For a Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server that follows Valve’s competitive ruleset, launch with game_type 0 and game_mode 1, choose the map or map group, and pass a Steam game-server login token through sv_setsteamaccount. Load cfg/gamemode_competitive.cfg first and cfg/gamemode_competitive_tmm.cfg second. Those files establish the Premier-style baseline; put any event-specific exceptions in a separate configuration loaded afterward.
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What the competitive launch values actually do
CS2 uses the game_type and game_mode pair to select a ruleset and its associated mode configuration. Valve’s documented competitive pair is:
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|---|---|---|
game_type |
0 |
Selects the standard competitive family of rules. |
game_mode |
1 |
Selects the competitive mode within that family. |
These values do not, by themselves, reproduce every behavior of Valve’s online matchmaking service. Matchmaking placement, trust systems, regional selection, and other service-side decisions are controlled by Valve and can change independently of a server’s console variables. A community command reference can help you discover convar names, but verify the live behavior in the build you are running.
Prerequisites before you launch
Install a vanilla dedicated server
Start from an up-to-date, unmodified CS2 dedicated-server installation. Update it before an event so the server binaries, game data, and configuration files are from the same release. Keep a copy of your event configuration outside the installation directory so an update cannot silently overwrite your intended settings.
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Create a Steam game-server login token
Create a game-server login token (GSLT) for AppID 730 and treat it as a secret. Pass the token at launch with +sv_setsteamaccount TOKEN. A token is part of the normal authenticated dedicated-server workflow; without it, the server may not authenticate as the intended game server or appear correctly to clients and services.
Choose a map and map group
Specify both a map group and an initial map when your deployment requires a predictable pool. The example below uses mg_dust247 and de_dust2; substitute the map group and map that your event has approved. Valve has not published one permanent Premier map pool or one universal map-group policy for every current build, so confirm the pool against the documentation and server files shipped with your version.
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Run a command equivalent to the following from the CS2 server directory:
./cs2 -dedicated -debug -console +game_type 0 +game_mode 1 +mapgroup mg_dust247 +map de_dust2 +sv_setsteamaccount TOKEN +tv_enable 1 -ip 10.10.10.12Replace TOKEN with the GSLT and 10.10.10.12 with the address on which the process should listen. The -debug and -console switches make diagnosis easier; they are operational choices rather than ruleset requirements. +tv_enable 1 enables CSTV at startup, which is useful for events that need spectators or broadcasts. If your server is behind a firewall or NAT, allow the game and CSTV ports required by your network design and test connectivity from a client before match day.
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Load the configuration files in the required order
Valve’s tournament guidance says server convars should be set to Premier defaults by loading the competitive files in this sequence:
cfg/gamemode_competitive.cfgcfg/gamemode_competitive_tmm.cfg
Order matters because the second file can set or refine values established by the first. Do not edit those baseline files to make a one-off event change. Instead, create a server-side override file, for example cfg/event_overrides.cfg, and execute it only after both mode files have loaded:
exec gamemode_competitive.cfg
exec gamemode_competitive_tmm.cfg
exec event_overrides.cfgUse the same explicit sequence after a map change or restart if your startup framework does not automatically re-execute the mode files. Keep the override file under version control and record who changed it, why, and for which event.
Valve’s competitive and tournament baseline
The following values are documented in Valve’s Major supplemental rules. They describe tournament operation, not a promise that every private server or public matchmaking session must use every value. Apply only the settings your competition needs, and test them in a staging server first.
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| Area | Convars in the documented baseline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ruleset | game_type 0game_mode 1 |
Loads the standard competitive rules family and mode. |
| Logging | log onmp_logdetail 3mp_logdetail_items 1 |
Records match activity and item-level detail for administration and review. |
| Authentication | sv_steamauth_enforce 1 |
Requires Steam authentication rather than allowing unauthenticated clients. |
| Warmup | mp_warmuptime 60mp_warmup_pausetimer 1 |
Provides a 60-second warmup and prevents the warmup timer from running while paused. |
| Pauses | sv_matchpause_auto_5v5 1mp_halftime_pausematch 1 |
Supports automatic pause behavior for 5v5 and a halftime pause in the match flow. |
| Overtime | mp_overtime_limit 0 |
Uses the cited Major baseline’s overtime limit. Confirm the event rule before changing it. |
| CSTV | tv_enable 1tv_broadcast 1tv_dispatchmode 0 |
Enables CSTV and the documented broadcast and dispatch behavior. |
| Administration | Valve’s spectator and voting controls | Restricts who can observe, call votes, or alter match administration according to event policy. |
The rulebook does not turn these values into universal defaults for every community server. For a casual private match, forcing tournament logging, CSTV broadcasting, or a particular pause policy may be unnecessary. For a sanctioned event, publish the selected values to teams before the match and do not change them mid-series without a written ruling.
Building a 5v5 matchmaking-style configuration
Start with the mode files
Use the two-file sequence as the foundation, then add only deliberate exceptions. This prevents an old community configuration from carrying hidden settings into a new event. A minimal wrapper can be:
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// cfg/event_5v5.cfg
exec gamemode_competitive.cfg
exec gamemode_competitive_tmm.cfg
sv_steamauth_enforce 1
sv_matchpause_auto_5v5 1
mp_halftime_pausematch 1
log on
mp_logdetail 3
mp_logdetail_items 1Keep comments in your own files so an administrator can distinguish a Valve baseline from an event exception. Do not assume a convar’s presence in a community guide means it still has the same effect in the current build.
Define the roster and pause policy outside the command line
The sv_matchpause_auto_5v5 1 setting is specifically aimed at five-versus-five operation. Decide in the event rules how technical and tactical pauses are requested, who may unpause, and what happens when a team exhausts its allowance. The server convar enables the mechanism; it does not replace a published competition policy.
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Choose overtime deliberately
The cited Major baseline uses mp_overtime_limit 0. Because overtime and clinch rules are tournament decisions, confirm whether your event wants that value or a finite limit and document the choice before the first map. Never infer an overtime policy from a server’s map or hostname.
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- Start the process with the competitive launch pair, the selected map group and map, the GSLT, and any CSTV switch required by the event.
- From the server console, run
game_typeandgame_mode; confirm the returned values are0and1. - Execute the two baseline files in order, then your event override file.
- Query every value that matters to the match, including
sv_steamauth_enforce,mp_warmuptime,mp_warmup_pausetimer,sv_matchpause_auto_5v5,mp_halftime_pausematch,mp_overtime_limit, and the CSTV variables. - Connect with a test account, confirm Steam authentication succeeds, and verify that an unauthenticated or invalid session is rejected as expected.
- Check that logs are being written, demos are recorded according to the event’s retention policy, and CSTV spectators receive the intended feed.
- Change maps and repeat the convar checks. A value that is correct immediately after startup can be changed by a map-specific config or an incorrectly ordered
exec.
Common failures and fixes
The server behaves like a casual or alternate mode
Check that both launch values are present and that no later command overwrites them. Inspect the startup log for the two competitive files and your override file. If a hosting panel injects its own game_type or game_mode, remove the duplicate or place your intended values in the panel’s final startup field.
Settings revert after a map change
Map changes can execute mode or map-group configuration again. Re-run the baseline sequence and event overrides after each change, or configure your process manager to execute a single wrapper file whenever a new map starts. Verify live values rather than trusting the file contents.
Players cannot authenticate
Confirm the GSLT belongs to AppID 730, has not been revoked, and is passed exactly once through sv_setsteamaccount. Check the server clock, outbound connectivity, and firewall rules. If sv_steamauth_enforce 1 is enabled, an authentication failure is expected to block the client; do not disable enforcement merely to hide a token or network problem during an event.
Pauses or warmup do not follow the rules
Query the live values after all files load. A later config may have changed mp_warmuptime, mp_warmup_pausetimer, or the pause convars. Also check the event’s own pause procedure: a correctly configured server cannot grant a pause type that the written rules do not authorize.
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Confirm tv_enable 1 at runtime, then check tv_broadcast 1 and tv_dispatchmode 0 if the event uses the documented broadcast setup. Verify that the CSTV port is reachable and not blocked by a host firewall or NAT rule. Test with a spectator before publishing the address to viewers.
Governance for tournaments and public servers
Valve requires tournament operators to obtain approval for server modifications beyond eBot, and large-scale tournaments require the appropriate Valve license. Treat plugins, scripts, and binary modifications as governance issues, not just technical conveniences. Keep the server as close to the documented baseline as possible, obtain written approval for exceptions, and preserve a change log.
Record match demos, retain server logs for the period specified by your competition, and protect GSLTs and administrative credentials. For public or community servers, explain which settings differ from Premier defaults so players are not misled into believing the server reproduces official matchmaking. Valve has not established one universal update-rate policy for every matchmaking context; do not advertise an “official” tick or rate setting unless the current Valve documentation explicitly supports it.
Quick Recap
Recommended deployment checklist
- Vanilla CS2 dedicated server updated to the event-approved build.
- AppID 730 GSLT created, stored securely, and passed with
sv_setsteamaccount. game_type 0andgame_mode 1present in the final launch command.- Approved map and map group selected.
gamemode_competitive.cfgloaded beforegamemode_competitive_tmm.cfg.- Event overrides loaded afterward and kept in a documented file.
- Authentication, logging, warmup, pauses, overtime, spectators, voting, CSTV, and demo retention tested live.
- Firewall, NAT, and CSTV connectivity verified from a separate client.
- Any plugin, mod, license, or rulebook approval recorded before competition.
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