How to Surrender in CS2 & In What Cases Is It Necessary?

True warriors never give up. They stand till the end, fight outnumbered, and through blood, sweat, and tears, rip the victory out with their teeth from the warm but no longer alive body of the enemy. Well, if we are talking about battles in real life, this kind of mindset can really be extremely useful. But if we are talking about competitive online shooters, then by playing with an incomplete team, you just delay a lost game and prevent all parties from enjoying a fair match. If you're down to two against five, it's much easier to just give up and enter a new match with a full team. In this article, you will learn how to surrender in CS2 and what are the conditions to do it.

Cases Where Your Team Should Give Up in a CS2 Match

So, you want to know how to forfeit in CS2 and not get any penalty for it. Well, you should realize that you can do it only if your team is missing at least one participant. If the whole team is together, then this guide won’t help you in any way. 

For example, if one of your team members is AFK from the very beginning of the match and does nothing but is still in a game, it will not be possible to intentionally initiate a defeat. Or, if you are unlucky and the opposing team is too strong, it is also impossible to initiate a forfeit while you are playing 5 vs. 5.

How to Surrender in Counter-Strike 2

So, suppose one or more of your team members left the match, and you are left in the minority. How do you surrender a game in CS2 in such a case?

Initiate a Surrender in CS2

When at least one member of your team is missing, follow the instructions:

1. Press the Esc key to enter the loadout screen;

   

2. In the options that appear, select Call vote and choose the Surrender option;

   

Voting

If all conditions are met, and you've done everything correctly, you'll see a popup window saying that one of your teammates has left the match and asking if you want to surrender. In order to leave, a majority of the players must vote in favor of surrendering. The voting itself is simple and straightforward:

1. F1 — Yes
2. F2 — No

Previously, in order to end the match, it was enough for any of the players to initiate defeat. However, this is not how the developers intended the game to be played, and on October 8, 2023, Valve released an update that fixed this system. Now, to show the white flag, the majority of the team should agree to do it.

How to Get Your Teammates to Surrender

In a situation where your team is outnumbered, the main problem is not how to initiate a forfeit but how to make people surrender in CS2. Often, your teammates, even without one or two players, can continue to fight desperately. Some may be too lazy to look for a new match, and others may simply not know that the lose option exists. Either way, you need to convince your teammates to concede defeat, and for that to happen, you need good arguments. If you're unlucky enough to have a tongue of wood, here are some ideas on how to convince your teammates to give up an obviously losing match:

1. Offer to start the match again with the same lineup but also with a friend or two invited.
2. Explain to your teammates that they will lose their rating anyway, as there is no chance of winning in lesser numbers, and they only get more frustrated.
3. Stress the importance of a good atmosphere above trying to win against all odds. Surrender can prevent unnecessary tension and help your teammates find fair matches where they can improve their skills.