# Counter-Strike 1.6 server hosting for classic matches > Host a Counter-Strike 1.6 server on Valve’s HLDS: up to 32 slots, AMX Mod X plugins, custom maps over FastDL and your own rules. Plan it today. Keep classic Counter-Strike online for your clan, your league or a public community. Valve’s Half-Life Dedicated Server runs the game as Valve ships it; AMX Mod X adds admin tools, stats and new modes. - Valve’s HLDS, updated for the 25th anniversary engine - Up to 32 slots for 5v5 matches or public servers - AMX Mod X plugins on top of Metamod - Custom maps and sounds served over FastDL See plans Find your size Slots The GoldSrc engine allows at most 32 players per server. Set the slots with +maxplayers when the server starts. Up to 32 (maxplayers)\ Port Players connect to this port and RCON uses it too. Change it with -port. 27015 (game and RCON)\ Server software HLDS (Steam app 90)\ Plugins AMX Mod X · Metamod\ Engine 25th anniversary update (2023)\ Anti-cheat VAC Maps and tools - Bomb defusal (de\_) - Hostage rescue (cs\_) - AMX Mod X - Metamod - FastDL - steam\_legacy Game facts from Valve’s Counter-Strike update notes, the Half-Life SDK and the AMX Mod X project, checked in October 2026. - DDoS protection - 20 game server locations ## CS 1.6 plans are being prepared Tell us your slot count, the plugins you use and whether you play matches or run a public server, and our team will reply with the options. Or open a ticket and we will let you know when the plans are online. [Contact sales](https://hyperdc.com/contact-us) [Open a ticket](https://hyperdc.com/support/new-ticket) ## How big should a CS 1.6 server be? Counter-Strike 1.6 is very light. Slots and the size of your AMX Mod X plugin set decide the load. | Feature | **Match** Up to 12 slots | Recommended **Public** Up to 24 slots | **Full server** Up to 32 slots | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players and every plugin. Classic shooters are light; plugins and custom maps add to it. | 512 MB | 1 GB | 1–2 GB | | CPU coresSource and GoldSrc servers simulate the match on one main thread, so a fast core matters more than many cores. | 1 | 1 | 2 | | Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. | 5 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | | AMX Mod X pluginsPlugins run inside the server process; large sets such as full mods need more CPU headroom. | Admin basics | Admin and stats | Full mods such as deathmatch | | Typical use | Clan matches and practice | A public server with a map cycle | A busy community server | - ### Match Up to 12 slots Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players and every plugin. Classic shooters are light; plugins and custom maps add to it. 512 MB\ CPU coresSource and GoldSrc servers simulate the match on one main thread, so a fast core matters more than many cores. 1\ Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. 5 GB\ AMX Mod X pluginsPlugins run inside the server process; large sets such as full mods need more CPU headroom. Admin basics\ Typical use Clan matches and practice - Recommended ### Public Up to 24 slots Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players and every plugin. Classic shooters are light; plugins and custom maps add to it. 1 GB\ CPU coresSource and GoldSrc servers simulate the match on one main thread, so a fast core matters more than many cores. 1\ Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. 5 GB\ AMX Mod X pluginsPlugins run inside the server process; large sets such as full mods need more CPU headroom. Admin and stats\ Typical use A public server with a map cycle - ### Full server Up to 32 slots Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players and every plugin. Classic shooters are light; plugins and custom maps add to it. 1–2 GB\ CPU coresSource and GoldSrc servers simulate the match on one main thread, so a fast core matters more than many cores. 2\ Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. 10 GB\ AMX Mod X pluginsPlugins run inside the server process; large sets such as full mods need more CPU headroom. Full mods such as deathmatch\ Typical use A busy community server Valve publishes no HLDS hardware figures. These starting points follow the 500 MB install and the engine’s single main thread. ## Plugins, maps and server settings HLDS runs the original game; the community tools on top of it have kept CS 1.6 servers going for two decades. ### HLDS Valve’s Half-Life Dedicated Server, started with -game cstrike. Valve updated it in November 2023 with new Windows and Linux binaries. ### AMX Mod X The classic plugin platform for admin menus, bans, stats and game modes. Current 1.10 builds support the legacy and the current server branch. ### Metamod The plugin loader between the engine and the game that AMX Mod X runs on. ### Custom maps and FastDL Add maps to cstrike/maps and the map cycle, and point sv\_downloadurl to a web address so players download them quickly. ### server.cfg · mapcycle.txt Your rules in two files: round and freeze times, the C4 timer and passwords in server.cfg, the map order in mapcycle.txt. ### The steam\_legacy branch Valve keeps a steam\_legacy beta branch for players with compatibility problems after the 2023 engine update. ## Set up your CS 1.6 server Four steps from the first choice to the first round. 1. ### Pick slots and plugins Matches, a public map cycle or a modded server: choose the size with the table above. 2. ### Pick a location Choose the one closest to your players from our 20 game server locations; ping decides duels. 3. ### Write server.cfg Set the hostname, RCON password, round rules and map cycle, then add AMX Mod X and your admins. 4. ### Connect Open the console and type connect with the address and port 27015, or add the server to your favourites. ## Other game servers you might like [See every game](https://hyperdc.com/game-server-hosting) [See all shooter servers](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/fps-game-servers) ### Counter-Strike: Source Surf, bhop, zombie or 5v5 with SourceMod and FastDL. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/counter-strike-source) ### Counter-Strike 2 Competitive, wingman and community servers with Workshop maps. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/counter-strike) ### Counter-Strike: Global Offensive The final 2023 CS:GO build for LAN events and private matches. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/counter-strike-global-offensive) ### Day of Defeat: Source Allies against Axis with SourceMod, custom maps and FastDL. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/day-of-defeat-source) ### Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Gravity Gun deathmatch with up to 100 slots and SourceMod. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/half-life-2-deathmatch) ### Sven Co-op Co-op maps for up to 32 players, with plugins and map votes. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/sven-co-op) ## Frequently asked questions Still have a question? Send us a message and our team will reply by email. [Contact us](https://hyperdc.com/contact-us) [Open a ticket](https://hyperdc.com/support/new-ticket) ### How many players can join a CS 1.6 server? Up to 32. The GoldSrc engine allows at most 32 players per server; set the slots with +maxplayers when the server starts. A 5v5 match uses 10 slots plus any spectators. ### Which port does the server use? Port 27015 by default, for the game and for RCON. Start the server with -port to use another one, and give players the matching address. ### How do I install AMX Mod X? Install Metamod and the AMX Mod X base package with the Counter-Strike addon into the cstrike/addons folder. Plugins go into addons/amxmodx/plugins and are switched on in configs/plugins.ini; admins are listed in configs/users.ini. ### Does AMX Mod X work after the 25th anniversary update? Yes. Current AMX Mod X 1.10 builds carry the game data for both the legacy and the updated server branch. Keep AMX Mod X up to date when Valve changes the server. ### What changed in the 2023 update? In November 2023 Valve brought Counter-Strike up to the Half-Life 25th anniversary engine and updated the dedicated server (app 90) with new Windows and Linux binaries. Players with compatibility problems can use the steam\_legacy beta branch. ### How do I add custom maps? Copy the .bsp files and their resources into cstrike/maps and add the map names to mapcycle.txt. Set sv\_downloadurl to a web address with the same files so players download them over HTTP instead of slowly from the game server. ### Where do I put my server settings? In cstrike/server.cfg: hostname, sv\_password, rcon\_password and the round rules such as mp\_timelimit, mp\_roundtime, mp\_freezetime and mp\_c4timer. ### Which newer server settings did Valve add? The 2019 updates added mp\_infinite\_ammo (0 off, 1 infinite ammo in the gun, 2 infinite reloads) and mp\_scoreboard\_showhealth and mp\_scoreboard\_showmoney, which decide who sees health and money on the scoreboard. sv\_cheats is now controlled by the server. ### Is VAC enabled on my server? Yes. Secure servers use Valve Anti-Cheat. Starting the server with -insecure turns VAC off, for example for a LAN event. ### How do players join? Open the console and type connect followed by the address and port, for example connect 203.0.113.10:27015, or add the server to the favourites in Find Servers. ## Ready for classic Counter-Strike? Tell us your slot count and plugins, and we will help you pick the right CS 1.6 server. See plans [Contact sales](https://hyperdc.com/contact-us) --- Source: \ Updated: 2026-10-09