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Run a custom Team Fortress 2 mode by installing Metamod:Source and SourceMod, adding the mode plugin and every required file, loading compatible maps, separating persistent and mode-specific settings, then restarting and testing on the target map. The exact plugin, map pool, dependencies and client-download files vary by mode.
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What a custom TF2 mode actually is
Most custom TF2 modes are community-server modifications rather than selectable stock matchmaking modes. A working setup combines four parts: a dedicated server with writable files, a plugin framework, the mode plugin and its data, and maps or client assets that match the plugin. Omitting any one of those parts can leave the plugin loaded while the mode itself fails to start.
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The safest approach is to treat each mode as a self-contained profile. Keep baseline server identity, networking and logging in tf/cfg/server.cfg; keep the mode’s rules in its documented SourceMod configuration; and use map-specific files only for deliberate exceptions. This prevents settings from one mode leaking into another when several modes share one server.
Prepare the dedicated server
Confirm file access and recovery
- Verify that the account running the server can read and write the entire
tfdirectory, includingtf/addons,tf/cfg,tf/mapsand any custom data directories named by the plugin. - Have a reliable restart method before installing anything. A full process restart is required after framework changes and is the most dependable way to clear an old plugin state.
- Back up the current
tfdirectory and configuration files. Keep a copy of the original map rotation so you can restore a known-good server if a mode package is incomplete. - Decide whether this instance will run one mode exclusively or rotate several. A single-mode server can use a simpler configuration; a shared instance needs map-specific overrides and explicit reset values.
Check the server’s baseline
Start the unmodified server once and change maps before adding a mode. This confirms that the process can write logs, load maps and restart cleanly. Record the exact TF2 mod directory used by the process; SourceMod must be installed inside that mod folder, not beside it.
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Install Metamod:Source and SourceMod
Install the framework in the correct path
- Install Metamod:Source into the TF2 server’s
tfmod directory, following the framework package’s directory layout. - Extract SourceMod into the same mod folder so its
addonsand supporting directories merge with the existing tree. The resulting plugin directory istf/addons/sourcemod/plugins. - Perform a full server restart. A map change alone is not a substitute for restarting after framework installation.
- Open the server console and run
meta list. A populated result confirms that Metamod:Source is being loaded. If it is empty, stop and correct the framework path or build before installing a mode.
SourceMod’s installation documentation states: “SourceMod requires Metamod:Source 1.9.0 or higher (it is recommended that the latest version is used).” SourceMod 1.12 was identified as the stable recommended release on October 20, 2024. Check current compatibility before upgrading a production server, particularly when an older mode plugin has not been maintained.
Verify SourceMod independently
After meta list shows Metamod:Source, run sm plugins list. The command should return SourceMod’s loaded plugins rather than an unknown-command error. Test this framework-only state before adding a custom mode; otherwise a framework problem and a mode problem become difficult to distinguish.
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Place the plugin and all dependencies
- Copy the mode’s compiled
.smxfile totf/addons/sourcemod/plugins. - Copy every dependency named by the mode author into its required location. Dependencies may include additional plugins, gamedata, extensions or shared libraries.
- Copy mode data such as configuration files, translations, boss definitions, weapon lists and other data files exactly where that plugin’s documentation specifies. Do not assume that every package uses only
tf/cfg/sourcemod. - Restart the server, then run
sm plugins listagain. Read the console for load errors, missing dependencies or version warnings before changing to a mode map.
Keep a package manifest
For each mode, record the plugin filename, dependencies, required maps, custom models and sounds, configuration paths, expected player count and the date you installed it. This small manifest makes rollback and troubleshooting possible when several packages use similarly named files.
Install maps and client-download content
Maps
- Upload every required
.bspfile totf/maps. - Add the map name to
tf/cfg/mapcycle.txtwithout the.bspextension. Preserve the exact spelling expected by the server and plugin. - Keep only maps that are installed and tested. A typo or missing file can break rotation even when the plugin itself is healthy.
tf/cfg/mapcycle.txt
vsh_example_map
dodgeball_example_map
ph_example_mapModels, sounds and other assets
Many modes need custom sounds, models or materials in addition to the map. Follow the mode’s download configuration so connecting clients can receive every required file. Test with a clean client that does not already have the assets cached; a local administrator who has previously downloaded the files can miss a broken download setup.
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If players report missing models or sounds, compare the package’s file list with the server’s directories and then verify the download settings. Do not declare the mode ready until a normal connecting player can load the map and see its custom content.
Separate persistent, mode and map-specific settings
Server-wide settings: server.cfg
Place identity, network, logging and baseline gameplay cvars that should persist across maps in tf/cfg/server.cfg. This file is normally created manually and is loaded at startup. Use it for values that must be true regardless of which custom mode is active.
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Keep rules that belong to a particular plugin in the configuration it generates or documents, commonly under tf/cfg/sourcemod. Typical mode settings include round behavior, boss or weapon choices, timing and mode-specific limits. Keeping these values with the plugin makes upgrades and rollback easier and prevents unrelated modes from inheriting them.
Map overrides: files in tf/cfg
Create a configuration file named for a map when that map needs different limits, team rules or timing. The map configuration is applied after server.cfg, so it can override general values for that map. For a shared server, document both the override and the value that should be restored when the next map loads.
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Do not put every mode’s cvars in server.cfg. A value that is correct for a DeathRun map may be wrong for a normal arena or a dodgeball map, and persistent leftovers are a common cause of apparently random behavior.
Configure a server that rotates several modes
Use map names as the rotation boundary
Trade, jump, MGE and DeathRun are established community-server patterns, and many installations select them through map rotation plus plugin-specific configuration. Keep each mode’s maps grouped in the rotation so administrators can see which plugin should be active. If a plugin is map-driven, its map prefix or exact map name may determine whether it starts; verify that spelling in the plugin documentation.
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- List every cvar changed by a map override.
- Define the normal value in
server.cfgor in the next map’s override. - Test a transition from each mode to the others, not only a fresh server start.
- Remove obsolete maps from
mapcycle.txtrather than leaving untested entries in rotation.
Use a controlled first rotation
During setup, run one required map at a time and inspect the console. Once each map works alone, test the actual rotation order. This distinguishes a package that cannot start from a setting that remains active only after a previous map.
What the main custom modes require
| Mode | Typical implementation | Files and operational concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Versus Saxton Hale (VSH) | Boss-versus-players plugin | Dedicated VSH map pool plus boss and configuration data; verify boss files, translations and any weapon lists supplied by the package. |
| Dodgeball | Plugin controlling projectile behavior and round rules | Dodgeball maps are essential. Test projectile rules, round transitions and client downloads on the intended player count. |
| Prop Hunt | Prop-hunt plugin | Compatible prop-hunt maps and the plugin’s configuration or asset files; missing models or sounds are especially visible to connecting players. |
| DeathRun | Community mode selected through maps and plugin configuration | Use compatible DeathRun maps and isolate timing, team and trap-related settings in the documented configuration. |
| Trade, jump and MGE | Map-driven community-server patterns, often with supporting plugins | Keep their map pools separate from combat-mode maps and test the plugin settings expected by each map family. |
These labels do not predict operational cost by themselves. A mature plugin with few assets may be easier to run than a newer mode with many models, sounds and dependencies.
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Choose a mode using operational criteria
| Criterion | Questions to answer before deployment |
|---|---|
| Plugin maturity and maintenance | Is the plugin maintained, does it identify dependencies clearly, and does it load on the SourceMod build you plan to use? |
| Maps and assets | How many maps, models, sounds, translations and data files must be installed and distributed? |
| Player-count assumptions | What player count does the map and round design expect, and have you tested with that many players? |
| CPU and network impact | Does the mode add frequent projectile, boss or entity processing, and do clients need substantial downloads? No independent performance statistic is established here, so measure your own server rather than relying on a universal number. |
| Configuration isolation | Can its cvars stay in a plugin or map config without conflicting with other modes? |
| Administration | Does it provide the admin controls and recovery commands your staff need? |
| Map-driven or plugin-driven | Does the map name activate the mode, or must an always-on plugin select it? This determines how you structure rotation and overrides. |
Restart and test procedure
- Save the plugin, dependency, map, asset and configuration changes.
- Perform a full server restart.
- Run
meta listand confirm Metamod:Source is present. - Run
sm plugins listand confirm the mode plugin is listed without an error state. - Change to a required mode map using the server’s normal map-change method.
- Watch the console for missing files, failed dependencies, configuration parse errors or map-load errors.
- Connect with a test client and confirm the expected team rules, round flow, weapons, boss or props, sounds and models.
- Test the expected player count and at least one map transition. Check that values reset when moving to a different mode.
- Only after these checks pass should you add the map to the live rotation.
Troubleshooting by symptom
meta list is empty
Metamod:Source or SourceMod is not being loaded from the correct mod’s addons path, or the build is incompatible. Recheck the directory tree, confirm the server is launching the intended TF2 installation, and restart fully. Do not troubleshoot the custom mode until this command returns the framework.
The plugin appears in sm plugins list, but the mode does not start
Verify the map prefix or exact map name, required configuration files and every plugin dependency. A listed .smx proves only that SourceMod found the file; it does not prove that the current map satisfies the mode’s activation rules.
Players see missing models or sounds
Confirm that every custom asset exists on the server and that the mode’s download configuration is enabled. Test from a client that has never joined the server before, then inspect the console for download or precache errors.
Rules revert after a map change
Move values that must persist to server.cfg. Keep only deliberate differences in the map-specific file and define reset values explicitly. Remember that map configuration is applied after server.cfg, so a map override can mask the baseline until another map loads.
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The map will not load from rotation
Check that the .bsp is in tf/maps, that mapcycle.txt contains the name without .bsp, and that capitalization and spelling match the installed file. Remove the entry temporarily and load the map directly to separate a rotation typo from a broken map.
An upgrade breaks a previously working mode
Review the plugin’s stated SourceMod and Metamod:Source compatibility, compare dependency versions, and restore the last known-good framework or plugin package if necessary. SourceMod 1.12’s stable recommendation dates to October 20, 2024; compatibility should be checked before applying a newer build to a production server.
Operational checklist
- Writable
tfdirectory and tested restart method. - Metamod:Source installed in the active TF2 mod path.
- SourceMod installed under the same
addonstree. meta listandsm plugins listboth verified after a full restart.- Mode
.smx, dependencies, translations and data files installed in documented locations. - Required maps uploaded to
tf/maps. - Custom assets available and client downloads tested from a clean client.
mapcycle.txtcontains only installed, tested names without.bsp.- Persistent cvars in
server.cfg; mode rules in plugin configs; exceptions in map configs. - At least one live test at the intended player count and one transition to another map or mode.
Final decision
A custom TF2 mode is ready when the framework loads, the plugin has all of its dependencies, the target map and assets work for a normal client, and configuration values remain correct across restarts and map changes. Build and test one mode in isolation first; then add additional map pools with explicit overrides and reset values. That process is more reliable than treating a downloaded plugin as a complete game mode.
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