CS2 Server Tickrate and Subtick Explained (Why No 128 Tick)

CS2 servers run at a fixed 64 tick, and you cannot change it: the -tickrate 128 launch option from CS:GO does nothing in CS2. Valve replaced the 64 vs 128 debate with subtick, where the client timestamps each shot, jump and movement input with the exact moment it happened between ticks, and the server uses that timestamp instead of rounding to the next tick. For a community server, what matters now is CPU speed, ping, rate settings and keeping plugins light.

What is tickrate?

The tickrate is how many times per second the server simulates the game world: moves players, registers shots, runs grenades. A 64 tick server does it 64 times a second, roughly every 15.6 ms. A 128 tick server, as many CS:GO community and third party servers ran, did it every 7.8 ms.

In CS:GO, anything you did between two ticks was handled on the next tick. Fire 5 ms after a tick on a 64 tick server and the game treated your shot as if it happened at the next tick, about 10 ms later than you clicked. 128 tick halved that gap, which is why competitive players cared so much. It also made grenade lineups and movement behave slightly differently between 64 and 128 servers, which is why jump throw binds and lineups did not always carry over. For the general idea across games, see what is tick rate in games.

Why is there no 128 tick in CS2?

Because Valve built CS2 around subtick and fixed the server at 64 tick. There is no supported cvar or launch option to change it. Admins coming from CS:GO who add -tickrate 128 to their start line find it is simply ignored.

Valve's reasoning, from the CS2 announcement on counter-strike.net: with subtick, the server knows the exact instant movement starts, a shot is fired or a grenade is thrown, so moving, shooting and grenades behave the same regardless of tick rate. Whether subtick fully matches 128 tick in feel is still argued about in the community. What is not up for debate is that it is the only option on a CS2 server, including yours.

What does subtick actually do?

With subtick:

Your client records each input with a precise timestamp, not just "this happened during tick 4012".
The server still simulates at 64 tick, but when it processes your shot it uses the exact moment you fired.
So two players who click 3 ms apart get resolved in the right order, even inside the same tick.

What subtick does not do:

It does not make the server send updates faster. You still receive world updates at 64 per second.
It does not fix bad ping. Subtick timestamps your input precisely, but it still has to travel to the server.
It does not fix a slow server. If the server cannot finish a tick in time, everyone feels it.

Grenades are the most visible win. Subtick made lineups land the same way regardless of when in a tick you release, which is why one consistent lineup works on every CS2 server.

Which CS2 server settings still matter?

Tickrate is off the table, so here is what you can actually control.

CPU speed and server load

CS2 simulates each tick on a fast main thread. A server CPU with high clock speeds keeps every tick on time even in a full lobby, and that is the single biggest factor you control. More players, bots, SourceTV and plugins all add work per tick.

Rate settings

Cvar	Default	What it does
`sv_maxrate`	0	Max bandwidth per player. 0 means unlimited
`sv_minrate`	98304	Min bandwidth per player
`rate` (client)	786432	The player's own bandwidth setting, max 1000000

Leave sv_maxrate at 0. Capping it only hurts players with good connections. If someone has odd network issues, they can check their own rate in their console.

Server location and ping

Subtick makes input timing precise, but ping is still ping. A server close to your players beats any setting on this page. If your group is spread across two regions, pick the one in the middle.

Plugins

Every CounterStrikeSharp or Metamod plugin that runs code on every tick or every player think adds to the tick time. Retakes, practice and admin plugins are light. Badly written plugins that loop over every entity each tick are not. If a plugin heavy server feels worse than a vanilla one, remove plugins one at a time to find the cost.

Hibernation

sv_hibernate_when_empty (default true) puts the server into a near idle state when nobody is connected. It saves CPU and does not affect play. Leave it on.

Parallel processing cvars

sv_parallel_packentities, sv_parallel_sendsnapshot and sv_parallel_checktransmit default to the dedicated server settings. Leave them alone. Forum posts that tell you to change them predate most of CS2's network updates.

What players can check on their end

Most "the server feels bad" reports are on the player's side. In CS2, Settings, Game, Telemetry shows frame rate, ping and packet loss on screen, the replacement for CS:GO's net_graph. Ask a player who complains to turn it on:

High ping: distance to the server, or their connection.
Packet loss: their connection, Wi-Fi or ISP.
Low or unstable FPS: their PC. Server tick and client FPS are separate.

The client cvar cl_net_buffer_ticks (0 to 2) adds a small buffer that smooths over packet loss at the cost of a little delay. Players on a clean wired connection should leave it at 0.

How this works on GamezServers

Every GamezServers CS2 server runs Valve's dedicated server at the standard 64 tick with subtick, in a data center, with DDoS protection, so you skip the home upload limits that make self hosted servers feel laggy. If your server feels off, the console is in the panel for checking status pings, and support@gamezservers.com can look at the host side with you. Setting up from scratch? See the CS2 Quick start, and for match settings, the CS2 server commands list.

FAQ

Is CS2 64 tick or 128 tick?

64 tick, on Valve's servers and on community servers. Subtick timestamps inputs between ticks, so the game does not round your actions to the tick the way CS:GO did.

Can I run a 128 tick CS2 server?

No. CS2 has no supported way to change the tickrate, and the old -tickrate 128 launch option is ignored.

Does subtick make 64 tick as good as 128?

For input timing, it closes most of the gap, because your shots and jumps keep their exact timestamps. The server still sends updates 64 times a second, so players argue about how it feels compared to 128.

Why do my grenade lineups work the same everywhere in CS2?

Subtick records exactly when you release the grenade, so the throw does not depend on where in the tick you let go. Every CS2 server runs the same tick rate too.

Does a better server CPU help in CS2?

Yes. The server has to finish each tick on time, and a fast CPU keeps it doing that with a full lobby, plugins and SourceTV. It is the biggest server side factor you can change.