Watch a mix match demo in the game

Every mix match is recorded on the server, and afterwards you can watch the same game again inside CS2 itself: from any player's view, with a free camera, slowed down or sped up. This guide explains what the recording is, where to get it and, step by step, how to open it.

1. What is a demo? Why isn't it a video?

A demo (a .dem file) is not a video. It is the game's own recording tape: where every player was, every shot and every grenade at every moment. That is why you open it inside CS2, not in a video player or on your phone. In return it is small, a few tens of megabytes, and you can watch it from any angle.

The files you get from the site end in .dem.gz: the demo, compressed to make it smaller. A name looks like pgcs-de_mirage-20261025-2130.dem.gz: the map, then the date and time the match ended.

A demo is deleted 7 days after the match. If you want to keep it, download it the same day; a file you have downloaded is yours for good.

2. Download the demo

Go to the Mix section, open your match and press the "Download demo" button. Next to it you see the size and the date it will be deleted. If there is no button, that match has no demo or its 7 days are over.

3. Unzip it

Open the .dem.gz file with 7-Zip or WinRAR: right-click it and choose Extract here. A file ending in .dem comes out. That is the one we need; you can delete the .gz.

4. Put the file in the game folder

1. In Steam, in your Library, right-click Counter-Strike 2.
2. Choose Manage, then Browse local files, to open the game folder.
3. Go into the game folder, then csgo.
4. Put the .dem file right there.

5. Turn on the game console

If you haven't yet: in CS2 go to Settings, then Game, and set "Enable Developer Console" to Yes. The console opens with the ~ key (above Tab, under Esc). Keep your keyboard on the English layout while typing in the console.

6. Play the demo

In the main menu (you don't need to join a server) open the console and type the file name without .dem:

playdemo pgcs-de_mirage-20261025-2130

Don't type the name by hand; typos are easy. In the game folder click the file and press F2; the name is selected without its extension. Press Ctrl+C, then in the console type playdemo and a space and press Ctrl+V. The game starts after a few seconds.

7. What can I do while watching?

• The control bar: press Shift+F2 (or type demoui in the console). A bar appears at the bottom where you can pause, change the speed and jump back and forth on the timeline.
• Switching players: left click shows the next player and right click the previous one.
• Switching view: Space toggles between a player's view and the free camera. With the free camera you can fly around the scene.

A good tip for reviewing a game: if you want to know why you lost a round, watch the demo from the opponent's view and see where they spotted you.

8. Why do we keep demos?

So players can review their own games, teams can study their tactics, and admins can actually watch the game when someone is reported, instead of relying only on numbers and stats.

9. Common problems

• The console won't open: make sure "Enable Developer Console" is Yes and your keyboard is on English.
• The game says the file was not found: check that the .dem file is exactly in game\csgo (not another folder of the game), that it doesn't end in .gz, and that you typed the name without .dem.
• There is no "Download demo" button, or it says "not found": that demo's 7 days are over or it was never recorded.
• The demo won't open or the game crashes: if you open an old demo after the latest CS2 update, it may not match the new game version. This is rare since demos only stay 7 days; if a fresh demo doesn't open, open a ticket.

Still have a question? Ask support.