab, followed by the Crosshair sub-menu to the very right end. Third from the top is the Follow Recoil dropdown menu which can be switched between ‘Yes’, or ‘No’.
You can also use the following console command to turn it on:
cl_crosshair_recoil 1
Turn Follow Recoil off via console with:
cl_crosshair_recoil 0
That’s everything that CS2 players, both new and old, need to know about the Follow Recoil setting in Counter-Strike 2. Check out our latest guides on another first-person shooter, Call of Duty Warzone 2.
