How To Start A Private Match With Bots In Counter-Strike 2

The best way for new players to get some reps of practice is to play against bots. Counter-Strike’s bots are great opponents for newbies as they aren’t too difficult to beat, but will still shoot back at you. 

If you’re looking to train in a private match against bots, here is how you can do that!

Every player in Counter-Strike will have free access to create their own private servers to play against bots. These servers are hosted locally, meaning you can play on these matches without an internet connection, too.

To play a private match against bots, follow these simple steps below:

Step 1: Launch Counter-Strike 2 and go to the “Play” section

The first step is to obviously have your Counter-Strike client open, so launch your game beforehand. 

Once you are in the game, click on the “Play” button which can be found at the top of the main menu screen. This will take you to the menu where you can select what game mode you would like to play. 

Step 2: Select “Practice” mode and select which game mode you would like to play

In the “Play” section, select “Practice” instead of “Matchmaking,” as we are looking to play on a private server instead of Valve’s official matchmaking servers where we will meet other players. 

Then, select which game mode you would like to play on. In Counter-Strike, there are several game modes you can choose:

• Competitive: The standard Counter-Strike game mode, featuring 5 versus 5 gameplay. This is the most-played game mode in CSGO. 
• Wingman: The Wingman mode is specifically made for 2 versus 2 gameplay. The maps have been shrunk and games end faster.
• Casual: The Casual mode is an unranked version of Competitive mode that can feature up to 10 versus 10 games. Players get free armor and friendly fire is off. 
• Deathmatch: A 10-person free for all game mode that allows for constant action. It is the perfect game mode to practice your aiming skills. 
• Arms Race: Similar to team deathmatch game modes, featuring 6 versus 6 gameplay. Players must get kills with various weapons to win the game. 

Step 3: Choose your desired map and you’re good to go!

After selecting which game mode you would like to play, the final step to complete is to select which map you would like to play on. The available maps will vary depending on which game mode you have chosen. 

However, there are several must-learn maps as a beginner that can be found on Competitive, Causal, and Deathmatch. These maps include:

• Dust II
• Mirage
• Inferno

Other than the three maps mentioned above, try learning maps that are in the Active Duty Map Pool, as these are the maps you will be playing on often. 

The good news is that you can also bring a friend into the private server with you. Again, the server will be hosted on your computer, so you will be playing on 0 ping, but your friend’s ping depends on your connection. If you begin lagging, you will not experience lag, but your friend will. 

The procedure of loading into a private match with a friend is relatively similar to how you’d do it alone, but there are additional steps. Don’t worry, as we’ll guide you the entire way.

Step 1: Form a party with your friend(s)

The first step to playing with your friends in a bot match is to join the same party. Forming a party is very simple, and follows the same procedure as queueing for a matchmaking game. 

Launch Counter-Strike 2, and then look at your friends list which is visible on the right-hand side of your screen. Scroll through your Friends List until you see your friend’s name. Then, left-click them and hit “Invite.” Your friend should immediately receive an invitation to join the party. 

Anyone of you can be the party leader, but the party leader will be the one hosting the server. Ideally, you want the person with the strongest internet connection to be the server host.

Step 2: Select “Practice” and choose the game mode

Once you have formed a party with your friends, the remaining steps are the same as starting a server alone. However, these steps can only be done by the party leader.

The party leader should go to their main menu and click on the “Play” button at the top of the screen. Then, they should select “Practice,” which is directly next to “Matchmaking.” Even though you aren’t in a party alone, you will still be placed into a private server with your friend in it. 

Next, select which game mode you would like to play. We’ve already discussed all the available game modes earlier, so we won’t do it again. We highly recommend Competitive or Deathmatch mode, though.  

Step 3: Choose which map to play on and start the game

The final step before loading into the server is to select the desired map. Once a map has been selected, click on the “Go” button at the corner of your screen. 

The party leader will begin loading into the game first. The other members of the party must wait until the leader has loaded into the server. After the leader is in, the other members will begin loading. So, don’t worry if nothing is happening on your screen; you are just waiting for your friend to enter first. 

The steps covered above are already enough for you to load into a private bot match alone, or with your friends. However, we recommend several console commands that can alter the behavior of bots on the server.

How To Turn On CSGO Console

To use console commands, you must ensure your developer console is enabled. In case you don’t know how to activate it, you can follow this step-by-step guide below. If you are already familiar, feel free to skip this part:

1. Open your Counter-Strike settings by clicking the Gear icon. 
2. Next, go to the “Game” settings category.
3. The first setting you see should read “Enable Developer Console.”
4. Finally, change the option from “No” to “Yes.”

Now, you can open and close the console by pressing the “~” key on your keyboard.

Best Commands For Bots

You can change the difficulty of the bots and how they move around the map using the following commands:

Keep in mind that only the server host/party leader can input these consoles and change the server’s settings. These console commands are purely optional, and do not need to be used.