CS2 Competitive and Retakes map-guide variables (March 18, 2026)
| Variable | Documented role | Value notes |
|---|---|---|
| sv_allow_annotations_access_level | Controls map-guide annotation access on the current map | 0 disables; 1 allows limited view; 2 allows full, editable access |
| sv_annotation_limits_max_rounds_per_half | Sets the round limit for map guides in each half | Default 5; -1 permits guides for all rounds |
Choose the right session first
The Practice with Bots flow, a locally hosted map, a private party session and a community server are different execution contexts. In a local session, the player or host controls more of the server configuration. In a private lobby, the host’s settings and the selected mode determine what the group can change. On a community server, the operator controls server variables. Official matchmaking applies its own rules and does not become a practice server because one player opens the console.
Use the in-game Practice or Workshop Maps options when they provide the desired session. A Workshop map can be loaded for local testing or played with friends if the host and server permit it; the March 18, 2026 Valve update added direct joining for friends in custom games when the party and server settings allow it. The Practice and Workshop Maps pages explain those play contexts.
The console is the text interface for commands and settings. Steam Support documents enabling it in CS2 through Settings, Game, then “Enable Developer Console (~).” The key shown in that setting can be changed, and keyboard layout can affect the physical key. See Developer Console for opening and using the interface.
Client commands, server variables and permissions
Commands have different scopes. A client setting changes presentation or behavior on one player’s machine; a server variable controls the hosted game state and usually requires the host or administrator to set it. A command may be read-only, change one setting, or affect the whole session. Prefixes such as cl_ and sv_ can hint at scope, but the prefix alone does not prove a command works in every CS2 build or is permitted in every server.
Cheat-protected or administrative settings require a context in which the host is allowed to use them. A local practice server may expose controls that an official match or a locked community server does not. If a command is rejected, ignored or reset, check the session type and the current server’s permissions before assuming the syntax is wrong. Do not copy an old command list without confirming that each command exists in CS2 and is appropriate to that context.
Commands are not cheats merely because they are typed in a console, but third-party cheat tools and attempts to evade matchmaking restrictions are outside practice configuration. Keep server experiments local or in an explicitly permitted environment. Community Servers describes the role of server operators and their rules.
Map guides and annotation controls
CS2 includes map-guide annotations that can mark locations or show a planned route. These annotations are useful for learning a smoke lineup, a site entry or a retake route without confusing the guide with a gameplay ability. A guide displays reference information; it does not throw a grenade, reveal an opponent or change the map’s collision.
The March 18, 2026 update made limited map guides available in Competitive and Retakes during the first five rounds of each half, with a maximum of 30 modules. The Pause menu opens a guide, and Valve added official starter guides for Active Duty maps. The same release documented two server variables: sv_allow_annotations_access_level controls whether guide access is disabled, limited or full/editable; sv_annotation_limits_max_rounds_per_half controls how many rounds in a half allow a guide. The listed default is five, while -1 permits all rounds. These variables are server-side controls, not recommended commands to enter into a public match.
Guides used during a Competitive match are more limited than local practice guides. That distinction protects the difference between preparation and live-match information. For reusable lineups, compare the map, throw position, aiming reference and intended landing point in a controlled session. Grenade Throws explains how to practice a repeatable throw; Communication covers sharing a guide with teammates.
Use commands to make tests repeatable
A useful practice setup changes only the conditions needed for the test. Select the map and mode, invite the intended players or bots, then configure the specific rule being studied. For grenade practice, repeat the same lineup from the same position and compare the result; for recoil, use the same weapon and firing distance; for movement, vary one movement state at a time. A saved or documented setup is easier to reproduce than a long unlabelled command string.
Record the build date, map version, session type and any server variables that materially change the test. This matters when comparing clips after an update, because map geometry, weapons, movement and practice features can change. Practice results should not be described as universal game behavior if they depend on a custom server setting.
Commands can also support map creation and testing. Hammer and Workshop Tools are authoring tools, not console command lists; use them to build and compile content, then load it in an allowed local or Workshop session. See Hammer and Workshop Tools.
Dated CS2 command and practice changes
On September 10, 2024, Valve changed practice matches and maps started with the map command to use engine loopback mode by default. Valve described loopback as bypassing most networking code for the local host, reducing one tick of latency for that local player. The update documented an opt-out using loopback=0 on the map command line. This is a dated local-session behavior, not a claim that remote players or public matchmaking use the same path.
On March 18, 2026, Valve added the map-guide server variables summarized above and enabled limited guides in Competitive and Retakes. The same update allowed friends to join a locally hosted Practice or Workshop map through the Friends menu when Open Party is set and the host permits joining. These features illustrate why a command page should separate server controls, player-facing menu actions and network behavior instead of listing them as if they were the same kind of command.
This entry covers current Counter-Strike 2 practice contexts and the dated CS2 examples above. Console commands inherited from Global Offensive or other Counter-Strike releases are not treated as valid CS2 instructions unless they are explicitly confirmed for the relevant build. Consult Patch Archive for later changes and Practice for the player-facing training workflow.