Peeking in Counter-Strike 2: Comprehensive Guide

If you want to stop getting shot all the time, it’s crucial you figure out how to peek corners in CS2 and the nuances of this maneuver. Mastering peeking is a must for any player, not to mention the pro scene. If your opponent is not an absolute newbie, you have little chance against them without a proper peek.

The idea is to quickly peek out of the corner in places where the enemy is most likely to come out, which is inextricably linked to pre-aim. However, just knowing that CS2 peeking tactics exist is not the same as knowing how to peek correctly. In fact, there are quite a lot of tricks you’ll have to master to become proficient in this skill. In this article, we will explain how to peek in CS and win in duels, even against more proficient players.

Understanding Corner Peeking in CS2

Let's make the terminology clear before moving on to practical advice. CS2 corner peeking is looking for the enemy from around a corner to gain a tactical advantage.

The thing is, the maps in CS2 are designed to allow players to hide around corners and ambush unwary opponents. So, by positioning yourself at a certain angle, you can minimize the danger of being shot by hiding your model behind a corner and, at the same time, getting information about the opponents’ actions. You may also notice that when you move sideways, the camera is shifting slightly to the respective side, so you do not have to stick out completely to make a shot.

Counter-Strike 2 peeking is a great tactic that allows you to catch the enemy by surprise. But you should keep in mind that the opponents are aware of this trick as well and will also be waiting for you. To win in such duels, you need to understand the mechanics of peeking in CS2 and learn a few new tricks.

How to Peek Corners in CS2 Correctly

Let's start with the basics of how to peek corners in CS2. Ideally, your character model should be covered by corners on both sides, i.e., it’s best to peek from between two corners from some distance. You must stick out as little as you can and have a small sight strip from where the enemy is expected to come out. The basic rule is that the closer you are to the corner, the less advantage you have, as your field of view narrows. But there is more to the technique, as the distance you’re peeking from and the angles you use are important as well.

Corner Peeking From a Long Distance

Here's a corner, here's you, and here's another corner behind which the enemy is hiding and peeking exactly like you, hoping to catch you making a misstep. How can you get out of this situation alive and well?

First of all, decide on the weapon, and if you can help it, opt for an AWP. One shot for one dead body is the optimal strategy in a long-range duel. In case you can't afford an AWP, or you have a different role in the team, take any other type of sniper rifle or an M4A1-S/AK-47. It is in your best interest to take the weapon with the maximum range, maximum damage, and the highest probability of putting the enemy to sleep with a few well-placed shots.

The tactics for long distance corner peeking in CS2 are simple and straightforward. First of all, it’s better to stay far from the corner to avoid getting shot. However, the farther you are from the covering corner, the easier it is for the enemy to see you, while you will likely have trouble spotting them in return. In this situation, the right solution is to quickly get out from behind a cover and do a wide strafe through the “danger zone”. If the defender hesitates even for a millisecond, you will quickly get out of his field of view, as his line of sight will be blocked by his own corner. To see you, the enemy will have to peek out from behind cover farther away, where you can catch him and deliver a fatal blow.

Corner Peeking at Close Distances

Not all maps encourage long-range firefights. Sometimes, you are quite close to the enemy, and hitting their heads might prove challenging. You may feel an impulse to take a shotgun with high damage for such situations, and in some cases, it may even work, but we still recommend you take an AWP because of its ultimate firepower. Alternatively, you can take something that shoots fast and accurately and does not limit your movement speed, i.e., assault rifles. After all, the tactic of 1 AWP and 4 AKs never fails.

So, how navigating corners at close distances differs from the basic peeking in Counter-Strike 2? Well, for starters you need to keep a low profile and not give up your position to the enemy, especially when it comes to sniping. To do this, you need to get close to the wall before peeking. This way, you will stick out only a few pixels, and even in the worst-case scenario, you will get a bullet in your shoulder, which won’t kill you at full health. If you stand further away from the cover, the enemy will most likely see you faster than you see him, and your stay on the battlefield will be over very quickly.

This tactic also allows you to perform jiggle-peeking extremely effectively if the enemy already knows you're behind the wall, as you’ll move a bit faster. Also, you present a tempting target for the enemy sniper, and an inexperienced opponent will likely expose their position while trying to catch you.

How to Check Different Angles?

Now, moving to the last point of our CS2 peeking guide, we need to figure out the best way to approach corners, as it is really important. By default, your weapon is in your right hand. The game takes this fact into account, and your camera is always shifted slightly to the right of your character's head. Even if you switch to a left-handed view, the camera will still remain this way. Usually, this has little effect on gameplay, but in the case of peeking, it can be a deciding factor.

Since your view is shifted a bit to the right, you'll need to stick out of the corner less when peeking in that direction. Just show your shoulder a little, and you can already see the doorway. Of course, when both you and the opponent are looking at the right corner, this does not give either of you an advantage. However, if you are in the right corner and your opponent is peeking from the left one, you are more likely to win the duel. Your opponent will need to stick his model out almost completely to see the passage, while you will only need to stick out a few pixels.

What conclusion can we draw from this? Always try to choose a position from the right corner if possible. If it isn’t, change your position.

By the way, some players parry this argument with the left and right eye rule. When the weapon is in the right hand and the camera is shifted to the right, the left eye works better due to peripheral vision, and therefore the advantage of the angle is negated. We can only say that this “rule” is in practice more of an urban legend, and the angle is still more important. It makes no difference which eye you use to see your headshot, as long as your opponent has you right in their sight.

Conclusion

If you know how to peek in CS2, your survivability on the battlefield will increase by a lot. Moreover, using the entry-level tips from this article, you will be able to fight off even more  skillful opponents. Of course, all these tactics are worth nothing without other in-game skills. You have to improve your pre-aim, know every nook and cranny of the map, and have excellent reflexes to be truly effective. However, all of this was learned through training and research by numerous players, so there’s no reason why you won’t be able to do that as well!