CS2Server Admin

CS2 RCON Commands: Counter-Strike 2 Server Admin Reference

How RCON works on a CS2 dedicated server (and why the in-game rcon prefix is broken), plus the commands that matter: status, kick, banid/writeid, match cvars, bot control, map and mode switching, and the CS:GO-to-CS2 changes that catch admins out.

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Counter-Strike 2 runs a dedicated server with the standard Source RCON protocol (TCP). This reference covers connecting, moderation, match settings, bots, and the CS2-specific differences from CS:GO.

How CS2 RCON works

RCON uses TCP on the game port (default 27015). Two requirements:

The launch flag -usercon must be present, or the RCON listener never starts.
rcon_password must be set (non-empty).

cs2 -dedicated -usercon +map de_dust2 +rcon_password "mypassword"

The in-game rcon prefix is broken in CS2. In CS:GO you could type rcon <command> from a connected client's console. That was disabled at CS2 launch and never restored. Use an external Source RCON tool that connects over TCP - it sends commands bare (e.g. changelevel de_mirage, not rcon changelevel de_mirage).

Moderation

Command	Syntax	Notes
`status`	`status`	Lists userid, name, SteamID (server console only), ping.
`kick`	`kick <name>`	Kick by name (partial match).
`kickid`	`kickid <userid> [reason]`	Kick by the numeric userid from `status`.
`banid`	`banid <minutes> <steamid> [kick]`	Ban a SteamID; `0` = permanent. Add `kick` to remove immediately.

banid takes minutes, not seconds, and does not kick on its own unless you add the kick argument. Bans are in-memory until you run writeid/writeip. Add exec banned_user.cfg and exec banned_ip.cfg to your server.cfg so bans reload on restart.

The numeric userid is session-scoped and changes between maps - always re-run status before using kickid. CS2 SteamIDs use the STEAM_1:X:XXXXXXXX format, not SteamID64.

banid 0 STEAM_1:0:12345678 kick      # permanent ban + kick
writeid                              # persist it

Match settings

Cvar	Description
`mp_maxrounds <n>`	Rounds before the map ends.
`mp_roundtime <minutes>`	Round length (use `mp_roundtime_defuse` on bomb maps).
`mp_freezetime <seconds>`	Buy/freeze phase at round start.
`mp_startmoney <amount>`	Starting money.
`mp_maxmoney <amount>`	Money cap (default 16000).
`mp_friendlyfire <0\|1>`	Team damage.
`mp_autoteambalance <0\|1>`	Auto-balance at round end.
`mp_warmup_end`

Bots

Command	Description
`bot_add [T\|CT] [difficulty]`	Add a bot. Difficulty: `easy`, `normal`, `hard`, `expert`.
`bot_kick [T\|CT\|name]`	Kick bots (no args = all).
`bot_quota <n>`	Maximum simultaneous bots.
`bot_difficulty <0-3>`	Difficulty for bots added afterwards.
`bot_stop <0\|1>`	Freeze all bots.

Maps and modes

Command	Description
`changelevel <map>`	Switch map without a full restart.
`map <map>`	Full map load with a clean reset.
`host_workshop_map <id>`	Load a Steam Workshop map by its numeric ID.
`sv_cheats <0\|1>`	Gate for cheat-flagged commands (private servers only).
`exec <file>`	Run a `.cfg` from the `cfg/` folder.
`hostname <name>`	Set the browser server name.
`sv_password <pw\|0>`	Password-protect the server (`0` = open).

game_type and game_mode set the mode together and take effect on the next map load (best set as launch args):

Mode	game_type	game_mode
Casual	0	0
Competitive	0	1
Wingman	0	2
Arms Race	1	0
Deathmatch	1	2

CS:GO to CS2 changes worth knowing

The in-game rcon prefix no longer works - external tool only.
god (full invulnerability) is replaced by buddha true (you survive but take damage).
sv_grenade_trajectory 1 is now sv_grenade_trajectory_prac_pipreview 1.
sv_hibernate is now sv_hibernate_when_empty.
status no longer shows SteamIDs to connected players - only from the server console/RCON.

Quick reference

status                               # userids + SteamIDs (server console)
kickid 5 "Rule break"                # kick by userid
banid 0 STEAM_1:0:12345678 kick      # permanent ban + kick
writeid                              # persist bans
changelevel de_mirage                # switch map
mp_restartgame 1                     # restart match
say "Server restarting soon"

Running these in MantaScope

MantaScope's web RCON connects to your CS2 server over the Source RCON protocol from the browser - so you can run these commands, manage bans that persist across restarts, and automate restarts and announcements without a separate desktop tool.