CS2 server console commands

These are the CS2 server commands and settings you are most likely to want, taken from the list the Console tab suggests as you type. Run them in the Console tab, from an RCON tool, or from game chat with !rcon <command>. You need the Control servers permission and a Live server.

A few things that make the console easier:

• Start typing and the console suggests matching commands, with a one-line description and the default. Tab completes, ↑ ↓ browse.

  

• Separate several commands with ; on one line: mp_freezetime 5; mp_restartgame 1.

• Commands you run are kept as Recent shortcuts for this server, most used first.

• Settings you change here last until the server restarts. For settings that survive, put them in a .cfg file (see the end of this page) or in launch options.

The defaults below are CS2’s stock values. A game mode or a config can change them, so treat them as a guide, not the value your server is running right now.

Match flow

Command	What it does
mp_restartgame <seconds>	Restart the match after N seconds. Scores and money reset.
mp_warmup_start	Start warmup.
mp_warmup_end	End warmup now and begin the match.
mp_pause_match	Pause at the next freeze time, not mid-round.
mp_unpause_match	Resume a paused match.
mp_swapteams	Swap CT and T sides.
mp_scrambleteams	Randomly reassign players to teams.
endround	End the current round immediately.

Rounds and timing

Setting	Default	What it does
mp_maxrounds	24	Rounds played before the match ends.
mp_roundtime	1.92	Round length in minutes.
mp_roundtime_defuse	1.92	Round length on bomb maps.
mp_roundtime_hostage	1.92	Round length on hostage maps.
mp_freezetime	15	Seconds of buy-time freeze at the start of each round.
mp_buytime	20	Seconds the buy menu stays open.
mp_buy_anywhere	0	1 lets players buy outside the spawn zone.
mp_halftime	1	Switch sides at halftime.
mp_match_can_clinch	1	End the match early once a team can’t be caught.
mp_overtime_enable	0	Play overtime on a tie.
mp_warmuptime	60	Warmup length in seconds.
mp_timelimit	0	Map time limit in minutes. 0 means no limit.

In CS2, mp_roundtime_defuse is the one that counts on bomb maps, so set it alongside mp_roundtime.

Economy

Setting	Default	What it does
mp_startmoney	800	Money each player starts a half with.
mp_maxmoney	16000	Money cap.
mp_afterroundmoney	0	Bonus for everyone after each round.
mp_free_armor	0	0 none, 1 vest, 2 vest and helmet.
mp_playercashawards	1	Money for kills and objectives.
mp_teamcashawards	1	Team money for round outcomes.

Teams, players and damage

Setting	Default	What it does
mp_friendlyfire	0	Damage to teammates.
mp_autoteambalance	1	Even out team sizes automatically.
mp_limitteams	2	Maximum team size difference. 0 means no limit.
mp_respawn_on_death_t / _ct	0	Instant respawn for that side.
mp_damage_headshot_only	0	Only headshots deal damage.
mp_ct_default_primary / mp_t_default_primary	empty	Spawn weapon, for example weapon_m4a1 or weapon_ak47.
mp_teamname_1 / mp_teamname_2	empty	Scoreboard team names.
sv_alltalk	0	Both teams hear each other on voice.
sv_deadtalk	0	Dead players can talk to the living.

Bots

Command or setting	Default	What it does
bot_add_t / bot_add_ct		Add one bot to that team.
bot_add <t/ct> <difficulty>		Add a bot, optionally choosing team and difficulty.
bot_kick <name/all>		Remove bots.
bot_kill <name/all>		Kill bots without removing them.
bot_quota	10	How many bots to keep on the server.
bot_quota_mode	normal	normal fixed count, fill fill up to the quota, match match the number of humans.
bot_difficulty	1	0 easy to 3 expert.
bot_join_after_player	1	Bots only join once a human has.

bot_stop, bot_dont_shoot and bot_mimic exist for practice but need sv_cheats 1.

Maps

Command	What it does
changelevel <map>	Change map, keeping players connected.
map <map>	Load a map, disconnecting and reloading everyone.
host_workshop_map <id>	Load a Steam Workshop map by its id. See Workshop maps.
game_type <n> / game_mode <n>	Set the mode; takes effect on the next map load. See Game modes and maps.
mp_endmatch_votenextmap	Default 1: players vote for the next map when a match ends.

Players and bans

Command	What it does
status	List connected players with their user id, ping and state.
kick <name>	Disconnect a player by name.
kickid <userid or steamid>	Disconnect by user id or Steam ID.
banid <minutes> <steamid>	Ban a Steam ID. 0 minutes means permanent.
removeid <steamid>	Lift a Steam ID ban.
writeid	Save the Steam ID ban list to banned_user.cfg.
say <message>	Message everyone as the server.

For a friendlier whitelist and banlist, use the Admission queue.

Server and practice

Setting	Default	What it does
sv_cheats	0	Enables cheat-protected commands for practice. Turn it off for real matches.
sv_infinite_ammo	0	1 infinite with no reload, 2 infinite reserve. Needs sv_cheats.
sv_showimpacts	0	Show bullet impacts. Needs sv_cheats.
sv_gravity	800	World gravity.
sv_airaccelerate	12	Mid-air acceleration. Higher values allow surf and bhop.
sv_allow_votes	1	Allow in-game player votes.
sv_pausable	0	Let players pause with pause in their own console. Easier from Quick actions.
exec <file>		Run a .cfg file from the cfg folder.

sv_cheats and host_timescale are never saved as Recent shortcuts, so nobody can re-enable them by clicking a button by mistake.

Settings SLASHPLAY manages for you

Leave these alone. The dashboard sets them and relies on them:

Setting	Why
sv_password	The join password. Use Password on the General tab instead. A value set in the console is lost at the next restart, and the dashboard’s copied connect command won’t include it.
rcon_password	The dashboard console, Quick actions, the admission queue and !rcon all use it. Change it and they stop working until you click Restart server.
sv_hibernate_when_empty	Kept at 0 so the server stays ready when empty. SLASHPLAY needs it to detect that the server is up.

Blocked commands

A few commands are refused in the console and in !rcon, because they would take the server somewhere the dashboard can’t bring it back from:

Command	Refused with	Use instead
quit, exit, shutdown, _restart	”…” is blocked. Use the Restart button instead.	Restart server, or Stop & Save
host_timescale below 0.05	The server would stop answering commands, including the one to undo it.	Values from 0.05 to 10, or mp_pause_match
host_timescale above 10	The server would need far more CPU than it has and stall.	10 or lower

Plain host_timescale with no value just prints the current setting and is always allowed.

Make settings stick with a .cfg file

Console changes last until the game process stops. To apply a set of settings whenever you want, save them in a file:

Steps

1. On your computer, create a plain text file named for example practice.cfg, with one command per line.

2. Open Advanced → Files on the server page and go to game/csgo/cfg.

3. Click Upload and pick the file. To change it later, use Edit on the file.

   

4. Run it any time with exec practice in the console.

   

Files you upload there are part of your server’s save, so they survive stops and restores. See File manager.

Related

• The console
• RCON
• Quick actions
• Launch options