Counter-Strike: Global Offensive reads csgo/cfg/server.cfg on every map load. The game mode and the starting map are chosen when the server launches.
1. Edit server.cfg
- Stop the server in the Game Panel.
- Open the Files tab and browse to
csgo/cfg. - Open
server.cfg, or create it if it does not exist.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
hostname | The name in the community browser. |
sv_password | Password to join. Empty means open. |
rcon_password | Password for remote admin commands. |
sv_lan | Must be 0 for an internet server. |
mp_maxrounds | Rounds before the map ends. |
mp_roundtime | Minutes per round. |
mp_freezetime | Seconds of freeze time at the start of a round. |
mp_autoteambalance | Keeps the teams even. |
sv_cheats | Leave at 0 on a live server. |
sv_setsteamaccount | Your Steam game server token. |
Values with spaces go in quotation marks.
2. Choose the game mode
The mode comes from two values set at launch, one for the game type and one for the game mode. Competitive, casual, deathmatch and arms race are each a different pair. They are set on the Startup page of your server, which is not linked in the sidebar, so add /startup to the end of your server's panel address.
The matching rules live in csgo/gamemodes_server.txt. Copy the example file that ships with the server before editing it, and keep the structure intact.
3. Change the map
- Right now: run
changelevel de_dust2in the Console tab in the panel. - On start: set the map on the Startup page.
- The rotation is the map group in
gamemodes_server.txt.
4. Apply the changes
- Save the file.
- Start the server, or run
exec server.cfgin the console to reload without a restart. - Run
statusto confirm the hostname and map.
If a command is ignored, check the spelling. The console silently skips anything it does not recognise, and running exec server.cfg by hand prints the errors.
