CS2 Demo Review: How to Analyze Your Own Matches
If you want to get better at Counter-Strike 2, watching your own demos is one of the highest-impact habits you can build. You do not need a coach or a team analyst. The game records every competitive and Premier match on Valve servers, and you can download and study those recordings for free. This guide covers how to get your demos, how to navigate them, and what to actually look for when reviewing.
How to Download Your Demos
CS2 automatically records GOTV demos for competitive and Premier matches. Open your match history by clicking your avatar in the main menu, then select the Matches tab. Pick any completed match and click the download button. The demo file lands in your replays folder at steamapps/common/Counter-Strike Global Offensive/game/csgo/replays/.[1]
Match demos stay available for about 30 days after the game is played. After that, Valve removes them from the server. Download any match you want to keep before the window closes.[1]
You can also load a demo from a share code using the console command [c]playcast[/c] followed by the share code URL, which is handy if a friend wants you to watch their match.[1]
Two Types of Demos: GOTV and POV
GOTV demos are server-side recordings that capture the entire match from all ten players. They range from 50 to 150 MB and let you switch between any player at any time. POV demos are client-side recordings captured with the [c]record[/c] console command. They only show your own perspective, run 10 to 30 MB, and capture your exact mouse movements and inputs.[1]
For reviewing team play and enemy tendencies, use GOTV. For checking your own aim and crosshair placement, POV demos are more direct.[1]
Navigating a Demo
Open a demo from your match history by clicking the Watch button, or load it from the console with [c]playdemo filename[/c]. Once it loads, press Shift+F2 or type [c]demoui[/c] to open the playback control panel.[1]
The panel gives you a timeline scrubber, play/pause, and speed control. Use [c]demo_timescale[/c] to change speed. A value of 4 plays at 4x, and 0.25 plays at quarter speed for studying fast engagements frame by frame. You can jump to a specific tick with [c]demo_gototick[/c] followed by a number, for example [c]demo_gototick 64000[/c].[1]
During playback you can switch between players with number keys 1 through 0, toggle camera modes with the mouse scroll click, and open a tactical overview map with the Q key.[2]
What to Look For
Passive watching does not improve your game. Structure your review around specific questions.
Start with the rounds you lost. Won rounds often hide mistakes. Lost rounds rarely do.[2]
For every death, ask whether the engagement was avoidable, whether your positioning was correct, and whether you had a realistic chance of winning the fight. Check your crosshair placement as you move around the map. It should sit at head height aimed at common angles.[1]
Review your utility usage. Did your smokes and flashes land on time, or did the team walk into a execute without cover? Look at where you stood when the round was decided and how long your rotations took.[2]
Check whether your buys were synchronized with the team. Did force buys and saves follow a plan, or were they decisions made in the moment?[2]
A Structured Review Process
Focus on one aspect per session. Watch the demo three times: once for positioning, once for utility, once for aim. That works better than trying to catch everything in a single pass. Take notes on recurring mistakes and turn them into specific practice goals.[1]
Study enemy perspectives too. Watch how opponents hold angles, when they rotate, and what utility they use. This helps you predict their behavior the next time you face them on the same map.[1]
Sources
CS2 Demo Review: How to Analyze Your Own Matches
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