What is subtick in CS2?
CS2 servers still update the game 64 times a second. Sub-tick is how the game records the exact moment you clicked, moved or let go of a grenade between two of those updates, so the server no longer rounds your action to the next tick.
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Ticks first
A tick is one update of the game on the server. It reads everyone's input, moves the players, works out the shots and sends the result back. Official CS2 servers run 64 ticks a second, so one tick lasts about 15.6 milliseconds.
In CS:GO, anything you did between two ticks was handled as if it happened on the next one. That is why third-party platforms ran 128-tick servers: half the gap, so half the rounding.
What sub-tick adds
In CS2 your game stamps each action with the moment it happened inside the tick. When the server works through that tick, it uses the timestamp instead of the tick boundary.
Valve built it into CS2 when the game replaced CS:GO in September 2023, and every official server runs at 64 ticks with sub-tick timing.
- Shots count from the moment you clicked.
- Movement starts and stops from the moment you pressed or let go of the key.
- Grenades leave your hand at the moment you released the throw.
What it means for demos and 2D replays
A CS2 demo is still a recording of ticks: a snapshot of every player 64 times a second, plus the kills, grenades and bomb events on the tick they happened. Any replay steps through those snapshots, so a 2D replay shows the round the way the server played it out, tick by tick.
That is exactly what review needs: who was where when the round broke, who traded and who didn't, and how long the rotation took.
Why we are called Subtick
The gap between two ticks is where the shot actually lands, and the small gaps are where most rounds are decided: the rotation that left a second late, the flash that popped a moment early, the call that came one beat after the peek. Subtick is built for that part of the game. Practise it on your own server, then watch it back in 2D with your comms.
Questions
Is CS2 64 tick or 128 tick?
Official CS2 servers run at 64 ticks a second, with sub-tick timing for shots, movement and grenades.
What is the difference between sub-tick and tick rate?
Tick rate is how often the server updates the game: 64 times a second in CS2. Sub-tick is the timing inside one of those updates, the exact moment you acted, which the server uses when it works through that tick.
How long is one tick in CS2?
At 64 ticks a second, one tick lasts about 15.6 milliseconds.
Is Subtick made by Valve?
No. Subtick is an independent CS2 practice and review platform from Denmark. It is not made, endorsed or sponsored by Valve.