Retakes

Mode overview

A planted bomb means attackers start without the ordinary map-control phase. Counter-Terrorists must use remaining time and utility to reach the device. Terrorists hold site positions and delay a safe entry. The Wiki classifies a CS2 retake with three Terrorists versus four Counter-Terrorists; exact loadouts and availability follow the current queue rules.

The challenge is to create a safe route to the bomb while clearing the positions that can interrupt a defuse. Attackers defend the objective with a limited time advantage rather than pursuing opponents indefinitely.

Entry & defusal

Counter-Terrorists should coordinate the entry: call a flash, clear close angles and give the defuser space. A smoke can obscure the bomb from an enemy position, but an attacker may still be nearby. Confirm the immediate threat and tell a teammate which route remains unchecked.

A defuse kit, when part of the current loadout, changes the time needed to complete the defuse. Teammates need to keep opponents from interrupting the player interacting with the C4.

Protecting the plant

Terrorists can place themselves to see the bomb and trade a defender who is challenged. Holding the same narrow line together may let one grenade affect several players; spreading out without communication delays help. One defender can guard a different entrance while another watches the objective.

The bomb timer limits the attackers’ patience. They can force Counter-Terrorists to choose between another angle check and a hurried defuse. Report clearly whether the device is being defused or the teammate was forced away from it.

CS2 introduction and round flow

Retakes was added as an official Counter-Strike 2 mode on October 22, 2025. Valve’s update made it available on official matchmaking servers using Defusal Group Alpha and Defusal Group Delta maps. Each round begins with the bomb already planted: three Terrorists defend the site against four Counter-Terrorists attempting to retake it. The first team to win eight rounds takes the match, with a maximum of 15 rounds listed in the mode record.

The round starts with seven seconds of freeze time. Terrorists spawn on the bombsite and may move within a temporary restricted area; Counter-Terrorists remain frozen. When the restriction lifts, Terrorists can move away from the site. Counter-Terrorists spawn at random fixed positions around the selected site, so they need to identify the approach and coordinate rather than repeat one memorized spawn route. A 40-second bomb timer creates the central deadline: attackers must clear, reach and defuse; defenders can win by eliminating the retake or letting the bomb detonate.

Site information, spawns and information limits

At the start of a round, the Counter-Terrorist radar displays which site contains the bomb, with an on-screen site indicator during the first five seconds. The indicator gives the retake team an initial objective cue; after that, players need to use radar, teammate calls and map knowledge to stay oriented. Terrorists begin on the site, while Counter-Terrorists appear at set random locations around it. Spawn variation changes the available entry angles from round to round, so a team should call its actual spawn and avoid assuming every teammate can follow the same timing.

Death does not allow a player to spectate the enemy team. Combined with the short timer, this limits how much the eliminated player can reveal about defenders’ positions. Survivors should give concise information before they are eliminated: which angle is watched, whether a teammate is on the bomb, and whether the defuser is protected. Friendly fire and money are disabled, and weapons or equipment do not carry over for surviving players after a round; each new round therefore starts from its card-based setup rather than a saved buy.

Loadout cards and round progression

At the beginning of each round, players choose from randomly dealt loadout cards. A card fixes the weapon and grenade combination available for that choice, so players should compare the job they need to do with the actual options: a smoke or flash can support a retake, while a rifle or scoped weapon changes the range at which a player can hold or challenge an approach. The cards are not a persistent inventory. A previous round’s surviving equipment is cleared before the next setup.

The source overview describes a progression across the first four rounds. In the first two rounds, cards generally omit Kevlar; later cards provide Kevlar + Helmet with listed armor amounts varying from 60 to 80. Counter-Terrorist defuse kits also increase by stage: one kit is available in the first round, two in rounds two and three, then each Counter-Terrorist receives a kit in subsequent rounds. The October 29, 2025 update specifically added Body Armor to the 4v3, 4 Bad Guys Left and Blind Fire cards. That dated card adjustment is recorded separately because it names individual cards and should not be flattened into a claim that every early card has the same armor.

A player who earned MVP in the previous round receives a bonus card that adds an extra grenade to one selectable card. This creates a limited utility advantage without turning the previous round’s weapon into carried equipment. Enemy Loadout Cards and Bonus Cards are also identified as special card types in the card list; their availability is recorded in the tables.

Terrorist loadout cards

Terrorist cards prepare the defending side for a planted-bomb round. Early options focus on pistols and single grenades; later groups add SMGs, rifles and heavier utility. The chosen card determines what the defender can hold at the start, but defenders still need to manage sightlines and avoid giving the attackers a safe path to the bomb. Card availability values below reproduce the counts in the cached Wiki table; the October 29, 2025 armor changes remain explicitly dated.

Retake and site-defense decisions

For Counter-Terrorists, the retake has two linked tasks: remove or displace defenders, then create enough protection for one player to defuse. The seven-second freeze period and randomized surrounding spawns make the opening useful for identifying teammates’ sides and assigning an entry. A flash can interrupt a defender’s view while teammates cross; a smoke can obscure a line toward the device, but neither proves the bomb is safe. The team should clear the angles that can immediately stop the defuser and keep at least one player able to trade an entry.

Terrorists defend a known objective, but clustering everyone on one narrow sightline can let one grenade affect several players. Spread positions so a defender can delay another entrance or trade a teammate, and keep a player able to contest the bomb. The timer forces attackers to spend time checking angles; defenders can use that pressure to make the final approach hurried. If a defuse begins, call it immediately and challenge the defuser or the player guarding them. A kit can change the time needed to defuse, but the round still turns on whether the Counter-Terrorists can complete the interaction before the 40-second bomb timer expires.

Dated CS2 availability and card updates

On October 22, 2025, Valve added Retakes as an official mode for Defusal Group Alpha and Defusal Group Delta maps on official matchmaking servers. On October 23, party size for the mode was increased to allow four players in a party. On October 29, the game updated specific loadout cards: Body Armor was added to 4v3, 4 Bad Guys Left and Blind Fire; Dual Berettas were added to the Terrorist Blind Fire card; the Counter-Terrorist Enemy Loadout Card changed from Flashbang to HE Grenade; and the CT loadout could randomly offer M4A1-S or M4A4 when both rifles were equipped.

These dated notes identify CS2’s official-mode launch and subsequent ruleset adjustments. They do not establish a permanent map pool or guarantee that the same card inventory remains unchanged in a later update. Retakes shares the planted-bomb objective with Bomb Defusal, while its uneven teams, random card choices and reset equipment make its round setup distinct.

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