CS2 Bot Commands Guide: Difficulty, Bot Names, Templates & Training Configs
In Counter-Strike 2, bots are useful for aim practice, warm-up, testing CS2 bot commands, learning maps, and creating simple local training setups. They will never replace real players, but they are still helpful when you want full control over the game: bot difficulty, team balance, weapons, bot count, bot names, and behavior. This CS2 bots guide explains how bots work, how to add or remove bots, how to change bot difficulty, how to add Elite bots, how bot templates work, and which console commands are worth using.
What Are Bots in CS2?
Bots in Counter-Strike 2 are computer-controlled players used to fill teams, practice aim, test commands, or create local training games. They follow scripted behavior instead of thinking like real players, so they cannot adapt, learn from mistakes, or read the match the way humans do. Still, they are useful when you need a simple opponent, a full server, or a controlled setup for practice.
How to Change Bot Difficulty in CS2
Bot difficulty in CS2 is controlled through console commands. You can use it to make bots easier or harder when you want a more serious local game. The main command is bot_difficulty, but CS2 also supports eight difficulty templates, including easy, normal, hard, and expert, as well as specific bot names, when you add or kick bots.
CS2 Bot Difficulty Values
The command bot_difficulty sets the general skill level of bots in the match. It uses values from 0 to 3.
bot_difficulty 0- Easy bots. They react slower, miss more often, and are better for simple warm-up or testing.bot_difficulty 1- Normal bots. A balanced option for casual practice.bot_difficulty 2- Hard bots. They aim faster, punish mistakes more often, and give a better challenge.bot_difficulty 3- Expert bots. The strongest standard difficulty level. These bots react quickly and are much more accurate.
To be honest, in CS2 - just like in CS:GO - the bot_difficulty X command does not work properly while the game is already running. More precisely, it has to be set before the map loads, otherwise the change may not affect the bots. So, the best way to add bots with the needed difficulty is to spawn them directly by difficulty template. For example, bot_add easy, bot_add normal, bot_add hard, or bot_add expert. The same logic works with team-specific commands: bot_add_t expert adds an Expert bot to the Terrorist side, while bot_add_ct hard adds a Hard bot to the Counter-Terrorist side.
Below, I will show each difficulty template so you can see the bot characteristics in detail.
CS2 Auto Difficulty Commands
CS2 also has automatic difficulty commands that let the game adjust bot strength during the game. The two main commands are bot_autodifficulty_threshold_low, which sets the lower performance threshold for automatic bot difficulty changes, and bot_autodifficulty_threshold_high, which sets the upper performance threshold for automatic bot difficulty changes.
How CS2 Auto Bot Difficulty Works
CS2 uses the Human Contribution Score, a performance value based on factors such as kills, damage, and wins against bots. When this score reaches certain thresholds, the game adjusts bot difficulty up or down depending on your settings.
To create a harder game setup, you can use the following commands:
bot_difficulty 3
bot_autodifficulty_threshold_low -20
bot_autodifficulty_threshold_high 20
This configuration keeps bots at a high difficulty level and makes it harder for the game to automatically lower their skill during the game. You can also combine these settings with bot_quota, mp_autoteambalance, and mp_limitteams if you want to control the number of bots and team balancing.
You can also disable automatic difficulty adjustment completely with one command:
sv_auto_adjust_bot_difficulty 0With this setting, added bots keep their selected difficulty level regardless of the game results.
Best CS2 Bot Commands for Training
CS2 bot commands are more useful when they are grouped by task: adding bots, changing difficulty, limiting weapons, controlling movement, or debugging bot behavior.
Adds, Kick, and Manage Bots
These are the basic commands for controlling the number of bots in the game.
bot_add- adds a bot to the game.bot_add_t- adds a bot to the Terrorist side.bot_add_ct- adds a bot to the Counter-Terrorist side.bot_kick- removes bots from the game. It can also be used with a team, difficulty template, or bot name.bot_kill- kills bots without removing them from the game.bot_quota #- sets the number of bots that should be kept in the game.bot_quota_mode- controls how the bot quota is handled, values: normal / fill(def) / match.bot_join_team- sets which team bots should join, values: any (def), T, or CT.bot_join_after_player 1/0- controls whether bots join only after a real player is already in the game.
Bot Difficulty and Auto Difficulty Commands
These commands control bot skill level and automatic difficulty adjustment.
bot_difficulty #- sets the base bot difficulty from 0 to 3.sv_auto_adjust_bot_difficulty 1/0- enables or disables automatic adjustment of bot difficulty.bot_autodifficulty_threshold_low [-20 - 20]- sets the lower performance threshold for automatic bot difficulty adjustment.bot_autodifficulty_threshold_high [-20 - 20]- sets the upper performance threshold for automatic bot difficulty adjustment.
Bot Weapon Commands
These commands control what bots are allowed to buy or use.
bot_all_weapons 1/0- allows bots to use all weapons.bot_allow_pistols 1/0- allows pistols.bot_allow_rifles 1/0- allows rifles.bot_allow_snipers 1/0- allows sniper rifles.bot_allow_shotguns 1/0- allows shotguns.bot_allow_sub_machine_guns 1/0- allows SMGs.bot_allow_machine_guns 1/0- allows machine guns.bot_allow_grenades 1/0- allows grenades.bot_allow_rogues 1/0- allows the rogue weapon group, which is rarely used in normal training setups.bot_loadout "item"- gives bots a specific weapon loadout.bot_randombuy 0/1- makes bots buy weapons randomly.bot_knives_only 0/1- forces bots to use knives only.bot_pistols_only 0/1- forces bots to use pistols only.bot_snipers_only 0/1- forces bots to use sniper rifles only.
Bot Behavior and Movement Commands
These commands are useful when you want bots to move, stop, ignore players, or behave in a controlled way.
bot_stop 0/1- stops bots from moving and acting normally.bot_freeze 0/1- freezes bots in place.bot_zombie 0/1- makes bots stand still and stop attacking.bot_crouch 0/1- forces bots to crouch.bot_dont_shoot 0/1- prevents bots from shooting.bot_ignore_players 0/1- makes bots ignore real players.bot_ignore_enemies 0/1- makes bots ignore enemies.bot_mimic 0/1- makes bots copy the player’s movement and actions.bot_place- places a bot at your crosshair position.bot_goto_mark- sends bots to a marked position.bot_goto_selected- sends the selected bot to a specific point.
CS2 Bot Training Config Example
Let’s create a sample config for playing as CT against a larger group of strong bots, for example, a 5 vs 10 setup. Before using it, keep one important detail in mind: you cannot load a map with truly strong bots from the start. In CS2, bot difficulty is best configured after the map has already loaded.
Here is what this config does:
- Sets up the game rules: balance, money, rounds, and time.
- Kicks all existing bots.
- Adds four Easy bots to the CT side.
- Adds ten Expert bots to the T side.
// Brefly server setup
mp_buytime 60 // Buy time at the start of the round
mp_buy_anywhere 0 // Buying is allowed only inside the buy zone
mp_freezetime 2 // Short freeze time before the round starts
mp_friendlyfire 0 // Friendly fire disabled
mp_startmoney 800 // Starting money
mp_maxmoney 15000 // Maximum money limit
mp_maxrounds 20 // Maximum number of rounds
mp_roundtime 1.6 // Round time in minutes
mp_roundtime_hostage 2 // Round time for hostage maps
mp_roundtime_defuse 2.25 // Round time for bomb defuse maps
mp_autoteambalance 0 // Disables automatic team balance
mp_limitteams 0 // Allows uneven teams, for example 5 vs 10
// Bot difficulty setup
bot_difficulty 3
bot_autodifficulty_threshold_low -20
bot_autodifficulty_threshold_high 20
//Kicks all existing bots
bot_kick
//Add bots
bot_add_ct easy
bot_add_ct easy
bot_add_ct easy
bot_add_ct easy
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
bot_add_t expert
//Confirmation
echo The T-bots config has been loaded
This config removes all existing bots, disables team balance limits, and creates a 5 vs 10 game where you play with four CT bots against ten Expert T-side bots. You can replace bot_add_t expert with bot_add_ct expert if you want to train against CT bots instead. You can also replace expert with easy, normal, or hard if you want a lower difficulty level.
Expert is not the absolute strongest bot level in CS2. The highest level is Elite, and Elite bots can be added only by name, like: bot_add muhlik.
For a quick example, here are a few template values from Expert and Elite bots:
- Skill: 90 / 100
- Aggression: 80 / 95
- Adds four Easy bots to the CT side.
- ReactionTime: 0.20 / 0.05
The full bot template breakdown is shown in the section below.
How to Use This CS2 Bot Config
- Create a bot config file, for example bot.cfg.
- Place the .cfg file in your CS2 config folder:
..\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg\ - Start CS2 and load a map through the console with map map_name, or enter any practice-friendly game mode.
- Run the config with the exec command:
exec bot
After that, you can test yourself against a larger group of strong bots. Win, lose, rage, blame the bots for cheating - at least this setup will give you a real challenge instead of harmless target practice.
CS2 Bot Templates Explained
CS2 bots are built around templates. A template is a set of values that controls how a bot behaves: aim skill, aggression, reaction time, movement, voice pitch, focus delay, and weapon preference.
There are two important template types: difficulty templates and weapon templates. Difficulty templates control how strong the bot is. Weapon templates control what kind of weapons the bot prefers to buy during the game.
CS2 Bot Difficulty Templates
Difficulty templates define the bot’s skill level and behavior. CS2 has eight difficulty templates. They are grouped under the main bot_difficulty values:
bot_difficulty 0-> Easy / Fairbot_difficulty 1-> Normal / Toughbot_difficulty 2-> Hard / Very Hardbot_difficulty 3-> Expert / Elite
| Template | Skill | Rank | Aggression | Reaction Time | Attack Delay | Cost | Difficulty | Voice Pitch | Aim Focus Initial | Aim Focus Decay | Aim Focus Offset Scale | Aim Focus Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EASY | 5 | 600 | 10 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 1 | EASY | 110 | 20 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.70 |
| FAIR | 25 | 850 | 15 | 0.60 | 0.90 | 1 | EASY | 105 | 17 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.70 |
| NORMAL | 50 | 1000 | 30 | 0.60 | 0.80 | 2 | NORMAL | 101 | 12 | 0.5 | 0.35 | 0.60 |
| TOUGH | 60 | 1100 | 45 | 0.50 | 0.70 | 2 | NORMAL | 96 | 10 | 0.4 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| HARD | 75 | 1300 | 60 | 0.40 | 3 | HARD | 94 | 10 | 0.4 | 0.20 | 0.40 | |
| VERY HARD | 80 | 1400 | 70 | 0.30 | 3 | HARD | 92 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.17 | 0.30 | |
| EXPERT | 90 | 1600 | 80 | 0.20 | 4 | EXPERT | 88 | 2 | 0.2 | 0.15 | 0.20 | |
| ELITE | 100 | 1800 | 95 | 0.05 | 4 | EXPERT | 85 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
When you add bots by difficulty command, CS2 does not always spawn one exact template. For example, bot_add easy can add either an Easy or Fair bot, bot_add normal can add Normal or Tough, and bot_add hard can add Hard or Very Hard. With bot_add expert, the game adds Expert bots.
Elite is different. Elite bots are added only by name, for example: bot_add muhlik
This is why bot_add expert and bot_add muhlik are not the same thing. The first command adds an Expert bot by difficulty template. The second command adds a specific named bot that uses the Elite template.
CS2 Bot Weapon Templates
Weapon templates control the weapons a bot prefers to buy. This does not mean the bot is locked to one single weapon forever. It means the bot has a preferred weapon group and will try to buy from that group when money and game rules allow it.
| Template | Weapon Preference 1 | Weapon Preference 2 | Weapon Preference 3 | Weapon Preference 4 | Weapon Preference 5 | Weapon Preference 6 | Weapon Preference 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle | m4a1 | ak47 | famas | galilar | mp7 | ||
| Punch | aug | sg556 | famas | galilar | mp7 | ||
| Sniper | awp | scar20 | g3sg1 | ssg08 | famas | galilar | mp7 |
| Power | m249 | xm1014 | nova | famas | galilar | mp7 | |
| Shotgun | xm1014 | nova | famas | galilar | mp7 | ||
| Spray | p90 | mp9 | mac10 | mp7 |
For example, a bot with a Rifle template will usually try to buy rifles first, such as AK-47, M4A1-S, M4A4, Famas, Galil AR, or MP7 depending on side, money, and availability. A bot with a Sniper template will prioritize sniper weapons such as AWP, SSG 08, Scar-20, or G3SG1.
CS2 Bot Names and Weapon Templates
Many stronger bots have assigned weapon templates. This is especially important for Hard, Expert, and Elite bots, because their name can affect not only their skill level but also their weapon behavior. For example, Muhlik uses the Elite difficulty template and the Rifle weapon template. That means Muhlik is not just a random high-skill bot. He is an Elite bot that will also try to play around rifle-style weapons first.
Easy Template Bot Names
Adonis, Azul, Bassey, Clarence, Colin, Conleth, Dashen, Dayo, Dios, Efe, Ferris, Frank, Greymouth, Harvey, Hastings, Irwin, Larry, Maru, Mayer, Miguel, Niles, Oli, Opie, Panama, Pines, Rivers, Telsen, Tony, Ulric, Ulysses, Uri, Vox, Waldo, Walt, Wesley, Yanni, York, Yuri.
Fair Template Bot Names
Akutan SPRAY, Comb, Faultline, Firwood, Gustov, Han, Heave, Hobart, Hogarth, Kadeem, Kao, Kong, Longwa, Marlin, Milenski, Orin, Orlo SPRAY, Orlow, Sails, Sam, Shadow, Shaur, Terrington, Tom.
Normal Template Bot Names
Aggressor, Akani, Bluefish, Boxcar RIFLE_T, Dabisi RIFLE, Doc, Feliz, Francis, Frank PUNCH_T, Guerrilla RIFLE, Hau, Hood, Imaru SNIPER, Juuvy, Litmow SNIPER, Luiro, Masthead, Reaper, Sal, Severn, Striker, Vypa, Wiscar.
Tough Template Bot Names
Arno RIFLE, Aspirant RIFLE_T, Bank SNIPER, Baroud, Crasswater RIFLE_T, Getaway RIFLE, Goggles RIFLE, Hugg RIFLE, Jaques, k, Kev RIFLE, Krikey RIFLE, Mangos RIFLE_T, Rex RIFLE_T, Rouchard RIFLE, Solman SNIPER, Sox RIFLE, Squad SHOTGUN, Strapper RIFLE, Trapper RIFLE_T, Voltzmann RIFLE.
Hard Template Bot Names
Blackwolf PUNCH_T, Darryl SPRAY, Dragomir SHOTGUN, Enforcer PUNCH_T, Lieutenant RIFLE_T, Mae RIFLE, Maximus SPRAY, Officer RIFLE, Rezan PUNCH, Romanov RIFLE_T, Sarge RIFLE, Sas RIFLE, Skullhead RIFLE, Slingshot SNIPER, Specialist RIFLE.
Very Hard Template Bot Names
Seal POWER, Cavalry SNIPER, Farlow RIFLE, Kask RIFLE_T.
Expert Template Bot Names
Ava RIFLE_T, Buckshot RIFLE, Commando, Delrow PUNCH, McCoy RIFLE, Operator SNIPER, Ricksaw RIFLE, Rip PUNCH_T, Soldier SHOTGUN, Syfers RIFLE.
Elite Template Bot Names
Muhlik RIFLE, Shamat SPRAY, Crusher SHOTGUN, Osiris PUNCH, Rock POWER, Shark PUNCH_T, Wolf RIFLE, Gunner RIFLE_T, Rebel SNIPER, Crew PUNCH, Steel RIFLE_T, Stone PUNCH_T.
The same logic applies to other named bots. A bot marked with SNIPER will try to buy sniper weapons. A bot marked with RIFLE will prefer rifles. A bot marked with PUNCH, SPRAY, POWER, or SHOTGUN follows that weapon preference group.
This makes named bots more useful than random bot spawning when you want a specific training setup. You can add a strong rifle bot, a sniper bot, or a mixed group of bots instead of relying only on bot_add expert.
You cannot add multiple bots with the same name to the same team. For example, you cannot have two, three, or more Muhlik bots playing for your side or against you on the same side. However, one Muhlik on each team is allowed.
Conclusion
Most CS2 bot guides stop at basic commands like bot_add, bot_kick, and bot_difficulty 3. That is enough for simple practice, but it does not show the full potential of bots in Counter-Strike 2.
The real challenge comes from combining several things: adding Expert bots by template, spawning Elite bots by name, controlling team balance, increasing the number of opponents, and understanding how bot templates affect skill and weapon choices. With the right setup, CS2 bots can become much more than easy targets for warm-up - they can create a difficult local game where you control every part of the training environment.
And yes, you may still end up blaming them for cheating. Elite bots will punish you through walls and doors the moment they hear your footsteps.
Related CS2 Guides You May Find Useful
CS2 Bots FAQ
Can you add bots in CS2?
Yes. You can add bots through the developer console with commands like bot_add, bot_add_t, and bot_add_ct. You can also add bots by difficulty template or by name, for example bot_add expert or bot_add muhlik.
What is the hardest bot difficulty in CS2?
The hardest standard difficulty command is bot_add expert. However, the strongest bots are Elite bots, and they are added only by name. For example, bot_add muhlik adds an Elite bot.
Why does bot_difficulty 3 not always work in CS2?
In CS2, bot_difficulty should be set before the map loads. If you change it while the game is already running, existing bots may not update correctly. The better method is to add bots directly by template, such as bot_add expert.
How do I remove bots in CS2?
Use bot_kick to remove all bots. You can also kick bots by side, difficulty template, or name, for example bot_kick t, bot_kick expert, or bot_kick muhlik.
Can I make bots stop shooting?
Yes. Use bot_dont_shoot 1 to stop bots from firing. You can also use commands like bot_ignore_players 1, bot_stop 1, or bot_zombie 1 depending on how much control you need.
Can I play against more bots than my team has?
Yes. Disable team limits with mp_autoteambalance 0 and mp_limitteams 0, then add bots manually with bot_add_t or bot_add_ct. This allows setups like 5 vs 10 for harder local games.
