CS2 demo commands: the cheat sheet
Open a demo with playdemo <name>, press Shift+F2 (or run demoui) for the timeline and controls, and change speed with demo_timescale. Skip with demo_gototick, pause with demo_togglepause, and hide everything except the crosshair and kill feed with cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1.
01Turn on the console first
- Go to Settings → Game and set Enable Developer Console on.
- Press
~to open the console. - Load a demo with
playdemo. No.demextension needed; the path is relative togame/csgo, so matchmaking demos need thereplays/prefix.
playdemo mydemo
playdemo replays/match730_yourfilenameCan't find the file? See where CS2 demos are saved.
02The cheat sheet
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
playdemo <name> | Plays a demo, relative to game/csgo. |
demoui | Toggles the demo playback UI. Same as Shift+F2. |
demo_timescale <x> | Sets playback speed, e.g. 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4. |
demo_togglepause | Pauses or resumes playback. |
demo_pause / demo_resume | Pauses / resumes playback. |
demo_gototick <tick> | Skips to a tick. |
demo_goto | Skips to a location in the demo. |
demo_marktick | Marks the current tick. |
demo_gotomark | Goes back to the marked tick. |
demo_info | Prints info about the playing demo. |
listdemo <name> | Lists a demo's contents. |
spec_player <name or slot> | Spectates a specific player. |
spec_next / spec_prev | Cycles to the next / previous player. |
spec_mode | Sets the spectator mode. |
cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1 | Hides the HUD except the crosshair and kill feed. |
record <name> | Records a POV demo of what you play. |
stop | Stops recording. |
03Open the demo UI
Press Shift+F2 while a demo plays, or type demoui. It toggles the playback panel: timeline, round selector, speed and players. If you don't want to type ticks, this is how you get around a demo.
demoui04Fast forward and slow motion
demo_timescale sets playback speed. 1 is normal, 2 and 4 fast forward, 0.5 and 0.25 slow it down for the frag you want to study. It doesn't need sv_cheats. Pause and resume with demo_togglepause.
demo_timescale 4
demo_timescale 1
demo_timescale 0.25
demo_togglepauseYou'll also see host_timescale mentioned. In CS2 it's cheat-protected and needs sv_cheats 1. For demos, stick to demo_timescale.
05Skip to a round or a tick
The easy way to skip to a round is the round selector in the demo UI (Shift+F2). From the console, demo_gototick jumps to an exact tick, and demo_goto skips to a location. To rewatch a moment, mark it with demo_marktick and come back with demo_gotomark.
demo_gototick <tick>
demo_marktick
demo_gotomark
demo_infoNot sure which round your play was in? killcam.gg's match page lists Your kills best first, one row per round with a badge (ACE, 1vN, 4K) and the round number. More in how to find an ace in a CS2 demo.
06Hide the HUD
cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1 hides the HUD except the crosshair and kill feed. It's the command meant for moviemaking and it isn't cheat-protected, so it works in any demo. Set it back to 0 for the full HUD.
cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1
cl_draw_only_deathnotices 0cl_drawhud 0 hides the whole HUD, but it's cheat-protected and needs sv_cheats 1.
07Record your own POV demo
Matchmaking demos are GOTV recordings Valve makes on its servers. record makes your own POV demo of what you play, saved in game/csgo. Run stop to finish, then play it back with playdemo.
record mydemo
stop
playdemo mydemoQuestions this guide answers
How do I fast forward a CS2 demo?
Run demo_timescale 2 or demo_timescale 4 in the console, and demo_timescale 1 to go back to normal speed. It works without sv_cheats, and the demo UI (Shift+F2) also has a speed control. More ↑
How do I skip to a round in a CS2 demo?
Press Shift+F2 to open the demo UI and pick the round in the round selector. From the console, demo_gototick followed by a tick number jumps straight there. More ↑
How do I open the demo UI in CS2?
Press Shift+F2 while a demo plays, or type demoui in the console. It toggles the timeline, round selector, speed and player controls. More ↑
How do I hide the HUD in a CS2 demo?
Run cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1 to hide everything except the crosshair and kill feed; it works without sv_cheats. cl_drawhud 0 hides the whole HUD but needs sv_cheats 1. More ↑
How do I record a POV demo in CS2?
Type record and a name in the console while you play, and stop when you're done. The demo saves in your game/csgo folder and plays back with playdemo. More ↑