> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.freakhosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Configure Your Counter-Strike 2 Server: Settings, Game Modes and Startup

> Change your CS2 server name, password, game mode, map, map rotation, rules, bots, voice chat, tags and startup variables in the FREAKHOSTING Game Panel.

This guide covers every setting you can change on your Counter-Strike 2 server: the **Server settings** page, the **Startup** variables, game modes, map rotation, server tags and voice chat.

> **Difficulty**
>
> Beginner

> **Time**
>
> 15 minutes

***

## The Server settings page

Open your server and click **Server settings** under **COUNTER-STRIKE 2** in the sidebar. It shows your server's name, game mode, map and rules in plain words. Nothing changes until you click **Review and save**.

Click **Open server.cfg** at the top to edit the file yourself in the file manager.

### Checks

The **Checks** box lists problems the panel finds, for example **The token does not look right**. Click **Details** for an explanation, or **Go to the setting** to jump to the field.

### Basics

| Setting | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Server name** | The name in the server list. |
| **Join password** | Players need it to join. Leave it empty for a public server. Click the eye icon to show it. |
| **Player slots** | How many players can be online at once. Set by your plan, so you can't change it here. |
| **Game server login token** | Your GSLT from [Steam](https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers). Without it, the server is not listed in the server browser. See [getting started](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/getting-started.md#step-1-create-a-game-server-login-token-gslt). |

> [!TIP]
>
> Leave old tick numbers such as "128 Tick" out of your server name. CS2 uses sub-tick updates, so they don't mean anything.

***

## Game mode and map

![Game mode and map section with eight game mode tiles: Casual 20 players, Competitive 10, Wingman 4, Retakes 7, Arms Race 16, Demolition 16, Deathmatch 16 and Custom 64, followed by the Start map drop-down set to Dust II with a Change now button, the Workshop map field and the Map group field](https://mintcdn.com/freakhostingltd/oRNjFa_9Ix118Tkc/images/games/counter-strike-2/cs2-server-settings-mode-map.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=oRNjFa_9Ix118Tkc\&q=85\&s=01b663754c8e82ae0f32258e659ee240)

Game mode tiles, start map, workshop map and map group

### Game mode

Click a tile to choose a mode. The panel shows a short summary, for example **Competitive**: "5 against 5, full economy, friendly fire on." The new mode takes effect when the next map loads.

| Tile | Players |
| - | - |
| **Casual** | 20 |
| **Competitive** | 10 |
| **Wingman** | 4 |
| **Retakes** | 7 |
| **Arms Race** | 16 |
| **Demolition** | 16 |
| **Deathmatch** | 16 |
| **Custom** | 64 |

The player numbers are what each mode is designed for. Your real limit is your **Player slots**.

For a mode without a tile, click **Other values (game\_type and game\_mode)**. See the [reference table](#game-type-and-game-mode-reference) below.

### Start map

The map the server starts on, and returns to after a restart. Pick one from the drop-down. Click **Change now** to switch to it straight away while the server runs. The start map is saved to the Startup variable **Map**.

### Workshop map

Paste a map's Steam Workshop address, or just its number, then click **Change now**. The server switches to it while it runs. A workshop map can't be the start map, so after a restart the server goes back to your **Start map**. See [workshop maps and collections](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/workshop-maps-and-collections.md).

### Map group

The set of maps the server rotates through, for example `mg_active`. Leave it empty to use the game mode's own set. See [map rotation](#map-rotation).

***

## Rules

### Rounds and money

| Setting | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Round time** | Length of a round in minutes. Competitive uses 1.92. |
| **Freeze time** | Seconds players are frozen at the start of a round. |
| **Buy time** | Seconds after the round starts that players can buy. |
| **Buy anywhere** | **Not set (game default)**, **Only in the buy zone**, **Anywhere, both teams**, **Anywhere, terrorists only** or **Anywhere, counter-terrorists only**. |
| **Starting money** | Money each player starts with, in \$. |
| **Rounds per match** | 0 means no limit. |
| **Warmup time** | Length of the warmup in seconds. |
| **Bomb timer** | Seconds from bomb plant to explosion. |
| **End the match when it is won** | Ends the match early once a team can't be caught. |

### Players and teams

| Setting | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Friendly fire** | Lets teammates damage each other. |
| **Balance the teams** | Moves players to keep the teams even. |
| **Allowed team difference** | How many more players one team may have than the other. |
| **Counter-terrorists respawn** / **Terrorists respawn** | Players on that team come back after dying. |

### Chat, bots and cheats

| Setting | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Everyone hears everyone** | Both teams can hear each other. See [voice chat](#voice-chat). |
| **Dead players can talk to the living** | Dead players can talk to players who are still alive. |
| **Bots** | Number of bots. **0** means no bots. |
| **Bot skill** | **Not set**, **Easy**, **Normal**, **Hard** or **Expert**. |
| **Infinite ammo** | Weapons never run out of ammo. |
| **Players can pause** | Lets players pause the match. |
| **Cheat commands (sv\_cheats)** | Only for practice servers. See [popular setups](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/popular-setups.md#practice-server). |

### Advanced

| Setting | What it does |
| - | - |
| **RCON password** | For remote administration tools. It does not work from inside the game. Use a long password. See [RCON](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/admin-and-commands.md#rcon). |
| **Tickrate** | CS2 has no tickrate setting, so there is nothing to change. |

***

## Review and save

**1. Make your changes**

Changed sections show a badge such as **2 UNSAVED**. Click **Discard** to undo all of them.

**2. Click Review and save**

The **Review your changes** window shows exactly what will change. Everything else stays as it is. Passwords and tokens are hidden in this view.

![Review your changes dialog showing the server.cfg lines that will be added: hostname, a hidden sv\_password, game\_type 0 and game\_mode 1, with a note that the old file is kept as server.cfg.bak, and Cancel and Save changes buttons](https://mintcdn.com/freakhostingltd/oRNjFa_9Ix118Tkc/images/games/counter-strike-2/cs2-server-settings-review.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=oRNjFa_9Ix118Tkc\&q=85\&s=23c80d1a0e5d60c5532e00da6d5e430b)

Review your changes before you save

**3. Save**

Click **Save changes**. The panel saves your settings for you. The old file is kept as `server.cfg.bak`, so you can go back.

**4. Restart**

Restart the server so every change applies. A new game mode applies when the next map loads.

***

## Startup variables

Click **Startup** in the sidebar. Change a field and click outside it: it saves on its own. Restart the server to apply it. See [how to configure startup variables](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/game-panel/how-to-configure-startup-variables.md).

![Startup page with the read-only Startup Command, the locked Docker Image, and variable cards for Map, Disable Updates, Validate Install, Game Server Login Token (GSLT), Max Players marked Read Only, and Game Type](https://mintcdn.com/freakhostingltd/oRNjFa_9Ix118Tkc/images/games/counter-strike-2/cs2-startup.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=oRNjFa_9Ix118Tkc\&q=85\&s=ec49bdee5f888002b93472265da94979)

The Startup page for Counter-Strike 2

| Variable | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Map** | The start map, for example `de_dust2`. Same as **Start map** in Server settings. |
| **Disable Updates** | `0` checks Steam for a CS2 update at each start. Set to `1` to stop updates. |
| **Validate Install** | Set to `1` to check and repair the game files with SteamCMD at the next start. Set it back to `0` afterwards, as it slows down every start. |
| **Game Server Login Token (GSLT)** | Your Steam token. Same as in Server settings. |
| **Max Players** | Read only. Your player slots, set by your plan. |
| **Game Type** / **Game Mode** | The mode the server starts in. See the [reference table](#game-type-and-game-mode-reference). |
| **Host Workshop Collection** / **Workshop Collection ID** | Host a Steam Workshop collection. See [workshop maps and collections](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/workshop-maps-and-collections.md#host-a-collection). |
| **INSECURE** | Set to `1` to start without VAC. Leave at `0` for a public server. See [troubleshooting](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/troubleshooting.md). |

Leave **Host Workshop Map**, **Workshop Map ID** and **Use +mapgroup** at their defaults. To play a workshop map, use **Server settings** instead.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If you pick a game mode on **Server settings**, set the same values in **Game Type** and **Game Mode** here, so the server always starts in the mode you want.

***

## Game type and game mode reference

| Mode | Game Type | Game Mode |
| - | - | - |
| Casual | 0 | 0 |
| Competitive | 0 | 1 |
| Wingman | 0 | 2 |
| Retakes | 0 | 5 |
| Arms Race | 1 | 0 |
| Demolition | 1 | 1 |
| Deathmatch | 1 | 2 |
| Custom | 3 | 0 |

***

## Map rotation

When a match ends, the server moves to the next map in its **map group**.

* **Use the mode's own set**: leave **Map group** empty in Server settings.
* **Use a built-in group**: type its name, for example `mg_active`, in **Map group**.
* **Use your own list of maps**: host a [Workshop collection](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/workshop-maps-and-collections.md#host-a-collection). The server uses the collection as its map group.

To move to a new map at the end of every match, even if the next map is the same, add this line to `server.cfg`:

```cfg theme={null}
mp_match_end_changelevel 1
```

To change the map now, use **Change now** in Server settings, or the console command `changelevel de_mirage`. See [admin and commands](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/admin-and-commands.md).

***

## Server tags

Tags help players find your server when they browse. Click **Open server.cfg** and add a line with your tags, separated by commas:

```cfg theme={null}
sv_tags "competitive,community,eu"
```

Save the file and restart the server.

***

## Voice chat

The two voice switches in **Server settings** cover most needs. For finer control, add these lines to `server.cfg`:

| Line | What it does |
| - | - |
| `sv_alltalk 1` | Players hear all other players' voice, with no team limits. |
| `sv_full_alltalk 1` | Any player, including spectators, can talk to anyone. |
| `sv_deadtalk 1` | Dead players can speak to the living. |
| `sv_talk_enemy_living 1` | Living players hear living enemies. |
| `sv_talk_enemy_dead 1` | Dead players hear dead enemies. |
| `sv_voiceenable 0` | Turns voice chat off completely. |

Set a line to `0` to turn it off. Restart the server to apply.

***

## Related articles

> **[Workshop maps and collections](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/workshop-maps-and-collections.md)**
>
> Play workshop maps and host collections.

> **[Admin and commands](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/admin-and-commands.md)**
>
> Admins, RCON and console commands.

> **[Popular setups](https://help.freakhosting.com/games/counter-strike-2/popular-setups.md)**
>
> Practice, retakes, deathmatch and demos.

> **[Startup variables](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/game-panel/how-to-configure-startup-variables.md)**
>
> How the Startup page works.

***

> [!NOTE]
>
> ### Need Extra Help?
>
> If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:
>
> * **Live Chat:** Quick assistance via our website.
> * **Support Ticket:** [Open a Ticket](https://freakhosting.com/clientarea/submitticket.php)
> * **Discord:** [Join our Community](https://discord.gg/freakhosting)
> * **Email:** [support@freakhosting.com](mailto:support@freakhosting.com)

> [!TIP]
>
> ### Save on Your Hosting
>
> Ready to upgrade your hosting? Use code **KB20** at checkout for **20% off** your first order!

***

**Last Updated:** October 2026


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.