CS2 Config Location: Where Are CS2 Config Files Stored?
The two CS2 config folders, game\csgo\cfg and Steam userdata, what every file does, how to find your account folder, the config load order and editing .vcfg files
Counter-Strike 2 gives you a lot of control over settings, but where they are stored is not obvious. Many players copy an autoexec.cfg into a folder they think is right, launch the game, and nothing changes. The problem is usually not the file, but the wrong folder.
CS2 doesn't use one config location, it uses two: one for the game's own configs and your scripts, one for personal settings tied to your Steam account. Once this is clear, configs stop being trial and error. How to write configs is in my CS2 config guide, here it's all about where things live.
Why CS2 Has Two Config Folders
CS2 config files are plain text files with .cfg, .vcfg or .txt extensions. Some are written by the game itself (binds, crosshair, sensitivity, video), others you write yourself (binds, scripts, practice setups). They live in different places:
| Game cfg folder | Userdata folder | |
|---|---|---|
| Path | ...\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg\ |
...\Steam\userdata\AccountID\730\local\cfg\ |
| What's there | Game mode configs, defaults, your autoexec.cfg and custom cfg files |
Your saved settings: binds, crosshair, sensitivity, audio, video |
| Who writes it | Valve and you | The game, automatically |
| Tied to account | No, same for everyone on the PC | Yes, one folder per Steam account |
| Works with exec | Yes | No, it's storage, not scripts |
In short: userdata = saved personal settings, game\csgo\cfg = your custom scripts. Valve split it like this, as in CS:GO, so several Steam accounts can use the same PC with their own settings.
CS2 Game Config Folder (game\csgo\cfg)
The default path:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg\
With Steam on another drive or several Steam libraries the start of the path changes, but ...\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg\ stays the same.
How to Open It From Steam
- Right-click Counter-Strike 2 in the library → Manage → Browse local files, or
- Properties → Installed Files → Browse.
Then open game → csgo → cfg.
What's Inside
Mostly Valve's game mode configs like gamemode_casual.cfg and gamemode_competitive.cfg. They set the server rules: bots, economy, round time. That's why a bot game feels "preconfigured" right away. A few lines from gamemode_casual.cfg:
bot_difficulty 1 bot_quota 10 mp_buytime 45 mp_buy_anywhere 0 mp_freezetime 5 mp_friendlyfire 1 mp_startmoney 1000
Every gamemode file and its default values: CS2 server config files. The folder also has user_keys_default.vcfg and machine_convars_default.vcfg: the stock binds and settings CS2 uses when your own files are missing.
autoexec.cfg
autoexec.cfg is a normal text file that CS2 runs automatically on every start, no launch options needed. It doesn't exist by default, you create it in this folder. Use it for commands, binds, scripts or to exec other cfg files.
Important: autoexec.cfg doesn't store anything. Binds from the menu, crosshair changes, video settings and host_writeconfig are always saved to userdata, with or without an autoexec.
CS2 Userdata Folder: Where Your Settings Are Saved
This is where CS2 really keeps your personal settings, separately for every Steam account:
...\Steam\userdata\AccountID\730\local\cfg\
- AccountID: a number, the ID of your Steam account (see below how to find yours).
- 730: the Steam App ID of Counter-Strike 2.
- local\cfg: the actual settings files.
Here go your binds, crosshair, mouse and input settings, audio and video settings. The game updates these files by itself when you change something, and recreates them with default values if you delete them.
The account folder also holds other Steam data, for example config\localconfig.vdf with your Steam client settings and the launch options of your games. Don't confuse those with CS2 configs.
With Steam Cloud enabled, your settings can sync between PCs. With it off, everything stays local, the folders work the same way. If old settings keep coming back after a reset, Steam Cloud is usually why: how to reset all settings in CS2.
How to Find Your Account Folder in Steam userdata
If several accounts were used on the PC, userdata has several numbered folders. The folder name is the AccountID, the number inside SteamID3 [U:1:AccountID]. Your Friend Code in Steam is the same number. All Steam ID formats are explained in the Steam ID guide.
Method 1: Check Which Files Changed
CS2 rewrites its user files when you start and close the game. Launch CS2, close it, then look in AccountID\730\local\cfg\ of each folder. The one with just-modified files is your active account.
Method 2: Look for Your Name in the Config
Open AccountID\730\local\cfg\cs2_user_convars_0_slot0.vcfg. Near the end you'll find a line like:
"name" "CSBEPRO"
That's the in-game name of the account.
Method 3: Look It Up
Paste your profile URL, trade link or any Steam ID into my SteamIDs Lookup and it shows the AccountID along with SteamID, SteamID3 and SteamID64. No guessing.
CS2 User Config Files Explained
Source 2 stores most player settings in .vcfg files instead of the old config.cfg. They're readable text, but they're the game's storage, not your scripts.
- cs2_user_convars_0_slot0.vcfg
- Your player settings: HUD , viewmodel, radar, crosshair, sensitivity, sound, controller and other gameplay values.
- cs2_user_keys_0_slot0.vcfg
- All key binds, from the menu or from the console: movement, buy binds, communication, custom binds.
- cs2_machine_convars.vcfg
- Settings tied to this PC: hardware, drivers, audio and other low-level values that CS2 adapts to your system.
- cs2_video.txt
- Video settings: resolution, aspect ratio, display mode, refresh rate, shadows, textures and the rest of the video menu.
When CS2 Rewrites These Files
On launch, on a normal exit, when you change settings in the menu or console, and during updates when new variables are added or defaults change. host_writeconfig forces a save right away. Delete a file, and CS2 recreates it with default values on the next start.
Editing .vcfg Files by Hand
Possible, but only change values that are already there. Edited known values are applied and kept.
New lines are a different story: they may run on the next start, but then CS2 rewrites the file and removes everything it doesn't expect there. Example: the last line of cs2_machine_convars.vcfg is
"volume" "0.600000"
You change it to 0.4 and add "cl_showfps" "1". Both apply on launch, but afterwards CS2 saves the file again and cl_showfps is gone, the volume stays 0.4.
In CS 1.6 players made config.cfg read-only to stop the game from rewriting it. The same trick technically works with .vcfg, but I don't recommend it: the game can't save new defaults and settings, and strange problems follow. Put your own commands into autoexec.cfg instead.
How CS2 Loads Config Files: Load Order
On launch CS2 first loads your saved user files from userdata, then the configs from the game folder. Starting a Competitive practice game, the order is:
cs2_user_convars_0_slot0.vcfgcs2_machine_convars.vcfgautoexec.cfg(if it exists)- a config from your launch options, like
+exec practice(if set) gamemode_competitive.cfgwhen the map loads
That's why some settings seem to come from your preferences and others from the game mode.
What Happens When Settings Conflict
Nothing special: whatever loads last wins. If your user config says volume 1.0 and your autoexec.cfg says volume 0.5, you get 0.5, because autoexec loads after the user files. And since the game saves its current values, 0.5 is then written back into the .vcfg. Server rules from a gamemode file in turn override what you set before the map loaded.
How to Check That a Config Was Loaded
Add an echo line at the end of the file:
echo "autoexec has been loaded"
The message shows up in the console. By default CS2 doesn't show the startup output, so you may not see it. Add -dev to the launch options to see what runs during loading and in which order, or use developer 1 in the console. Remove -dev afterwards, it's for troubleshooting, not for everyday play.
All CS2 Config Files: Cheat Sheet
Game Folder: game\csgo\cfg
Not tied to an account.
| File | Runs | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
autoexec.cfg |
Automatically on game start | Your commands, binds and scripts. Doesn't store settings itself |
practice.cfg, personal.cfg or any name |
Manually with exec |
Your own configs for practice, bots, scripts |
gamemode_competitive.cfg |
When a Competitive map loads | Competitive server rules, overrides conflicting values |
gamemode_casual.cfg |
When a Casual map loads | Casual rules |
gamemode_deathmatch.cfg |
When a Deathmatch map loads | Deathmatch rules |
gamemode_competitive2v2.cfg |
When a Wingman map loads | Wingman rules |
gamemode_*_offline.cfg |
Offline games with bots | Adds bots to offline Competitive and Wingman |
user_keys_default.vcfg, machine_convars_default.vcfg |
When user files are missing | Valve's default binds and settings |
server.cfg |
On servers | Empty by default, for your own server settings |
Userdata Folder: Steam\userdata\AccountID\730\local\cfg
Per account, written by the game.
| File | Stores |
|---|---|
cs2_user_convars_0_slot0.vcfg |
Player settings: HUD, crosshair, viewmodel, radar, sensitivity, sound |
cs2_user_keys_0_slot0.vcfg |
All key binds |
cs2_machine_convars.vcfg |
PC-specific settings: hardware, drivers, audio |
cs2_video.txt |
Video settings: resolution, display mode, quality |
Conclusion
CS2 has two config locations for two jobs, and almost every config problem comes from mixing them up. game\csgo\cfg is for Valve's mode configs and your own scripts, including autoexec.cfg. Steam\userdata\AccountID\730\local\cfg is where the game itself saves your binds, crosshair and video settings. Your logic goes into the game folder, your saved preferences stay in userdata. No tricks, no magic, just knowing where each file belongs.
CS2 Config Location FAQ
Where are my CS2 settings stored?
Binds, crosshair, sensitivity and video are in ...\Steam\userdata\AccountID\730\local\cfg\. CS2 writes these files itself.
Where do I put autoexec.cfg in CS2?
In ...\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\game\csgo\cfg\. Not in userdata, it won't run from there.
Why doesn't my autoexec.cfg save my settings?
Because it doesn't store anything, it only runs commands at startup. What the game saves goes to the userdata files.
Can autoexec.cfg override my saved settings?
Yes. It loads after the userdata files, so its values win, and the game then saves them into the .vcfg files.
Is it safe to edit .vcfg files?
Changing existing values is fine. New lines get removed when CS2 rewrites the file, put your own commands in autoexec.cfg instead.
What happens if I delete a userdata config file?
CS2 recreates it with default values on the next launch. Your settings for that file are reset, nothing breaks.
Why are there several folders in userdata?
One per Steam account used on this PC. The folder name is the AccountID.
What does -dev do?
Shows the full developer output, including which configs run at startup. Use it only for troubleshooting.
