FPS gains noticed in CS2 after the Animgraph 2 update

The Animgraph 2 update released by Valve for Counter-Strike 2 during the night of April 21 may have had a positive effect not only on animations, but also on the game’s performance. This was pointed out by dataminer Thour, who tested the latest patch and reported an FPS increase on his system.

According to Thour, the test was conducted on Anubis, and after installing the update both average FPS and 1% low FPS increased by around 5%. He also noted that the effect could be even more noticeable on less powerful systems.

I noticed an increase in both average FPS and 1% low FPS on my PC (Ryzen 7 9800X3D + RTX 5070). Around 5% in both cases. My computer is already well optimized, so the improvement will likely be more significant for budget and mid-range PCs.

The 1% low FPS metric is especially important when evaluating game stability, as it reflects performance during the heaviest moments. It is one of the main indicators of how often players may experience micro-stutters and sudden frame drops during a match.

The Animgraph 2 update itself had been tested for several weeks in the CS2 beta client before release. Valve reworked the logic behind character model behavior, improved animations, and stated that the new system would help reduce CPU load and network resource usage. In addition, the patch introduced a third-person knife draw animation.

Valve added Animgraph 2 to the main CS2 client and released the first fixes

Against the backdrop of these first tests, the update already looks like more than just a visual change - it may be an important step toward improving the overall optimization of CS2.