Playing CS2 competitively is great fun. But sometimes, a little break from the action is needed, allowing you to jump into more casual modes made by the community. This is where CS2 community servers come in. You can play fun modes like Surf, or jump into a Retake or DM server to get some easy-going practice in.

So how do you actually play these CS2 community servers? Let’s jump into it!

How to play community servers in CS2

Back in the CS:GO days, the best way to join community servers was via the in-game server browser. As you can see by the image below, this doesn’t quite work as it used to, with the entire CS2 server list completely empty. Valve hasn’t quite got round to making CS2 community servers easily accessible yet, but not to worry – we can help.

Credit: Daniel Morris

In our opinion, the easiest way to find the best CS2 servers is by checking host sites. These third-party websites host a ton of different CS2 servers, allowing you to quickly get the IP of the server you want to join and connect with ease. Some of these sites are as follows:

CYBERSHOKE
xplay
WarmupServer

It’s up to you to find your favorite site, but you’ll find a good variety using the three above. Once you’ve found a CS2 community server you want to join, follow these steps:

Copy the server IP from the website (there is usually a button that does this for you automatically).
Open CS2 and open the in-game console by pressing the tilde (~) key.
Paste the server IP, and make sure it has the word “connect” before it. Press enter to connect.
You should now be in the CS2 community server you chose earlier!

Now you know how to join CS2 servers – it’s as easy as that! While it’s frustrating that the in-game server browser doesn’t work as well as it used to, you can still have plenty of luck with CS2 community servers if you know the right places to look. If you want to know how to change servers in CS2 once you’re in one, just follow the steps above again. You can still use the in-game console while in one server to connect to another!

CS2 Surf servers

Playing CS2 Surf servers is one of the best ways to kick back and relax in-game. It’s a great way to practice your movement without worrying too much about failing or getting frustrated. Just pop on some music and surf along the edges of a bunch of community-made CS2 maps.

Credit: Daniel Morris

Surf has been a classic ever since the dawn of CS:GO. The mode has returned in the form of CS2 Surf servers, and it’s better than ever. To find the best CS2 servers to play Surf, we think your strongest bet is to take a look over on xplay.

CS2 DM / Duel servers

CS2 DM / Duel servers are some of the best ways to practice your aim without actually going into a match. These CS2 community servers are based on constant action, with more combat engagements in two minutes than you’re likely to find in an entire normal match of CS2. Because of this, they’re a top choice for many pros looking to practice in CS2.

Credit: Daniel Morris

We find that a lot of pros choose to play on the CYBERSHOKE CS2 DM servers. Because of this, that’s where we recommend you go. After all, if you’re going to test yourself, you might as well do it against the best the game has to offer. CYBERSHOKE CS2 DM servers even indicate when you’re playing against a professional player, with a special nametag next to their username.

CS2 Retake servers

CS2 Retake servers allow you to simulate retaking and defending a bomb site in multiple different scenarios, designed to closely resemble in-game scenarios that you might encounter. They’re not for everyone, but as far as CS2 community servers go, we believe they’re the best practice tool out there.

Credit: Daniel Morris

If you’re interested in CS2 Retake servers, you should check them out on xplay. That’s where we’ve found the best variety of maps with active populations for Retake.

CS2 KZ servers

CS2 KZ servers are great for practicing your movement, with game modes such as Only Up proving popular in this space. KZ has been mastered by pros like ropz in CS2, allowing their movement to be even stronger when hopping around the normal CS2 maps.

Credit: Daniel Morris

Unfortunately, due to bugs with inconsistent jump height in CS2, KZ isn’t as popular as it once was. Hopefully, it can get back to its former glory when these issues are resolved.

FAQs

Are CS2 servers 128-tick?

No. CS2 servers no longer distinguish between 64 and 128-tick, instead using a new system called sub-tick. This applies to CS2 community servers as well as competitive servers, although many believe the new system is closer to 64 than 128-tick.

I can’t connect to CS2 servers. How do I fix this?

If you can’t connect to CS2 servers, there are a few things you can try in order to fix this. Try these steps:

Make sure your CS2 is fully updated.
Make sure CS2 and Steam aren’t down.
Verify the integrity of your game files via the Steam client.
Check that the CS2 server you’re trying to join isn’t full. If it has one less player than capacity and you still can’t join, this may be a reserved slot.
Check that the CS2 server you’re trying to join isn’t down.

Are CS2 servers safe?

Yes, CS2 servers are safe. As long as you stick to the sites we recommend above, there’s no reason why CS2 community servers wouldn’t be safe. Be wary of any players in these servers offering you a trade though, as it may be a scam, but this applies to every game mode in CS2.