Setting up a Counter-Strike 2 server

The CS2 server is the game itself in dedicated mode: it takes about 60 GB, so check your free space first. For a 10-player match without plugins, 4 GB of RAM is usually enough.

1. Download it

With SteamCMD:

# Windows
C:\steamcmd\steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\cs2 +login anonymous +app_update 730 validate +quit

# Linux (as the steam user)
~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/cs2 +login anonymous +app_update 730 validate +quit

2. Get your token (GSLT)

Without it, nobody from outside your network can join:

1. Go to steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers with your Steam account.
2. In App ID enter 730 and add a memo so you recognise it.
3. Copy the token it gives you. One per server.

Steam only issues them to accounts that are not limited, have a phone number attached and have no bans.

3. Linux only: the steamclient.so fix

Without this, the server complains it cannot find Steam:

mkdir -p ~/.steam/sdk64
ln -sf ~/steamcmd/linux64/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk64/steamclient.so

4. Start it

# Windows
C:\cs2\game\bin\win64\cs2.exe -dedicated -usercon +game_type 0 +game_mode 1 +mapgroup mg_active +map de_dust2 +sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_TOKEN

# Linux
~/cs2/game/cs2.sh -dedicated -usercon +game_type 0 +game_mode 1 +mapgroup mg_active +map de_dust2 +sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_TOKEN

On Linux, always use cs2.sh rather than the binary itself: it sets up the environment it needs.

5. Name, password and RCON

Create game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg:

hostname "My CS2 server"
sv_password ""
rcon_password "A_LONG_PASSWORD"

Leave sv_password empty for an open server. The -usercon in the start line is what enables RCON.

6. Ports

• 27015 UDP: the game. Required.
• 27015 TCP: RCON, only if you use it from outside.
• 27020 UDP: SourceTV, only if you enable it.

# Windows (PowerShell as administrator)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "CS2 UDP 27015" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 27015 -Action Allow -Profile Any

# Linux
ufw allow 27015/udp

To join: open the console in the game and type connect YOUR_IP:27015.