If you pasted a crosshair code into CS2 and nothing changed, or the crosshair came out a different size from the one you copied, the late September update is the first thing to suspect.
On September 22, 2026, the Rush Hour update rebuilt CS2's crosshairs so they keep the same proportions at any resolution, added a Crosshair/Scopes tab to the Settings menu and made Dynamic Quad, a style that shows real weapon spread and inaccuracy, the new default.
On September 30, a follow up update added an outline color option, a Static Quadrant style and scope dot size and color settings, and changed the share code format so the code can carry them. That means crosshair codes posted before the change look nothing like the codes the game exports today.
This guide covers how to copy and import a code, how to tell code types apart before you paste, how to set up a dot or static crosshair in the new pixel units, how to choose a pro's crosshair, and how to check your crosshair placement against recordings of your own matches. Everything here is current as of November 10, 2026.
Read the code before you paste it: new CS codes, old CSGO codes and match sharing codes
A crosshair code exported by CS2 today starts with CS and runs as one long string of letters and numbers with no dashes, something that begins like CSvbPubOq37…. Before the update, crosshair codes started with CSGO followed by five blocks of five characters joined by dashes.
That is exactly the same shape as a match sharing code, the code that points to a single match record and that stats sites ask for when you link your match history.
People mix the two up all the time, but a match sharing code only holds match information, not crosshair values, so it will never turn into a crosshair. When someone sends you a code, sort it like this. If it starts with CS and has no dashes, it is a current crosshair code.
If it starts with CSGO and has dashes, it is either an old crosshair code or a match sharing code, and pasting it may do nothing. In that case, ask for a fresh code copied from the game, or rebuild the crosshair by eye with the preview. Avoid copying old numbers across one to one.
The old size values were an arbitrary scale that became different pixel counts at different resolutions, while the new thickness, length and gap values are plain pixels: thickness 1, length 8 and gap 4 draws 1 pixel wide lines, 8 pixels long, 4 pixels from the center. Pro codes follow the same rule.
If watching the CS2 Major in Singapore makes you want a player's crosshair, first check that the code was shared in the new CS format after September 30.
How to copy and import CS2 crosshair codes and set up a dot crosshair
- 1Open the Crosshair/Scopes tabOpen Settings with the gear icon on the main menu and go to the Crosshair/Scopes tab added in the September update. Style, thickness, length and gap, the center dot, outline mode and color, and the scope dot settings all live here, and the preview updates as soon as you change a value.
- 2Copy your current code firstBefore you try anyone else's crosshair, use the share option to copy your current code and paste it into a note. If the new crosshair does not feel right, pasting your own code back restores everything in seconds. Scope dot size and color now travel inside the code too, so this backup matters even more if you have tuned your scope settings.
- 3Paste the code and check the previewChoose import and paste the whole code, from the C at the start to the last character, with no spaces before or after it. Codes passed through chat apps sometimes pick up a line break or lose a character, and then they will not apply. Once the code applies, the preview changes, so compare the style and color with what the person who sent it described.
- 4Build a dot crosshair from the style and center dotFor a dot only, pick the dot style (Dot Only) in the style list, or take Static Cross, turn on the center dot and set the line length to 0. To keep a tiny cross around the dot, leave a short length instead. Sizes are in pixels and rescale with your resolution, so a dot you set up at 1080p keeps the same proportions on a 1440p monitor.
- 5Pick a pro code by format, date and styleWhen you borrow a pro's crosshair, first confirm it is a new CS format code shared after September 30. Then look at the style: dynamic styles open up while you move or spray, while static styles stay the same size in the same spot. Color is personal, because your maps and monitor differ from theirs, so feel free to change it. Give the code a few days of matches instead of judging it after one or two games.
- 6Test it in practice, then decide in real matchesLine up head height on wall corners against bots or in Deathmatch, and since you are already adjusting your aim setup, check your sensitivity with the CS2 sensitivity test. An unstable frame rate makes the crosshair look jittery too, so if your FPS is low, sort that out first with CS2 FPS settings. Make the final call in Competitive or Premier matches.
CS2 crosshair styles and options with example settings (as of November 10, 2026)
| Style or option | Example setting | When to pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Static Cross | Thickness 1, length 8, gap 4 (pixels) | Its shape stays the same while you move or shoot, so it gives you a fixed reference for head height. A natural first pick if you used Classic Static before. |
| Dot (Dot Only, or length 0 plus center dot) | Center dot on, line length 0 | Covers as little of the screen as possible and keeps distant heads easy to see. A dot that is too small gets lost on bright walls. |
| Dot plus a short cross | Center dot on, thickness 1, length 3 to 4, gap 1 to 2 | When you want the precision of a dot with the sense of direction a cross gives you. |
| Dynamic Quad (default) | The default style since the September 22 update | Shows real weapon spread and inaccuracy, so it helps you learn how much accuracy you lose while moving or spraying. |
| Static Square and Static Quadrant | Static styles added on September 23 and September 30 | When you want something other than a cross. Compare its size with an enemy head in the preview. |
| T style | Removes the top line | When you do not want anything covering the space above an enemy's head. |
| Outline (full or half) and outline color | Outline on, in a color that contrasts with the crosshair | When the crosshair disappears against bright walls on maps like Dust II or Mirage. Half outline draws only the top left portions. |
| Scope dot size and color | Adjust the size, choose whether it follows the crosshair color | When the dot inside a scope feels too big or too small. These values are stored in the new code too. |
Before you settle on a new crosshair
- The code starts with CS and has no dashes or spaces in it.
- You copied your current code into a note before importing.
- The crosshair stays visible on both bright and dark maps, and you changed the outline color if it did not.
- You checked the scope dot size and color and the grenade crosshair as well.
- In your recorded deaths, you checked whether the crosshair was at head height right before the fight.
Check your crosshair height in recordings of your own matches
Whether a crosshair works shows up in real matches, not on a practice map. Was your crosshair at head height when the enemy appeared, or were you looking at the body or the floor? You only find out by watching the round again.
DOR is a free Windows app that detects CS2 when you launch it, records the whole match and saves kills, deaths and assists as automatic clips.
Everything lands in My Clips, so open a death clip from before your crosshair change next to one from after it and compare where your crosshair was at first contact. Other ways to keep the moment you died are covered in how to save killcams and deathcams.
The free plan records at up to 1080p and 60 fps, which makes it easier to step through a fast flick frame by frame. When a one tap lands, trim it in the app and save it as 9:16, and the crosshair stays in the middle of the vertical frame. The full process is in how to make CS2 Shorts.
