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How to Change the Name of Your Counter-Strike 2 Server

Set a permanent CS2 server name with hostname in game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg, restart the server, and verify it with status. This guide also covers hosting panels, Linux SteamCMD installs, startup parameters, temporary console tests, and common overrides.
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To permanently rename a Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server, add hostname "Your Server Name" to game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg, save the file, and restart the server. A hosting-panel user edits the file in the panel’s file manager; a self-hosted Linux administrator edits the same file in the SteamCMD installation. If the server is launched by a script, you can instead pass +hostname "Your Server Name" at startup.

What actually controls the displayed server name?

Counter-Strike 2 reads its dedicated-server name from the hostname console variable. The persistent form is a line in server.cfg:

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hostname "My CS2 Server"

The text between the quotation marks is the name players see in the server browser and when they connect. Keep the setting on its own line. Do not put a comment marker, additional command, or unescaped quotation mark on that line.

CS2 dedicated servers and the game client use Steam app ID 730. A dedicated server is normally started with -dedicated; on Linux, Valve’s community-maintained documentation recommends using the supplied cs2.sh script rather than launching the binary directly. Those launch details do not change the location or syntax of the hostname setting.

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Choose the method that matches your setup

Method Where the name is stored When it is useful Persistence
Edit server.cfg game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg Normal choice for panel-managed and self-hosted servers Persists across restarts
Launch parameter Your startup command or script Servers recreated or configured entirely by a startup script Persists as long as the script retains the parameter
Console command Running server process only Testing a name before committing it to configuration Temporary; it is lost on the next restart

Use one persistent source as your authority. If both a startup script and server.cfg define a name, the value applied later in the startup sequence can win. When troubleshooting, remove old duplicate lines and make the intended value explicit.

Change the name in a hosting control panel

Panel interfaces differ, but the underlying operation is the same. Providers such as Host Havoc and BisectHosting expose a file manager and a server console; the following sequence applies to that style of service.

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1. Stop the server

Use the panel’s Stop button before editing the configuration. Stopping first prevents the running process from rewriting the file and ensures the next launch reads the saved value.

2. Open the CS2 configuration directory

In the file manager, open game/csgo/cfg/. One documented container layout is:

/home/container/game/csgo/cfg

If server.cfg is already present, open it with the panel editor. If it is missing, create a new file named exactly server.cfg; do not accidentally create server.cfg.txt.

3. Add or replace the hostname line

Insert this line on its own line, replacing the example text:

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hostname "My Community Server"

If the file already contains a hostname line, edit that line instead of adding several competing definitions. Save the file using the panel’s Save button.

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4. Start the server again

Use Start or Restart in the panel. The restart loads the new configuration and allows the name to be advertised to the Steam master list. Starting without a successful save leaves the old value active.

5. Confirm the panel did not overwrite the file

After the server is online, reopen server.cfg and check that your line is still present. Some panels generate configuration files from a separate startup or “advanced settings” field; if your edit disappears, that generator is the setting you must change.

Change the name on a self-hosted Linux server

For a SteamCMD installation, locate the directory in which you installed the server. The configuration is below that directory in game/csgo/cfg/. For example:

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/home/cs2/server/game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg

Locate or create the file

Stop the running server, then open the file with your preferred text editor. A typical shell workflow is:

cd /home/cs2/server/game/csgo/cfg
nano server.cfg

The exact parent directory is installation-specific; the important part is the game/csgo/cfg/ suffix beneath the CS2 server files. If no file exists, create it with that exact name.

Write a clean configuration line

Add:

hostname "My Linux CS2 Server"

Save the file, exit the editor, and start the server using your normal launch script. On Linux, use cs2.sh as supplied with the installation rather than invoking the server binary directly.

Check permissions and line endings

The account that starts the server must be able to read server.cfg. If the file was created by a different administrator account, correct its ownership or permissions according to your server’s normal policy. Keep the file as plain text and avoid a rich-text editor that inserts formatting characters.

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Set the name with a launch parameter

If your server is started from a shell script, service unit, container command, or panel startup field, pass the hostname at launch:

./cs2.sh -dedicated -maxplayers 12 -port 27015 +hostname "My Scripted Server"

The exact player count, port, and installation prefix are examples; retain the values used by your own server. The relevant part is +hostname "My Scripted Server". This approach is useful when a deployment recreates the game directory or when configuration is managed as code. It is persistent only because the startup command is persistent: if you edit the command temporarily, the old name returns on the next deployment.

Do not put the + parameter in a configuration file. Put it in the command that launches CS2. Conversely, do not put a shell command into server.cfg; that file should contain the console-variable assignment without the plus sign.

Use the console for a quick, temporary test

You can type the setting into the dedicated-server console while the process is running:

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hostname "Temporary Test Name"

This immediately tests whether the running server accepts the variable, but it is not a permanent change. The setting reverts to the configured or default value after the next restart unless you also save the line in server.cfg or the startup command. Treat console entry as a diagnostic step, not as your final configuration.

Hostname versus sv_hostname

Most CS2 server instructions use hostname, including guides from Host Havoc, BisectHosting, XGamingServer, Shattered, Hetzner, and a Steam community guide. Another guide uses sv_hostname in server.cfg. The available Valve Developer Community excerpt does not confirm sv_hostname as a CS2 console variable.

Start with the documented form:

hostname "My CS2 Server"

If the name does not change, verify that the file is the one actually loaded and that the server was restarted. You can then test whether your build exposes the alternate variable by entering sv_hostname "My CS2 Server" in the console and checking the result. Do not keep both variables as competing permanent definitions until you know which one your installation recognizes.

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Verify that the new name is active

Search the server’s available variables

In the dedicated-server console, run:

find hostname

This searches matching console-variable names and helps reveal which hostname-related setting your server exposes. It does not by itself prove that the desired value was loaded, so continue with a live check.

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Check from a connected client

Connect to the server, open the developer console with the tilde key (~), and run:

status

The first line of the status output is reported as the active hostname. Compare it with the text in server.cfg, including spaces and capitalization.

Allow for browser refresh time

A restarted server may not show its new name in the public browser immediately. Several guides note that propagation can take several minutes, but an exact duration is not established. Use the console or a direct connection to verify the value before assuming the configuration failed.

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Troubleshooting: when the old name remains

The file was edited in the wrong directory

Search from the actual server installation for game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg. Panel users should confirm the container path shown by their provider; self-hosted users should confirm which installation directory their startup script uses. Editing a second CS2 copy has no effect on the running process.

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The server was not restarted

A saved file is not necessarily re-read by an already running process. Stop and start the server, or use the panel’s Restart action, then check the console output and run status from a client.

A startup setting is overriding the file

Inspect the launch script, service definition, container command, or panel startup field for +hostname. Change or remove the conflicting value, then restart. Keep one clearly documented persistent definition so a later deployment does not silently restore the old name.

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The configuration line is malformed

Use straight quotation marks, keep the assignment on one line, and place the name after a single space. A safe example is:

hostname "North America PUGs | Weekends"

Save as plain text and make sure the filename is exactly server.cfg. Avoid copying typographic “smart quotes” from a word processor.

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The panel regenerates server.cfg

If your line disappears after a restart, look for a panel setting that generates the file from a template or advanced configuration field. Put the hostname in that managed field or disable the overwrite mechanism, then restart and verify again.

The name is correct in the console but stale in the browser

Use status while connected to determine whether the server itself has the new value. If it does, wait for the browser listing to refresh and reconnect before changing configuration again. Repeated edits during propagation can make it harder to identify the actual active value.

Practical naming and maintenance checklist

  • Choose a concise name that identifies the community, game mode, or region without pretending to be an official Valve server.
  • Keep the value inside one pair of ordinary double quotation marks.
  • Use one authoritative hostname line rather than several duplicates.
  • Record whether the name is maintained in server.cfg, a launch script, or a hosting-panel template.
  • Stop a panel-managed server before editing its files.
  • Restart after saving a persistent change.
  • Verify with find hostname, then connect and run status.
  • Wait for browser propagation before diagnosing a problem that is only visible in the public listing.

Recommended workflow by server type

Your setup Recommended action What to verify
Panel-managed server with file manager Stop server, edit game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg, save, restart The saved line remains after restart
Self-hosted Linux SteamCMD server Edit the installation’s game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg, then launch with your normal cs2.sh workflow The startup script points to the same installation you edited
Scripted or containerized deployment Add +hostname "Your Server Name" to the persistent launch command A redeploy preserves the parameter
Testing an unfamiliar installation Run hostname "Test Name" in the server console first The live server changes before you commit the persistent setting

Frequently asked questions

Does changing the name require reinstalling CS2?

No. The name is a server configuration value. Editing the existing configuration or startup command is sufficient.

Can I change the name while players are connected?

You can test the console command while the process is running, but a persistent file or launch change requires a restart to be loaded reliably. Plan the restart for a time that minimizes disruption.

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Why does the server browser still show the old name?

First compare the connected server’s status output with your intended value. If the live value is correct, the browser listing may simply be waiting for a refresh; the available guidance does not establish a fixed propagation time.

What if hostname is not recognized?

Run find hostname, confirm that you edited the active installation, and check for a startup override. Because one guide uses sv_hostname while most CS2 instructions use hostname, you may test the alternate variable only after those checks.

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