Papich Criticizes CS2 Tickrate and Weapon Balance: “It Feels Lowered, Balance Is a Meme”

Streamer Vitaliy “Papich” Tsal has publicly criticized the current state of Counter-Strike 2, saying the game has “too many downsides” and questioning how players tolerate them.

During a livestream, Papich ranked two major problems in CS2:

1. Server tickrate / subtick feel

2. Weapon balance and economy

According to him, both issues negatively affect the gameplay experience.

“Tickrate feels lowered… the servers feel very strange.”
“Weapon balance? Forget it — it’s basically a meme.”

Papich specifically highlighted the M249, pointing out the $5,200 price and comparing its value to cheaper SMGs around $1,400, suggesting the price-to-impact ratio feels off.

Why Tickrate Still Sparks Debate in CS2

Valve introduced the sub-tick system in Counter-Strike 2 and stated that servers now register the exact moment actions happen — meaning tickrate should no longer matter for shooting, movement, or grenades.

However, the community debate never disappeared. Many players say the “feel” of the game is still different from CS:GO.

Pro Player Reactions

Papich’s criticism echoes long-standing concerns from pro players:

ropz (FaZe Clan):
Said that 128-tick CS:GO felt far superior to 64-tick servers, especially for high-skill gameplay.

s1mple (NAVI):
Asked Valve to ensure teams had enough preparation time during the CS2 transition to keep competition fair.

These reactions show that the discussion around networking, performance, and competitive fairness remains active across the entire CS scene.

Valve Updates Address Shooting Consistency

Valve has shipped multiple updates aimed directly at the issues Papich mentioned.

Subtick Shooting Improvements

In September 2025, Valve released updates that included:

Improvements to subtick shooting consistency

Fixes to a view-punch regression affecting sprays

Fixes for server performance issues causing long server frames

These changes were designed to improve the consistency of gunplay and server responsiveness.

Weapon Balance Changes Continue in 2025–2026

Weapon balance is also being actively adjusted.

Major Balance Updates

Recent patches included:

July 2025

MP9 recoil increased

Jump accuracy significantly reduced

Competitive economy tweaks

January 2026 – Premier Season 4

Adjustments to MP7 and MP5-SD

Map changes to Anubis

These updates show Valve is still actively tuning CS2’s meta and economy.

Why Papich’s Criticism Matters

Papich is known for blunt opinions, but his comments reflect a broader trend in the CS2 community:

Ongoing debate about subtick vs traditional tickrate

Continued balancing of weapons and the in-game economy

Frequent updates aimed at improving competitive integrity

With Valve continuing to ship gameplay and networking tweaks, the conversation around CS2’s feel and balance is far from over.