Install the dependency chain in this order: Metamod:Source, CounterStrikeSharp, then the plugin. CounterStrikeSharp uses Metamod:Source to communicate with the Counter-Strike 2 server, so a plugin cannot load on a vanilla server without both frameworks. Put the frameworks under the server’s game/csgo directory, edit gameinfo.gi for Metamod, and place each compiled plugin DLL in CounterStrikeSharp’s plugins directory.
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The first installation should use CounterStrikeSharp’s package that includes the .NET runtime. After every stage, restart the server and verify the loader before moving to the next one. This sequence isolates failures and prevents a missing dependency from looking like a broken plugin.
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What you need before installing
Prepare the server and files before changing anything. You need:
- A running Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server and access to its active
game/csgodirectory through a file manager, SFTP, or the machine’s local filesystem. - Metamod:Source 2.x Dev Build 1467 or newer with KHook support, matching the server’s operating system.
- The current CounterStrikeSharp release marked with runtime for the first installation. This bundle contains the .NET runtime CounterStrikeSharp needs.
- A plugin release that explicitly targets CounterStrikeSharp and is compatible with the current CS2 and Metamod versions.
- Permission to stop and restart the server, edit
gameinfo.gi, and copy files intogame/csgo/addons.
On Linux, .NET may also require the distribution’s ICU package. Depending on the distribution, that package is named libicu, icu-libs, or libicu-dev. If ICU cannot be installed, CounterStrikeSharp documents the globalization-invariant setting DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT=true as an alternative, with the limitations that setting entails.
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Understand the installation chain
CounterStrikeSharp is not a replacement for Metamod:Source. Metamod is the loader and communication layer that CounterStrikeSharp uses to interact with the game server. The practical dependency order is:
- Metamod:Source loads into CS2.
- CounterStrikeSharp loads through Metamod and starts its .NET-based API.
- CounterStrikeSharp plugins load through the CounterStrikeSharp plugin manager.
Installing a plugin first, or copying CounterStrikeSharp without its required runtime, leaves the server with no functioning path to load the DLL. A clean restart and a check at each layer is faster than troubleshooting all three at once.
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Back up the server and stop it
- Stop the CS2 server cleanly. Do not copy framework files while the process is writing logs or loading modules.
- Make a full backup of the active
game/csgodirectory. - Back up
gameinfo.giseparately so you can restore the original search paths if Metamod prevents startup. - Record the server operating system, the CS2 build, and the exact Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp release files you are installing. Compatibility is version-sensitive, especially after a major CS2 update.
Keep the backup until the server has started successfully and the plugin has been verified in-game. If the server will not start after a change, stop it, restore the affected file or directory, and test the last known-good state before trying another build.
Install Metamod:Source
1. Download the correct Metamod build
Obtain the current Metamod:Source CS2 development build for the server’s operating system. The CounterStrikeSharp getting-started requirements call for a 2.x Dev Build numbered 1467 or newer with KHook support. Do not use a package built for another platform or an older branch simply because its archive name looks similar.
2. Extract the files into game/csgo
Open the Metamod archive and copy its addons directory into the server’s active game/csgo/ directory. Merge with existing directories when your file manager asks. The result should include a Metamod directory below:
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game/csgo/addons/metamod/
If you see the files nested one level too deep, such as game/csgo/addons/addons/metamod, move them up. A correct archive extraction is essential; Metamod cannot load when its files are hidden inside an extra directory.
3. Add Metamod to gameinfo.gi
Open the gameinfo.gi file in the same active game/csgo tree. In the Game_LowViolence csgo_lv entry, add this search-path line in the appropriate SearchPaths block:
Game csgo/addons/metamod
Preserve the file’s existing braces, indentation, and other search paths. Do not edit a similarly named file in a different installation directory; only the gameinfo.gi read by the running server matters. Save the file, then compare it with your backup to confirm that the only intentional change is the Metamod search path.
4. Restart and run meta list
Start the server and open its console. Run:
meta list
A Metamod entry in the output confirms that the loader was found. If the command is unknown or the list is empty, stop here and fix Metamod before installing CounterStrikeSharp. Continuing with the next layer only obscures the original fault.
Install CounterStrikeSharp with its runtime
1. Use the with-runtime package for the first install
Download the current CounterStrikeSharp release labeled with runtime. The package includes the .NET runtime required to launch CounterStrikeSharp, so it avoids a separate runtime installation and version mismatch during a first setup.
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2. Merge the CounterStrikeSharp files
Extract the archive’s addons directory into game/csgo/, merging directories when prompted. The central installation path should become:
game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/
Do not rename this directory. If the archive creates game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/counterstrikesharp, the extraction target was one level too high or too low; correct the layout before restarting.
3. Restart and confirm the API message
Restart the server after copying the files. A healthy startup prints:
CounterStrikeSharp.API Loaded Successfully.
This message proves that CounterStrikeSharp reached the .NET startup stage. It does not prove that an individual plugin is valid; plugin installation is the next, separate step.
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If the message never appears and the console reports a .NET globalization or ICU error, install the ICU package supplied by your Linux distribution. Common package names are libicu, icu-libs, and libicu-dev. Restart after installing it. When the distribution cannot provide ICU, set DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT=true in the server process environment as documented for CounterStrikeSharp, then restart and check the console again.
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Install a CounterStrikeSharp plugin
1. Check the plugin release notes first
Choose a release that explicitly targets CounterStrikeSharp, not a SourceMod or another framework plugin. Confirm the release’s supported CS2 and Metamod versions, required CounterStrikeSharp version, and any listed dependencies. A plugin can be present in the correct directory and still refuse to load when its API or game-data requirements are incompatible.
2. Copy the compiled DLL to the plugins directory
Place the plugin’s compiled DLL under:
game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/
Do not put source code, the release ZIP, or an unrelated framework’s binary in this directory. CounterStrikeSharp scans for plugin assemblies, so the file must be the compiled DLL supplied by the plugin author.
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Create or preserve the subfolder required by CounterStrikeSharp’s official Hello World layout. Its name must exactly match the output DLL name expected by that plugin release. When the archive already contains the folder, copy that structure instead of flattening it. Do not rename the DLL or its matching folder to make them “cleaner.”
Keep configuration files, language files, game-data files, and dependency DLLs in the locations specified by the plugin’s release notes. Some plugins place those files beside the assembly; others provide a dedicated configuration or data directory. There is no universal safe location for files that the plugin author documents separately.
4. Restart and inspect the plugin list
Restart the server after a new plugin or dependency is installed. Use the CounterStrikeSharp plugin-list command supported by your installed build; hosting documentation commonly exposes:
css_plugins list
The list should show the plugin as loaded rather than failed or missing. A full restart is the clearest first-install test because it reloads Metamod, CounterStrikeSharp, dependencies, and the plugin in one sequence.
Verification checklist
Use these checks in order, from the lowest dependency to the plugin:
- Confirm the server starts from the backed-up, active
game/csgodirectory. - Run
meta list; verify that Metamod is present. - Search the startup console for
CounterStrikeSharp.API Loaded Successfully.. - Check that the plugin DLL is physically inside
game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/. - Confirm the plugin’s required matching subfolder and any dependency files are present.
- Run
css_plugins list, or the equivalent plugin-list command exposed by the installed CounterStrikeSharp build. - Review the server console for the plugin’s own load message or an explicit dependency, API, or game-data error.
Why a CS2 plugin does not load
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
meta list is unavailable or shows no Metamod entry |
The active gameinfo.gi was not edited, the search path is malformed, files are in the wrong game/csgo tree, or the build does not match the server platform. |
Stop the server, verify the Metamod addons layout, confirm the line Game csgo/addons/metamod is inside the Game_LowViolence csgo_lv search paths, and reinstall a compatible build. |
| Metamod loads but the CounterStrikeSharp success message is absent | The package is incomplete, the runtime was omitted on a first install, the directory is misnested, or .NET cannot start because ICU is missing. | Re-extract the complete with-runtime package into game/csgo, verify game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp, install the platform’s ICU package, and restart. |
| CounterStrikeSharp loads but the plugin is missing from the list | The DLL is outside the exact plugins directory, the archive was not extracted, or the required matching subfolder was renamed. | Copy the compiled DLL into game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/, restore the release’s folder structure, and restart. |
| The plugin appears but reports an error or fails immediately | A required dependency, game-data file, configuration, language file, or compatible API version is absent. | Read that plugin’s release notes, install every named dependency in its documented location, and verify compatibility with the current CS2, Metamod, and CounterStrikeSharp builds. |
The server stops starting after editing gameinfo.gi |
The search-path line was inserted outside the intended block, braces were changed, or the wrong file was edited. | Restore the backup, confirm the server starts, then reapply only the documented line inside the active Game_LowViolence csgo_lv SearchPaths block. |
Hot reload versus a full restart
The CounterStrikeSharp Hello World guide notes that replacing a DLL in the plugin directory can trigger automatic hot reload. Hot reload is convenient for iterative development, but it is not a substitute for a clean first-install test. A full restart is preferable whenever you add Metamod, change CounterStrikeSharp, install a dependency, alter game data, or update a plugin that hooks early in server startup.
When testing a replacement DLL, keep the old file backed up, copy the new assembly without changing its required name, and watch the console for unload and reload errors. If the plugin remains in a failed state, stop the server and perform a complete restart before drawing conclusions.
Upgrading CounterStrikeSharp safely
- Read the current release notes and check compatibility with the installed Metamod build and current CS2 update.
- Stop the server and back up
game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharpalong with any plugin configuration and game-data directories. - Download the latest CounterStrikeSharp release and copy it over the existing installation, merging directories as directed.
- Use a package containing the runtime again if the required .NET runtime major or minor version changed. For upgrades that keep the same required runtime, the bundled runtime is not needed every time.
- Restart and verify the API success message before checking plugins.
- Run the plugin-list command and test each plugin. Recheck plugin compatibility after major CS2 patches because game binaries and loaders can change.
Do not delete the entire installation before making a backup. Preserving the existing configuration, game data, and plugin folders makes rollback possible if the new build exposes an incompatibility.
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The framework files themselves do not require a particular hosting company, but the server environment determines how practical updates and recovery will be. Before renting or migrating a server, check these capabilities:
- Operating-system support: the host must offer the OS for which your Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp builds are released.
- File access: SFTP or a reliable file manager must expose the active
game/csgodirectory so you can editgameinfo.giand copy DLLs. - Backup and rollback: snapshots or downloadable backups reduce the risk of a broken loader update.
- Restart controls: you need a reliable console or control-panel restart after every framework and plugin change.
- Patch responsiveness: CS2 updates can make loaders and plugins version-sensitive, so a provider that communicates maintenance windows and updates promptly is easier to operate.
- Documented compatibility: look for explicit CounterStrikeSharp support rather than assuming that generic CS2 hosting includes access to native addons.
No authoritative dated benchmark establishes that one hosting arrangement loads CounterStrikeSharp faster or more reliably than another. The practical decision is whether you can reach the correct files, make backups, restart on demand, and recover quickly after a CS2 or framework update.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Installing CounterStrikeSharp without Metamod:Source.
- Editing a copy of
gameinfo.githat the running server does not use. - Using a CounterStrikeSharp package without the runtime on a first installation.
- Extracting an archive into an extra nested
addonsorcounterstrikesharpdirectory. - Placing a plugin DLL in
game/csgo/addonsinstead of the CounterStrikeSharppluginsdirectory. - Renaming the plugin DLL or its required matching folder.
- Ignoring plugin-specific game-data, configuration, language, or dependency instructions.
- Testing several changes at once, which makes the first failure difficult to identify.
- Skipping a backup before changing
gameinfo.gior replacing framework files.
Minimal installation sequence
For a quick reference, the complete procedure is:
- Stop CS2 and back up
game/csgoandgameinfo.gi. - Extract Metamod’s
addonsintogame/csgo. - Add
Game csgo/addons/metamodunder theGame_LowViolence csgo_lvsearch paths in the activegameinfo.gi. - Start the server and confirm
meta listshows Metamod. - Extract CounterStrikeSharp with runtime into
game/csgo. - Restart and confirm
CounterStrikeSharp.API Loaded Successfully.. - Copy the compatible plugin DLL into
game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/with its required matching folder and support files. - Restart and run
css_plugins list, or the plugin-list command supported by the installed build.
The Bottom Line
A working CounterStrikeSharp installation is a three-layer chain: Metamod:Source must load first, CounterStrikeSharp must report its API loaded successfully, and only then should the plugin DLL be checked. Validate those layers in order, keep the DLL and matching folder in the exact plugins layout, and back up the server before every framework or game-data change.
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