You can find the CS:GO and CS2 Workshop in two ways: open the Counter-Strike 2 page in your Steam library and click "Workshop", or go to Community > Workshop in the Steam store and search for the game. The Steam Workshop hosts player-made content: training and custom-mode maps, plus submissions from skin, sticker and item creators. When CS2 replaced CS:GO in 2023, the CS:GO Workshop stayed on the same game page, so the steps did not change.
For step-by-step instructions with current CS2 screens, see our guides on where to find the Workshop in CS2 and how to enter the Workshop in CS2. Below we cover both ways in, how to install maps and which Workshop content is most useful.
How to open the Workshop in CS:GO and CS2
You only need to learn this once. The steps are the same as for any other Steam game:
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log in to Steam and go to the "Library" section;
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select Counter-Strike 2 from the list on the left (this is where Counter-Strike: Global Offensive used to be);
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on the game page, find the "Workshop" section and click it.
You can also open the Workshop from the store's main page. Hover over "Community" in the header and select "Workshop" from the drop-down list. Type Counter-Strike into the "Find a game" search field to go to the game's Workshop page.
How to install items and maps from the Workshop
The Workshop has a huge variety of maps and items. But to use them in the game, you need to know how to add them there. In fact, this is very easy to do, because the Steam Workshop is still one of the easiest ways to install add-ons. For new content to appear in the game, you do not have to download modifications from third-party sites and figure out which local game folder you need to place them in. Steam takes on the solution to all these problems.
To add the content you like, just open the page of the item you need from the Workshop, and then click on the "Subscribe" button. After this, the client will download the necessary files itself, and they will appear in the game the next time you launch it. In CS2, downloaded maps are launched from the main menu under Play, on the Workshop maps tab. To play one together with friends, see our guide on how to launch a map with friends in CS2.
Workshop maps for training
The Steam Workshop has several types of maps: for playing together, competing with friends or for practicing individual elements of the game. Training maps from the Workshop are especially useful because they allow you to quickly practice some moves or techniques, improving your reaction, accuracy, aiming speed, or movement accuracy. Whether you play competitively or for fun, this practice will make the game much more enjoyable. Many popular CS:GO maps have been updated for CS2 by their authors, but not all of them, so check that a map works in CS2 before subscribing. Common choices include:
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For aim practice, try Aim Botz, Fast Aim/Reflex Map, Recoil Master and similar aim maps; our list of the best aim maps in CS2 has current picks. You can use them to warm up before matches on official maps, practice to hone your reactions, get used to the new mouse sensitivity and learn to quickly notice the appearance of an enemy.
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To learn accurate utility, install the Yprac series (for example, the Nuke guide) or Overpass training maps. Similar maps exist for other official maps, and the best are in our top maps for grenade practice in CS2.
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To practice movement, subscribe to maps with Shortcuts in the name, such as Shortcuts Mirage. They are convenient for practicing quick jumps and dashes across critical areas of the map in order to better respond to typical situations that arise in the game.
Another type of download from the workshop will be useful for those who want to customize all the little things in the game to their requirements. There are maps for customizing the interface, hand placement, and crosshair appearance. Changes show up instantly on them, so it is easy to judge what suits you. For building your own crosshair, see our guide on how to create a crosshair in CS2.
Notable skins in the Workshop
The Workshop is also worth browsing if you follow skin design. Creators publish their finishes here, and the best ones pass Valve's selection and enter the game in new cases and collections. Note that subscribing to a skin in the Workshop does not add it to your inventory: only skins Valve has officially released can be used in matches. There is a huge number of submissions, especially for the AK-47, ranging from intricate ornaments to guns that look like colorful toys.
All Workshop content is free. If you like a submission, rate it: popularity in the Workshop helps creators get noticed by Valve. Skins that have already been released for CS2 are available on LIS-SKINS.
Using the Workshop
Once you have a lot of subscriptions, it can be hard to figure out which ones are needed at the moment and which ones can be deleted. To avoid confusion, it is useful to use collections. To do this, open the "Browse" menu on the Workshop page and select "Collections". On the page that opens, you can view the selections of other players, as well as create your own. Also on this page you can subscribe to the authors who create the content you like.
Knowing how to use the Workshop helps in other games too. Many products from Valve and other developers support the Steam Workshop, which means they allow users to share their own content, so the game never becomes boring or monotonous.
