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NextClient

NextClient is a modification for Counter-Strike 1.6 aimed at introducing new functionality for both players and developers of server modifications on amxmodx. NextClient has integrated some features from csldr.

Please note that the official version of NextClient does not include an emulator. Next21 team is not developing a Steam emulator. You still need to have Steam running and a purchased copy of Cs 1.6 to play on the NextClient version from GitHub.

Some antivirus engines flag NextClient binaries. These are heuristic false positives caused by runtime detouring of engine functions. Official builds are produced from the source code of this repository by GitHub Actions and carry a signed build provenance attestation. Details and false positive reporting: docs/reporting-av-false-positives.md.

Main features:

• Protector - protects the client from malicious commands from the server
• Ability to change the master server (the default ms is tsarvar.com)
• Advanced video settings - FOV fix on 16:9 resolutions, ability to adjust FOV and separately adjust FOV for first person model
• Advanced killfeed - support for advanced killfeed regamedll, displaying kill icons: through the wall, through smoke, without aiming, jumping, dominating, etc.
• Advanced crosshair settings - added new crosshair types: dot, T-shaped, circle
• 2 GUI schemes with the ability to change them through the settings, and the ability to add your own schemes without deleting the old ones
• HTML interface support in GameUI based on CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework) with a JS API for interacting with the client
• Display more than 255hp when using server module
• Display number and size of remaining files, total file size and upload speed when connected to the server
• Color chat in console
• Various improvements from csldr for viewmodel:
  • Adjustable origin
  • Alternative bob from CS:GO 1.0.0.40
  • Sway/lag
  • Viewmodel shifting can be disabled
  • Client-side weapon inspecting
  • Bone controlled camera movement

Features for amxmodx developers:

• Cvars sandbox, the ability to change cvars for a client (from a limited list) while a client is on the server
• Killfeed customization
• Sprite API, control of sprites on the screen
• Extended FOV message
• Support for viewmodel effects
• Weapon sound replacement
• Mouse inversion
• Client verification and hardware ID (HWID) request
• Separate precache for regular cs 1.6 client and NextClient
• Precache of hud.txt and other standard resources

New cvars

Click to expand

Cvar name	Default value	Available in sandbox*	Description
viewmodel_disable_shift	0	Yes	Disable viewmodel shifting (when you looking up or down).
viewmodel_offset_x	0	Yes
viewmodel_offset_y	0	Yes
viewmodel_offset_z	0	Yes
camera_movement_scale	1.0	Yes	Camera movement scale.
camera_movement_interp	0	Yes	Smooths out camera movement when switching weapons. Recommended value is 0.1. Set to 0 to disable smoothing.
viewmodel_fov	90	Yes	Min: 70 Max: 100
cl_crosshair_type	0	Yes	Crosshair type. 0 - crosshair, 1 - T-shaped, 2 - circle, 3 - dot.
cl_bob_camera	1	Yes	View origin bob, does nothing with cl_bobstyle 2.
cl_bobstyle	0	Yes	0 for default bob, 1 for old style bob and 2 for CS:GO style bob.
cl_bobamt_vert	0.13	Yes	Vertical scale for CS:GO style bob.
cl_bobamt_lat	0.32	Yes	Lateral scale for CS:GO style bob.
cl_bob_lower_amt	8.0	Yes	Specifies how much the viewmodel moves inwards for CS:GO style bob.
cl_rollangle	0	Yes	Screen roll angle when strafing or looking (Quake effect).
cl_rollspeed	200.0	Yes	Screen roll speed when strafing or looking (Quake effect).
viewmodel_lag_style	0	Yes	Viewmodel sway style. 0 is off, 1 is HL2 style and 2 is CS:S/CS:GO style.
viewmodel_lag_scale	1.0	Yes	Scale of the viewmodel sway.
viewmodel_lag_speed	8.0	Yes	Speed of the viewmodel sway. (HL2 sway only)
fov_horplus	0	No	Enables Hor+ scaling for FOV. Fixes the FOV when playing with aspect ratios besides 4:3.
fov_angle	90	No (use ncl_setfov instead)	Min: 70 Max: 100
fov_lerp	0	No (use ncl_setfov instead)	FOV interpolation time in seconds.
hud_deathnotice_max	5	Yes	The maximum number of killfeed entries that can be displayed.
hud_deathnotice_old	0	No	Enable the old style of killfeed.
http_max_active_requests	5	No
http_max_requests_retries	3	No

*Can the server change the value of a cvar using the cvars sandbox feature.

Installation

1. NextClient only works with engine version 8684, make sure you are on the beta branch "steam_legacy - Pre-25th Anniversary Build" in Steam (⚠️ Note: you need the official game files from Steam! You cannot install NextClient on pirate clients!)
2. Copy the entire Counter-Strike 1.6 (Half-Life) folder to a separate folder outside of the Steam folder
3. Copy all NextClient files to the folder where you copied all the CS 1.6 files
4. Run the game via cstrike.exe

⚠️ Warning! Never put NextClient files directly into the game installation folder in Steam! This will lead to VAC ban! ⚠️

Changing the master server

The configuration file is located at the path platform\config\MasterServer.vdf

"MasterServer"
{
"Selected""1"// Item number from the Servers section. Numbering starts from 0."CacheServers""false"// In case the master server is unavailable, the servers will be taken from the cache.// The cache contains servers from the last request that was fully completed."Servers"
{
"Steam"
{
"address""hl1master.steampowered.com:27011"// Master server address."site"""// Not used."region""0x03"// Region code, see https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Master_Server_Query_Protocol#Region_codes.
}
"Tsarvar"
{
"address""ms.tsarvar.com:27010""site""https://tsarvar.com/""region""0xFF"
}
}
}

Building

Requirements:

• The latest version of MSVC 2022 or later
• CMake 3.21 or higher
• Ninja (optional)

Run x86 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/CS-NextClient/NextClient.git
cd NextClient

Using Visual Studio 2022 generator:

cmake --preset vs2022
cmake --build --preset vs2022-release --target BUILD_ALL

Using Visual Studio 2026 generator:

cmake --preset vs2026
cmake --build --preset vs2026-release --target BUILD_ALL

Or using Ninja:

cmake --preset ninja
cmake --build --preset ninja-release --target BUILD_ALL

BUILD_ALL also copies all built files and assets to NEXTCLIENT_INSTALL_DIR if the variable is set. You can pass it directly when configuring:

cmake --preset vs2022 -DNEXTCLIENT_INSTALL_DIR="C:/Games/CS 1.6 - NextClient"

Or create a CMakeUserPresets.json in the project root (gitignored) to avoid passing it every time:

{
"version": 3,
"configurePresets": [
{
"name": "vs2022-local",
"inherits": "vs2022",
"cacheVariables": {
"NEXTCLIENT_INSTALL_DIR": "C:/Games/CS 1.6 - NextClient"
}
}
],
"buildPresets": [
{
"name": "vs2022-local-release",
"configurePreset": "vs2022-local",
"configuration": "Release"
},
{
"name": "vs2022-local-debug",
"configurePreset": "vs2022-local",
"configuration": "Debug"
}
]
}

Then:

cmake --preset vs2022-local
cmake --build --preset vs2022-local-release --target BUILD_ALL

Working in IDE

CLion

• The default toolchain must be Visual Studio x86
• Enable the required presets in CMake settings (Settings -> Build -> CMake), e.g. vs2022 - vs2022-debug and vs2022 - vs2022-release
• Build the BUILD_ALL target

Visual Studio

• Open the project folder
• Select build preset, e.g. vs2022-debug or vs2022-release
• In the main menu, select Build -> Build All

VS Code

• Install the ms-vscode.cmake-tools extension
• Select the vs2022, vs2026, or ninja configure preset and the corresponding build configuration
• Build the BUILD_ALL target
• For the ninja preset, VS Code must be launched from "x86 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS"

Thanks

• Nordic Warrior - for the huge amount of feedback and bug reports
• fl0werD - for development of Sprite API
• Mikko Kokko - for the project csldr, which features we have integrated into NextClient
• Felipe - for the project MetaAudio
• MoeMod - for the project Thanatos-Launcher, it helped a lot when implementing GameUI and VGUI2
• tmp64 - for the project hl1_source_sdk
• TsarVar - for the idea of a JS API for gameui
• s1lent - for advice, ready-made fixes, and development of the avatarid-spec specification
• lozatto - for contributing the unique machine identifier (HWID) feature
• SanyaSho - for the project BarsTech_goldsrc_compatible_public, which helped with VGUI2 font rendering
• Valve - for Counter-Strike 1.6 and loyal attitude to the modder community

Thanks to everyone who supports the project with bug reports, suggestions and words of encouragement.