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CS2 Plugin Development: Getting Started With CounterStrikeSharp

A practical CounterStrikeSharp guide covering Metamod installation, .NET 8 project setup, commands and events, DLL deployment, and troubleshooting.
Length8 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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To build a Counter-Strike 2 server plugin, install Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp with its runtime, 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 meta list command confirms that the server loaded the framework before you troubleshoot your own code.

What CounterStrikeSharp does

CounterStrikeSharp is a server-side modding framework for Counter-Strike 2. It implements a .NET 8 scripting layer on top of a Metamod:Source plugin, allowing server developers to write maintainable, testable C# plugins instead of modifying the game client or dropping loose scripts into a source folder.

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A plugin can expose administrator commands such as css_mycommand, player-facing chat commands beginning with ! or /, handlers for game events such as player_death, lifecycle listeners for connection and map changes, fake console variables, and access to basic event values. The framework’s example Warcraft plugin demonstrates a larger design that combines events, commands, SQLite storage, and entity manipulation.

This is server software: players do not install your DLL on their own computers. You install the framework on the dedicated server, compile your plugin against the API, and deploy the resulting assembly to the server.

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What you need before writing code

  • A running 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, as listed by the CounterStrikeSharp installation guide.
  • CounterStrikeSharp with runtime.
  • The .NET 8 SDK on the machine where you will build the plugin.
  • A C# editor or IDE and a way to copy the compiled DLL and any dependent libraries to the server.

Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp are both required for the documented vanilla-server setup. CounterStrikeSharp is the .NET layer; Metamod:Source is the underlying Source 2 plugin loader through which that layer runs.

Install the server-side framework

1. Install Metamod:Source

  1. Download a Metamod:Source 2.x development build numbered 1467 or newer and confirm that it includes KHook support.
  2. Extract the archive and copy its addons/ directory into the server’s /game/csgo/ directory.
  3. Open gameinfo.gi and add Game csgo/addons/metamod below the existing Game_LowViolence csgo_lv entry. The relative order matters because the game must load the Metamod path.
  4. Restart the dedicated server.

2. Install CounterStrikeSharp and its runtime

  1. Extract the CounterStrikeSharp release that includes the runtime.
  2. Copy its addons/ directory into the same /game/csgo/ directory used for Metamod.
  3. Start or restart the server and open its console.
  4. Run meta list. This is the documented first check that Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp loaded.

If meta list does not show the expected components, fix the loader installation before creating a plugin. A plugin DLL cannot load when the framework beneath it is missing or installed in the wrong game directory.

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Create a first C# plugin

1. Create a class-library project

Install the .NET 8 SDK, open a terminal in your development workspace, and create a class library:

dotnet new classlib --name HelloWorldPlugin

Enter the project directory and add the CounterStrikeSharp API package:

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cd HelloWorldPlugin
dotnet add package CounterStrikeSharp.API

An alternative is to reference the CounterStrikeSharp.API.dll already installed with your server. A package reference is usually easier to reproduce on another development machine; a direct DLL reference can be useful when you must target the exact API assembly used by a particular server installation.

2. Replace the template class

Rename the default class and derive it from BasePlugin. A plugin supplies four pieces of module metadata and a Load(bool hotReload) method for startup work. The following skeleton shows the structure used by the official example; check the API version you installed for any signature changes.

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using CounterStrikeSharp.API.Core;
using CounterStrikeSharp.API.Modules.Commands;
using CounterStrikeSharp.API.Modules.Events;

public class HelloWorldPlugin : BasePlugin
{
    public override string ModuleName => "Hello World";
    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.
    }

    [ConsoleCommand("css_issue_warning", "Issue warning to player")]
    public void IssueWarning(CCSPlayerController? player, CommandInfo command)
    {
        // Implement the command action here.
    }

    [GameEventHandler]
    public HookResult OnPlayerConnect(EventPlayerConnect @event, GameEventInfo info)
    {
        // Read event values and react to the connection here.
        return HookResult.Continue;
    }
}

ModuleName, ModuleVersion, ModuleAuthor, and ModuleDescription identify the module in server output. The Load method is where initialization belongs. The ConsoleCommand attribute exposes a server command, while GameEventHandler marks a method that receives a game event.

3. Decide how players or administrators trigger behavior

Use a console command when the action is an explicit server-administration operation. Use a chat command when players need a short in-game shortcut such as !stats. Use a game-event handler when the game emits the fact you care about, for example a connection or death. Use a listener when you need a lifecycle point such as client connect, client disconnect, or map start rather than a specific event payload.

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Choosing an extension point

Extension point Trigger surface Typical scope Data and engine interaction
Console command Server console or administrator command such as css_mycommand Server administration Runs only when an operator invokes it; state is optional
Chat command Player chat using ! or / Player interaction Turns an in-game shortcut into plugin logic; state is optional
Game-event handler Events such as player_death or player connection Automation and reactive gameplay Receives event values; can drive further server actions
Lifecycle listener Client connect, client disconnect, map start, and similar lifecycle points Automation and setup/cleanup Runs at framework or game lifecycle boundaries

The choice determines more than syntax. A stateless command can often live in one DLL with no extra files. A persistent statistics system needs storage, such as SQLite through a suitable library. A plugin that only reads event data has less engine coupling than one that creates or changes entities. Every additional dependency or engine integration increases deployment and update work.

Build the DLL

From the project directory, build the class library:

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dotnet build

The build produces a managed DLL in the project’s build output directory. Resolve compilation errors on the development machine first: missing API references, an incompatible target framework, and incorrect event or command signatures are easier to diagnose before deployment.

The output is a compiled .NET assembly, not a C# source file. CounterStrikeSharp loads the DLL at runtime, so copying only the .cs file to the server will not create a plugin.

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Deploy the plugin to CounterStrikeSharp

  1. Locate the compiled DLL, for example HelloWorldPlugin.dll, in the build output.
  2. On the server, open /game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins.
  3. Create a folder whose name exactly matches the output DLL, following the naming convention used by the CounterStrikeSharp installation guide.
  4. Copy the DLL into that folder.
  5. If the plugin uses another library, copy that dependency into the same plugin directory as documented for the dependency.
  6. Start or restart the server.
  7. Inspect the server console and logs for the plugin load message or an assembly, dependency, or exception error.

For a DLL named HelloWorldPlugin.dll, keep the plugin’s files together under the corresponding HelloWorldPlugin location in the CounterStrikeSharp plugins directory. Avoid scattering a dependency in an unrelated global folder unless its documentation specifically requires that arrangement.

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What to add after “Hello World”

Commands and permissions

Separate administrator operations from player commands. Give console commands clear names with the css_ prefix shown by the framework examples, and make the description explain the action. For chat commands, choose concise verbs that players can remember. Validate the caller before performing an administrative action, and handle a command issued from the server console differently from one issued by a player.

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Events and listeners

Event handlers are appropriate when the game has already published the fact you need. Read the event’s available values, check that the referenced player or entity is valid, then perform the smallest action necessary. Lifecycle listeners are better for setup and cleanup: initialize per-map state on map start, release per-player state on disconnect, and avoid retaining objects after their clients leave.

Persistent state with SQLite

Keep short-lived values in memory when they only matter for the current round or map. If a feature must survive restarts—such as player statistics, unlocks, or match history—use a database library and SQLite, as demonstrated by the framework’s Warcraft example. Define the data you need, handle a missing or newly created database, and consider what happens when two events arrive close together.

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Entity manipulation

Entity work gives a plugin more direct gameplay control than event-only logic, but it also couples the code to game objects and API behavior. Isolate entity operations behind small methods, validate handles before use, and expect game or framework updates to require code changes.

Troubleshoot a plugin that does not load

  • meta list is empty or missing CounterStrikeSharp: revisit the Metamod extraction, the gameinfo.gi entry, the /game/csgo/ path, and the server restart.
  • The framework loads but your plugin is absent: verify that the DLL is under addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins and that the containing folder uses the required matching name.
  • The server reports a missing assembly: copy the plugin’s dependent library into its plugin directory and check that the dependency targets a compatible .NET/API version.
  • The DLL was built but produces no command: confirm that the class derives from BasePlugin, metadata properties are present, the command attribute is applied to a public method, and the server is running the newly copied build.
  • An event handler throws errors: inspect the server log for the event and method signature, then validate nullable player, controller, and entity references before using them.
  • Code worked before an update: rebuild against the current CounterStrikeSharp API and review changed event, listener, or entity APIs. Framework and game updates can require both a new runtime and a new plugin build.

Updating and maintaining the installation

To update CounterStrikeSharp, download the latest release and copy it over the existing server installation as described by the installation guide. Plan a server restart, then run meta list again and inspect logs before allowing players back in. Keep a copy of the previous working release and your plugin DLLs so you can identify whether a failure came from the framework, the game update, or your own code.

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For plugin releases, increment the module version, build a fresh DLL, copy it into the existing plugin folder, and restart or use the framework’s supported reload behavior only when you have verified that your plugin safely handles hot reload. Test commands, event handlers, persistent storage, and entity operations separately; a change in one area can fail while the rest of the DLL still loads.

The practical path from idea to running plugin

  1. Install and verify Metamod:Source, then install CounterStrikeSharp with runtime.
  2. Run meta list before writing plugin code.
  3. Create a .NET 8 class library with dotnet new classlib --name HelloWorldPlugin.
  4. Add CounterStrikeSharp.API or reference the installed API DLL.
  5. Derive a class from BasePlugin, add module metadata, and implement Load(bool hotReload).
  6. Add one focused command, chat command, event handler, or listener.
  7. Run dotnet build, deploy the compiled DLL and any dependencies to the matching plugin folder, and restart.
  8. Read the server console and logs, then expand the plugin with persistence or entity features only when the basic load path is reliable.

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