[CS2] -netconport works on Linux, but doesn't on Windows

[maxpain]

Hello.

For some reason -netconport launch option works well on Linux, but on Windows, it required for CS2 to be launched with Workshop Tools.

[BlackCatTB]

Valve, please fix!

[osztenkurden]

I second that - It's the same issue with Dota 2, allowing for telnet communication without Workshop Tools would hugely help broadcasting / streaming communities

[a0w89fwa0f]

Fix

[matvejs16]

Fix

[smfreeze]

Pwease valve🤭

[dumbasPL]

The call to socket fails with WSANOTINITIALISED because WSAStartup has not yet been called. It will eventually, because cs2 needs networking, but -netconport is processed very early in the startup process where almost nothing in the game is loaded. It's not an issue on other platforms because other platforms don't have this legacy M$ bullshit. Windows is a special child with special needs.

With -tools, VConComm001 gets loaded and calls WSAStartup to initialize networking for vcon right before the check for -netconport. Without workshop tools WSAStartup gets first called inside steam_api64.SteamInternal_SteamAPI_Init

Found the issue, Valve pls fix, literally a single line of code (3 if you count error checking)