To use a crosshair code in Counter-Strike 2, open Settings, go to the Crosshair / Scopes tab, click Share or Import on the crosshair preview, paste the code into the box and click Import. To share your own, open the same box and click Copy Your Code, which puts your code on the clipboard.
One big caveat first: Valve rebuilt crosshairs in its Rush Hour update on September 22, 2026 and then changed the share code format on September 30 “to accommodate newly included crosshair settings,” according to its official release notes. Players report that many codes posted online before then no longer import, and when that happens the game tells you so. Below we cover both directions, the scoreboard shortcut, the new editor, and what to do with a code that fails.
How to Import a Crosshair Code
- Click the gear icon at the top of the main menu to open Settings (press Esc first if you are in a match).
- Open the Crosshair / Scopes tab. It is a tab of its own along the top of Settings, next to Video, Audio, Game and Keyboard / Mouse, not a section inside the Game tab.
- Click Share or Import on the crosshair preview.
- Paste the code into the text box.
- Click Import. The button stays greyed out until the game recognises the text as a valid code.
If the code is rejected, a line under the box reads “Invalid or old crosshair code” and the Import button stays disabled. That message is the game’s own wording, and community reports since the change say it is what most codes made before the September 30 format change now produce.
Changed your mind after importing? The Undo Changes button next to Share or Import rolls back recent changes, and Reset returns everything to the defaults.
How to Share Your Own Crosshair Code
Open Share or Import and click Copy Your Code. The game copies your current code to the clipboard and also shows it in the text box, so you can see exactly what you are sending. Paste it into Discord, Steam chat or anywhere else, and your friend imports it with the steps above.
Since the September 30 update, the code also carries your Scope dot scale and scope dot color preference, per Valve’s notes, so the person importing it gets your scoped look as well as your crosshair.
How to Copy Another Player’s Crosshair Mid-Match
You do not need a code at all to copy someone you are playing with:
- Hold Tab to open the scoreboard.
- Press right mouse button to turn on the cursor. The scoreboard shows the key as “Enable Cursor,” and you can change it in Settings.
- Click the player’s name and choose Copy Crosshair.
- Confirm Replace current crosshair? with Yes.
The option only appears while you are playing in a match, only on other players, and only while they are connected. This is the legitimate way to get a pro player’s crosshair: copy it when you spectate or play with them, or import the code the player or their team has posted themselves. We do not list “pro codes” here: the crosshair code sites that publish them rarely show where each code came from, and codes posted before the September 30 format change may not import anyway.
What Changed in the September 2026 Crosshair Overhaul
The crosshair editor you see now is different from the one older advice describes. From Valve’s release notes for September 22, 23 and 30:
- Sizes are now in pixels. Thickness, length and gap used to be an arbitrary scale that looked different at every resolution. Now a thickness of 1, length of 8 and gap of 4 means exactly that many pixels, and the game rescales automatically if you change resolution.
- New styles. The style list now has ten options: Static Cross, Static Circle, Static Square, Dot Only, Static Quadrant, Dynamic Cross, Dynamic Circle, Dynamic Cross (Classic), Dynamic Cross (Legacy/Shot Feedback) and Dynamic Quadrant.
- A new default. Valve made “Dynamic Quad” the default because it “better represents weapon accuracy.” It is labelled Dynamic Quadrant in the menu today.
- Outline options. Full Outline, Half Outline (just the top-left edges) or No Outline, plus an outline color and transparency.
- Dynamic styles show real spread. The Dynamic Spread Limit slider caps how far a dynamic crosshair can open up at maximum inaccuracy.
- Grenade crosshairs in freeze time. You can now hold a grenade attack button during freeze time to see the line-up reticle for insta-smokes.
The game even carries a notice about the switch to pixel units, “The scale of this setting has changed. You may want to adjust it to your liking,” so check any values you set before September.
Can You Still Use Crosshair Console Commands?
Yes, but the old ones from CS:GO-era lists are largely gone. The command list in the current build has no cl_crosshaircolor, cl_crosshairgap, cl_crosshairusealpha or cl_crosshair_outlinethickness, and the old size and thickness commands are now hidden. The editor’s sliders use these instead:
| Setting in the editor | Command | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Style | cl_crosshairstyle |
0 to 9 |
| Length | cl_crosshair_length |
0 to 255 pixels |
| Thickness | cl_crosshair_thickness |
0 to 32 pixels |
| Gap | cl_crosshair_gap |
0 to 128 in the editor (classic dynamic style allows negative values) |
| Color | cl_crosshaircolor_r, _g, _b, _a |
0 to 255 each |
| Outline | cl_crosshair_drawoutline |
0 none, 1 full, 2 half |
| Center Dot | cl_crosshairdot |
0 or 1 |
| T Style | cl_crosshair_t |
0 or 1 |
| Follow Recoil | cl_crosshair_recoil |
0 or 1 |
That is also why “crosshair code to command” converters built before September can hand you commands that do nothing. The share box is the reliable route. There is an apply_crosshair_code command in the game files, but it is flagged as development-only, and Valve disabled development commands in the retail game, so do not count on it. For the commands that do still work, see our list of the best CS2 console commands, and if you have not enabled the console yet, here is how to open it.
Picking a Crosshair That Works for You
A few pointers built around the editor’s own options, rather than anyone’s “best crosshair” list:
- Use Start Dynamic Preview to watch a dynamic style open up as if you were moving and shooting, and the arrows on the preview to switch between map backgrounds.
- Pick a color that contrasts with the maps, then add a Full or Half Outline so it stays visible against bright walls.
- Turn on “Use crosshair color for scope dot” if you want your scoped dot to match.
- Check Show Player Crosshairs if you want to see the crosshair of the player you are spectating: No, Friends and Party, or Everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I paste a crosshair code in CS2? In Settings, open the Crosshair / Scopes tab, click Share or Import, paste the code and click Import.
Why does my crosshair code say “Invalid or old crosshair code”? Either the code has a typo or missing characters, or it was made before Valve changed the share code format on September 30, 2026. Ask whoever shared it for a fresh code, or copy their crosshair from the scoreboard in a match.
How do I copy someone’s crosshair in a match? Hold Tab, right-click to enable the cursor, click their name and choose Copy Crosshair, then confirm.
Do old CS:GO crosshair codes work in CS2? Valve’s notes only say the format changed on September 30, 2026, and the game rejects codes it treats as old. Players report that most codes from before that date now fail, so recreate the crosshair in the editor if yours does.
What is the default crosshair in CS2 now? Dynamic Quad, which the menu now labels Dynamic Quadrant. Valve made it the default in the September 22, 2026 update because it better represents weapon accuracy.
Does the crosshair code include my scope settings? Since September 30, 2026 it includes your scope dot scale and color preference, according to Valve.