CS2 players aiming to climb the ranks often tweak their settings to get the most out of every match. This includes changing HUD settings, as the HUD is crucial for delivering information to the player. It’s especially handy with a customized on-screen panel where you can see everything important: health, ammo, armor, money, map, radar, and other details.

Why change the HUD interface in CS2?

It’s simple: in the heat of battle, every split second counts. If the HUD is too bulky or distracting, you might lose focus. But if you make it comfortable, you can instantly read the info you need and react faster using a quick-switch key.

What is the HUD in CS2?

HUD means “heads up display” and refers to the graphical information shown on your screen. These graphics are always present and include:

  • Ammo count

  • Weapon type

  • Crosshair

  • Health

  • Armor

  • Icons

  • Game score

  • Time

  • Ping

  • FPS

Clearly, all this information is essential at any stage of a CS2 round. However, some players find their HUD too large or distracting. Don’t worry—this guide will help you customize your HUD using the best commands CS2 offers.

How to turn HUD off or on in CS2

If you need to record a video, it’s better to remove all unnecessary elements from the screen to avoid distracting viewers. To do this, you need to know how to turn off the HUD in CS2. Just disable the HUD temporarily, and the image will be clean, letting you highlight what you want with detailed instructions.

To turn off the HUD in CS2:

  • Make sure the console is enabled. We explained how to enable it in another article.

  • Open the console and enter the special command to disable the HUD in CS2. Note: this command only works with cheats enabled, so first enter sv_cheats 1.

  • Enter cl_drawhud 0 to fully turn off the HUD.

  • To bring the HUD back, use cl_drawhud 1.

To hide the HUD but keep the crosshair visible:

  • Enter cl_draw_only_deathnotices 1.

  • To restore the HUD, enter cl_draw_only_deathnotices 0.

If you want to remove the interface in CS2 and create the most comfortable gameplay, try these extra commands:

  • crosshair 0 — removes the crosshair but keeps the HUD.

  • impulse 200 — hides the player’s weapon and hands.

  • cl_showfps 0 — hides FPS, ping, and loss indicators for a cleaner screen.

To restore the interface, use the console:

  • crosshair 1 — brings back the crosshair.

  • cl_showfps 1 — shows all FPS, ping, loss, and data processing stats.

  • To make your hands and weapon visible again, just scroll the mouse wheel.

How to make a colored HUD in CS2

For this, use the developer console. Color names are numbers from 1 to 10.

The developer console, activated with the “~” key, lets you enter commands to control the HUD in Counter-Strike 2.
If you want a single HUD color, enter cl_hud_color “number” and choose:

1 — white
2 — light blue
3 — blue
4 — dark blue
5 — purple
6 — red
7 — orange
8 — yellow
9 — light green
10 — aquamarine
11 — light pink
12 — pink

To return to the default HUD, use: cl_hud_color 0.

Commands to change HUD size

hud_scaling is an important command that adjusts the overall HUD size. It affects all HUD elements. Minimum value is 0.5 (for laptops and small screens), maximum is 0.95 (for standard monitors).

Radar settings via console

  • cl_hud_radar_scale — sets radar size (0.8 is smallest, 1.3 is largest).

  • cl_radar_always_centered — set to 1 to keep the map moving with your character. If you’re used to a static map, this may take time to adjust.

  • cl_radar_icon_scale_min — controls the size of player dots (0.4 is small, 1 is large).

  • cl_radar_rotate — lets you set the radar to follow the player (1) or stay fixed (0).

  • cl_radar_scale — mini-map scale, from 0.25 to 1.

  • cl_radar_square_with_scoreboard 1 — makes the map square and fully visible when the scoreboard is open.

Element placement

  • cl_hud_playercount_pos — changes the player count panel position: 0 for top, 1 for bottom.

  • cl_showloadout 1 — shows your inventory weapons in the top right corner, can be bound to a key.

Appearance

  • cl_hud_playercount_showcount — shows the number of alive players (1) or icons (0). The number is more compact.

  • cl_hud_bomb_under_radar 1 — moves the bomb icon under the radar.

  • cl_hud_healthammo_style — set to 1 to show only health numbers.

FAQ

Q: How to restore the HUD after hiding it?
A: To restore the HUD, enter cl_draw_only_deathnotices 0 or cl_drawhud 1 in the console, depending on which elements you want to bring back.

Q: What is the HUD?
A: HUD (heads up display) are on-screen interface elements showing key info: health, armor, ammo, money, mini-map, score, ping, and FPS.

Q: How to save settings?
A: After customizing, save your settings in a config file so you don’t lose them after crashes or updates.

Q: Why customize the HUD?
A: To remove distracting details and make the game more comfortable. This helps you react faster and get all info in a second.

Conclusion

Some believe the standard HUD in Counter-Strike 2 is too flashy and distracting, so changing it is worth considering. That’s normal—everyone has their own taste, especially with CS2 HUD settings. The main thing is personal comfort. Pick the option that helps you focus by hiding the CS2 interface. And yes, it’s best to save your config so you don’t lose your settings.