Counter-Strike 2 Server Hosting
Counter-Strike 2 server plans
Pick the plan that fits your community. Every plan deploys instantly and can be resized later from the control panel.
Starter
A practice server for one team - scrims, retakes and a nade range that is always up.
- RAM
- 2 GB
- NVMe
- 60 GB
- CPU
- 1 vCore
Standard
Competitive and Wingman for a regular group, with SourceTV recording demos alongside.
- RAM
- 4 GB
- NVMe
- 80GB
- CPU
- 2 vCores
Ultimate
Busy Deathmatch or Arms Race rotations on a public server with a full plugin load.
- RAM
- 6GB
- NVMe
- 100GB
- CPU
- 3 vCores
Included with every plan
Save up to 17% with longer billing periods
Built for Counter-Strike 2: the mode you picked, and maps that fetch themselves
Valve retired the tick-rate argument when CS2 shipped, so what a rented server is worth now comes down to three things: the mode, the map, and the plugin stack.
You boot into the mode you asked for, not one nearby
A CS2 mode is a pair, not a setting — Competitive is game_mode 1 with game_type 0, Wingman 2 and 0, Deathmatch 2 and 1, Arms Race 0 and 1 — and one wrong number drops your team somewhere nobody asked for. Both are Startup-tab fields. Counter-Strike 2 configuration
Workshop maps arrive and stay current without you
Give the server a numeric Workshop ID and it pulls the map through Steam, mounts it, and re-checks for a newer version every single run, so that one field doubles as the update mechanism. Any official map is a Startup-tab field too. How to add Steam Workshop maps for Counter-Strike 2
The plugin stack CS2 actually takes, named for you
Nothing from the CS:GO era loads, because SourceMod is a Source 1 platform. CS2 wants Metamod:Source's 2.x branch with CounterStrikeSharp above it, and MatchZy for 5v5 — and an update can overwrite gameinfo.gi and unhook the lot. The files are yours. How to install plugins on a Counter-Strike 2 server · Running 5v5 matches with MatchZy
No contracts • Cancel anytime • 72-hour money-back guarantee
Powerful Server Management
Every server comes with our feature-rich game panel — manage your server from anywhere with no technical expertise required.
Live Server Console
Monitor your server in real time with a built-in console, live CPU, memory, and network graphs, plus one-click start, restart, and stop controls.
Full File Manager
Browse, upload, edit, and manage all your server files directly from the panel — no FTP client needed. Drag and drop uploads, bulk actions, and more.
Startup Configuration
Fine-tune every aspect of your server with an intuitive variable editor. Selects, toggles, and validated inputs replace fragile command-line flags.
One-Click Backups
Create on-demand or scheduled backups with one click. Lock critical snapshots, download them for offsite storage, or restore any of them yourself.
Network & Allocations
Every server gets a dedicated port allocation behind always-on DDoS filtering. Ports are assigned when the server is built and matched to our firewall rules, so the ones your server needs are open before you log in.
Global Server Network
Pick a data center close to your players. The times below are measured live from your own connection, not quoted from ours. View all locations.
Counter-Strike 2 servers deploy from four locations. Dallas sits in the middle of North America and is the usual default for a community spread across the United States. Ashburn covers the East Coast and is the shorter hop for players in the eastern states and eastern Canada. London serves the UK, Ireland and the western edge of Europe, and Frankfurt sits central for Germany, the Nordics, the Benelux countries and most of Eastern Europe. Between them the four cover North America and Europe end to end.
The figures beside each city were measured by your own browser a moment ago, so read them as a fair guide to what players near you will see rather than a number we picked. If you choose the wrong one, moving is free: open a ticket and support migrates your server files to any available location at no charge.
What our customers say
“Extremly fast responds time. They always are willing to help and go beyond if a problem do appear. I highly recommend this hosting provider”
Galanor
CEO, Galanor LLC
“This is the first time in my life that someone actually tried to help around this world of VPS/dedicated servers. Rene isn't good, he is amazing! Gave total attention, made recommendations. I am looking forward to migrate my services to GameServerKings because of Rene. I appreciate the attention once again.”
Igor garcia
“I've been with GSK and Cosmic guard for nearly 2 years now, They are very professional, helpful and quick to fix any issues. They normally can get a tech in same day to fix and hardware issues. We've had 2 cpu's burn out and they replaced them (after diagnosing the issue) Fast and free Extra big should out to Alexander hes the goat <3”
Josh from flowstate
CS2 dedicated servers — when one server becomes a match schedule
A CS2 server is small. A match schedule is not: competitive, Wingman, Deathmatch and a SourceTV-backed demo server are separate instances, and a league night wants several of them live at the same time. A dedicated machine is the right home for the set — every core yours, and the headroom to hold full tick on all of them at once.
For one server, on any official map, a shared plan is the right size and lists publicly just the same.
Run it on our game panel
Hand us the machine and we deploy it onto the same GameServerKings panel you already know — one-click installs, mods, backups, and 24/7 support, managed on your behalf.
Or manage it yourself
Prefer full control? Take root access and run it your way. The box is yours end to end — we just keep the hardware and network humming underneath.
Counter-Strike 2 Knowledge Base
Guides for installing, configuring, and troubleshooting your Counter-Strike 2 server.
Counter-Strike 2
Kick a cheater, make the ban survive the next restart, and see which parts of moderation genuinely need a plugin.
A stock server cannot pause for a disconnect or run a knife round. One plugin adds those, plus locked teams and demos.
Nothing from the CS:GO plugin era loads here. Build the stack that does, and avoid the plugins that get tokens banned.
One file sets who can see your server, who can administer it and how long a round lasts. A second makes it a nade range.
Put community maps on your server without copying a single file, and let a Steam collection drive the rotation for you.
Get a new server booted, visible in the community browser and rotating the maps you picked rather than Valve's defaults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Counter-Strike 2 server hosting with GameServerKings
How much does it cost to run a Counter-Strike 2 server?
A Counter-Strike 2 server here starts at $11.50 a month. The price tracks the resources you pick:
- Starting
- 1 vCore · 2 GB RAM · 60 GB storage
- $11.50/mo
- Fully loaded
- 3 vCores · 6GB RAM · 100GB storage
- $28.40/mo
- Dedicated IPv4
- Optional add-on
- +$5.00/mo
- Longer terms
- Paid annually or up front
- 5–17% off
How quickly will my server be ready?
Your Counter-Strike 2 server is provisioned automatically within about a minute of payment. You'll receive login credentials to your inbox so you can connect straight away.
Do game updates install automatically?
Yes. Your Counter-Strike 2 server is kept on the current game build automatically — you don't need to patch it by hand or open a ticket when the game updates.
Can I install mods and plugins?
Yes, and nothing on your server is locked: you get full control-panel and FTP/SFTP access to gameinfo.gi and the addons folder, so you install what you like and we don't restrict what you run. What CS2 uses is Metamod:Source (the 2.x dev branch) with CounterStrikeSharp on top for plugins, or CS2Fixes as a standalone Metamod alternative. Worth knowing before you start: SourceMod itself does not run on Counter-Strike 2 — CS2 is built on Source 2 and SourceMod is a Source 1 platform, so plugins written for CS:S or TF2 will not load. A CS2 game update can also overwrite gameinfo.gi and quietly unload Metamod, so expect to re-apply that one line after some patches. Our Counter-Strike 2 knowledge base has step-by-step install guides for Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp, admin setup, and competitive match configuration.
What if I need to upgrade my resources?
Upgrading is instant. You can change your memory, storage, or CPU priority from your client area at any time without any downtime or server migration.
Is DDoS protection included?
Yes. Every Counter-Strike 2 server includes enterprise-grade DDoS mitigation at no extra charge. We absorb attacks at the network edge — your players won't notice a thing.
Are backups included?
Yes, and in two ways. Your Counter-Strike 2 server is backed up automatically every 24 hours to off-site storage, so there is a recent copy to fall back on if the machine itself fails — you do not have to set anything up for that. On top of it, every plan includes five backup slots in the control panel that are yours to use: take one with a single click before a wipe, an update or a mod install, or set a schedule so they run on their own, and restore or download any of those five whenever you like. Neither costs extra.
Do I need a dedicated IP?
Only if you want one. A dedicated IPv4 address gives your Counter-Strike 2 server its own entry in the in-game server browser and puts it on the game's default port, so players can connect by typing just the IP address. Without one your server shares an IP with other servers and uses its own port instead — it runs exactly the same and your friends can still join, they just need the IP and the port together. It costs $5.00 a month if you decide you want it.
Do you offer a money-back guarantee?
We offer a 72-hour money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied for any reason within the first 72 hours, contact us and we'll issue a full refund — no questions asked.
Can I switch server locations?
Yes. Contact our support team and we'll help you migrate your server data to any of our available locations at no charge.
Still have questions?
Our support team is available 24/7 and typically responds in under 5 minutes.
Open a support ticketDeploy Your Counter-Strike 2 Server.
Join thousands of gamers who trust GameServerKings for reliable, high-performance server hosting.
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