Enable GOTV by setting tv_enable 1 in the server configuration or as a launch parameter, choose the spectator port (UDP 27020 by default), then apply the change with a map change or reload. Verify the TV instance with status or tv_status. Viewers connect to that TV port rather than the normal game port. Because Valve has not published a complete, CS2-specific GOTV reference, confirm the available commands with your server’s cvarlist; several detailed guides were written for CS:GO and may not map perfectly to CS2.
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What GOTV does on a CS2 community server
GOTV (the SourceTV system) creates a spectator feed from a dedicated Counter-Strike 2 server. Instead of occupying a player slot, the GOTV instance publishes the match to viewers who connect to its TV port. You can use it for tournament observation, moderation, community broadcasts, delayed spectating and server-side demo recording.
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GOTV is separate from a player’s ordinary connection to the game server. A server can therefore be playable on its normal game port while spectators use the TV port. In a simple setup, one server acts as the master and serves viewers directly. Larger events may add relay instances, but relays require their own processes and network paths.
Before you change anything
- Have administrator access to the dedicated server’s console and configuration files.
- Know which process is the master game instance. The
tv_enablesetting applies to the master instance; setting it on a relay does not turn the relay into a source. - Reserve a UDP port for GOTV. The commonly reported default is
27020; select another unused port if that conflicts with another service. - Allow the TV port through the host firewall and any cloud or panel security group. A listening process alone does not make the port reachable from the internet.
- Plan a map change or server reload. Community reports indicate that the GOTV bot may not appear until the next level is loaded after enabling the feature.
Command names and behavior can vary between CS:GO-era documentation and current CS2 builds. Before relying on an option, run cvarlist tv_ (or search the server’s cvar list for tv_) and remove settings your build does not recognize.
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Enable GOTV in the server configuration
Method 1: server.cfg
Add the core setting to the configuration file that your CS2 server executes at startup:
tv_enable 1Place the line in the master server’s server.cfg (or the configuration file your hosting panel explicitly loads). Save the file, restart the server or execute the configuration, and then change the map so the TV instance can initialize:
exec server.cfg
changelevel de_mirageUse a map that is actually installed on your server; de_mirage is only an example. If you cannot afford a full restart, execute the setting in the server console and perform a controlled changelevel. Reports that this is required are community-sourced, so check status afterward rather than assuming the bot started.
Method 2: launch parameters
You can also enable GOTV when starting the process:
+tv_enable 1Set the TV port at launch as well. This is the safer approach because reports disagree about whether changing tv_port at runtime reliably rebinds the listener:
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+tv_enable 1 +tv_port 27020If port 27020 is already occupied, choose an unused value, for example:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors+tv_enable 1 +tv_port 30000A launch parameter is not a substitute for opening the port in the firewall. Keep the selected value documented so administrators and viewers use the same endpoint.
Choose and expose the TV port
The default commonly reported for GOTV is UDP 27020. The normal game port and the TV port are distinct, so forwarding only the game port will leave the broadcast unreachable. If you change the port, use the same value in the server startup command, host firewall, cloud security group and viewer instructions.
| Item | Recommended handling | What is established |
|---|---|---|
| GOTV port | Use UDP 27020 unless it is occupied; otherwise set +tv_port <port> at startup. |
27020 is the commonly reported default. Runtime rebinding is not consistently documented. |
| Firewall | Permit inbound UDP traffic on the selected port, limited to trusted networks when appropriate. | A network requirement rather than a CS2 cvar. |
| Address | Give viewers the server’s reachable public address and TV port, not merely the game port. | The TV listener is separate from the player connection. |
Do not assume that a hosting panel’s “GOTV enabled” switch also opens the firewall. Some container images expose environment variables such as TV_ENABLE=0 and TV_PORT=27020; set them to 1 and your chosen port only when your image documents those variables, then recreate or restart the container.
Apply the change and confirm that GOTV is running
- Stop active matches or announce a maintenance window.
- Set
tv_enable 1and the launch-timetv_portvalue. - Restart the server, or execute the setting and issue a map change if your build permits a live change.
- Run
statusin the server console. A community troubleshooting guide also recommendstv_status; if your build accepts it, use it for TV-specific state. - Look for a GOTV/SourceTV spectator entry or listener information. If no TV instance appears, verify the cvar exists with
cvarlist tv_, inspect the startup log for an occupied port, and perform a full restart. - From a test client, connect to the TV endpoint using your normal CS2 connection method and the TV port. Test from outside the hosting network if public spectators will be external; local tests can succeed even when the firewall blocks internet traffic.
The “GOTV bot appears after the next level change” behavior is reported by community users rather than guaranteed by an official CS2 specification. Treat the map change as a practical activation step and verify the result every time.
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Configure the spectator experience
Once the listener works, tune the options that control what viewers see. Availability and exact behavior should be checked with your server’s cvar list because several names are inherited from earlier SourceTV documentation.
| Command | Purpose | Practical guidance |
|---|---|---|
tv_name |
Name displayed for the TV instance in the server browser and scoreboard. | Use a recognizable event or server name. |
tv_title |
Title shown in the spectator interface. | Set a match, league or community label; test the character length in-game. |
tv_delay |
Broadcast delay in seconds. | Competitive-style configurations commonly use 90. A delay reduces live-information advantages for people playing the match. |
tv_password |
Password required to watch. | Set one for private practices or restricted events and distribute it only to intended viewers. |
tv_maxclients |
Maximum number of TV spectators. | Raise it only after load testing; higher viewer counts increase server resource demand. |
tv_advertise_watchable 1 |
Advertises the match as watchable through the game UI. | External clients connecting directly to the GOTV port are reported to need this set to 1. Verify the behavior on your build. |
tv_relayvoice |
Controls whether voice is relayed. | Use only if present in cvarlist; test privacy and team-communication expectations. |
tv_relaytextchat |
Controls text-chat relay. | Confirm that spectator chat visibility matches your moderation policy. |
tv_snapshotrate |
Snapshot or recording update rate. | Changing it can affect bandwidth and capture behavior; the exact CS2 impact is not firmly documented. |
A typical starting configuration, subject to verification on your server, is:
tv_enable 1
tv_name "Community GOTV"
tv_title "Community Match"
tv_port 27020
tv_delay 90
tv_advertise_watchable 1If you set the port in the launch command, you can omit tv_port from the file to avoid ambiguity. Keep passwords out of publicly shared configuration snippets.
How viewers connect
Give spectators the server address, TV port, any password and the expected delay. They must connect to the GOTV listener, not the port used by players. A direct connection may be performed through the client’s standard connect workflow or console command, depending on the client and host setup. If direct connection fails, check that the viewer is using the public address, the correct port and UDP reachability.
For a private event, test with one administrator account before publishing the address. If tv_password is set, a viewer who can reach the port but cannot authenticate will appear to be blocked even though GOTV is functioning.
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Record demos with GOTV
Manual recording
To start a TV demo, issue:
tv_record match_nameStop it with:
tv_stoprecordUse a simple name containing the event, map or date, and check the server’s demo directory after stopping. One community guide reports that a map change may be needed once before manual recording works on a newly enabled server. If tv_record is rejected, confirm that GOTV is active, change the map, and retry.
Automatic recording
tv_autorecord 1 is reported as the switch for recording every match automatically. Because this behavior is not clearly documented for current CS2 builds, verify that files are being created and that the storage volume has enough free space before enabling it for a long-running server. Automatic recording can consume disk space quickly; establish a rotation or deletion policy outside the game server.
A demo is not the same thing as a live relay. Recording preserves a file for later playback, while GOTV serving uses CPU, memory, bandwidth and spectator slots during the match.
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A relay is a separate server process that connects to the master and fans the feed out to viewers. This keeps the master from handling every spectator connection directly, but it adds another instance to configure, monitor and secure.
Community tournament guides describe starting a relay with a +tv_relay parameter pointing to the master’s address and port, optionally paired with +tv_relaypassword. Syntax depends on the server build and hosting wrapper, so validate the exact parameters with -help, cvarlist and a private test. Do not rely on claims about a newer tv_relay_secret encryption cvar unless your installed CS2 build explicitly exposes and documents it; its availability is not established here.
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For each relay, allocate a unique process, TV port and firewall rule. Test the master-to-relay connection first, then add viewers to the relay port. If the master works but the relay does not, inspect outbound access from the relay host, the password, the target address and whether the relay is pointed at the master TV port rather than the player port.
Troubleshooting checklist
No GOTV bot or listener appears
- Confirm
tv_enable 1was applied to the master instance, not only a relay. - Restart the process or perform a map change after enabling it.
- Run
cvarlist tv_and check the startup log for an unknown command or a port-binding error. - Ensure another service is not using the selected port.
The server works for players but viewers cannot connect
- Check that the viewer is using the TV port, not the normal game port.
- Open the selected UDP port in the host firewall, cloud security group and router or NAT rule.
- Test from an external network to rule out a false-positive local test.
- Verify the public address resolves to the correct host and that no password is being mistyped.
Viewers connect but cannot watch through the game UI
- Set
tv_advertise_watchable 1if your build supports it. - Do not assume the “Watch Game in Progress” menu works for custom community servers. Community discussion has not produced a confirmed, general answer.
- Use a direct TV-port connection as the test path while investigating UI discovery.
Recording commands fail or produce no file
- Enable GOTV first and complete a map change.
- Check that
tv_recordandtv_stoprecordappear in the cvar/command list. - Use a filesystem location writable by the dedicated-server account and verify available disk space.
- After stopping, inspect logs and the demo directory rather than assuming a successful command created a file.
Performance, delay and access decisions
Every spectator consumes resources. The practical controls are the viewer cap (tv_maxclients), relay placement, snapshot settings and the number of simultaneous recordings. Start with a small cap, observe CPU, memory, network traffic and tick stability during a full match, then increase capacity gradually. A relay is preferable when many viewers are expected, but it needs its own host capacity and monitoring.
Use a delay appropriate to the event. A 90-second delay is common in competitive-style guides, but the correct value depends on whether players could gain an advantage from live information. Password-protect practice sessions, keep relay credentials private and avoid exposing spectator voice or text unless participants have agreed to it.
CS2-specific limits and compatibility
Most detailed GOTV instructions available publicly originated in the CS:GO era. The core names—tv_enable, tv_port, tv_delay and the recording commands—are widely reported for Source games, but a CS:GO guide is not proof that every option behaves identically in CS2. Some server hosts explicitly warn that cvars can be removed or renamed between versions.
There is no complete Valve-authored CS2 GOTV reference covering every setting in this guide. Treat cvarlist, startup logs and a controlled test match as the authority for your installed build. Keep a record of the CS2 update date and retest after major server updates, especially if a launch parameter stops working or a relay no longer connects.
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Recommended first-run procedure
- Choose an unused UDP port, starting with
27020. - Add
+tv_enable 1 +tv_port 27020to the master server’s startup command, or settv_enable 1in its configuration and define the port at launch. - Open that UDP port in every relevant firewall or security group.
- Restart the server and change the map.
- Run
statusand, if available,tv_status. - Set a title, optional 90-second delay, password and viewer cap according to the event.
- Test one external viewer, then start a short
tv_record/tv_stoprecordcycle if recording is required. - Only after the direct feed is stable, add relays or raise the spectator limit.
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