Explaining what memesense is and how it works in CS2

Memesense is a service that most CS2 players will hear about at some point, and some players wonder what this infamous cheat actually does.

Counter-Strike 2 boasts one of the oldest active gaming communities right now. Since Counter-Strike 1.6’s debut as a mod for the original Half-Life, the game has become a global phenomenon. With multiple franchise entries officially published by Valve, the series remains regularly atop Steam’s most-played charts.

In its long history, one of the most controversial aspects of the CS community is cheats. Console commands were one thing in the days of Half-Life modifications, but many in the community have since created sophisticated hacks for the game. Players are lately curious about memesense, the supposed “budget” option for CS2 cheaters, and what it can actually do.

What does Memesense do in CS2?

Memesense is a paid mod menu compatible with CS2 which allows players to modify the game while playing it. The official site for memesense advertises itself as a “high-quality, easy-to-use” mod menu. As far as cheat tools go, it’s one of the most popular among the hacking community. Many cheaters have uploaded extensive videos of memesense in action.

Based on the content from these videos, memesense also offers the player an extensive list of exploits. Players can activate these exploits mid-game, granting a distinct advantage over their opponents in CS2.  Some of the cheats include aimbots, wall hacks,  and no-clip, among many others. According to online users, memesense is among the “budget” options, mostly because it’s an “internal” cheat.

Internal cheats are injected directly into the game, meaning it has direct access to the game’s memory. Conversely, external cheats run as a separate program in the background. In practice, internal cheats are more easily detected, particularly when used flagrantly.

Can Memesense get you banned in CS2?

Like all tools that enable cheats, players caught using memesense will be banned in CS2. As per the Valve Anti-Cheat system, any players caught using third-party tools for an advantage will receive a ban. This ban is permanent unless the player can prove the ban was unjustified, and if you’re caught using memesense or any similar cheats, that isn’t going to happen. Some memesense users claim to have dodged the VAC system, but other players have reported getting banned for use of the tool, proving out that it’s not a reliable way to dodge VAC bans.

In May 2024,  Valve issued a ban wave for CS2. The wave resulted in thousands of accounts being removed from the game. In a move that amused many players, Valve didn’t just disconnect cheaters from the game. Instead, the cheaters would drop dead while mid-game before receiving the ban. Valve specifically targeted players who used cheats such as no spread and rapid fire.

Despite that and other ban waves, cheats remain a controversial issue for CS2 players. One social media user recently shared an example of a cheater boasting an expensive skin as an example of Valve’s supposed apathy towards cheaters.

The cheating community for CS2 is vast, and it continues to adapt to Valve’s changes.  In the meantime, all affected players can do is report cheaters and move on to the next match.