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World desk8 min

CS2 Plugin Development: Getting Started With CounterStrikeSharp

A practical CounterStrikeSharp guide covering the required Metamod:Source chain, .NET 8 project setup, first plugin code, DLL deployment, capabilities, and troubleshooting.
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To make a Counter-Strike 2 server plugin with CounterStrikeSharp, install Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp with its runtime on the dedicated server, create a .NET 8 class-library project, reference CounterStrikeSharp.API, derive a class from BasePlugin, compile it to a DLL, and place that DLL in the server’s CounterStrikeSharp plugin directory. The first installation check is the meta list command in the server console.

CounterStrikeSharp is a server-side C# layer that runs through Metamod:Source. It gives you typed hooks for console and chat commands, game events, lifecycle listeners, fake console variables, and progressively more complex systems such as SQLite-backed data and entity manipulation.

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What CounterStrikeSharp is and where it fits

CounterStrikeSharp is a modding framework for Counter-Strike 2 (Source 2). Its project description says it “implements a .NET 8 scripting layer on top of a Metamod Source Plugin” and is designed for maintainable, testable C# plugins. Your code does not run as an isolated script inside the game directory. You compile a .NET class library into a DLL; CounterStrikeSharp loads that assembly on the server through Metamod:Source.

That architecture explains the installation order. Metamod:Source provides the plugin-loading foundation, CounterStrikeSharp provides the .NET runtime and API layer, and your assembly supplies the game-specific behavior. Removing either framework component leaves the DLL with nothing that can load it.

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Requirements before you write code

  • A working vanilla Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server with access to its /game/csgo/ directory.
  • Metamod:Source 2.x development build 1467 or newer, with KHook support, for the documented setup.
  • CounterStrikeSharp with runtime installed on that same server.
  • The .NET 8 SDK on the development machine. The SDK is needed to create and build the class-library project; the server uses the CounterStrikeSharp runtime you install there.
  • A way to copy the resulting DLL, plus any dependency DLLs, into the server’s plugin directory.

The framework and server software are downloadable components. The documented setup does not require a separate physical purchase.

Install Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp

1. Install Metamod:Source

  1. Download the required Metamod:Source 2.x development build (1467 or newer, with KHook support).
  2. Extract it and copy its /addons/ directory into the server’s /game/csgo/ directory. Merge with an existing directory rather than creating a second game directory elsewhere.
  3. Open /game/csgo/gameinfo.gi. Add the Metamod game entry below Game_LowViolence csgo_lv so the file contains the documented ordering: Game csgo/addons/metamod immediately below that low-violence entry.
  4. Save the file and restart the dedicated server. A restart is required for the game to load the new search path and plugin layer.

2. Install CounterStrikeSharp with runtime

  1. Extract the CounterStrikeSharp distribution that includes its runtime.
  2. Copy its /addons/ directory into the same /game/csgo/ directory used for Metamod:Source. Allow the directories to merge.
  3. Restart the server if it is running.

3. Verify the framework before developing

At the server console, run:

meta list

This is the documented first verification step. The output should show Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp loaded. If the command does not show the expected entries, fix the server installation before troubleshooting your own DLL; a plugin cannot load through a missing framework.

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Create a first plugin project

1. Generate a .NET class library

With the .NET 8 SDK installed, create the project from a terminal:

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dotnet new classlib --name HelloWorldPlugin

Change into the new project directory. The template creates an ordinary .NET class library, which is the correct project type for a CounterStrikeSharp plugin.

2. Add the CounterStrikeSharp API

You can reference the installed CounterStrikeSharp.API.dll directly in the project file, or add the API package from the command line:

dotnet add package CounterStrikeSharp.API

Use one deliberate reference strategy and keep the API version aligned with the CounterStrikeSharp build on your server. A mismatch can require rebuilding when the framework or game updates.

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3. Replace the template class

Rename the default class and derive it from BasePlugin. A minimal plugin needs the four module metadata properties and a Load(bool hotReload) method. The following shape follows the official example, including a player-connect event and a console command:

using CounterStrikeSharp.API.Core;
using CounterStrikeSharp.API.Core.Attributes;

public class HelloWorldPlugin : BasePlugin
{
    public override string ModuleName => "Hello World Plugin";
    public override string ModuleVersion => "1.0.0";
    public override string ModuleAuthor => "Your name";
    public override string ModuleDescription => "A first CounterStrikeSharp plugin";

    public override void Load(bool hotReload)
    {
        // Register startup work here.
    }

    [GameEventHandler]
    public HookResult OnPlayerConnect(EventPlayerConnect @event, GameEventInfo info)
    {
        return HookResult.Continue;
    }

    [ConsoleCommand("css_issue_warning", "Issue warning to player")]
    public void OnIssueWarning(CCSPlayerController? player, CommandInfo command)
    {
        player?.PrintToChat("Warning issued.");
    }
}

The exact namespaces available can vary with the API package version, so let your IDE resolve types from the referenced assembly. The important structure is the inheritance from BasePlugin, metadata overrides, a startup hook, the GameEventHandler attribute for events, and the ConsoleCommand attribute for a server command.

4. Build the DLL

Build from the project directory:

dotnet build

A successful build produces the compiled HelloWorldPlugin.dll in the project’s output directory. The server does not consume the C# source file or the project file; it consumes this compiled assembly.

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Deploy the compiled plugin

  1. On the server, open /game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins.
  2. Create a folder whose name is exactly the same as the output DLL’s base name. For HelloWorldPlugin.dll, the folder must be HelloWorldPlugin.
  3. Copy the DLL into that folder.
  4. If your plugin references another library, copy that dependency DLL into the same plugin directory as documented by CounterStrikeSharp.
  5. Start or restart the server, then inspect the server console and logs for the plugin load result.

The matching folder name is easy to overlook: placing the DLL directly in the parent directory, or using a different folder name, prevents the expected plugin layout. Keep the dependency files beside the plugin that needs them.

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Choose the right CounterStrikeSharp capability

CounterStrikeSharp exposes several trigger surfaces. Select the one that matches the job instead of putting all logic in a single startup method.

Trigger or feature Best scope Typical use State and engine considerations
Console command Server administration Commands such as css_issue_warning run by an administrator or console. Usually stateless; validate the issuing player or console context.
Chat command Player-facing shortcuts Commands beginning with ! or / that players can enter in chat. Keep permissions and feedback clear; the command is initiated by a player message.
Game-event handler Reactive gameplay logic Events such as player_death or player connection events. Read the event’s values and handle missing or invalid player data safely.
Lifecycle listener Server automation Client connect or disconnect and map-start points. Useful for setup and cleanup that should occur once per lifecycle transition.
Fake ConVar Configurable behavior Expose a server setting that behaves like a console variable. Separates configuration from code and lets administrators tune behavior.
SQLite and libraries Persistent systems Store statistics, progression, or other durable plugin data. Adds dependency and deployment work beyond a single DLL.
Entity manipulation Advanced gameplay systems Change or create game entities when event data alone is insufficient. Higher engine-coupling and maintenance risk as Counter-Strike 2 updates.

The project’s Warcraft example combines events, commands, SQLite, and basic entity manipulation. Treat it as a model for how a larger plugin can grow, not as a requirement for a first plugin.

A practical development workflow

  1. Confirm the server framework with meta list before writing application logic.
  2. Start with one trigger, such as a console command, and prove that the DLL loads.
  3. Add one event or listener at a time. Keep event handling separate from persistent storage and entity code.
  4. Use Load(bool hotReload) for startup registration and initialization work. Make initialization safe to run when the server performs a hot reload.
  5. Build after each meaningful change, copy the new DLL (and changed dependencies), restart the server when necessary, and read the console output.
  6. Once behavior is stable, introduce fake ConVars for administrator-tunable values and SQLite only when data must survive map changes or restarts.

Troubleshooting common failures

meta list does not show Metamod:Source

  • Confirm that the Metamod /addons/ directory was copied into the server’s actual /game/csgo/ directory.
  • Check gameinfo.gi and ensure Game csgo/addons/metamod appears below Game_LowViolence csgo_lv.
  • Restart the dedicated server after changing the file. A running process will not retroactively load the new game path.

Metamod appears, but CounterStrikeSharp does not

Re-copy the CounterStrikeSharp distribution’s /addons/ directory into the same game directory and verify that you installed the package with runtime. Then restart and run meta list again.

The framework loads, but your plugin does not

  • Confirm that the output is a DLL, not only source code.
  • Place it under /game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins.
  • Make the plugin folder name exactly match the DLL base name.
  • Copy every dependency DLL into that plugin folder.
  • Read the server console and logs for a type, assembly, or API-version error, then rebuild against the API version that matches the installed framework.

The command does nothing

Check whether you registered a console command or intended a chat command. A console command such as css_issue_warning is not automatically a ! or / chat command. Confirm the command spelling, restart after deploying the rebuilt DLL, and test from the correct context: server console, administrator console, or player chat.

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An event handler causes errors

Event payloads can lack a usable player or value in edge cases. Guard nullable player references, read only values supplied by the event type, and return the appropriate hook result. Move setup and cleanup that belongs to connection, disconnection, or map transitions into lifecycle listeners instead of forcing it into an unrelated game-event method.

Updating the framework and managing maintenance

To update CounterStrikeSharp, download the latest release and copy it over the existing server installation as documented. Test the server and your plugins after the replacement. API and game updates can require a plugin rebuild or framework update, so keep the project file, package version, source code, and deployed DLL identifiable as one release.

Simple one-DLL plugins have the smallest deployment surface. Plugins that add libraries, SQLite storage, fake ConVars, or entity manipulation provide more capability but also create more files, configuration, and engine-coupling points to maintain. Plan that trade-off before expanding a prototype into a persistent gameplay system.

What a successful first project looks like

Success is not just seeing a compiled file on disk. A complete first pass has a verified Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp installation, a .NET 8 class library referencing CounterStrikeSharp.API, a BasePlugin class with metadata and Load, at least one registered command or event handler, a DLL in a correctly named plugin folder, and a clean server-console load result. From there, you can add chat commands, listeners, fake ConVars, persistent SQLite data, or entity operations according to the behavior your server needs.

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