Fix: Counter-Strike 2 High Ping / Latency and Packet Loss Issue

For more than two decades, Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS GO) offered a competitive battle royale team deathmatch experience to fans across the globe. But new revamped graphics and overall improvements are required. So, Valve has finally released Counter-Strike 2 for all as a new chapter where the graphics have been stepped ahead with plenty of improvements. Though players like this new title quite well, some are facing the Counter-Strike 2 High Ping / Latency and Packet Loss Issue.

As compared to the previous generation, this time CS2 has been completely revamped with the visuals, background sound, gameplay controls, more realistic models, better in-game light shadows or reflections, etc. However, multiple players are worried about the in-game performances in the multiplayer mode specifically due to the higher ping delay or packet data loss. To be precise, packet data loss can happen due to a couple of reasons such as poor internet, insufficient network bandwidth, server outage, game conflicts, etc.

Fix: Counter-Strike 2 High Ping / Latency and Packet Loss Issue

Mostly, the network connectivity issue or an outdated game version can be a major reason behind such an issue. Luckily, here we’ve shared with you a couple of workarounds that should come in handy. Make sure to follow all troubleshooting methods until the problem has been fixed. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Restart the PC

First, you should reboot the PC after closing the game to ensure there is no issue with the temporary glitch or cache data. It might not be helpful for everyone but you should try it out.

2. Check Your Internet Connection

You should check your internet connection properly to ensure there is no issue with the network’s stability or speed. A slow internet speed or unstable network can eventually cause several issues whatsoever. If you’re using a wired (ethernet) connection then try using a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection or vice versa to check for the issue. You can also try using a different network to cross-check the issue further.

3. Power Cycle the Networking Device

Sometimes only restarting the game might not work as expected. It’s always recommended to power cycle the networking device like a Wi-Fi Router to refresh temporary networking glitches.

• Turn Off the Wi-Fi Router first > Once the LED indicators stop, unplug the power cable from the router.
• Now, wait for around 30 seconds, and plug back the power cable into the router.

4. Update the Network Driver

You should try updating the network adapter driver on the PC to ensure there is no conflict happening with the networking connectivity. Sometimes your internet connection might have a good signal or speed but the network adapter may trouble you due to driver-related issues. To fix it:

• Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Click on Device Manager from the list.
• Now, double-click on the Network adapters category to expand the list.
• Then right-click on the specific network device.

• Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
• If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
• Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to change the effects.

5. Update Counter-Strike 2

In case, you haven’t updated the Counter-Strike 2 game for a while then make sure to follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). An outdated game patch version might trouble you a lot with packet data loss or latency issues. To do this:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Click on Counter-Strike 2 from the left pane.
• It’ll automatically search for the available update.
• Now, click on Update.
• Wait for the update to complete and reboot the PC to apply changes.

6. Scan and Repair the Game Files

If you are still experiencing issues with CS2 matchmaking or higher ping delay then you should try verifying the integrity of the game files on the PC via the Steam client. A corrupted or missing game file(s) can cause such issues. To do that:

• Launch the Steam client > Navigate to Library.
• Right-click on Counter-Strike 2.
• Select Properties > Click on the Local Files tab.
• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
• Wait for Steam to verify the installed game files.

7. Check the CS2 Server Status

Sometimes the server connectivity issue or the higher ping delay issue might appear due to technical faults on the server side. You can try checking out the Counter-Strike Server Status via DownDetector to check for the same. If there is an issue with the game server then make sure to wait for a couple of hours and try again. At the time of writing this article, there are some downtime or outages visible. Otherwise, try following the rest of the workarounds.

8. Close Third-Party Background Tasks

Unnecessary background running tasks or programs can eat up a lot of system resources like CPU or Memory usage literally reducing system performance. It might also trigger matchmaking issues. Just close all the unnecessary background running tasks completely. To do this:

• Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open Task Manager.
• Now, click on the Processes tab.
• Click to select tasks that are unnecessarily running and consuming higher system resources.
• Click on End Task to close processes one by one.
• Once done, restart your system to apply changes.

9. Disable Data Bandwidth Consuming Processes

It’s also possible that multiple background applications may consume enough data bandwidth and other system resources that might trigger a high ping delay with CS2. To fix this issue, you can follow the steps below:

• Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
• Type resmon and hit Enter to launch Resource Monitor.
• Go to the Network tab > Locate the higher network-consuming processes.
• Now, select the task individually & click on End Task.
• Do the same steps for each network-consuming task to check if the problem has been fixed.

10. Turn Off Antivirus

You can also try turning off the Windows Defender Antivirus protection on your PC to ensure there is no antivirus software blocking the game files from running properly. Even if you’re using any third-party antivirus program on your PC then just turn off the real-time protection temporarily.

• Press the Win+I hotkeys to open the Windows Settings menu.
• Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
• Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
• Go to Virus & Threat Protection > Click on Manage Settings.
• Next, you’ll need to turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
• If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.

Note: If you’re using a third-party antivirus software then simply disable the real-time scanning or protection feature temporarily to check for the issue.

11. Disable Windows Firewall

You should also try disabling the Windows Firewall protection on your PC temporarily to check whether the Counter-Strike 2 High Ping/ Latency and Packet Loss issue happens or not. Sometimes the Firewall program can block the ongoing connectivity of the machine to the game servers which can trigger such issues.

• Click on the Start Menu > Type Firewall.
• Select Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.
• Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.
• Select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) option for both the Private & Public Network Settings.
• Once selected, click on OK to save changes.

12. Reset Network Settings

Another thing you should do is reset the networking settings on your PC by following the steps below to reduce networking glitches. Any un-noticed incorrect network settings can trigger multiple issues with the higher ping delay or latency.

• Open the Start menu and search for the cmd.
• Right-click on Command Prompt > Click on Run as administrator.
• If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to proceed.
• Now, type netsh winsock reset in the cmd window and hit Enter.
• Wait for the process to complete and then restart your PC.

13. Try Using VPN

You can also try using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service at your end to cross-check if the ping delay has been reduced or not. It’s worth mentioning that using a VPN service mostly causes higher latency issues with the game servers. So, if you’re already using a VPN and somehow the server connectivity issues are there then make sure to turn off the VPN and check for the issue again.

14. Change the DNS Server

You can manually try changing the DNS server to Google DNS which is a public DNS address with better reachability and faster connectivity to the servers across the globe. Maybe your private DNS server from the ISP might get blocked or doesn’t run well with game servers. So, you can follow the steps below to use the Google DNS address for better reachability and faster connectivity speeds.

Please Note: You should write down your existing DNS server address from the screen as a backup. If anything goes wrong, you can change it to the previous DNS address and save the changes.

• Open the Start menu > Go to Control Panel.
• Click on Network and Internet > Select Network and Sharing Center.
• Select Change adapter settings > Right-click on the active network connection.
• Click on Properties > Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCIP/IPv4) in the list.
• Click on Properties > Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
• Enter 8.8.8.8 for the Preferred DNS Server addresses.
• Next, enter 8.8.4.4 for the Alternate DNS Server addresses.
• Once done, click on OK to save changes.
• Finally, restart the PC, and check for the issue.

15. Reinstall Counter-Strike 2

If none of the workarounds come in handy then ensure to uninstall and reinstall the CS2 game on your PC by following the steps below to avoid potential glitches or conflicts. To do this:

• Close the Steam client > Open the Control Panel from the Start menu.
• Now, click on Uninstall a program from the list.
• Select the Counter-Strike 2 game from the installed programs.
• Next, click on Uninstall > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation process.
• Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.
• Finally, open Steam, and re-install the CS2 game on a different drive to check for the issue.

That’s it, guys. We hope this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.