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To change a Counter-Strike 2 dedicated server’s mode, set both game_type and game_mode, then load a map. The pair is applied during map loading, so changing one value without a changelevel, restart, or new +map can leave the current match in its previous ruleset.
For the standard modes, Casual is game_type 0 plus game_mode 0, Competitive is 0/1, Wingman is 0/2, and Deathmatch is 1/2. A hosting panel normally exposes the same settings as startup fields; a self-managed server can receive them on the launch command or through the server console.
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What do game_type and game_mode mean in CS2?
CS2 does not have one universal mode number. It chooses a ruleset from the combination of two console variables: game_type identifies the broad family of gameplay, while game_mode selects a mode within that family.
The values are not normally interpreted as a live toggle in the middle of a round. CS2 reads the pair when a map is initialized. If the variables were not set before the map loaded, Valve documents that the map launches in the last game mode played. That is why a console change can appear to have no effect until you run changelevel or restart the server.
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Always treat the two values as one setting. Saving only game_mode, for example, can leave the server with an old or incompatible game_type. Set both values in the same startup entry, script, panel form, or console session.
Which game_type/game_mode pair is each common mode?
These are the standard pairs documented in Valve’s CS2 mode table. The names and available variations can change with game updates, so use the current table when configuring a less common mode.
| Mode | game_type |
game_mode |
Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | 0 | 0 | Public matches with relaxed rules |
| Competitive | 0 | 1 | Standard competitive rules |
| Wingman | 0 | 2 | Small-team Wingman matches |
| Arms Race | 1 | 0 | Weapon-progression matches |
| Demolition | 1 | 1 | Round-based weapon-progression mode |
| Deathmatch | 1 | 2 | Respawn-based free-for-all or team play |
| Custom | 3 | 0 | Custom rules built from server configuration |
Valve’s table also includes Training, Weapons Expert, and other entries. Do not assume that a value from an older guide still represents the same mode after an update. If you need one of those modes, copy its current pair from the official table rather than extrapolating from the common entries above.
How do I set the mode in a CS2 hosting panel?
A managed server panel usually writes the mode into the server’s startup configuration. The labels vary by provider, but the workflow is generally the same: choose the mode or enter both numeric variables, save, and restart.
- Open the server’s Game Settings, Startup, or Launch Options page. The mode controls may appear in a game-specific section or as editable startup variables.
- Select the desired mode. If the panel offers a named selector, use it. If it asks for numbers, enter both variables; for Competitive, for example, use
game_type=0andgame_mode=1according to the panel’s syntax. - Check that both values were saved. A field for only one variable is incomplete. Look for separate entries for
game_typeandgame_mode, or inspect the generated launch line if the panel displays it. - Save the settings and restart the server. A restart ensures the pair is present before the first map loads. Hosting documentation commonly requires this restart after changing the mode.
- Load the intended map after the restart. If the panel lets you choose a first map, make sure the map argument follows the mode variables in the generated command.
Some panels regenerate their startup command whenever you save a setting or restart. If a value you typed into an in-game console disappears later, change the provider’s Startup or Game Settings field instead of relying on a one-time console command. The panel’s own variable names and formatting take precedence over a generic command copied from another host.
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How do I set the mode on a self-managed server?
For a server you launch yourself, put both variables before the map argument. Valve documents this pattern:
./cs2 -dedicated +game_type 0 +game_mode 1 +map de_dust2This example starts a Competitive server and loads de_dust2. The executable path, installation directory, networking options, authentication arguments, and other flags depend on your installation; the important part for mode selection is the order of +game_type, +game_mode, and +map.
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Why must the mode values come before +map?
The map command causes CS2 to initialize the game rules. If +map runs first, the map can start under the previous mode before the new pair is available. Put the pair first in a shell script, systemd command, container entrypoint, or other launcher.
Example startup lines for common modes
Change only the numeric pair while keeping the map argument last:
# Casual
./cs2 -dedicated +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +map de_dust2
# Competitive
./cs2 -dedicated +game_type 0 +game_mode 1 +map de_dust2
# Wingman
./cs2 -dedicated +game_type 0 +game_mode 2 +map de_shortnuke
# Deathmatch
./cs2 -dedicated +game_type 1 +game_mode 2 +map de_dust2Use a map that is appropriate for the selected ruleset. The mode pair determines the rules, but it does not turn every map into a purpose-built layout for that mode.
How do I change the mode while the server is running?
Set both variables in the server console or through your remote-console tool, then force a map load:
game_type 1
game_mode 2
changelevel de_dust2The example changes the server to Deathmatch and reloads de_dust2. You can substitute any valid pair and map. A full restart is not strictly necessary when you can issue the commands safely, but a map change is: it runs the initialization that reads the new values.
Runtime change versus restart
| Route | When to use it | What it does | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Console plus changelevel |
You need to switch an already running server | Applies the pair on the next map load without rebuilding the launch command | The change is temporary if startup or configuration files still specify another mode |
| Restart with startup variables | You want a clean, persistent mode change | Loads the pair before the first map and aligns the process with the saved startup settings | Players are disconnected and any panel may rewrite unsaved manual edits |
A map change ends the current map and may interrupt an active match. Schedule it when players expect a rotation, and save the startup configuration if the new mode should survive the next restart.
Where should CS2 mode settings be stored?
Use the global configuration for server-wide values and a mode-specific server configuration for rules that are loaded when that mode initializes.
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Global settings in server.cfg
The normal location for broad server settings is:
game/csgo/cfg/server.cfgThis file is suitable for values such as the hostname, passwords, and general server options that should apply regardless of whether the server is Casual, Competitive, or Deathmatch. Keep genuinely global settings here so they are easy to audit.
Mode-specific companion files
For rules that belong only to one mode, create the matching owner configuration file, such as:
game/csgo/cfg/gamemode_competitive_server.cfgUse the corresponding mode name for other built-in modes. These companion files are loaded alongside the mode’s rule configuration when a map starts. They are the appropriate place for mode-specific mp_, bot_, and related overrides that would be reset or superseded if placed only in a generic file.
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Do not edit Valve’s shipped default mode files to make a permanent change. Updates can replace them, and an edit intended for one mode can unexpectedly affect every server using that installation. An owner-created gamemode_mode_server.cfg file keeps your overrides separate.
What if the mode works once and then reverts?
That usually indicates a load-order or persistence problem. Confirm that the startup pair contains both variables, that the map is launched after them, and that mode-only rules are in the appropriate companion file. If a hosting panel owns the launch command, make the change in that panel; otherwise it may regenerate the old values on the next restart.
Can a map command select the mode by name?
Yes. Valve documents map aliases that combine a mode selection with a map load. Examples include competitive or comp for Competitive, deathmatch or dm for Deathmatch, and scrimcomp2v2 for a Wingman setup.
For example:
map de_dust2 deathmatchThis form requests the Deathmatch rules while loading de_dust2. It is useful for an administrator making a one-time switch from the console. For a persistent server identity, still put the numeric pair in the startup settings or the provider’s panel; an alias used during one map load does not replace a saved launch configuration.
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Aliases are conveniences, not a guarantee that every historical name remains available. If an alias fails after a game update, use the current numeric pair from Valve’s mode table and load the map explicitly.
How do custom modes and War Games variations work?
The 3/0 pair identifies Custom. It supplies a base for rules you define, rather than a complete preset with one universally fixed ruleset. Put your custom overrides in the appropriate server configuration and apply them by loading a map after the pair is set.
CS2 also exposes advanced variation controls:
sv_game_mode_flagscan modify a base mode with documented flags, such as short-match variations.sv_skirmish_idselects a documented War Games or skirmish variation.
Use these only after selecting the intended base mode. Set the pair, set the documented flag or skirmish value, and then load the map. Because these controls are tied to the map-load process, changing a flag without reloading the map can leave the current match unchanged.
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Why is the server still using the old mode?
Work through the symptom that matches what you see rather than changing unrelated rules.
The server starts in the previous mode after a restart
- Check that both
game_typeandgame_modeare present in the startup command or panel fields. - Verify that
+mapappears after those variables. - Check whether the hosting panel rewrote the launch line when the server restarted.
- Confirm that you selected a valid pair from the current mode table.
The console accepts the new values, but gameplay does not change
Changing the variables alone does not reinitialize the current map. Run changelevel with the desired map, or restart the server so the map loads again with the new pair.
Rules change briefly and then reset on the next map
Move mode-specific rules into the matching gamemode_mode_server.cfg file. Keep only server-wide settings in server.cfg, and inspect any provider startup template that may apply another set of values at launch.
A provider panel keeps changing my numbers
Use the panel’s documented Game Settings or Startup variables. Some panels treat their web form as the source of truth and regenerate the command line, so an edit made only through the console is not persistent.
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Players cannot join after switching modes
Check the mode’s expected player count and the server’s maximum-player launch setting. Valve’s mode table lists default maximums by mode; a server configured for a different capacity can reject connections or produce an unsuitable lobby even when the mode pair is correct.
A mode name works in one command but not another
Check whether you used a documented map alias, a numeric pair, or a provider-specific selector. Aliases can change with updates, while the numeric values are the canonical inputs shown in Valve’s table. For a repeatable deployment, keep the numeric pair in the startup configuration and reserve aliases for deliberate map-load commands.
What is the safest setup for a persistent community server?
A reliable deployment separates the mode decision from the rules that customize it.
- Choose the base mode and record both numeric values.
- Place those values before
+mapin the launch command, or enter them in the hosting panel’s startup fields. - Keep hostname, passwords, and other all-mode settings in
server.cfg. - Put mode-only
mp_,bot_, and related changes in the matching owner-created mode server file. - Restart once after saving a panel or startup change.
- When switching during operation, set both variables and run
changelevel. - After an update, recheck the current Valve mode table and any aliases or variation identifiers you use.
This arrangement avoids the two most common causes of confusion: a mode pair that was never applied to a map, and a correct console change that was later overwritten by startup or mode-specific configuration.
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Can I set only game_mode if the server is already running?
Do not rely on a single variable. The ruleset is selected from the pair, so set game_type and game_mode together, then load a map to make CS2 initialize that combination.
Does using a map alias permanently change the server’s startup mode?
No. An alias such as dm is a convenient instruction for a particular map load. If the server must return to that mode after a process restart, save the numeric pair in the launch configuration or hosting panel as well.
What should I do before upgrading the server files?
Back up server.cfg and your owner-created gamemode_*_server.cfg files, then check the updated Valve mode table for changed pairs, aliases, or variation identifiers. Keeping custom files separate from shipped defaults makes it easier to restore your settings after an update.
Why does Custom mode not behave like a named preset?
Custom (game_type 3, game_mode 0) is a base for administrator-defined rules rather than one fixed package of settings. Its actual behavior depends on the additional configuration you load for the server and the map.
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