CS2 Max Acceptable Ping Setting: What Value to Use

The CS2 max ping setting, shown in game as Max Acceptable Matchmaking Ping, sets the highest ping you are willing to accept when matchmaking looks for a server. It does not lower your ping. It only filters which servers the search will consider. Used well, it keeps you off laggy servers without making queues endless.

Where is the CS2 max ping setting?

Open Settings, then the Game tab. Max Acceptable Matchmaking Ping sits with the other network options, near Max Acceptable Game Traffic Bandwidth and Buffering to smooth over packet loss. Drag the slider and the change applies to your next search.

You can also set it in the console with mm_dedicated_search_maxping followed by a number, for example mm_dedicated_search_maxping 80. Command references list the default as 150. If the console is not on yet, our guide to opening the CS2 console shows how.

What does a lower or higher value do?

ProSettings advises lowering this value if you keep getting laggy servers. That matches how the setting works. A ceiling cannot make a good server better, but it can stop you from landing on a bad one.

How to pick your number

1. Find your baseline. Play a few matches and read your ping on the scoreboard. Note the lowest steady value you see.
2. Add a margin. Set the limit a bit above that baseline, perhaps 20 to 30 ms higher. Ping moves a little during the day.
3. Test queue times. If searches drag on, raise the limit in small steps.
4. Retest later. Peak and off-peak hours behave differently, so check both.

There is no single best value. A player next to a datacenter might use a very low limit. Someone far from any server may need a high limit just to find games.

Party queues

When you queue with friends, the search has to suit the group. If one person has a very strict limit, finding a server can take longer. If someone lives far away, the group may land on a server that is a compromise for everyone.

Is CS2 max ping the same as region?

Not quite, but it is the closest tool you have. CS2 has no region dropdown, so this setting is how you keep matches local. Our guide on how CS2 picks your region explains the wider picture.

Common mistakes

• Setting it far too low. If the limit sits below your best possible ping, searches can stall.
• Blaming the setting for packet loss. A low ping server can still drop packets if your Wi-Fi or line is unstable. See our CS2 packet loss guide.
• Confusing it with bandwidth. Max Acceptable Game Traffic Bandwidth is a different option. ProSettings recommends leaving that on unrestricted.
• Using old CS:GO rate commands. Commands like cl_cmdrate and cl_updaterate were removed in CS2 because sub-tick replaced the old model. Our sub-tick explainer covers why.

Does it work in every mode?

Command databases describe mm_dedicated_search_maxping as working across game modes without sv_cheats. It affects official matchmaking searches. Community servers you join from the browser are chosen by you, so this limit does not decide those.

If you want the value to stick, set it in the menu, which saves to your config. You can also add the command to an autoexec file. Our autoexec guide explains how.

A worked example

Imagine your nearest servers usually give you around 30 ms, and a server one country over gives about 60 ms. Anything beyond that tends to sit above 100 ms. With the default limit, you could land on any of those.

Setting the limit to around 70 keeps you on the two closest groups of servers. Fights should feel more consistent. If queues at night become slow, you might raise it to 90 for late sessions and lower it again for peak hours.

The exact numbers will differ for you. The method is what matters: measure, set a margin, then test queue time. Small changes are easier to judge than big jumps, so move the slider in steps of around 10 to 20.

Sources and checks

The setting name, command and default were checked on 2 November 2026 against csdb.gg, TotalCSGO and ProSettings. Valve may change defaults in updates, so check your own slider.

CS2 Network Matchmaking Settings