How to Fix Black Screen Issue in Counter Strike 2

Facing a black screen in Counter-Strike 2 is often the result of the graphics drivers installed on your computer. This can happen when the drivers are obsolete or damaged due to a Windows update which prevents it from rendering the graphics.

Alternatively, missing game files or corruption in the game files can also result in Counter-Strike 2 black screen. In such a scenario, repairing your game files can mitigate the issue for you. We will take you through several methods in this article that can help in resolving the black screen in Counter-Strike 2. 

1. Use Autoconfig

The first thing you should do when starting to troubleshoot the black screen issue in Counter-Strike 2 is to change your config. In some scenarios, the issue can occur due to your config files or the game settings. 

In such a scenario, you can launch the game in its default settings to see if that fixes the issue. This can be done quite easily with the help of a launch option on Steam. To do this, follow the instructions down below:

1. First, open the Steam client on your PC.
2. Navigate to your Library and right-click on the game. Choose Properties from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the Properties window, enter the -autoconfig command in the Launch Options bar.

   

4. Once you do that, close the Properties window and launch the game. See if that fixes the issue.
5. In case the problem goes away, you will have to delete your existing config and create a new one to ensure the issue does not come back. 

2. Use Windowed Mode

Another potential cause of the black screen issue can be the display mode that you are using in Counter-Strike 2. If you encounter a black screen as soon as you launch the game, you will not be able to change the display mode via the video settings menu.

In such a scenario, you will have to use a launch option that forces the game to start in windowed mode despite the game settings. To do this, follow the instructions down below:

1. Start by opening the Steam client on your computer.
2. Navigate to your Library.
3. Right-click on the game and choose Properties from the drop-down menu.

   

4. After that, enter the -windowed command in the Launch Options bar.

   

5. Once you do that, open the game and see if the issue persists. 

3. Verify Game Files

In some instances, the game files on your computer can be responsible for causing a black screen. This can happen when you are either missing specific game files or there is corruption in the game files. In such a scenario, you will have to repair the game files via the Steam client.

This can be done with the help of the verify integrity of game files feature. This allows you to scan the game installation files on your PC and download any missing or damaged files from the Steam servers. To repair your game files, follow the instructions down below:

1. First, open the Steam client on your computer. 
2. On the Steam client, navigate to your Library.
3. Right-click on the game and choose Properties from the drop-down menu.

   

4. On the Properties window, switch to the Local Files tab.
5. There, click on the Verify integrity of game files option.

   

6. Wait for the game files to be scanned and repaired.
7. Once the files are repaired, open the game and see if the black screen persists. 

4. Update Graphics Drivers

The graphics drivers on your computer are vital to gaming. This is because the graphics drivers are used by any processes on your system to communicate with the graphics card installed on your motherboard. 

In some scenarios, obsolete or damaged graphics drivers can cause black screen issues with the games on your system. If this case is applicable, you will have to reinstall the graphics drivers on your computer and update them at the same time. 

A third-party utility called the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) can be helpful in this instance. This is because it allows you to remove every trace of your current drivers from the computer. Follow the instructions below to update your graphics drivers:

1. First, download the latest version of DDU from the official website here.
2. After that, extract the downloaded file to any location on your computer.
3. Navigate to the extracted folder and open the Display Driver Uninstaller.exe file.
4. Once DDU opens, you will be shown the General Options window. Click on the Continue button to proceed.

   

5. After that, choose GPU from the Select device type drop-down menu.

   

6. Follow this up by selecting your graphics card manufacturer from the Select device drop-down menu.

   

7. Finally, click on the Clean and restart option to uninstall the graphics drivers.

   

8. After your PC boots up, navigate to your manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers available for your card. 
9. Install the latest drivers on your PC.
10. Once you do that, open the game to see if the black screen is still there. 

5. Perform a Clean Boot

Finally, if none of the methods above has resolved the issue for you, the issue is likely being caused by a third-party application in the background. This happens when a third-party service running in the background interferes with the game files or process. 

In such a scenario, you can perform a clean boot to see if the game runs fine. Clean boot allows you to start Windows with only the required services running in the background. As such, if the game works fine in clean boot, it will be evident the problem is being caused by a third-party program in the background.

If this case is applicable, you can find the culprit by enabling the services one by one. To perform a clean boot, follow the instructions below: 

1. First, open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard. 
2. In the Run dialog box, type in msconfig and hit the Enter key.

   

3. This will open the System Configuration window.
4. There, switch to the Services tab. 
5. Tick the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.

   

6. After that, click on the Disable all button and hit Apply.

   

7. Then, switch to the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager option.

   

8. On the Task Manager window, select the apps one by one and click the Disable option.

   

9. Finally, restart your computer. 
10. After your PC boots up, open the game to see if the black screen still appears. 
11. If the problem is no longer there, enable the services one by one to locate the culprit.