Fix CS2 Audio Cutting Out - WASAPI Exclusive Mode Bug

It is incredibly frustrating when your sound cuts out mid-round in CS2, leaving you deaf to footsteps and gunfire. This started appearing after the recent Cache update because the game is fighting for exclusive control of your audio device.

Why this happens

CS2 is currently encountering a conflict with Windows WASAPI exclusive mode, which allows the game to lock your audio driver. This results in the sound engine crashing or dropping out entirely.

What you'll need

You just need access to your game console and your Windows Sound Control Panel settings.

Steps

1. 01
   Press the tilde key to open the console and type snd_async_flush then hit enter to rebuild the audio without restarting.
2. 02
   If the issue persists, open Windows Sound settings, navigate to the Playback tab, right-click your output device, and select Properties.
3. 03
   In the Advanced tab, uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
4. 04
   While in the same Properties window, verify that Spatial Sound is set to Off and Enable audio enhancements is unchecked.
5. 05
   If you are still experiencing audio drops, right-click CS2 in your Steam library, select Properties, go to Installed Files, and click Verify integrity of game files.