Counter-Strike 2

Molotov / Incendiary

Utility, both sides.

Molotov / Incendiary
Utility ยท both sides

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Full history

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Changed in 5 updates

9 balance changes across 5 updates, condensed below to what still matters.

2 buffs and 5 nerfs in total: trending weaker.

Biggest balance changes

  • ◆
    Accuracy Incendiary Grenade - incendiary grenade fire spreads more rapidlyadjusted 3 times across 3 updates, roughly even
  • ▲
    Price Reduced price from $600 to $500
  • ▼
    Molotovs are no longer extinguished by smokes that are significantly below them, so now it is possible to smoke inside hut on Nuke and throw a molotov on top of hut, or smoke under palace balcony on Mirage and throw a molotov on balcony floor.
  • ▼
    Molotovs are no longer extinguished by smokes that are above the fire height.
  • ▼
    Flying smoke grenades no longer have a half-second restriction after a bounce before subsequent bounce can extinguish a molotov.
  • ▼
    Smoke grenades can no longer stick under a hot surface to extinguish a molotov.

Most recent change 16 July 2025

  • ◆
    Accuracy Incendiary Grenade - incendiary grenade fire spreads more rapidly

Using the Molotov / Incendiary now

Good for clearing corners or delaying a push or a defuse.

Alternatives

Every Molotov / Incendiary change, update by update

All 50 lines Valve listed for the Molotov / Incendiary since May 2012, newest first, fixes and visual changes included. Last changed 20 July 2026.

  • ◆
    The bomb explosion now interacts with smoke grenade clouds and molotov/incendiary fire.

  • ◆
    Molotov/incendiary grenades that bounce off an enemy player have a one-time fuse extension added to prevent them from air-bursting when their has-never-hit-the-world timer elapses.

  • ◆
    Molotov again uses the correct fire particle. visual
  • ◆
    Incendiary and smoke grenades now play the correct sounds. visual
  • ◆
    Adjusted firstperson molotov audio and particle event timing. visual

  • ◆
    Accuracy Incendiary Grenade - incendiary grenade fire spreads more rapidly

  • ◆
    Performance optimizations for molotov and incendiary effects. visual

  • ◆
    Height of the 'pillar' of flame for both Molotov and Incendiary grenade now decreases over time
  • ▼
    Reduced duration
  • ▲
    Accuracy Reduced area covered by spreading flames
  • ▲
    Price Reduced price from $600 to $500
  • ◆
    Adjusted the explosion and flame visual treatment visual

  • ◆
    Fixed a bug where a player holding an incendiary grenade would sometimes show fire effects at their feet fix

  • ◆
    Added a missing fire effect to molotovs that are held by players visual

  • ▲
    Improved molotov extinguish effects to sound better when multiple are playing at once visual

  • ◆
    Damage Fixed a bug where Molotov self damage could be incorrectly penalized as team damage fix

  • ▲
    Improved performance of molotov/incendiary fire extinguishing visual

  • ◆
    Various fixes for molotov/incendiary grenades

  • ◆
    Various bug fixes to molotov/incendiary explosions

  • ◆
    Sealed rooftops to prevent grenades/molotovs from landing in places they shouldn't.

  • ◆
    Fixed Molotov and Incendiary grenades not detonating in midair when flying over skybox areas. fix

  • ◆
    Radial menus (+quickinv/+quickgrenades) allow selection of molotovs/incendiary grenades picked up from other teams.

  • ◆
    Fixed a minor regression caused by molotov bouncing off sky surfaces. fix

  • ◆
    Fixed a regression in molotov detonation timing. fix

  • ◆
    Fixed graphics regression that caused smoke and molotov particle effects to appear fully transparent. fix
  • ◆
    Fixed molotov not detonating in mid air in non DZ modes. fix

  • ◆
    Damage Molotovs and incendiary grenades will now consistently deal impact damage to match other grenades.
  • ◆
    Impact kills with molotovs and incendiary grenades now display an icon in the kill feed. visual

  • ◆
    Price Fixed an issue that caused buy menu to show incorrect price of molotovs/incendiary grenades after switching teams. fix

  • ◆
    Fixed a bug where molotovs/incendiary grenades did not generate flames when they exploded on the corner of a ledge. fix

  • ◆
    Fixed a bug where molotovs/incendiary grenades did not generate flames when they exploded on the corner of a ledge. fix

  • ▼
    Flying smoke grenades no longer have a half-second restriction after a bounce before subsequent bounce can extinguish a molotov.
  • ◆
    Smoke grenades bouncing off a surface not directly on fire will not extinguish a molotov.
  • ▼
    Smoke grenades can no longer stick under a hot surface to extinguish a molotov.

  • ▼
    Molotovs are no longer extinguished by smokes that are significantly below them, so now it is possible to smoke inside hut on Nuke and throw a molotov on top of hut, or smoke under palace balcony on Mirage and throw a molotov on balcony floor.
  • ▼
    Molotovs are no longer extinguished by smokes that are above the fire height.
  • ▼
    Accuracy Molotovs no longer spread under closed doors.

  • ◆
    Fixed a bug where an in-hand fire sound would persist when a player was killed while holding a primed Molotov. fix
  • ◆
    Upgraded sound fidelity for Molotov priming sound. visual
  • ▼
    Reduced volume of in-hand fire sound for a primed Molotov visual

  • ◆
    Fixed rounding errors in timing for molotovs/incendiary grenades. They now deal exactly 40 DPS regardless of server tickrate. fix

  • ◆
    Fixed Molotov holding pose. fix

  • ◆
    Adjusted the molotov/incendiary grenade extinguishing distance.

  • ◆
    Adjusted the radius at which incendiary and smoke grenades interact.

  • ◆
    Fix for CTs not speaking their radio lines when throwing an Incendiary grenade.

  • ◆
    Fixed smoke grenades popping again when thrown into more than one molotov fire in a row. fix

  • ◆
    Fixed the molotov not having the same collision bounds as the rest of the grenades. fix

  • ▼
    Fix for a scenario where stepping into molotov fire sometimes turns the screen black. Reduced opacity of screen-space smoke effect at the molotov's core from 1.0 to 0.75. -- Also removed some extraneous tings from the molotov explosion and reduced the lifetime on the molotov inferno's embers, which were artificially enlarging the effect's bounding box. visual
  • ◆
    Fixed HE Grenade/ molotov not recording kill stats. fix

  • ◆
    Added missing outline on incendiary grenade icon. visual