Counter-Strike 2 Update Speeds Up Retakes Defuses and Adds Chicken Tricks
Valve's November 5 Counter-Strike 2 update changes Retakes defuses and timers, adds pet chicken tricks, and overhauls the map scripting API.
Valve has pushed a new Counter-Strike 2 update, and the official patch notes focus on the Retakes mode, pet chickens and a large set of changes for map scripting. The notes list no weapon, map or balance changes. Here is what changed, based on Valve's own post.
Gameplay changes
Most of what players will notice sits in Retakes mode.
- Bomb defusal in Retakes will now finish instantly when enough time remains in the round and no active utility is left that could stop the defuse.
- Freeze time and the round restart delay are both reduced in Retakes. The notes do not give the new values.
Pet chickens also get two tweaks:
- Pinging a pet chicken during freeze time will now request a trick from it.
- Pet chicken names are no longer shown when the customized item text game option is set to hidden.
Map scripting changes
The rest of the notes cover the map scripting tools used by creators. Valve added several new functions and moved or renamed others.
New additions
- Instance.Precache now accepts entities to precache.
- A new top-level export called Entities has been added, along with Entities.Spawn.
- Instance.OnBotControl, CSPlayerController.IsControllingBot, CSPlayerController.GetControlledBotPawn and CSPlayerPawn.Reset are new.
Moved and renamed
- Instance.ConnectOutput has moved to Entities and now accepts a config object.
- Instance.DisconnectOutput has moved to Entities.
- Instance.EntFireAtName is now Entities.FireInput.
- Instance.FindEntitiesByName is now Entities.FindByName.
- Instance.FindEntitiesByClass is now Entities.FindByClass.
- Instance.EntFireAtTarget is now Entity.FireInput.
Valve says the moved and renamed methods remain available in their original locations, but are deprecated. Instance.FindEntityByName and FindEntityByClass are also deprecated.
Fixes and diagnostics
The notes list two behavior changes that work like fixes for scripters. Calling a method on an invalid (removed) Entity now reports that the Entity is invalid. ConnectOutput also logs a warning when the target has no output with the given name.
What it means for you
If you play Retakes, expect faster rounds and a defuse that can end the round at once when no utility is still active and time allows. Chicken owners can now ping their pet in freeze time to ask for a trick. Map creators should check their scripts: old method names still work for now, but they are deprecated, so moving to the Entities functions is the path the notes point to.
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Quick answers
Do old map scripting methods still work?
Yes. Valve says moved and renamed methods are still available in their original location, but they are now deprecated.
Does the update change weapons or maps?
The official notes list no weapon, map or balance changes. The gameplay section covers only Retakes and pet chickens.
When did the update go live?
Valve's patch notes are dated Thursday, November 5, 2026. The post does not give a release time.
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