How to upload your CS2 skin to the Workshop

You have a finished texture. This page covers the last mile: turning that TGA into a weapon finish you can preview in CS2 and publish to the Steam Workshop.

You do not need Blender for this step. You need Steam, Counter-Strike 2, the free Workshop Tools DLC, and an uncompressed TGA made for one specific weapon.

TL;DR

  1. Export an uncompressed 2048 × 2048 TGA for one weapon (browser editor or your own paint tools).
  2. Enable CS2 Workshop Tools in Steam and launch the game in Workshop Tools mode.
  3. Copy the TGA into content/csgo/materials/custom/ inside your CS2 install.
  4. Open the paintkit tool, point the albedo texture at your file, and preview the skin in-game.
  5. Publish as Public to submit it, or Private to keep it for yourself.

Open the free editor

Before you start

Gather these before you open the Workshop Tools. Everything on the list is free.

What you need to upload a CS2 skin
ThingWhy you need it
A Steam accountThe Workshop lives on Steam.
Counter-Strike 2 installedWorkshop Tools run inside CS2 and preview the skin on the real weapon.
CS2 Workshop Tools DLCFree DLC in your Steam library. It turns a TGA into a publishable weapon finish. It runs on Windows.
An uncompressed TGA2048 × 2048, made for one weapon’s UV layout. JPG and compressed TGA look broken in-game.

If you do not have a TGA yet, start with Step A below. If you already exported one from CS2 Skin Maker or another tool, skip to Step B.

Step A: Get a Workshop-ready TGA

CS2 expects an uncompressed TGA at 2048 × 2048, painted for one specific weapon. A texture made for the AK-47 will not wrap correctly on the AWP.

  1. Paint in the free browser editor. Open CS2 Skin Maker, pick a weapon, paint on the real 3D model, then download. The file is already an uncompressed 32-bit TGA at the right size.
  2. Or export from your own tools. If you paint in Blender, Substance Painter, Photoshop or GIMP, save the colour (albedo) map as an uncompressed TGA at 2048 × 2048. Do not use JPG.
  3. Match the weapon. Confirm the UV layout matches the weapon you will load in Workshop Tools. Wrong weapon = stretched or missing paint.

Supported weapons in the browser editor today: AK-47, AWP, M4A4 and Desert Eagle. Each has its own guide with texture specs.

Step B: Open CS2 Workshop Tools

Workshop Tools is a free DLC. You turn it on once, then launch CS2 in Workshop Tools mode whenever you want to import or publish.

  1. Enable the DLC. In your Steam library, right-click Counter-Strike 2 → Properties. Under DLC, turn on Workshop Tools.
  2. Relaunch in Workshop Tools mode. Start CS2 and choose the Workshop Tools option when prompted (or pick it from the launch options Steam shows).
  3. Open the paintkit tool. In-game, go to Workshop → Item Tools → GS Paintkit Example (or the equivalent paintkit entry in your build).

Step C: Import your texture

The Workshop Tools read textures from a folder inside your CS2 install. You drop the TGA there, then point the finish’s albedo slot at it.

  1. Copy the TGA into place. Place your file in content/csgo/materials/custom/ inside your CS2 install folder. Create the custom folder if it does not exist yet.
  2. Point the albedo at it. In the paintkit tool, set the Albedo (colour) texture path to materials/custom/yourfile.tga. Keep the materials/ prefix; do not use a full disk path.
  3. Pick a finish style. For a full-colour image from a browser editor, Custom Paint is the natural choice. Other styles (Patina, Gunsmith, Hydrographic, and so on) expect different maps.

If the weapon looks blank or pink, the path is wrong, the file is compressed, or the resolution is not 2048 × 2048. Fix the file first, then re-point the albedo.

Step D: Preview and publish

Before you publish, look at the skin on the real weapon and at more than one wear level.

  1. Inspect or Preview. Use Inspect or Preview in the Workshop tool to see the skin on the weapon in-game. Check first-person view and the sides players actually see.
  2. Move the wear slider. Factory New is not how most owners will see it. Scratches on sharp metal edges show up first as float rises. Fix anything that dies at mid wear.
  3. Publish. Add a name, a short description, and a clear screenshot. Set visibility to Public to submit it to Valve’s Workshop, or Private to keep it for yourself.
  4. Find it later. Everything you publish is under Steam Workshop → My Files.

Publishing does not put the skin in your real inventory or in online matches. That only happens if Valve later adds it to a case. Private and Public preview both work inside Workshop Tools.

Uploading a CS2 skin FAQ

What file format do I need to upload a CS2 skin?

An uncompressed TGA at 2048 × 2048 pixels, made for one specific weapon’s UV layout. That is the colour (albedo) texture Workshop Tools expect for Custom Paint style skins.

Where do I put the TGA for Workshop Tools?

Inside your CS2 install: content/csgo/materials/custom/. Then set the albedo path in the paintkit tool to materials/custom/yourfile.tga.

Do I need Blender to upload a skin?

No. Blender helps when you want to paint more maps. For uploading a colour texture, Workshop Tools only need the TGA and the paintkit tool.

Can I use my uploaded skin in online matches?

You can preview it in Workshop Tools. It will not appear in your inventory or in online matches unless Valve picks it for a case.

Public or Private when I publish?

Public submits the skin to the Steam Workshop so others can see it and Valve can consider it. Private keeps it for your own use under My Files.

Where can I make the TGA if I do not have one?

Use the free CS2 Skin Maker browser editor (linked on this page), or export from Blender, Substance Painter, Photoshop or GIMP as an uncompressed TGA.

How to make CS2 skins · Open the free editor

Sources: Valve: CS2 Workshop Finishes, Valve: CS2 Workshop Styleguide.

Related weapon guides

Design AK-47 SkinDesign AWP SkinDesign M4A4 SkinDesign Deagle Skin