Half-Life 2: Deathmatch server hosting
Bring back the Gravity Gun arena on a server that stays online. Run free-for-all or Combine against Resistance, set your map cycle and add SourceMod plugins. Valve’s February 2025 update raised the slot limit to 100 and added 64-bit binaries.
- Dedicated server from SteamCMD (app 232370)
- Up to 100 slots since the February 2025 update
- Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch
- Metamod:Source and SourceMod plugins
- SlotsThe February 2025 update raised the limit to 100 and the default from 2 to 24 slots.
- Up to 100 (+maxplayers)
- PortGame traffic uses UDP; the remote console (RCON) uses TCP on the same port.
- 27015 UDP · TCP (RCON)
- Game modes
- Deathmatch · Team Deathmatch
- Server build
- 64-bit, updated August 2026
- Plugins
- Metamod:Source · SourceMod
- Anti-cheat
- VAC
Options
- Deathmatch
- Team Deathmatch
- SourceMod
- SourceTV
- Custom maps
- 64-bit
Game facts from Valve’s Steam update notes, SteamCMD data and the AlliedModders wiki, checked in October 2026.
- DDoS protection
- 20 game server locations
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch plans are being prepared
Tell us your slot count, maps and plugins, and our team will reply with the options. Or open a ticket and we will let you know when the plans are online.
How big should a Half-Life 2: Deathmatch server be?
HL2DM is a light Source engine server. Slots, physics-heavy custom maps and plugins decide the load, and single-core speed matters most.
Find your size
| Feature |
Small
Up to 16 slots
|
Recommended Standard
Up to 32 slots
|
Large
Up to 64 slots
|
Chaos
Up to 100 slots
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the physics objects and every connected player. | 1 GB | 2 GB | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. | 1–2 | 2 | 2–3 | 3–4 |
| Disk spaceRoom for the game files, custom maps, SourceTV demos and logs. | 10 GB | 10 GB | 15 GB | 15 GB |
| MapsStock maps such as dm_lockdown are light; large custom maps with many physics props need more CPU. | Stock maps | Stock and custom maps | Custom map rotation | Large maps only |
| Typical use | Friends and small matches | A community deathmatch server | Busy public server with plugins | Events and 100-player chaos |
-
Small
Up to 16 slots
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the physics objects and every connected player.
- 1 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 1–2
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, custom maps, SourceTV demos and logs.
- 10 GB
- MapsStock maps such as dm_lockdown are light; large custom maps with many physics props need more CPU.
- Stock maps
- Typical use
- Friends and small matches
-
Recommended
Standard
Up to 32 slots
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the physics objects and every connected player.
- 2 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 2
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, custom maps, SourceTV demos and logs.
- 10 GB
- MapsStock maps such as dm_lockdown are light; large custom maps with many physics props need more CPU.
- Stock and custom maps
- Typical use
- A community deathmatch server
-
Large
Up to 64 slots
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the physics objects and every connected player.
- 3 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 2–3
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, custom maps, SourceTV demos and logs.
- 15 GB
- MapsStock maps such as dm_lockdown are light; large custom maps with many physics props need more CPU.
- Custom map rotation
- Typical use
- Busy public server with plugins
-
Chaos
Up to 100 slots
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the physics objects and every connected player.
- 4 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 3–4
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, custom maps, SourceTV demos and logs.
- 15 GB
- MapsStock maps such as dm_lockdown are light; large custom maps with many physics props need more CPU.
- Large maps only
- Typical use
- Events and 100-player chaos
Valve publishes no server hardware figures; these starting points follow common practice for Source engine servers. Many plugins and very high slot counts need faster cores.
Game modes, maps and plugins
A classic Source engine server: your rules in server.cfg, your maps in the map cycle and SourceMod for everything else.
Deathmatch or teams
Set mp_teamplay 0 for free-for-all or 1 for Combine against Resistance, with mp_fraglimit and mp_timelimit for the round rules.
Map cycle
List your maps in mapcycle.txt; the server falls back to mapcycle_default.txt when that file is missing.
Custom maps
Put custom .bsp maps in the hl2mp/maps folder and turn on sv_allowdownload so players receive missing maps when they join.
SourceMod and Metamod:Source
Both list HL2DM as a supported game. Add admin menus, map votes, stats and anti-spawn-kill plugins.
Gravity Gun rules
Since February 2025, hl2mp_allow_pickup lets players pick up objects without the Gravity Gun.
64-bit server
64-bit binaries start automatically on a 64-bit system, and Steam Networking support arrived with the same update.
Set up your HL2DM server
Four steps from an empty server to the first frag.
-
Pick slots and mode
Choose a size from the table above, then free-for-all or team deathmatch.
-
Pick a location
Choose the one closest to your players from our 20 game server locations.
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Edit server.cfg
Set hostname, rcon_password, mp_teamplay and your limits in hl2mp/cfg/server.cfg, then build your mapcycle.txt.
-
Join the arena
Find the server in the in-game browser or type connect with the address in the console.
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Frequently asked questions
How many players can join an HL2DM server?
Up to 100 since Valve’s February 2025 update, which also raised the default from 2 to 24 slots. Set the slots with +maxplayers on the command line.
Which port does the server use?
27015 by default: UDP for the game and server queries, TCP on the same port for the remote console. Change it with -port when you start the server.
How do I switch between deathmatch and team deathmatch?
Set mp_teamplay 0 for free-for-all deathmatch or mp_teamplay 1 for Combine against Resistance, then change the map. mp_fraglimit and mp_timelimit end each round.
How do I add custom maps?
Copy the .bsp files into hl2mp/maps, add them to mapcycle.txt and set sv_allowdownload 1 so players without the map can download it when they join.
Can I use SourceMod on HL2DM?
Yes. Metamod:Source and SourceMod both list Half-Life 2: Deathmatch as a supported game, so admin menus, map votes and community plugins work.
How do I manage the server remotely?
Set rcon_password in server.cfg. In the game console, type rcon_password with the password, then send commands with rcon, for example rcon changelevel dm_lockdown.
Is the HL2DM server 64-bit?
Yes. Since February 2025, 64-bit binaries start automatically on systems with a 64-bit operating system.
Does Valve still update Half-Life 2: Deathmatch?
Yes. The latest update arrived in August 2026 with security and stability fixes and a Linux fix for custom maps. Update the server with SteamCMD app 232370 after each patch.
How do I lock the server with a password?
Set sv_password in server.cfg. Players then enter the password when they connect; leave it empty for a public server.
Ready to load the Gravity Gun?
Tell us your slots, maps and plugins, and we will help you pick the right HL2DM server.