Counter-Strike 2 server hosting for matches and communities
Run your own CS2 server for scrims, practice or a community that plays every night. Pick the game mode, load Workshop maps and add plugins on top of Valve’s dedicated server.
- Competitive, wingman, casual, deathmatch and custom modes
- Steam Workshop maps and collections
- Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp plugins
- Size advice from 10 to 64 slots
- SlotsSet the slots with -maxplayers when the server starts. A competitive match uses 10 players plus spectators.
- Up to 64 (-maxplayers)
- PortChange it with -port. By default a CS2 server only uses this one port.
- 27015 (game and query)
- Tick rateCS2 servers run at 64 ticks per second; sub-tick timestamps actions between ticks, so -tickrate has no effect.
- 64 tick with sub-tick
- Login tokenPublic servers need a Game Server Login Token from Steam’s game server account page, one token per server.
- Steam GSLT for app 730
- Plugins
- Metamod:Source · CounterStrikeSharp
- Anti-cheat
- VAC
Game modes
- Competitive
- Wingman
- Casual
- Deathmatch
- Arms Race
- Custom
Game facts from the Valve Developer Community and Valve’s update notes, checked in October 2026.
- ٣٠-day money-back guarantee
- DDoS protection
- ٢٠ game server locations
CS2 plans are being prepared
Tell us your game mode and slot count, 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 CS2 server be?
Slots and plugins decide the load. The download is large, so plan the disk first.
Find your size
| Feature |
Practice
Up to 10 slots
|
Recommended Competitive
5v5 with spectators, up to 12 slots
|
Community
Up to 32 slots
|
Large community
Up to 64 slots
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. | 2 GB | 3 GB | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most. | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Disk spaceThe CS2 dedicated server download is about 60 GB; keep room for Workshop maps and updates. | 60 GB | 60 GB | 70 GB | 80 GB |
| Typical use | Practice and aim training | Scrims and league matches | Casual, deathmatch and community nights | Busy community servers and events |
-
Practice
Up to 10 slots
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 2 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 2
- Disk spaceThe CS2 dedicated server download is about 60 GB; keep room for Workshop maps and updates.
- 60 GB
- Typical use
- Practice and aim training
-
Recommended
Competitive
5v5 with spectators, up to 12 slots
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 3 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 2
- Disk spaceThe CS2 dedicated server download is about 60 GB; keep room for Workshop maps and updates.
- 60 GB
- Typical use
- Scrims and league matches
-
Community
Up to 32 slots
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 4 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 3
- Disk spaceThe CS2 dedicated server download is about 60 GB; keep room for Workshop maps and updates.
- 70 GB
- Typical use
- Casual, deathmatch and community nights
-
Large community
Up to 64 slots
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 6 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 4
- Disk spaceThe CS2 dedicated server download is about 60 GB; keep room for Workshop maps and updates.
- 80 GB
- Typical use
- Busy community servers and events
Valve publishes no server hardware figures; these are starting points. Every slot and plugin adds work for the main thread.
Game modes, maps and plugins
Valve’s dedicated server runs every official mode; community tools add admin features and practice modes on top.
Every official mode
Competitive, wingman, casual, deathmatch, arms race or custom, set with game_type and game_mode or the game_alias command.
Workshop maps
Start one Workshop map with host_workshop_map, or a whole collection with host_workshop_collection.
Metamod:Source
The community plugin loader that admin tools, practice modes and other plugins build on.
CounterStrikeSharp
C# plugins on top of Metamod:Source. Community plugins can need an update after a Valve patch.
server.cfg
Your rules in one file: it runs when the server starts and again on every map change.
Your own login token
Each public server needs its own Game Server Login Token, created on your Steam account for app 730.
Set up your CS2 server
Four steps from the first choice to your first match.
-
Pick slots and mode
Practice, competitive or a community server: choose the size with the table above.
-
Pick a location
Choose the one closest to your players from our ٢٠ game server locations; ping matters in a shooter.
-
Add your token and config
Create a Game Server Login Token for app 730, put your rules in server.cfg and load maps or a Workshop collection.
-
Connect
Open the console in CS2 and type connect with the address and port, or find the server in the community browser.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Game Server Login Token?
Yes, for a server that players join over the internet. Create a token for app 730 on Steam’s game server account page and start the server with +sv_setsteamaccount. Use one token per server: if a server is banned, its token owner can be restricted too.
Can I run a 128-tick server?
No. Counter-Strike 2 runs at 64 ticks per second with sub-tick updates, and the -tickrate option has no effect.
How many players can a CS2 server hold?
You set the slots with -maxplayers; Valve’s documentation uses 64 in its examples. A competitive match uses 10 players and wingman 4, plus any spectators.
Which game modes can I run?
Casual (game_type 0, game_mode 0), competitive (0, 1), wingman (0, 2), arms race (1, 0), deathmatch (1, 2) and custom (3, 0). The game_alias command switches between them; a new server starts in competitive.
How do I add Workshop maps?
Start a single map with +host_workshop_map and its file ID, or a collection with +host_workshop_collection and the collection ID. Map IDs and collection IDs cannot be swapped.
Can I install plugins?
Yes, with the community tools Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp, which loads C# plugins. They are not made by Valve and can need an update after a game patch.
Where do I put my server settings?
In server.cfg, which runs when the server starts and on every map change. Keep match settings there, such as round time, team names and your RCON password.
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 find the server in the community server browser.
Do I need to update the server after a CS2 patch?
Yes. Valve updates CS2 often, and the server has to run the same version as the players before they can join again.
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.
Ready for your own CS2 server?
Tell us your game mode and slot count, and we will help you pick the right server.