CS2 Shortcuts vs Launch Options: When a Steam Shortcut Is Better
How to make a CS2 desktop shortcut with steam.exe -applaunch 730, ready shortcuts for training, maps and modes, game_type and game_mode values, and a batch file menu
Launch options in CS2 are handy, but they have one catch: once set in Steam, they stay on for every launch until you remove them. If you need a parameter only sometimes, for example -insecure, -allow_third_party_software or a practice map, a separate shortcut is cleaner and safer.
Here I show when normal launch options are enough, how to make CS2 shortcuts, a set of ready examples, and a batch file that gives you a small menu of setups.
Launch Options vs Shortcuts: What's the Difference
Launch options are startup parameters you set in Steam: right-click Counter-Strike 2 → Properties → General → Launch Options. They apply every time the game starts. Full list in the CS2 launch options guide.
A shortcut starts the same game with its own set of parameters, only when you click it. Your Steam settings stay untouched.
| Launch options in Steam | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Works | Every launch | Only when you use it |
| Best for | Things you always want: -w/-h resolution, -console, -fullscreen |
Things you need sometimes: -insecure, -allow_third_party_software, a map, a config |
| Several setups | Edit Properties every time | One shortcut per setup |
| Risk of forgetting | Yes, e.g. -insecure blocks matchmaking |
No, your normal launch stays clean |
The last row is the main reason. With -insecure VAC is off and you can't join secured servers, and -allow_third_party_software turns off CS2's protected mode. You don't want either to stay in your Steam settings by accident.
How to Create a CS2 Desktop Shortcut
A CS2 shortcut is a shortcut to steam.exe with -applaunch 730: 730 is the AppID of Counter-Strike 2, and everything after it goes to the game as launch parameters.
-
Find
steam.exe. Usually it'sC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe, or wherever you installed Steam, for exampleD:\Games\Steam\steam.exe. - Right-click it → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut).
- Right-click the new shortcut → Properties.
- In Target, add
-applaunch 730and your parameters after the path. - Rename the shortcut so you know what it does, for example "CS2 Training".
The simplest CS2 shortcut:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730
With extra parameters:
"D:\Games\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 -insecure +map cs_mansion
Keep the path in quotes if it has spaces. Parameters with a minus (-insecure) are launch options, parameters with a plus (+map, +exec) are console commands that run after the game starts.
cs_mansion is not part of CS2, it's a custom map. +map loads it only if the map is in your game\csgo\maps\ folder. For a Steam Workshop map use +map_workshop with its ID instead, and the official maps like de_dust2 work right away.
Useful Steam Parameters
steam.exe has its own parameters, they go before -applaunch:
| Parameter | What it does |
|---|---|
-applaunch 730 |
Starts the game with this AppID through Steam, followed by its launch parameters |
-silent |
Starts Steam in the tray, without the main window |
-noverifyfiles |
Skips the client file check at startup |
If Steam is already running, the shortcut just tells it to start CS2 with your parameters.
CS2 Shortcut Examples
Change the Steam path to yours.
Third-Party Software
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 -allow_third_party_software
For tools that need to hook into the game, like overlays or recording software. It turns off CS2's protected mode, so use it only when you really need it.
Training Config
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 +exec training
Runs your training.cfg from game\csgo\cfg\ right after the start. How to write one: CS2 config guide, or build it in the CS2 Config Generator.
Dust2 With Your Training Config
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 +map de_dust2 +exec training
Loads Dust2 and your practice settings in one click.
Dust2 in Casual Mode
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +map de_dust2 +exec training
Casual has 20 player slots, so you can add more bots than in Competitive. Bot setups for that: hardest bots in CS2.
Custom Map in Insecure Mode
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 -insecure +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +map cs_mansion
For custom maps and local testing with VAC off.
Why It's Better for Temporary Setups
Your normal Steam launch stays clean, and every special setup is one click away: training, custom maps, recording, testing. No more opening Properties, changing parameters and forgetting to change them back.
CS2 game_type and game_mode Values
The mode is set by two values together: game_type and game_mode. These are the numbers from the game file gamemodes.txt:
| Mode | game_type | game_mode | Shortcut part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | 0 | 0 | +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 |
| Competitive | 0 | 1 | +game_type 0 +game_mode 1 |
| Wingman | 0 | 2 | +game_type 0 +game_mode 2 |
| Arms Race | 1 | 0 | +game_type 1 +game_mode 0 |
| Deathmatch | 1 | 2 | +game_type 1 +game_mode 2 |
| Custom | 3 | 0 | +game_type 3 +game_mode 0 |
Put them before +map, the mode is applied when the map loads. Set both values: game_mode alone means different things in different game types.
One Batch File for Several CS2 Setups
If you don't want five shortcuts on the desktop, one batch file can show a small menu. Open Notepad, paste the script, and save it as cs2setup.bat (choose "All files" as the type, so it doesn't end in .txt).
@echo off set STEAM="C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" echo Choose your setup: echo 1. Third-party software allowed echo 2. cs_mansion in Casual, insecure echo 3. Training config echo 4. Dust2 + training config echo 5. Dust2 + training config in Casual set /p choice=Enter the number of your choice: set ARGS= if "%choice%"=="1" set ARGS=-allow_third_party_software if "%choice%"=="2" set ARGS=-insecure +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +map cs_mansion if "%choice%"=="3" set ARGS=+exec training if "%choice%"=="4" set ARGS=+map de_dust2 +exec training if "%choice%"=="5" set ARGS=+game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +map de_dust2 +exec training if not defined ARGS (echo Wrong choice, exiting. & pause & exit /b) start "" %STEAM% -applaunch 730 %ARGS%
Change the path in the second line if your Steam is somewhere else, it's used for every option. Double-click the file, type a number, press Enter, and Steam starts CS2 with that setup. A wrong number shows a message and waits for a key. To add a setup, copy one if line, give it the next number and add a matching echo line to the menu.
Conclusion
Keep in Steam launch options only what you want every time. Everything temporary, like insecure mode, third-party software, practice maps and configs, goes into separate shortcuts or one batch file. Your normal launch stays clean, and any setup is one click away.
CS2 Shortcuts FAQ
How do I make a CS2 desktop shortcut with launch options?
Create a shortcut to steam.exe and put -applaunch 730 and your parameters after the path in Target, for example "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 730 +map de_dust2.
What is 730 in -applaunch 730?
The Steam AppID of Counter-Strike 2.
When is a shortcut better than launch options?
When you need parameters only sometimes. -insecure or -allow_third_party_software shouldn't stay in your normal launch by accident.
How do I start CS2 in Casual or Deathmatch from a shortcut?
Casual: +game_type 0 +game_mode 0. Deathmatch: +game_type 1 +game_mode 2. Put them before +map.
Why doesn't +map cs_mansion work?
cs_mansion is a custom map, not part of CS2. It loads only if the map file is in your maps folder. For Workshop maps use +map_workshop.
Can I have several shortcuts for different setups?
Yes, as many as you want: training, custom maps, recording, testing. Or one batch file with a menu.
