How to call a Technical Timeout in CSGO Competitive

Valve has added Technical Timeouts to CS:GO Competitive in their January 27 update. It’s different from the game’s already-existing Tactical Timeouts. Here’s exactly how they work, and how you can call one for your team.

The addition of Technical Timeouts built into CS:GO comes as Valve has looked to revamp Competitive play by removing bots, and even adding bonus income for teams down on players.

It’s different from the already-existing Tactical Timeouts ⁠— which players can call once per half in a CS:GO Competitive game. In fact, you don’t really get an opportunity to call a tech pause, as they automatically go through.

Here’s how the new feature works, and how you can best utilize it to boot.

How to use Technical Timeouts in CS:GO

Technical Timeouts aren’t something you can call on command in CS:GO. In a matchmade competitive game, something has to go awry first.

Technical Timeouts can only be called if a player has disconnected from the game, and hasn’t reconnected by the time the next round starts. They will be automatically called, and will last two minutes at most. This allows the DC’d player time to reconnect to the game.

• Read More: CSGO Jan. 27 patch adds measures to help players in 4v5s

The timeout will automatically be canceled if the DC’d player abandons the game. Timeouts also won’t be called in a 4v5 if the player was kicked. Each team gets one Technical Timeout. It doesn’t count towards your Tactical Timeout count.

Hopefully you won’t ever have to use a Technical Timeout in CS:GO competitive queues. If it does come down to it though, it’s a handy tool that will allow players to get back into the game if their internet died or their game crashed.

In the downtime, you can talk strategies about tackling the game while a man down ⁠— or a man up. However, you won’t just be able to call it for your mouse glitching out, or a sticky desk mishap.