How do I download a CS2 demo from a share code?

Open the developer console and run csgo_download_match followed by the share code. CS2 downloads that match's demo and starts playback, as long as Valve still has it.

How to download and watch old CS2 demos

To download an old CS2 demo, open Watch → Your Matches in CS2 and hit the download button on the match; you can watch it from there once it's done. Valve only lists your last 8 matches and keeps demos for a limited time, typically a few weeks at most, so download soon. You can also grab a demo from Steam's Personal Game Data page or with a share code in the console.

UPDATED 2 OCT 2026

01Does CS2 save demos automatically?

Not to your PC. Valve records GOTV demos of matchmaking games (Premier, Competitive, Wingman) on its servers and keeps them for a limited time. Nothing lands on your disk unless you download it, or record your own POV demo with record <name> while you play (stop ends it).

Valve doesn't publish a fixed window. It's typically a few weeks at most, and once a demo has expired it can't be recovered from Valve. See why a CS2 demo expires for details.

02Download from the Watch tab

In CS2, open Watch → Your Matches. It lists your recent matches; Valve's Game Coordinator only provides the last 8.
Hit the download button on the match you want.
When it finishes, watch it from the same list.

Downloaded matchmaking demos go into the replays subfolder of your CS2 install. On a different Steam library drive, the path starts at that library instead.

PATH

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\replays

CS2 still installs under the old Counter-Strike Global Offensive folder name. Full paths, including Linux, are in where CS2 demos are saved.

03Download from Steam's website

On Steam, go to your profile → Games → Counter-Strike 2 → Personal Game Data.
Open the match history tabs. Recent matches have a Download GOTV Replay link.
You get a compressed .dem.bz2 file. Extract it with an archive tool to get the .dem.
Put the .dem in your game\csgo folder (or game\csgo\replays) so the game can find it.

Every match has a share code like CSGO-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx. Paste it after csgo_download_match in the console and CS2 downloads that match and starts playback. Enable the console first under Settings → Game → Enable Developer Console, then open it with ~.

CONSOLE

csgo_download_match CSGO-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Not sure where to find the code? See how to get your CS2 share code.

05Watch a demo you already have

Use playdemo with the file name, no .dem needed. The path is relative to game/csgo, so demos from the Watch tab need the replays/ prefix.

CONSOLE

playdemo replays/match730_...
demoui
demo_timescale 4
demo_timescale 1

demoui (or Shift+F2) opens the playback UI with the timeline, round selector, speed and players. demo_timescale changes speed without sv_cheats. The rest is in the demo commands cheat sheet.

06Skip the download entirely

If what you want from an old match is the clip, killcam.gg reads the demo from Valve for you, finds your plays and clips them on our servers. No download, no game running, nothing to install. Link your match history once with your game authentication code and a share code; to catch up on your last 8 games, use the share code of the oldest match in Watch → Your Matches as the starting one.

It works with Valve matchmaking only (Premier, Competitive, Wingman) and only while Valve still has the demo. If it's gone, the match shows "Valve no longer has this demo". More in turning a CS2 demo into an MP4.

ALSO ANSWERS

Questions this guide answers

Does CS2 automatically save demos?

Not to your PC. Valve keeps matchmaking demos on its servers for a limited time, and nothing is saved locally unless you download it from Watch → Your Matches or record your own POV demo with the record command. More ↑

How do I watch an old CS2 match?

Open Watch → Your Matches in CS2, download the match and watch it from there. It only works for your last 8 matches while Valve still has the demo, typically a few weeks at most.