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Freedom251 › Blog › custom maps

How to Add Custom Maps to the Killing Floor 2 Map Cycle

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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To put a custom map into a Killing Floor 2 server’s playable rotation, complete two separate jobs: install and register the map, then add its internal KF- package name to GameMapCycles. Set bUseMapList=true, activate the intended cycle if your configuration exposes ActiveMapCycle, save the file, and restart the server. The numeric Steam Workshop ID is not the value that belongs in GameMapCycles.

For a hosted Killing Floor 2 server, Godlike.Host offers a game panel for managing the server. Its Killing Floor 2 plans list 10, 20 and 30 slots; Survival is a 6-player mode and Versus Survival an up-to-12-player mode (Tripwire’s Killing Floor 2 wiki, archived 11 Jul 2026).

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What the map cycle controls

Killing Floor 2 treats map availability and map rotation as different layers. A dedicated server may download a Workshop item and still omit that map from voting. Registration makes the map known to the server; GameMapCycles determines which known maps can be selected in the active rotation.

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The practical sequence is:

  1. Subscribe the dedicated server to the Workshop item, or install the map by your provider’s manual or redirect method.
  2. Confirm that the map is registered and available to the server.
  3. Add the map’s internal package name, normally beginning with KF-, to GameMapCycles.
  4. Enable the map list, select the active cycle when applicable, and restart.
  5. Check WebAdmin and an in-game vote to confirm the result.

PineRiver summarizes the first requirement precisely: “A Workshop map can only be played once it is registered.” Its guidance was updated September 18, 2026. A download by itself is therefore not proof that the map can be played.

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Before you edit: requirements and safe preparation

  • Administrative access to the dedicated server or its hosting panel.
  • The map already installed and registered through Workshop subscription, manual installation, or a redirect-map workflow.
  • A recent backup of the relevant configuration file. Keep the original so you can restore a working cycle if a syntax change prevents the server from loading it.
  • A maintenance window. Stop the server before changing its INI configuration; otherwise a shutdown or panel save can overwrite your edit.

Do not make the change while a live server is writing configuration. Stop it cleanly, edit the file, save it, then start it again after all related changes are complete.

Which configuration file to open

Server environment Common file What to verify
Linux dedicated server KFGame/Config/LinuxServer-KFGame.ini Use the file belonging to the server instance you actually launch.
Windows/provider workflow PCServer-KFGame.ini Some panels expose a provider-specific path; confirm that it is the active server configuration.

Provider layouts differ, so a panel may show the same settings through a web editor rather than a visible filesystem path. The important distinction is not the operating system label alone: edit the INI that the running instance reads.

Step 1: install and register the custom map

Use the dedicated server’s Workshop subscription mechanism or install the map through the manual or redirect method supported by your host. Wait for the installation to finish, then use the host panel, server log, or registration control available in your setup to make the map available to the game server.

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Registration is a prerequisite to every later step. Nodecraft’s guidance notes that downloading a custom map does not immediately add it to the map cycle. PineRiver makes the same distinction: an unregistered Workshop map cannot be played, even if its files are present.

Workshop and manually installed maps

For a Workshop map, the subscription identifies the item to download, but the map-cycle entry still uses the package name. For a manually installed or redirected map, the same rule applies: the server must know the map and its package name before you place it in the cycle.

Do not proceed simply because a download counter reached 100 percent. If the provider has a separate “register,” “install mod,” or “add Workshop item” action, complete that action first. A map that is installed but not registered commonly downloads successfully yet remains absent from voting.

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Step 2: identify the name the game expects

GameMapCycles takes the map’s internal name, not the numeric Steam Workshop ID. Internal names normally look like KF-CustomMap, KF-BioticsLab, or another string beginning with KF-. A Workshop ID is a number and should not be substituted for that package name.

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Value Example Use in GameMapCycles?
Internal map/package name KF-CustomMap Yes
Built-in map package name KF-BioticsLab Yes
Steam Workshop item ID A numeric Workshop identifier No
Display title shown on a Workshop page The author’s human-readable title Only if it exactly matches the package name; normally it does not

Obtain the package name from the map’s installation details, the provider’s registered-map list, or the map author’s package information. Do not guess by removing spaces from the display title. If the package is called KF-MyMap_v2, entering KF-MyMap will point to a different, nonexistent package.

Step 3: edit GameMapCycles

With the server stopped, open the active INI and find the GameMapCycles setting. Add the internal name inside the existing list, preserving double quotation marks, commas, and parentheses.

GameMapCycles=(Maps=("KF-BioticsLab","KF-CustomMap"))

This example keeps the built-in map and adds one custom map. For several custom maps, continue the same quoted, comma-separated pattern:

GameMapCycles=(Maps=("KF-BioticsLab","KF-CustomMap","KF-AnotherMap","KF-ThirdMap"))

Formatting rules that matter

  • Keep the outer GameMapCycles=(Maps=(...)) structure intact.
  • Put each map name in quotation marks.
  • Separate entries with commas, but do not add an extra comma that breaks the provider’s parser.
  • Use the exact package spelling. Avoid smart quotes copied from a word processor.
  • Edit the existing declaration rather than creating competing declarations in different parts of the file.

Kinetic Hosting warns that malformed quotation marks, commas, parentheses, or spelling can prevent the cycle from loading. If the server ignores the list after a change, compare the line with a known-good backup before changing anything else.

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Step 4: activate the map list

Adding a map to the list does not necessarily make that list the one the server uses. Set:

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bUseMapList=true

Some configurations also expose ActiveMapCycle. Kinetic documents 0 as off and 1 as active. If your file or panel includes this setting, select the cycle that contains your custom map and ensure it is active.

Do not add an ActiveMapCycle line merely because another guide shows one; configuration layouts vary. The requirement is to activate the map-cycle list when your server exposes that control, not to duplicate settings that your build does not use.

Step 5: add map metadata when the server requires it

Some server builds need a matching KFMapSummary data-store section for a custom map. A typical pattern is:

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[KF-CustomMap KFMapSummary]
MapName=KF-CustomMap

Replace both occurrences with the exact internal package name. The section name and MapName value must match the entry in GameMapCycles. 4Netplayers and Pingperfect document this metadata pattern for configurations that otherwise fail to expose the map.

Do not assume every installation needs the section. First register the map and add it to the cycle; add the matching summary block when the map remains unavailable or when your provider’s template requires it. A mismatched value, such as MapName=CustomMap for a package named KF-CustomMap, does not satisfy the requirement.

Step 6: save, restart, and verify in two places

  1. Save the INI file and confirm that the server process is still stopped.
  2. Start or restart the dedicated server.
  3. Open WebAdmin and go to the Map Cycles tab. Confirm that the registered map is in the active cycle.
  4. Join the server and open the in-game map vote. Confirm that the custom map appears as a selectable option.

WebAdmin and the in-game vote answer different questions. WebAdmin shows what the server believes the active cycle contains; the vote confirms that the running game can present and select the map. Check both after a restart so you do not mistake an unsaved panel view for a live configuration.

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Using WebAdmin instead of direct INI editing

WebAdmin is a graphical alternative after the map has been installed and registered. Open its Map Cycles area, add the installed map to the active cycle, and save the change. Restart if the panel or your server setup requires it, then verify the vote list.

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WebAdmin does not remove the registration prerequisite. An unregistered Workshop download will not become playable simply because its title appears in a panel. If the map is absent from WebAdmin’s available-map list, return to installation and registration before troubleshooting the cycle.

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INI editing versus WebAdmin

Consideration Direct INI editing WebAdmin
Editing surface Text file containing GameMapCycles, activation settings, and optional metadata. Map Cycles interface that lets you add an installed map to the active cycle.
Platform/file context Linux commonly uses LinuxServer-KFGame.ini; Windows/provider workflows commonly expose PCServer-KFGame.ini. Independent of the filename from the operator’s perspective, but it still writes the server’s underlying configuration.
Registration method Workshop subscription or manual/redirect installation must already be complete. The same registration requirement applies before the map can be selected.
Main operational risk Syntax errors, duplicate declarations, wrong package names, or missing KFMapSummary metadata. Saving the wrong cycle, editing a non-active instance, or assuming a downloaded but unregistered map is ready.
Best use Repeatable, auditable changes and setups without WebAdmin access. Quick graphical changes when the panel correctly reflects the running server.

Troubleshooting maps that download but do not appear

The map downloads, but there is no vote option

Confirm registration first. Then check that the internal KF- name, rather than the numeric Workshop ID, is present in GameMapCycles. Verify bUseMapList=true, activate the intended cycle if ActiveMapCycle is present, save, and restart. Installation alone is insufficient, as both Nodecraft and PineRiver explain.

The cycle fails to load after editing

Restore the backup if necessary, then inspect the declaration character by character. Check every opening and closing parenthesis, every comma, every quotation mark, and the exact spelling of each package name. Kinetic identifies malformed formatting as a cause of the server failing to load the cycle. Make one small correction at a time so you can identify the offending entry.

The map is registered and listed, but remains unavailable

Add the matching [KF-CustomMap KFMapSummary] section and MapName=KF-CustomMap value if your server build requires that metadata. Ensure the package name is identical in the section header, MapName, and GameMapCycles. Restart after saving.

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WebAdmin shows the map, but players cannot vote for it

Check that WebAdmin saved the map to the active cycle rather than another cycle. Confirm that the running server was restarted after the save and that bUseMapList=true is enabled. Then compare the active cycle’s package name with the registered map name; a display title or Workshop number will not work.

A redirected map works under one capitalization but not another

Pingperfect reports that redirect-map names are case-sensitive, while Workshop map names are not case-sensitive. For redirected content, copy the package spelling exactly into the cycle and metadata. For Workshop content, capitalization is less restrictive, but exact spelling is still the safest practice because it avoids confusing a package name with its display title.

The server becomes unstable with a very large rotation

Kinetic Hosting warns that exceeding 519 maps can cause the server to stop functioning correctly. Keep the rotation at or below 519 entries, remove obsolete or duplicate packages, and split a very large collection into smaller cycles if your setup supports multiple active lists. The figure is a 2026 Kinetic warning, not a promise that every provider will behave identically at the limit.

Validation checklist before inviting players

  • The server is subscribed to or has manually installed the map.
  • The map is registered, not merely downloaded.
  • The value in GameMapCycles is the internal KF- package name.
  • Quotes, commas, and parentheses are balanced.
  • bUseMapList=true is set.
  • The intended ActiveMapCycle is enabled when that setting exists.
  • A required KFMapSummary section uses the same package name.
  • The edited file belongs to the running server instance.
  • The server was restarted after the change.
  • WebAdmin’s Map Cycles tab and the in-game vote both show the map.

Maintaining a custom rotation

Apply the same sequence whenever you add another map: install or subscribe, register, identify the package name, add it to the active cycle, supply matching metadata when required, and restart. When removing a map, delete its cycle entry and any map-specific metadata only after confirming that no other active cycle uses it.

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Keep a simple change record containing the package name, installation method, date, and whether a summary section was required. This makes it easier to identify which entry caused a failure and to roll back without deleting unrelated maps. Periodically remove stale entries and watch the total count so the rotation does not approach the 519-map warning unnecessarily.

Once registration, naming, activation, and restart have all been completed, a custom map should be available through the same vote workflow as the built-in maps. If it is not, troubleshoot in that order rather than reinstalling the Workshop item repeatedly.

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