CS:GO Dedicated Server Windows Setup

Learn how to quickly and efficiently set up a CS:GO Dedicated Server on your server → Find out more

10 November 20262 min read0 Views0 helpful

Introduction

Do you have a VPS/dedicated server and want to install game servers on it? For example, a CS:GO Dedicated Server? You’re in the right place! Below, we’ll explain step by step how to install this service on your server.

Preparation

SteamCMD is required to set up a CS:GO server. SteamCMD is the command-line version of the Steam client. With this tool, you can quickly and easily download VPS/dedicated server applications for popular Steam games. You can find SteamCMD on the official Valve Developer Community page: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD.

Next, download the files. The download contains the steamcmd.zip file, which you’ll need to extract first. We recommend creating a separate folder and extracting the file there. Once complete, you should see steamcmd.exe. Run it and wait for the installation process to finish.

When the message Loading Steam API.... OK appears, the process has completed successfully, and you can start installing the CS:GO server.

Installation

After installation, you should be able to run commands in the Steam command line (steamcmd.exe). You’ll need to log in there using the anonymous user. Run the following command: login anonymous

The next step is installation. Run the command app_update 730. The App ID 730 refers to the CS:GO Dedicated Server application.

Please wait for the download to finish; this may take a while for larger games. Once it’s complete, a success message will appear.

To make the server visible and accessible from outside your network, you need to allow or forward the server ports in use through the firewall. To do this, open the Windows Firewall settings.

You’ll need to add additional rules in the settings. Click the inbound and outbound rules as described below, then add rules for ports 27015–27020 using the TCP/UDP protocols.

Configuration

At this point, you’ve completed the basic installation of your CS:GO server. You can make additional server configuration changes by editing the startup file. Navigate to your root directory. There, you’ll find the cfg folder, where you can open the server.cfg file and adjust the server options.

Code

../steamapps/common/CS:GO-ds/game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg

Register a GSL Token

For other players to join your server, you need to generate and add a Game Server Login Token (GSLT). This token authenticates your server with Steam. To create a GSLT, visit http://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers and generate a token using Game ID 4465480, which is for the new standalone version of CS:GO.

Once you have the token, add it to your server startup parameters using +sv_setsteamaccount <TOKEN>.

Start and Connect to the Server

Now it’s time to start your server. Go to the main game directory and run the following startup command:

Code

.\CS:GO.exe -dedicated +sv_setsteamaccount XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX +map de_dust2

You should now see logs in the command-line window indicating that the server started successfully. Keep in mind that the first startup may take a little while as everything is set up. Alternatively, you can connect directly by searching for [your_ip_address]:27015 in the search bar at the bottom of the server list.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve successfully installed and configured your CS:GO server on your VPS/dedicated server! If you have any further questions or run into problems, our support team is available every day—don’t hesitate to contact us! 🙂

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Remote Desktop (RDP) access to your Windows server and SteamCMD (the command-line version of the Steam client).

Download it from the official Valve Developer Community page (developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD). Extract the downloaded steamcmd.zip, then run steamcmd.exe and wait for 'Loading Steam API.... OK' to appear.

After running 'login anonymous', use the command 'app_update 730' (Steam App ID 730).

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CS:GO Dedicated Server Windows Setup

Introduction

Preparation

Installation

Configuration

Register a GSL Token

Start and Connect to the Server

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Software

Preparation

Installation

Configuration

Register a GSL Token

Start and Connect to the Server

Conclusion

Game Server

Servers & Hosting

ZAPX

Resources

ZAP-Hosting