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How to Add Steam Workshop Mods to a Killing Floor 2 Server

A complete Killing Floor 2 dedicated-server guide: install with SteamCMD, subscribe to Workshop IDs, enable downloads, add custom maps to rotation, start mutators, and troubleshoot conflicts.
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To add a Steam Workshop mod to a Killing Floor 2 dedicated server, install or update the server with SteamCMD, enable the Steam Workshop download manager in the server engine configuration, subscribe the server to each item by its numeric Workshop ID, and start the server long enough for the files to download. A custom map still needs a map-summary entry and a map-cycle entry; a mutator normally needs its own startup parameter and configuration files.

The procedure below covers Windows and the corresponding Linux configuration, explains where every setting belongs, and shows how to diagnose downloads that complete but do not appear in-game.

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What you need before adding a mod

Prepare these items before editing the server:

  • A working Killing Floor 2 dedicated-server installation. SteamCMD is the command-line utility used to download and update dedicated servers; it is software, not a separate physical product.
  • Administrator or filesystem access to the server installation and its configuration files.
  • The numeric Workshop ID for every item you want to install. The ID is the number in that item’s Steam Workshop URL.
  • The mod author’s instructions, especially if the item is a mutator, voting extension, administration system, or other server-side tool.

Keep a backup of the KFGameConfig directory before changing configuration. Stop the server while editing files so that a running process cannot overwrite your changes on shutdown.

Install or update the dedicated server with SteamCMD

If the server is not installed yet, or you want to bring an existing installation up to date, run SteamCMD and use the Killing Floor 2 dedicated-server application ID. On Windows, the documented command is:

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steamcmd.exe force_install_dir C:KF2Server login anonymous app_update 232130 validate quit

Replace C:KF2Server with the directory you actually use. The command sets the installation directory, logs in anonymously, downloads or updates application 232130, validates the files, and exits.

  1. Run the command from the directory containing steamcmd.exe, or provide the full path to that executable.
  2. Wait for SteamCMD to finish the update and validation instead of closing its window.
  3. Launch the Killing Floor 2 server once before configuring Workshop items. The first run creates the configuration files, including the server INIs you will edit.
  4. Stop the server cleanly after those files have been generated.

On Linux, use the same SteamCMD application and update process with the paths appropriate to your installation. The file names and configuration sections are the same, but directory separators and the server’s launch script differ.

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Enable Workshop downloads in the server engine configuration

The server must have a Workshop download manager before subscriptions can deliver files to clients. Open KFGameConfigPCServer-KFEngine.ini on Windows. On Linux, open the corresponding server engine INI in the installation’s configuration directory.

Under the [IpDrv.TcpNetDriver] section, add this line:

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DownloadManagers=OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.SteamWorkshopDownload

If the section already contains other DownloadManagers entries, put the Steam Workshop entry first. Do not remove unrelated entries unless the mod’s documentation specifically tells you to; the order determines which downloader is tried first.

This setting handles the server-side Workshop transfer process. A subscription line by itself is not enough: without the download-manager entry, the server can know about an item but fail to obtain or distribute its files.

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Subscribe the server to Workshop items

Workshop subscriptions belong in the server’s game configuration, not in the map-cycle section. Open PCServer-KFEngine.ini and find or create this section:

[OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.KFWorkshopSteamworks]

Add one line for each Workshop item:

ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=123456789
ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=987654321

Replace each example number with the item’s actual numeric ID. Copy the number from the Workshop URL rather than the item’s title, display name, or a collection ID. If a page URL ends with a number, that number is the value that follows ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=.

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  1. Open the Workshop page for the map, mutator, or other server mod.
  2. Copy its numeric item ID.
  3. Paste one ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=... line into the KFWorkshopSteamworks section.
  4. Save the file without changing the section header or adding quotation marks.
  5. Start the server and leave it running until the item has finished downloading.
  6. Stop the server only after the download has completed, then continue with map or mutator-specific configuration.

Repeat the process for every item. Keeping one subscription per line makes it easier to identify and remove a broken or obsolete item later.

Make a downloaded custom map playable

Downloading a map does not automatically make it appear in the server’s rotation. After the Workshop item is present, edit PCServer-KFGame.ini and add a map-summary section matching the map’s name. A typical section has this form:

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[KF-CustomMap KFMapSummary]

Use the exact map package name supplied by the map author in place of KF-CustomMap. The summary section is what lets the game identify the custom level in its map metadata.

Then add the same map to the server’s map cycle. Use the map name without the .kfm extension. For example, if the package is named KF-CustomMap.kfm, the cycle entry must use KF-CustomMap, not the filename with its extension.

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  • The Workshop subscription controls whether the server downloads the item.
  • The map-summary entry supplies the map’s server metadata.
  • The map-cycle entry controls whether the server can select it during rotation or a vote.

If you omit either of the latter two steps, a map can be present on disk yet absent from the playable list. Check the author’s documentation for any additional game-mode or dependency requirements before adding the map to a public rotation.

Enable a mutator or server-side mod

Mutators are not enabled merely by subscribing to their Workshop item. Each one can define a different class name, startup argument, dependency order, and set of INI files. Follow the item-specific startup instructions after the subscription and download steps.

Example: Server Extension

The documented Server Extension setup illustrates the usual pattern. Add this argument to the server’s launch options:

?Mutator=ServerExtMut.ServerExtMut

The parameter identifies the mutator class that the server should load. Do not substitute a Workshop title for the class name; use the exact class string supplied by the mod.

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The extension also uses these configuration files:

  • KFServerExtMut.ini
  • KFxMapVote.ini
  • KFServerExt.ini
  1. Subscribe the server to the extension’s Workshop item.
  2. Start the server once with the mutator parameter present.
  3. Allow the first run to create the listed configuration files.
  4. Stop the server and edit the generated settings to match your rules, map voting, and administration requirements.
  5. Restart with the same mutator parameter and test on a private or password-protected session before changing a public server.

Some UnrealScript mutators have a default-value initialization bug that can produce random settings or leave configuration files incomplete. When the mod’s instructions document a workaround, explicitly initialize the stated version or configuration values instead of relying on defaults. There is no universal key name for this workaround; copy the exact values required by that mod.

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Manual configuration or KF2ServerTool?

Direct INI editing gives you the clearest view of what the server will load. KF2ServerTool is optional convenience software that can browse for or accept a Workshop URL, download an item, add the subscription, add map and map-cycle entries, configure redirects, and manage Windows or Linux installations. Choose based on how much automation you want, not because the server requires the tool.

Decision area Manual INI configuration KF2ServerTool
Control and transparency You see and edit every subscription, map entry, startup argument, and generated setting directly. The tool writes those values for you; inspect the resulting files to verify its choices.
Convenience Requires locating IDs, editing sections, and maintaining map-cycle entries yourself. Automates Workshop URL handling, subscriptions, map entries, map cycles, redirects, and installation management.
Platform support Works wherever you can edit the Windows or Linux server files. Supports Windows and Linux installations according to the tool’s current release.
Maintenance risk Depends mainly on the game’s native configuration format and the mod’s own updates. Adds a third-party tool whose behavior and compatibility can change; verify its current release before deploying it.

Even when using the tool, learn the native sections and parameters. They are the fallback when an automated edit is incomplete or when a mod’s author publishes a manual fix.

Troubleshoot missing or unusable Workshop mods

The item never downloads

  • Check that the value after ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems= is the numeric item ID, not a collection ID or copied URL.
  • Confirm that DownloadManagers=OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.SteamWorkshopDownload is under [IpDrv.TcpNetDriver] and is the first download-manager entry when several exist.
  • Start the server again and leave it running until the download finishes. Stopping immediately after launch can interrupt the first download.
  • Verify that the server account and installation can write to the server’s Workshop and cache directories.

The map downloaded but is not selectable

  • Confirm that the map package name in the KFMapSummary section exactly matches the author’s name.
  • Ensure the map is present in the map cycle and that the cycle entry omits .kfm.
  • Check whether the map requires a particular game mode, dependency, or mutator before testing it in rotation.

The mutator is subscribed but has no effect

  • Use the exact startup parameter and class name from the item’s instructions. A Workshop title is not a valid substitute for a mutator class.
  • Start once with the parameter so the mod can generate its INI files, then configure those files and restart.
  • Look for duplicate copies of the same mutator. Older cached files can conflict with the newly subscribed version.

Old and new versions conflict

Stop the server before cleanup. The Server Extension instructions identify two relevant locations: the Workshop content directory under Binaries/Win64/steamapps/workshop/content/232090/ and KFGame/Cache/. Remove duplicate or stale versions only after preserving any configuration you need, then restart and allow the subscribed item to download again. The 232090 directory name is the Workshop content location cited for this cleanup; it is distinct from the dedicated-server application ID 232130 used by SteamCMD.

Settings change randomly or configuration files are missing

Some mutators are affected by an UnrealScript default-value initialization bug. Re-read the mod’s installation notes and apply any documented instruction to initialize its version or configuration values explicitly. Regenerating files without fixing the initialization issue can reproduce the same behavior.

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Safe update and change workflow

Workshop content can change independently of your server’s map cycle. Use a controlled sequence whenever you add, remove, or update an item:

  1. Record the item name, numeric ID, package name, startup parameter, and required configuration files.
  2. Back up the relevant engine and game INIs.
  3. Stop the server and make one logical change at a time.
  4. Start the server and wait for new Workshop content to finish downloading.
  5. Test the item on a private session, including map loading, map voting, mutator behavior, and a client joining from a clean game installation.
  6. Only then place the map or mutator into the public rotation.

When removing an item, delete its subscription line and remove associated map-cycle, map-summary, and startup-parameter entries. Leaving a map in the cycle after removing its Workshop subscription creates a rotation entry that the server can no longer load.

Final configuration checklist

  • SteamCMD installed or updated application 232130, and the server has been started once to generate files.
  • DownloadManagers=OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.SteamWorkshopDownload appears first under [IpDrv.TcpNetDriver].
  • Every item has its own numeric ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=... line under [OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.KFWorkshopSteamworks].
  • The server remained online until each Workshop download completed.
  • Each custom map has a matching KFMapSummary section and a map-cycle entry without .kfm.
  • Each mutator uses its exact documented startup parameter and generated INI files.
  • Duplicate Workshop or cache copies have been removed when a version conflict occurs.
  • The changed configuration has been tested privately before public rotation.

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