Skip to content

Counter-Strike 2 Server

In this article

Information

Counter-Strike 2 Server is server software that allows you to run an online multiplayer CS2 server.

Counter-Strike 2 Server. Main Features

  • Multiplayer game: the server allows up to 64 players to connect and play simultaneously;
  • Customizable game modes: administrators can create matches with various settings, including competitive mode, casual mode, and hostage rescue mode;
  • Access control management: ability to assign different permissions to players and administrators;
  • Cheater protection: tools for detecting and blocking players using unfair methods;
  • Backup: automatic saving of server configurations and statistics;
  • Multiple maps: ability to set up a rotation of various maps on one server;
  • API: a set of interfaces for interacting with other applications;
  • Monitoring: tracking online presence, player statistics, event logs;
  • Performance: optimized for running on a dedicated server with many players.

Deployment Features

ID Compatible OS VM BM VGPU GPU Min CPU (Cores) Min RAM (Gb) Min HDD/SDD (Gb) Active
282 Ubuntu 22.04 + + + + 2 4 - Yes
  • Automatic installation of all necessary CS2 Server components:
    • Installation of Valve Linux Runtime to run CS2;
    • Configuration file and permission setup;
    • Creation of control script /root/cs2server.sh;
  • After installation, the following directory structure is created in /opt/cs2/:
  • game/ - main directory with game server files, including:
    • game/game/ - directory with game files, containing:
      • game/game/bin/win64/csgo.signatures - game signature file;
      • game/game/csgo/ - directory of main CS2 files;
      • game/game/csgo_lv/ - directory of language files;
      • game/game/csgo_imported/ - directory of imported resources;
      • game/game/csgo_core/ - directory of core game components;
    • installscript.vdf - Steam installation script;
    • steamapps/ - directory for Steam applications.

Note

Unless otherwise specified, by default we install the latest release version of software from the developer's website or operating system repositories.

System Requirements

The resource requirements for Counter-Strike 2 increase with the number of players on the server. In large game sessions, more RAM and processing power will be needed. The recommended system requirements for a Counter-Strike 2 server are:

  • Processor (CPU): 4 cores or more, preferably 3.5 GHz or higher;
  • RAM: at least 4 GB for 10-12 players, 8 GB for 24 players, 16 GB for 64 players;
  • Operating system: CS2 server is available for Ubuntu 22.04 and other popular Linux distributions;
  • Disk space: at least 30 GB SSD for basic installation and logs.

Getting Started After Counter-Strike 2 Server Deployment

After purchasing an order, you will receive a notification about your server's readiness at the email address provided during registration. It will include the VPS IP address and login credentials for connection. Our company's clients manage equipment through the server control panel and API — Invapi. Authentication data, which can be found in the Info >> Tags tab of the server control panel or in the email sent:

  • Login and Password for connecting to the server (SSH): login and password are sent in the email upon server delivery.

Managing Your Account and Game Server

Note

The Counter-Strike 2 server is managed entirely through the terminal. A web interface for management is not provided.

After installing the Counter-Strike 2 server, perform the following steps to set it up correctly:

  1. Create GSLT token:

    • Go to the Steam Game Server Account Management page;
    • Log in with your Steam account;
    • In the Create a new game server account section, select App ID: 730 (CS2);
    • Enter a convenient name for your server (for your convenience only);
    • Click Create and copy the generated token.

  2. Configure the configuration file:

    • Connect to the server via SSH: 
      ssh root@<IP address of the server>
    • Open the file /opt/cs2/game/game/csgo/cfg/cs2server.cfg and add a line with your token: 
      sv_setsteamaccount "YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
    • Configure other server parameters as desired: 
      hostname "My CS2 Server"          // Server name
sv_password ""                     // Server password (leave empty for public access)
sv_lan 0                           // 0 for internet server, 1 for local
sv_region 3                        // Region code (3 for Europe)
sv_max_queries_sec 10              // Maximum number of queries per second
sv_maxrate 128000                  // Maximum data transfer speed
sv_minrate 128000                  // Minimum data transfer speed
sv_maxcmdrate 128                  // Maximum client command frequency
sv_mincmdrate 128                  // Minimum client command frequency

  3. First server start:

    • Run the following command to start the server: 
      ./cs2server.sh start

The CS2 server is managed using the /root/cs2server.sh script, which serves as a wrapper for the standard server launch command: 

/opt/cs2/game/game/bin/linuxsteamrt64/cs2 -dedicated +exec cs2server.cfg
The script accepts the following arguments: - start - start the server; - stop - stop the server; - restart - restart the server; - status - check the current server status.

Usage examples:

  • Start server 
    ./cs2server.sh start
  • Stop server: 
    ./cs2server.sh stop
  • Restart server: 
    ./cs2server.sh restart
  • Check server status: 
    ./cs2server.sh status

Connecting Players to the Counter-Strike 2 Server

Information

To successfully connect to the server, you must use port 27015. Incorrectly specifying the port or its absence will result in a connection error.

Players can connect to the game server using several methods:

Method 1: Connect through the browser

  1. Launch Counter-Strike 2;
  2. Press Play;
  3. In the server browser, press + in the top right corner or right-click on an empty space and select Add Server by IP;
  4. Enter connect <IP address of the server>:27015 in the opened window;
  5. Click OK;
  6. The server will appear in the list of favorites, choose it and click Connect.

Method 2: Connect through console

  1. Open the game's console using the ~ (tilde) key;
  2. Enter the command: connect <IP address of the server>:27015;
  3. Press Enter.

Method 3: Quick connect via link

  1. Use the link: steam://connect/<IP address of the server>:27015;
  2. Simply paste it into any browser and press Enter;
  3. Confirm launching CS2 through Steam;
  4. The game will automatically connect to the server.

Ordering a Counter-Strike 2 Server Using API

To install this software using the API, follow these instructions.

Some of the content on this page was created or translated using AI.