You make an avatar for CS2 in Steam: the game shows your Steam profile picture. A regular image is free to set under Edit Profile, Avatar, while animated avatars and frames are bought with Steam Points in the Points Shop (you earn 100 points for every dollar spent on Steam). You cannot upload your own GIF as an animated avatar, only items from the shop. Below: image requirements, how to set a regular and an animated avatar, frames, and how to hide other players' avatars in game.
Beyond the picture itself, Steam lets you customize your profile with frames, backgrounds and other effects, and some of that shows up directly in CS2.
Why Players Set an Avatar in CS2
A profile picture is both self-expression and a way to present yourself to other players. Almost everyone has met teammates or opponents with anime avatars, memes or their favorite team's logo.
Custom avatars are not only for fans of a particular subculture: plenty of players simply want their profile to stand out.
Which Avatars Are Allowed in CS2
Steam rules limit what you can put on a profile avatar. It is prohibited to:
Use images protected by copyright.
Use any shocking or 18+ content.
The rules are not strict, so unless you deliberately push the limits, moderation is unlikely to be a problem. If you do break them, Steam will remove your avatar and may block you from uploading new ones for a while, or permanently for repeat violations. You can report profiles that break these rules. Your profile is also tied to your Steam ID, which is used for trades and account lookups.
Not every image works: the minimum resolution is 32x32 pixels, and the maximum size is 184x184 pixels, so pick images close to that size for the best quality.
How to Set a Regular Avatar
Changing your profile picture is no harder than on social networks and takes about two minutes:
Find and download the desired image to your computer.
Open Steam in the app or on the website.
Click your nickname and choose “Profile”.
Click “Edit Profile” next to your nickname.
In the profile editor, open the Avatar section and upload the new image.
Done. Your friends will recognize you more easily, and opponents will see your avatar on the scoreboard and in the death replay.
How to Set an Animated Avatar
Animated avatars used to be impossible without scripts and third-party programs, which had plenty of drawbacks: they worked unreliably and only while the user was online, and the image stopped moving once the player went offline.
Steam later added animated avatars, and CS2 plays them right in the game. In most other games the animation does not play; you only see it on the profile page.
The feature is paid, in a way. Animated avatars are bought with Steam Points, which you earn at 100 points per dollar spent in the Steam store. To earn points without spending cash, you can top up your Steam Wallet with skins and then make store purchases.
Occasionally promotions give out an animated avatar or two for a simple action. During one SEGA promotion, for example, watching a video on the Sonic games page granted a banner and an avatar.
After buying an animated avatar, open Edit Profile, find it under “Your Avatars” and save. Animated avatars can only come from the shop; you cannot upload your own GIF.
How to Add a Frame to Your Profile Avatar
A frame is another way to customize your CS2 avatar with a decorative border. Frames are static or animated, and the price depends on the type. You buy them in the same place as animated avatars, the Steam Points Shop.
A frame changes how the avatar reads. Besides the border itself, many frames add depth with shadows or 2D artwork that creates a 3D effect.
Animated frames do the same, but they can also glow, shift colors like neon lights, and have moving artwork.
Other players see the frame without opening your profile or hovering over your picture. Animated frames show in your friends list and on your Steam profile regardless of the game.
Sometimes you can get one free by completing a publisher survey or watching a video, but such giveaways are rare.
How to Get an Animated Frame and Avatar for Free
Many players want an animated CS2 avatar but would rather not pay for it. Publishers occasionally run promotions that hand these items out for free. Past examples:
For its anniversary, SEGA gave away frames, animated avatars and Sonic banners for watching a stream on the sale page for 15 minutes.
The developers of Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties gave out a full animated customization set for passing a quiz about the game.
Such giveaways are irregular, usually tied to Steam sales and publisher anniversaries. Look for them only on pages inside Steam: third-party sites promising “free frames” are often scams.
How to Make Your Own Animated Avatar
The Points Shop selection is large but may not have what you want. The only way to use your own GIF is through special scripts.
Such programs were common before Steam sold animated customization for points. They will not animate your avatar in CS2, though: the game only shows the avatar from your profile.
Most players have dropped this option: the programs are unstable, and a supposedly working version can easily be malware that steals your account (see our guide to the Steam API scam). The animation also stops the moment you exit Steam or turn off your computer.
How animated avatars work in CS2
Other players' animated avatars can be distracting. CS2 settings let you hide other players' avatars and nicknames.
The downside is that static avatars disappear too, replaced by gray placeholders.
FAQ
Can I use my own GIF as an animated CS2 avatar?
No. Steam accepts only a static image as an uploaded avatar; animated avatars come exclusively from the Steam Points Shop. Third-party scripts for a moving avatar do not work in CS2.
How much does an animated avatar cost?
You pay with Steam Points, not money directly. Points are credited automatically at 100 per dollar spent on Steam, so you collect them along the way with regular purchases.
Why does everyone have a gray avatar in CS2?
Most likely the option to show other players' avatars is turned off in the game settings. Turn it back on and both static and animated avatars return.
Do other players see my avatar during a match?
Yes. Your Steam avatar shows on the scoreboard and in the death replay unless the other player has hidden avatars. Many players match their avatar with skins in the same colors, which are easy to find on LIS-SKINS.
