How to Set Up a Counter-Strike: Source Deathmatch Server on SLASHPLAY

How to Set Up a Counter-Strike: Source Deathmatch Server on SLASHPLAY

Counter-Strike: Source doesn’t ship with a built-in deathmatch mode. To get instant-respawn free-for-all or team deathmatch, you install a free, official plugin stack — Metamod:Source, SourceMod, and the AlliedModders CS:S DM plugin. It takes about 10 minutes entirely inside the SLASHPLAY dashboard, no command line needed, using just the File Manager and Console tabs.

Don’t have a Counter-Strike: Source server yet? Start with how to create a dedicated CSS server first, then come back here to add deathmatch.

What you’ll download

All three are free, official, and Linux builds — SLASHPLAY servers run Linux, so make sure you grab the linux .tar.gz files, not the Windows .zip ones.

What	Official download
Metamod:Source 1.12	sourcemm.net downloads
SourceMod 1.12	sourcemod.net downloads
CS:S DM 2.1.6 (the deathmatch plugin)	AlliedModders cssdm releases

Each page offers a stable Linux .tar.gz. Download all three to your computer before you start.

Where to click	What it should look like
Metamod:Source downloads page — click the Linux build
SourceMod downloads page — click the Linux build
CS:S DM GitHub releases — click cssdm-2.1.6-git317-sm1.12-linux.tar.gz

Make sure you grab the linux .tar.gz from each — not the Windows .zip. SLASHPLAY servers run Linux.

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Step 1 — Open the File Manager (server stays on)

1. Open your server’s page in the SLASHPLAY dashboard.
2. Click into the File Manager tab — it’s available while your server is running (the Files section needs the server online, so you work on files with it up).

✅ You work on the files while the server is running: upload and unpack all three mods first, then restart the server at the end so the mods load cleanly. Don’t try to use the Files tab while the server is stopped — it isn’t reachable in that state.

Step 2 — Go into the cstrike folder

1. You’re already in the File Manager from Step 1. You’ll see the server’s folders (like bin, hl2, plus one named cstrike).
2. Click into cstrike.

You should now see files like gameinfo.txt and steam.inf, plus a cfg folder. This is the right spot.

Step 3 — Upload and unpack the 3 mods

1. Click Upload and select the three .tar.gz files you downloaded.
2. Once they’ve uploaded, click the ... menu next to each one and choose Extract / Unarchive — do this for all three.
3. (Optional) Once extracted, delete the three .tar.gz files to keep the folder tidy.

If your file manager only extracts .zip files, there’s an easy alternative: extract all three .tar.gz on your computer into one folder (the addons and cfg folders will merge), zip that up as cssdm_pack.zip, upload it into cstrike/, and Extract once. Same result, one upload.

Step 4 — Quick check that it landed correctly

In the File Manager, confirm:

• cstrike/addons/ now contains metamod.vdf, metamod/, and sourcemod/.
• cstrike/cfg/ now contains a cssdm/ folder with cssdm.cfg inside.

If the metamod and sourcemod folders are inside cstrike/addons/ like above, the mods unpacked to the right place — you’re good to continue.

⚠️ Do NOT edit gameinfo.txt. Metamod loads itself automatically via the metamod.vdf file — you don’t need to (and shouldn’t) change gameinfo.txt.

Also steer clear of random third-party “CSS DM packs” floating around forums — they’re often outdated, bundle unrelated plugins, or ship builds that don’t match your SourceMod version. Stick to the three official downloads above.

Step 5 — Turn on deathmatch (edit cssdm.cfg)

1. In the File Manager, open cstrike → cfg → cssdm → cssdm.cfg (it opens in a built-in text editor).
2. Set these lines:
   • cssdm_enabled "1" — turns deathmatch on
   • cssdm_ffa_enabled "0" — 0 = team deathmatch, 1 = free-for-all (everyone vs everyone)
   • cssdm_respawn_wait "0.75" — respawn delay (seconds)
   • cssdm_refill_ammo "1" — auto-refill ammo on kills
   • cssdm_bots_balance "8" — how many bots to keep the server populated (0 = no bots)
3. Click Save.

Step 6 — Add a base deathmatch server config (server.cfg)

1. Open cstrike → cfg. If there’s no server.cfg yet, click New File, name it server.cfg, and paste the block below.
2. If server.cfg already exists, open it and add/overwrite with these lines.
3. Click Save.

// CS:S Deathmatch — base server config
hostname "CS:S Deathmatch | Instant Respawn"
sv_password ""

// RCON password — do NOT set one here. SLASHPLAY manages it for you:
// it's shown under "RCON PASSWORD" on your server page, and that's the
// password you (or the dashboard console) use. Setting rcon_password here
// would override it and break RCON access.

// Deathmatch rules
mp_friendlyfire 0
mp_autokick 0
mp_autoteambalance 0
mp_limitteams 0
mp_freezetime 0
mp_spawnprotectiontime 0
mp_roundtime 9
mp_timelimit 30
mp_footsteps 1
sv_alltalk 1

// Bots are managed by the deathmatch plugin, not the engine
bot_quota 0
bot_quota_mode "normal"
bot_difficulty 2

// Network rates (good default for 66-tick)
sv_maxrate 0
sv_minrate 30000
sv_maxupdaterate 66
sv_minupdaterate 66
sv_maxcmdrate 66
sv_mincmdrate 66

// Logging
sv_lan 0
sv_region 255
log on

Important: don’t add a rcon_password line to server.cfg. SLASHPLAY generates and stores your RCON password for you — you’ll see it under RCON PASSWORD on the server page (the dashboard console and tools use it automatically). Setting one manually here will override it and cause “RCON auth failed: bad password.”

Tip: players join through the connect button, or the steam://connect/<ip>:<port> link on your SLASHPLAY dashboard. Share that with your friends.

Step 7 — Restart the server and verify it works

1. Back on the dashboard, click Restart (the first boot after adding the mods takes a minute while they initialize).
2. Open the Console / RCON tab and run these one at a time:

meta version

You should see Metamod:Source version 1.12.0... and Loaded As: Valve Server Plugin.

sm plugins list

You should see 5 plugins starting with “CS:S DM” (Basics, Bot Quotas, Equipment, Preset Spawns, Spawn Protection).

cssdm_version

You should see "cssdm_version" is "2.1.6-git317".

All three confirm your CS:S deathmatch server is live.

Step 8 — Connect and play

1. Launch Counter-Strike: Source, open the in-game console (`), and type:

   connect <SERVER_IP>:<PORT>

   (or just use the connect link on your SLASHPLAY dashboard)
2. Join a team. A weapons menu pops up — pick your primary and secondary.
3. When you die, you respawn somewhere across the map in under a second with a brief spawn-protection glow.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Console says Unknown command "meta"	The mods didn’t load. Make sure addons/ and cfg/ sit directly inside cstrike/ (not cstrike/cstrike/), and that you used the Linux .tar.gz builds, not Windows .zip/.dll ones.
meta version works but sm plugins list shows nothing	SourceMod’s hook file is missing. Check that cstrike/addons/metamod/sourcemod.vdf exists.
CS:S DM plugins show a load error	Version mismatch. Make sure you’re using the CS:S DM build made for SourceMod 1.12 (the sm1.12 release) with SourceMod 1.12.
Players spawn on top of each other, or only at map start	Play on standard maps (de_dust2, cs_office, de_inferno) — deathmatch ships with spawn points for them. For a custom map with no spawn file, set cssdm_spawn_method "none" in cssdm.cfg.
RCON says RCON auth failed: bad password	A rcon_password line in server.cfg (or autoexec.cfg) is overriding SLASHPLAY’s managed password. Source re-reads these cfg files on every map change and when the server wakes from idle — which is why RCON works at first, then breaks after the server sits empty and wakes. Remove every rcon_password line from server.cfg and autoexec.cfg, save, and restart. SLASHPLAY’s password is shown under RCON PASSWORD on the server page.

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Everything above uses only free, official, open-source tools (Metamod, SourceMod, and the AlliedModders CS:S DM plugin). Versions are current as of this writing; check each download page for the latest stable Linux build.

Need a server to run this on first? See how to create a dedicated CSS server on SLASHPLAY.