CS2 Overlay Setup: From Zero to Live in 10 Minutes

Before You Begin

To set up CutROOM CS2 overlays you need:

• A Windows PC running CS2 (same machine as your broadcast, or network access)
• OBS Studio installed (version 28.0 or later recommended)
• A CutROOM subscription (Caster at €9.99/mo or Caster+ at €29.99/mo)
• CS2 installed and able to launch in your Steam library

Step 1: Install CutROOM

After subscribing, you receive a license key by email and a download link to the CutROOM installer. Run the installer on your broadcast PC and follow the setup wizard. CutROOM installs to your user applications directory and does not require administrator privileges for normal operation.

At first launch, CutROOM will ask you to activate your license. Enter the license key from your email. Activation requires an internet connection for the first validation — after that, CutROOM operates offline with a grace period of up to 7 days between license checks.

Step 2: Configure CS2 GSI

Game State Integration (GSI) is how CutROOM receives live data from CS2. CutROOM includes an automatic GSI configurator that handles this for you:

1. In CutROOM, go to Settings → Game Integration
2. Click Auto-configure GSI
3. CutROOM will locate your CS2 installation folder automatically
4. It creates the required gamestate_integration_cutroom.cfg file in CS2's cfg folder
5. Click Test GSI Connection — launch CS2 and the status should turn green

Step 3: Create Your First Match

In CutROOM, click New Match and enter:

• Team 1 name and logo
• Team 2 name and logo
• Map selection
• Tournament or event name (optional)

CutROOM auto-populates team colours, but you can customise them. Player roster data is pulled from CS2 GSI once the match starts — you do not need to enter individual player names manually.

Step 4: Add Overlays to OBS

In CutROOM, navigate to Overlay URLs. You will see a URL for each available scene. For a basic setup, copy the following URLs:

• HUD — Bottom-screen player info and round timer
• Scoreboard — Top-screen round score bar
• Intro — Match presentation screen

In OBS Studio:

1. Add a new Scene called CS2 Live
2. Add your game capture or window capture source
3. Add a Browser Source for the HUD URL (1920×1080, transparent background)
4. Add a Browser Source for the Scoreboard URL (1920×1080, transparent)
5. Add separate Scenes for Intro, Intermission, and Victory with their respective browser sources

Step 5: Test Before Going Live

Launch CS2 and start a practice server or workshop map. Verify:

• GSI status shows green in CutROOM
• Round timer in the HUD counts down correctly
• Scoreboard updates when a round ends
• Player health changes when you take damage (in practice)

Once all checks pass, your overlay setup is complete. Start a real match and your overlays will populate with live data automatically.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

GSI not connecting

Ensure the .cfg file is in the correct CS2 folder and CS2 has been restarted after placing it. Some antivirus software blocks local HTTP servers — add CutROOM to your antivirus exceptions.

Overlays not showing in OBS

Verify CutROOM is running before launching OBS. The browser source URL uses localhost which only works when CutROOM's local server is active.

Overlays showing but data not updating

Check that CS2 is the active window and a match is in progress (not just the main menu). GSI data is only sent during active game sessions.

Next Steps

With your basic setup working, explore the full broadcast workflow in the CS2 Broadcast Setup guide — covering multi-scene management, hotkey configuration, and sponsor display setup.