How to Fix CS2 Stuck on the Loading Screen (2025 Fix)

If Counter-Strike 2 hangs forever on “Loading…” (or right after “Compiling Shaders”), the culprit is almost always one of five buckets: corrupted game files, shader cache weirdness, a bad video config, Steam/Download cache issues, or drivers/overlays/security conflicts. Below is a fast checklist, then deeper step-by-step fixes that reflect what’s worked most recently for players.

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Table of Contents

Quick Fix Checklist

Verify game files in Steam → Library → CS2 → Settings ⚙️ → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. This replaces corrupt files in minutes.
Clear shader/download caches → Steam: Steam (top-left) → Settings → Downloads → Clear Download Cache. Optional: clear DirectX Shader Cache (Windows Disk Cleanup) and bump/refresh NVIDIA Shader Cache.
Reset the video config by deleting cs2_video.txt (Steam will rebuild it on next launch). Path:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<yourSteamID>\730\local\cfg\cs2_video.txt
Update GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD) and restart. Old or corrupted drivers are a frequent freeze trigger.
Kill overlays and conflicting apps (Discord/Steam/GeForce overlay, MSI Afterburner, RGB suites, OSD tools). Then relaunch CS2.
Refresh Steam itself (sign out/in; clear Steam app cache). In stubborn cases, fully refresh Steam folders while keeping steamapps and steam.exe.

Why CS2 Gets Stuck on “Loading…” & How to Fix Each Scenario

1. Scenario A: It started after a crash or game update

Symptom: CS2 spins at “Loading…” forever right after an update or unexpected crash.
Likely cause: A few game files or the shader cache are corrupt.

Fixes (do in this order):

Verify game files in Steam (this is the #1 fix for post-update hangs).
Clear shader caches:
- Windows → open “Disk Cleanup” → check DirectX Shader Cache → OK.
- NVIDIA Control Panel → Manage 3D settings → ensure Shader Cache is On and optionally increase Shader Cache Size (players report 10 GB reduces shader-related stalls).
Reboot and launch CS2 once; the first menu load may be slow while shaders rebuild—this is normal after a reset.

2. Scenario B: You changed monitors or resolution; now it won’t load

Symptom: Black screen or hang after connecting a new monitor, changing refresh rate, or toggling fullscreen/windowed.
Likely cause: Video config saved in CS2 doesn’t match your current display.

Fixes:

Delete cs2_video.txt to force a fresh graphics profile on next launch:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<yourSteamID>\730\local\cfg\cs2_video.txt.
If you do reach the menu but hangs persist, briefly switch to Windowed mode and lower graphics, then relaunch.

3. Scenario C: “Compiling Shaders” takes forever, then it freezes

Symptom: It never gets past the shader compile or loads the menu extremely slowly.
Likely cause: Bloated or broken shader cache; insufficient cache size.

Fixes:

Clear Steam’s Download Cache (Steam → Settings → Downloads → Clear Download Cache).
Clear DirectX Shader Cache in Windows Disk Cleanup, then reboot.
NVIDIA users: Increase Shader Cache Size (e.g., 10 GB) in NVIDIA Control Panel. AMD users can still benefit from clearing Steam/Windows caches.

4. Scenario D: Steam says files are fine, but CS2 still won’t move past loading

Symptom: Verification passes, yet you’re stuck.
Likely causes: Steam client state is borked; conflicting overlay; firewall blocking.

Fixes:

Sign out of Steam, sign into a different account, run a file verify, sign back (quirky but has helped some users “unstick” integrity checks and launches).
Disable overlays/OSDs (Steam Overlay, Discord, GeForce Experience, RivaTuner/MSI Afterburner) and run Steam as admin for one launch.
Firewall/AV check: allow cs2.exe and Steam through Windows Firewall; temporarily disable third-party AV to test.
Refresh Steam install without redownloading CS2: close Steam → delete C:\Users\<You>\AppData\Local\Steam and everything in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\ except steamapps and steam.exe → launch steam.exe (it will rebuild client files). You’ll need to log in again.

Scenario E: Network hiccups, server rush hours, or disk space issues

Symptom: Loading stalls at map join; verification or downloads get stuck at 0%; queues feel endless.
Likely causes: Congested servers, weak/unstable connection, or low disk space.

Fixes:

Reboot router, prefer Ethernet, and avoid peak hours if possible.
Free disk space (aim for generous headroom—Steam needs extra room to patch/build shaders; many players use >3× game size as a safety rule).
Clear Steam Download Cache if verification or downloads sit at 0%.

Step-by-Step “Clean Start” Routine (10–15 minutes)

If you want one thorough pass that fixes most cases:

Update GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD) → reboot.
Clear caches
- Steam → Settings → Downloads → Clear Download Cache (Steam restarts).
- Windows Disk Cleanup → DirectX Shader Cache.
Delete cs2_video.txt (resets display settings).
Disable overlays (Steam/Discord/GeForce/OSDs).
Verify game files in Steam. Launch CS2 and let shaders rebuild once.

If it’s still stuck, do the Steam client refresh while preserving steamapps (details in Scenario D) and try again.

Advanced Tips (only if you’re still stuck)

Run CS2 once as Administrator (right-click Steam → Run as Administrator). Then revert to normal. Helps when permissions block cache writes.
Lower graphics first boot: Set everything Low/Medium and Windowed for the first launch after a cache reset; you can crank settings back up after a stable menu load.
Watch for “compiling shaders” after resets: Initial menu load can be painfully slow—but it should complete. Users have reported slow menus immediately after shader resets even when everything’s fine.
Map-loading crash loop? Too-high graphics on low-spec systems and software conflicts are common—drop settings, kill overlays, and re-verify.

Prevention: Keep CS2 Loading Fast

Don’t hoard caches forever. Clear Steam Download Cache and Windows DirectX Shader Cache after big CS2 updates or driver swaps.
Give Steam room. Keep plenty of free space (not just the game size). It reduces zero-percent verifies and stuck downloads.
Update drivers regularly; avoid beta-overlay combinations on match days.