CS2

How to install and configure a Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server on Linux VPS with SteamCMD

Platform Support

Platform	Support	Notes
Linux	✅ Native	Recommended
Windows	✅ Native

Minimum Requirements

Mode	RAM	Disk	CPU
Casual/Deathmatch	2 GB	30 GB	2 vCPU
Competitive	4 GB	30 GB	2-4 vCPU
128-tick	8 GB	30 GB	4 vCPU

1. Install dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt install lib32gcc-s1 lib32stdc++6 steamcmd -y

# If steamcmd not in repository:
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo apt update && sudo apt install steamcmd -y

2. Create dedicated user

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash steam
sudo su - steam

3. Download server with SteamCMD

mkdir -p ~/cs2-server
steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/cs2-server \
         +login anonymous \
         +app_update 730 validate \
         +quit

The download is ~25 GB and may take time.

4. Startup script

nano ~/cs2-server/start.sh

#!/bin/bash
cd ~/cs2-server

./game/bin/linuxsteamrt64/cs2 \
  -dedicated \
  -usercon \
  +game_type 0 \
  +game_mode 0 \
  +map de_dust2 \
  +sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_GSLT_TOKEN \
  +sv_lan 0 \
  -port 27015 \
  +maxplayers 10 \
  -tickrate 128

chmod +x ~/cs2-server/start.sh

The GSLT token is required for public servers:

Go to steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers
App ID: 730 (CS2)
Create the token and paste it in +sv_setsteamaccount

6. Configuration (server.cfg)

nano ~/cs2-server/game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg

hostname "My CS2 Server"
sv_password ""                  // leave empty for public server
sv_cheats 0
sv_lan 0

// RCON
rcon_password "yourrconpassword"

// Tick rate
sv_mincmdrate 128
sv_maxcmdrate 128
sv_minupdaterate 128
sv_maxupdaterate 128

// Rate
sv_maxrate 786432
sv_minrate 196608

// Deathmatch
// mp_autoteambalance 1
// mp_limitteams 2

// Competitive
// game_mode 1
// game_type 0

7. Open ports

sudo ufw allow 27015/tcp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
sudo ufw allow 27020/udp   # HLTV / SourceTV

8. Startup with tmux or systemd

# With tmux
tmux new -s cs2
~/cs2-server/start.sh

# With systemd
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/cs2.service

[Unit]
Description=CS2 Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=steam
WorkingDirectory=/home/steam/cs2-server
ExecStart=/home/steam/cs2-server/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=30

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl enable cs2
sudo systemctl start cs2

9. CounterStrikeSharp Plugin (CSSharp)

For plugins and mods on CS2, use CounterStrikeSharp:

# Download latest release
wget https://github.com/roflmuffin/CounterStrikeSharp/releases/latest/download/counterstrikesharp-with-runtime-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar -xzf counterstrikesharp-with-runtime-linux-amd64.tar.gz -C ~/cs2-server/game/csgo/

Popular plugins: MatchZy (tournaments), SimpleAdmin, PugSetup.

10. Update the server

# Update CS2 when Valve publishes an update
steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/cs2-server \
         +login anonymous \
         +app_update 730 validate \
         +quit

Automate with cron:

# Update daily at 4:00 AM
0 4 * * * /usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/cs2-server +login anonymous +app_update 730 +quit

Tips & Tweaks

Tickrate Configuration

Set tickrate in startup script with -tickrate:

# 64-tick (casual, lower bandwidth)
-tickrate 64

# 128-tick (competitive, recommended for skilled players)
-tickrate 128

# 256-tick (premium servers, high bandwidth and CPU)
-tickrate 256

Rate settings for server.cfg:

sv_mincmdrate 128      # Minimum client command rate
sv_maxcmdrate 128      # Match tickrate
sv_minupdaterate 128   # Server update frequency
sv_maxupdaterate 128

# Bandwidth limits
sv_maxrate 786432      # ~750 Kb/s per player (128-tick)
sv_minrate 196608      # ~190 Kb/s minimum

Essential server.cfg Convars

Convar	Purpose	Typical Value
`sv_cheats`	Enable cheat commands	0 (public), 1 (testing)
`sv_lan`	LAN mode (no Steam auth)	0 (public)
`sv_pure`	Validate client files	1 (recommended)
`sv_autoexec`	Auto-execute exec cfg	1
`sv_timeout`	Client timeout (seconds)	65
`sv_prime_accounts_only`	Prime-only server	0 or 1
`bot_difficulty`	Bot skill (0-3)	1

RCON Console Commands

# Connect with rcon-cli or web console
rcon_password "your_password"

Common commands:

Command	Purpose
`status`	Player list with IDs
`mp_warmuptime 60`	Warmup duration (seconds)
`mp_freezetime 15`	Freezetime (seconds)
`mp_round_time 1.92`	Round duration (minutes)
`mp_timelimit 45`	Match time limit
`changelevel de_dust2`	Change map
`kick #ID`	Remove player by ID
`say <msg>`	Server message
`csgo_import_player_name`	Force player names

Map Voting and Rotation

Create mapcycle.txt:

nano ~/cs2-server/game/csgo/mapcycle.txt

de_dust2
de_inferno
de_mirage
de_nuke
de_vertigo
de_ancient

Load in server.cfg:

mapcyclefile mapcycle.txt

Server-Side Rates and Network Optimization

For competitive servers:

# Strictly competitive
sv_maxrate 1000000        # No bandwidth cap
sv_minrate 1000000        # Force high rate
sv_mincmdrate 128
sv_maxcmdrate 128

# For public servers with mixed bandwidth
sv_maxrate 786432         # ~750 Kb/s
sv_minrate 196608

Monitoring Commands

# Check server status
systemctl status cs2

# Real-time logs
journalctl -u cs2 -f --no-pager

# Monitor connections
ss -tulnp | grep 27015

# Check player count via RCON
rcon -p "password" status

Advanced Tuning

Stability flags:

sv_maxrate 2000000
sv_minrate 64000
sv_cmdrate_unrestricted 1     # Allow unrestricted cmdrate
sv_deltaprint 150

Lag compensation:

sv_clockcorrection_msecs 15
sv_max_usercmd_future_ticks 0

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