THE SHORT ANSWER
The September 23 update reworks crosshairs to use pixel values instead of an arbitrary scale, adds resolution-independent scaling, half-outlines, a static square style, and a 64-pixel baseline for dynamic spread. RUSH mode's countdown-after-elimination doubles to 14 seconds on end rooms and Convoy, while warmup, freeze time, and technical timeouts are shortened. Animation fixes cover left-handed viewmodels, third-person models, and Dual Berettas during silent reloads. Clan tags now appear in death notices.
- Crosshair thickness, length, and gap now use pixel values with automatic resolution scaling
- New half-outline option draws only top-left outline portions
- Static square crosshair style added; 0 gap width bug fixed
- Dynamic crosshair minimum spread distance set to 64 pixels with real weapon inaccuracy display
- RUSH mode countdown-after-elimination increased from 7 to 14 seconds on end rooms and Convoy
- Warmup, freeze time, and technical timeout durations reduced
- Animation fixes for left-handed viewmodels, third-person models, and Dual Berettas during silent reloads
- Clan tags now visible in death notices
Crosshair System Rebuilt Around Pixel Values
Valve has replaced the legacy arbitrary-scale crosshair system with one that uses explicit pixel measurements. Thickness, length, and gap are now defined in pixels, meaning a setting of thickness = 1, length = 8, and gap = 4 produces a 1-pixel wide crosshair with an 8-pixel bar and 4-pixel gap regardless of resolution. The engine automatically rescales these values when the display resolution changes — a crosshair configured at 1280x720 with 2-pixel thickness will render at 4 pixels on a 2560x1440 display, preserving the same proportional size.
New Styles and Outline Options
The update adds a static square crosshair style and a half-outline option that draws only the top-left portions of the outline. A bug that prevented a 0 gap width from being respected has been fixed. For dynamic crosshairs, the minimum spread distance is now 64 pixels, establishing a baseline that covers the weapons with the largest spread. The 'Dynamic Spread Limit' setting caps how far the crosshair can expand at maximum inaccuracy, and the new dynamic styles visually represent real weapon spread and inaccuracy so players can better gauge their actual accuracy with the equipped weapon.
RUSH Mode Timing Adjustments
On end rooms and Convoy, the maximum countdown-after-elimination has been doubled from 7 seconds to 14 seconds. The countdown will not activate in scenarios where an entire team is eliminated via suicides, team kills, or disconnects. Warmup time once all players have connected, freeze time, and technical timeout durations have all been reduced. Valve also applied various gap fixes and clipping adjustments across RUSH maps.
Animation and Visual Fixes
Several animation bugs have been resolved: left-handed viewmodels no longer animate incorrectly during silent reloads, third-person player models no longer animate too quickly during silent reloads, and first-person Dual Berettas now animate correctly while reloading. Clan tags now appear in death notices, improving team identification during kill feeds.
What Remains Unclear
The patch notes do not specify exact values for the reduced warmup, freeze time, or technical timeout durations. The specific maps receiving gap fixes and clipping adjustments are not listed. Valve has not indicated whether the crosshair changes will affect existing configs or if migration is automatic.