CS2 Helper

An utility for accessibility in Counter-Strike 2. It automatically reduces only CS2's per-app volume during loud in-game events (death, flashbang, bomb, spectating) and restores it afterward.

Homepage: https://jackblk.github.io/cs2-helper/

Download latest release here: CS2.Helper-x64.exe

Or choose another release from Releases Page.

Features

• Anti-cheat safe: no memory reads, DLL injection, or game file changes.
• Event-driven: reduces volume in response to specific in-game events (configurable).
  • Death
  • Flashbang
  • Bomb explosion
  • Spectating
• Automatic restore: returns volume to normal once the loud event passes.
• Per-app volume control: reduces only CS2's volume, leaving other apps untouched.
• One-click setup: installs the CS2 GSI config for you.
• Configurable: tune volume targets and behavior.

Currently only supports Win 11.

In-game overlay

A bomb defuse timer drawn over CS2. When the C4 is planted, a small overlay appears and counts down to detonation, color-coded so you can read it at a glance.

• Green / red: red means run (a defuse can no longer finish in time); green means a defuse might still finish (not a guarantee).
• Informational / approximate: CS2 adds a small random detonation delay and the exact plant time is not in GSI, so treat the timer as a guide, not an exact clock.
• Requires fullscreen-windowed / borderless: exclusive fullscreen hides any external overlay.
• Anti-cheat safe: a separate floating OS window driven only by official GSI events, with no injection or memory reads.
• On by default: configure it on the Main page (enable, size, bomb timer, and drag-to-position).

FAQ

Will this get me banned (VAC/Faceit...)?

No. It uses official GSI (Game State Integration) provided by Valve, which is read-only and designed for third-party apps. It does not interact with the game in any way that would trigger anti-cheat systems.

Is this safe to use?

Yes.

• You can read, modify, or build from the source code yourself.
• VirusTotal scan is attach to each release in Releases Page.

Linux support?

Not planned at the moment, as the audio backend is Windows-specific. I also don't play games on Linux, so I wouldn't be able to test it. Feel free to contribute if you want to see it on Linux, this app uses Tauri so cross-platform support is possible.

Did you use AI?

Yes why not, it's just a tool. I'm a dev myself, I came up with the architecture, decisions. Feel free to contribute if you want to add features or improve the codebase.

I want to add X feature

Feel free to create an issue or, better, a pull request. I can't promise I'll merge every contribution, but I'm open to new features and improvements.

Supporters

How it works

flowchart LR
    CS2["CS2"] -- "GSI HTTP POST" --> GSI
    subgraph Helper["CS2-Helper"]
        direction LR
        GSI["GSI server"] --> Events["Event engine"]
        Events --> Audio["Audio engine"]
    end
    Audio -- "reduce / restore" --> CoreAudio["Windows Core Audio"]
    CoreAudio -- "set cs2.exe session volume" --> CS2

Loading

The app installs a CS2 GSI config automatically, CS2 will send GSI events to the local server, and the helper adjusts the cs2.exe audio session volume in response to game events.

Development

Stack

• Tauri v2 (Rust backend) + React
• windows-rs for Core Audio

Commands

pnpm install
pnpm format       # format with Biome
pnpm tauri dev    # run the app with hot reload (Vite + Rust)
pnpm build        # typecheck + build the frontend
pnpm tauri build  # build the Tauri app (release mode)

Typecheck Rust without launching:

cargo check --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml

Windows-only. The audio backend is gated behind #![cfg(windows)].

References

• Inspired by PatrikZeros CSGO Sound Fix
• GSI API reference from u/Bkid
• CS2 GSI docs