Team Fortress 2 server hosting for your community
Run the TF2 server your community has always wanted: your map rotation, your rules and the plugins you trust. Valve’s dedicated server runs every official mode, Workshop maps and SourceMod, now with 64-bit builds for Windows and Linux.
- Every official mode, from Payload to Mann vs. Machine
- Workshop maps and fast downloads with sv_downloadurl
- SourceMod and Metamod:Source with 64-bit support
- Size advice from 12 to 32 slots
- Slots-maxplayers goes up to 32 plus a SourceTV slot. -unrestricted_maxplayers allows up to 100, which Valve calls unsupported and not recommended.
- Up to 32 (100 unsupported)
- Ports27015/UDP for game and queries, 27015/TCP for RCON and 27020/UDP for SourceTV.
- 27015 UDP/TCP · 27020 UDP
- Tick rateTF2 servers run at 66 ticks per second, and -tickrate is disabled.
- 66 (fixed)
- Login tokenA server runs without a Game Server Login Token, but needs one to appear in the server browser.
- Needed for the server browser
- Plugins
- SourceMod · Metamod:Source
- Server
- 64-bit Windows and Linux
Game modes
- Payload
- Capture the Flag
- Control Point
- King of the Hill
- Attack/Defend
- Payload Race
- Arena
- Mann vs. Machine
- PASS Time
- Medieval
Game facts from the official Team Fortress Wiki, the Valve Developer Community and the AlliedModders projects, checked in October 2026.
- DDoS protection
- 20 game server locations
TF2 plans are being prepared
Tell us your slot count, game modes 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 TF2 server be?
Slots, plugins and bots decide the load. Mann vs. Machine needs a 32-slot server.
Find your size
| Feature |
Small
Up to 12 slots
|
Standard
Up to 24 slots
|
Recommended Full
Up to 32 slots or MvM
|
Oversized
Up to 100 slots (unsupported)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players, bots and every plugin. | 1–2 GB | 2 GB | 3 GB | 6 GB |
| CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most. | 2 | 2 | 2–3 | 4 |
| Disk spaceThe TF2 server needs about 8 GB; leave room for Workshop maps, plugins and logs. | 15 GB | 15 GB | 20 GB | 25 GB |
| Tick rateTF2 runs at a fixed 66 ticks per second; more slots mean more work in every tick. | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Typical use | Practice, MGE or small games | Community Payload and CTF | Full 12v12 or Mann vs. Machine | 100-player events |
-
Small
Up to 12 slots
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players, bots and every plugin.
- 1–2 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 2
- Disk spaceThe TF2 server needs about 8 GB; leave room for Workshop maps, plugins and logs.
- 15 GB
- Tick rateTF2 runs at a fixed 66 ticks per second; more slots mean more work in every tick.
- 66
- Typical use
- Practice, MGE or small games
-
Standard
Up to 24 slots
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players, bots and every plugin.
- 2 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 2
- Disk spaceThe TF2 server needs about 8 GB; leave room for Workshop maps, plugins and logs.
- 15 GB
- Tick rateTF2 runs at a fixed 66 ticks per second; more slots mean more work in every tick.
- 66
- Typical use
- Community Payload and CTF
-
Recommended
Full
Up to 32 slots or MvM
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players, bots and every plugin.
- 3 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 2–3
- Disk spaceThe TF2 server needs about 8 GB; leave room for Workshop maps, plugins and logs.
- 20 GB
- Tick rateTF2 runs at a fixed 66 ticks per second; more slots mean more work in every tick.
- 66
- Typical use
- Full 12v12 or Mann vs. Machine
-
Oversized
Up to 100 slots (unsupported)
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the map, the players, bots and every plugin.
- 6 GB
- CPU coresThe server simulates every tick on its main thread, so fast cores matter most.
- 4
- Disk spaceThe TF2 server needs about 8 GB; leave room for Workshop maps, plugins and logs.
- 25 GB
- Tick rateTF2 runs at a fixed 66 ticks per second; more slots mean more work in every tick.
- 66
- Typical use
- 100-player events
Valve publishes no TF2 server hardware figures; these are starting points. Plugins, bots and 100-player servers need more.
Game modes, maps and plugins
Valve’s dedicated server runs every official mode; community tools add admin features and custom modes on top.
Every official mode
Payload, CTF, Control Point, King of the Hill, Arena, Mann vs. Machine and the rest, set by the maps in mapcycle.txt.
Workshop maps
Use changelevel workshop/ followed by the ID, or add Workshop entries to mapcycle.txt; the server downloads them automatically.
SourceMod and Metamod:Source
The community plugin platform for admin menus, bans and custom modes. SourceMod 1.12 and Metamod:Source 1.12 support 64-bit servers.
Fast downloads
Point sv_downloadurl at a web server with bzip2-compressed maps so players load custom content quickly.
Bots
Fill empty slots with tf_bot_quota; bots need nav meshes and do not play every mode.
TF2 SDK
Valve released the TF2 game code for mods in February 2025. Those mods are separate games with their own servers; the TF2 server itself is unchanged.
Set up your TF2 server
Four steps to your first Payload round.
-
Pick slots and modes
24 or 32 slots, Payload or MvM: choose the size with the table above.
-
Pick a location
Choose the one closest to your players from our 20 game server locations; ping matters in a shooter.
-
Add your token and config
Create a Game Server Login Token, put your rules in server.cfg and your maps in mapcycle.txt.
-
Connect
Open the console in TF2 and type connect with the address, or find the server in the community browser.
Other game servers you might like
Counter-Strike 2
Competitive, wingman and community servers with Workshop maps.
Garry’s Mod
Sandbox, TTT, DarkRP or Prop Hunt with Workshop content.
Left 4 Dead 2
Co-op campaigns and 4v4 Versus with custom VPKs and SourceMod.
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
Gravity Gun deathmatch with up to 100 slots and SourceMod.
Frequently asked questions
How many players can a TF2 server hold?
Up to 32 players with -maxplayers, plus one slot for SourceTV. With -unrestricted_maxplayers a server can go up to 100, but Valve calls that unsupported and not recommended. A Mann vs. Machine map needs at least 32 slots, or the server exits.
Do I need a Game Server Login Token?
The server runs without one, but needs a token to appear in the server browser. Create it on Steam’s game server account page and start the server with +sv_setsteamaccount. The account must not be limited and needs a phone number.
Which ports does a TF2 server use?
UDP 27015 for the game and queries, TCP 27015 for RCON and UDP 27020 for SourceTV. The client port 27005 and Steam’s 26900 are used for outgoing traffic.
Is the TF2 server 64-bit?
Yes. The April 2024 update added 64-bit server builds for Windows and Linux. SourceMod 1.12 and Metamod:Source 1.12 support them; check that every plugin you use has a 64-bit build.
How do I install SourceMod?
Install Metamod:Source first, then SourceMod. Add admins to addons/sourcemod/configs/admins_simple.ini and drop plugins into the plugins folder.
How do I run Workshop maps?
Use changelevel workshop/ followed by the Workshop ID, or put those entries into mapcycle.txt. The server downloads the maps, and tf_workshop_map_sync keeps them ready.
How do I make custom content download quickly?
Set sv_allowdownload 1 and point sv_downloadurl at a web server with the same files. Maps compressed with bzip2 download faster.
Can I run a 128-tick TF2 server?
No. TF2 servers run at 66 ticks per second, and the -tickrate option is disabled.
Can I fill the server with bots?
Yes. Use tf_bot_add or tf_bot_quota with tf_bot_quota_mode fill, and set tf_bot_difficulty from 0 to 3. Bots need nav meshes and do not play Arena, Payload Race, Special Delivery, PASS Time and a few other modes.
How do I ban players without SourceMod?
Use banid and writeid to store Steam ID bans in banned_user.cfg, and addip and writeip for banned_ip.cfg. Load both from server.cfg with exec.
What does the TF2 SDK mean for my server?
Nothing changes for a normal TF2 server. In February 2025 Valve released the TF2 game code for mods; those mods are published as separate free games with their own servers.
Ready to push the cart?
Tell us your slot count, modes and plugins, and we will help you pick the right TF2 server.