Your CS2 server reads its settings from a file called server.cfg, and learning a handful of key values there lets you set the server name, a password, the game mode, and the round rules exactly how you want them.
Where server.cfg lives
Open the Files tab in your GuavaHost panel and go to game/csgo/cfg/. The main config file is server.cfg. If it is not there yet, create it. CS2 runs the commands in this file automatically each time a map loads, so it is the right home for settings you always want on.
Before a big edit, take a snapshot on the Backups tab. Restoring later overwrites current files, so a snapshot is a quick undo button.
The essential settings
Add these lines to server.cfg, one per line, each value in quotes where shown:
- hostname "My GuavaHost CS2 Server" sets the name shown in the browser.
- svpassword "letmein" makes the server private. Leave it empty (svpassword "") for a public server.
- rconpassword "somethingLong"` lets you send admin commands remotely. Keep it long and secret.
- svlan "0"` keeps the server visible on the internet rather than LAN only.
- svcheats "0"` should stay off for normal play.
Choosing a game mode and type
CS2 picks a mode from two values, gametype and gamemode, which work as a pair:
- Competitive: gametype 0, gamemode 1
- Wingman (2v2): gametype 0, gamemode 2
- Casual: gametype 0, gamemode 0
- Deathmatch: gametype 1, gamemode 2
- Arms Race: gametype 1, gamemode 0
- Custom: gametype 3, gamemode 0
Set the pair that matches the mode you want. Custom is the base for most community plugins and practice setups.
Round and economy settings
These common values shape how a match feels:
- mpmaxrounds "24"` sets the rounds in a match.
- mproundtime "1.92" and mproundtimedefuse "1.92"` set round length in minutes.
- mpfreezetime "15"` is the buy time before a round starts.
- mpstartmoney "800" and mpmaxmoney "16000" control the economy.
- mpfriendlyfire "1"` turns team damage on.
A word on tickrate
You may have read that you must pay for a "128 tick" CS2 server. That advice is left over from CS:GO. CS2 replaced fixed tickrate with a sub-tick system, where the game records the exact moment you fire or move regardless of the server tick. There is no -tickrate setting to change in CS2, and every GuavaHost CS2 server already uses sub-tick, so you are not missing anything by leaving it alone.
Applying your changes
Most values load when a new map starts. To apply them right away, open the Console tab and type exec server.cfg, or restart the server from the panel. A few settings, like hostname, only take full effect after a map change or restart, so when in doubt, restart.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.