CS2 Glossary

Effective DPI — your mouse DPI multiplied by your in-game sensitivity (DPI × sens). eDPI is what actually sets your aim speed, so two players with different DPI but the same eDPI move the crosshair identically. Work it out in the DPI calculator.

Dots Per Inch — the mouse's hardware sensitivity: how many "dots" it counts per inch of movement. Set in the driver or on the mouse itself, independent of any game. In CS2, DPI on its own matters less than eDPI.

The in-game view-speed multiplier (sensitivity in the config). Combined with DPI it gives eDPI. Pros usually run a "low" sens (30–50 cm per 360° turn) for more precise aim. Hundreds of pro configs live in the PRO database.

How often the mouse reports its position to the PC: 1000 Hz is a thousand times per second, 8000 Hz is eight thousand. Higher rate means a smoother, fresher cursor but more CPU load. Each player's mouse Hz is listed in the settings database.

Average Damage per Round. It captures a player's contribution to trades even when teammates take the kills: 90+ ADR is a strong level. Browse it per player in the esport section.

The share of rounds where a player did at least something useful: a Kill, an Assist, Survived, or was Traded. A "consistency" metric: 70%+ means the player contributes almost every round, even without flashy frags.

The share of kills that were headshots. A high HS% (50%+) usually signals good crosshair placement at head level, though AWPers naturally run lower. Train head-level aim in the aim trainer.

A summary per-match or per-period player score (HLTV's formula), where 1.00 is the average top-scene level. It folds in kills, damage, survival and round impact. Our players' ratings are in the players section.

The distance between the crosshair lines from the center (cl_crosshairgap). A smaller gap means a tighter crosshair and finer aim at range; a larger gap shows more of the model under it. Build your own with sliders in the generator.

Firing a long burst, where bullets follow a predictable recoil pattern. "Spray control" is countering that pattern by pulling the mouse down and sideways. It comes with practice — micro-aim reps in the trainer help too.

"Eco" is a round where the team spends almost nothing, saving for a full buy next round. "Force-buy" is the opposite — spending everything so the round isn't given away for free. CS2 economy is played by feel; more in the economy guide.

The umbrella term for grenades: smokes, flashes, molotovs/incendiaries and HE. To "dump utility" is to spend grenades to take or hold a site. Trading utility well is often more important than personal frags.

In-Game Leader — the player who calls tactics, assigns roles and reads the opponent mid-match. Usually sacrifices personal stats for the team's play. Examples of IGLs are in the pro database.

The team's main sniper — the player who holds the AWP most of the time. They're expected to land opening frags and control long angles; an AWPer's mistake costs more because the rifle is expensive. Sniper setups are in the pro settings.

The player who enters a site first and cracks it open, trading himself if needed. His job is to take the first frag or force the enemy to reveal themselves so teammates can follow up. Often the most aggressive style on the roster.

A situation where one player finishes a round alone against several opponents (1v2, 1v3, etc.). To "clutch" is to pull such a round off. Clutches are the flashiest moments of a match and fill tournament highlights.

A group-stage format where teams play opponents with the same record rather than everyone (0:0 first, then 1:0/0:1, and so on). Three wins advance to the playoffs, three losses are eliminated. It's how major group stages run.

Best of N — how many maps are in a series. BO1 is a single map (fast but swingy), BO3 is first to two map wins (the playoff standard), BO5 is first to three (usually grand finals). Each series format shows on the tournament page.

The top-status tournament sponsored by the game's publisher (Valve). Majors are the most prestigious and richest events of the season, and winning one is a career peak. Current and past ones are in the esport section.

An informal grading of a tournament's or team's strength. S-tier is the top events with the strongest rosters and biggest prize pools; below come A, B and so on. It's a quick read on a match's level. Team rankings are in the teams section.