How to Play Arms Race in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)

Arms Race was a fan-favorite gamemode in Counter-Strike: GO, based on the ever-popular “Gun Game” mod prevalent in just about every FPS you can think of. With CS: GO officially ushered out and replaced with Counter-Strike 2, players are trying to figure out how to play Arms Race and other war games. It isn’t good news just yet, but there’s a shimmer of hope for the future.

Can You Play Arms Race / Gun Game in Counter-Strike 2?

At the time of publishing, Arms Race is not available to play in Counter-Strike 2. In fact, no War Games survived the transition from CS: GO into CS2, with Competitive, Wingman, Casual, and Deathmatch being the only modes currently available.

Related: Do CS:GO Skins Transfer Over to Counter-Strike 2? – Answered

With Counter-Strike: Global Offensive taken offline for good, many players are expressing this disappointment with yet another feature absent in Counter-Strike 2. Anyone itching for a round of gun game between intense matches is left in de_dust — and not literally, unfortunately.

Will Arms Race Be Added to Counter-Strike 2?

While there’s been no official announcement, it’s incredibly likely that Arms Race will return to Counter-Strike 2 at some point in the future. Screenshots of updated versions of Baggage, Lake, and Shoots were leaked before launch. All three of these maps were used for Arms Race prior to its removal.

Baggage, in particular, is a good indicator that Gun Game is on its way, with the map only ever appearing in Arms Race. Unless Valve has decided to scrap beautifully remastered maps for no particular reason, we’ll be making brand-new Arms Race memories in the near future.

The inclusion of Shoots and Lake may suggest Flying Scoutsman will also make its return, but it’s entirely possible they’ll be used for Wingman instead. At least that’s still around for anyone looking to warm up or take a well-deserved break from sweaty matches, eh?

For now, check out our guide on the best Counter-Strike 2 startup options to squeeze out a few extra frames, ready to dominate once/if Arms Race finally makes its return.

This guide was written while playing Counter-Strike 2 on PC via Steam.