CS2 Patch Fixes Molotov and Incendiary Grenade Bug That Caused Mid-Air Explosions

Valve has released a small Counter-Strike 2 update that fixes a long-standing issue with Molotov and Incendiary grenades, preventing them from exploding mid-air after bouncing off enemy players.

The patch, released on January 27, focuses primarily on gameplay consistency, while also delivering minor sound fixes, stability improvements, and updates to several maps.

Molotov and Incendiary Grenades Fixed in CS2

The most important change in the update addresses a bug that occasionally caused Molotovs and Incendiaries to detonate in the air if they bounced off an enemy player model before touching the map surface.

What exactly was fixed?

Molotov and Incendiary grenades now receive a one-time fuse extension if they bounce off an enemy.

This prevents the grenade from exploding mid-air when its internal timer expires.

The change improves utility reliability in close combat situations.

Previously, players could lose key utility during executes or retakes simply because a grenade clipped an opponent before landing.

CS2 Community Reaction to the Molotov Change

The fix quickly sparked discussion within the CS2 community.

Content creator Thour shared footage demonstrating the difference between the old and new behavior, quoting the official patch note:

“Molotov/incendiary grenades that bounce off an enemy player have a one-time fuse extension added…”

Meanwhile, some players on Reddit expressed mixed feelings, with one comment noting:

“Shame, this actually is a skill IMO, but I can understand why they did it.”

Overall, most feedback highlights improved consistency rather than a major gameplay shift.

Additional Changes in the January 27 CS2 Update

Sound fixes

Resolved a performance issue when CS2 is launched without an active sound device

Adjusted and refined knife sound effects

Stability and technical improvements

Fixed cl_ent_bbox visualization for certain rigid dynamic entities

General stability improvements to reduce crashes and bugs

Map updates

Nuke: Minor visual and shadow rendering fixes

Warden and Sanctum: Workshop map updates

How This Patch Fits Into Recent CS2 Updates

This small update follows a major January 22 patch, which introduced:

The launch of Premier Season 4

Anubis returning to the Active Duty map pool (replacing Train)

Weapon balance tweaks and additional sound updates

A fix for an issue that caused a small number of erroneous VAC bans, which were later reversed

Together, these updates signal Valve’s continued focus on polishing CS2’s core mechanics rather than introducing large-scale changes.

Why This CS2 Patch Matters

While minor on paper, the Molotov and Incendiary fix removes a frustrating and unpredictable interaction that affected:

Utility lineups

Close-range fights

Retake and execute consistency

For competitive and Premier players, this change ensures that grenades behave as expected, especially in high-pressure situations.