Guides6 min read
Setting up a Counter-Strike 2 server, token and all
Why Valve issues you the token rather than us, how to create one for app 730, and what to change before anyone joins.
A CS2 server needs a Game Server Login Token, and it has to be yours. Valve issues one per server to an account that owns the game, tied to that account. We cannot create it for you and we do not share one between customers - a shared token is a ban that takes everybody with it.
Getting the token
- 1.Sign in at the Steam Game Server Account Management page with an account that owns CS2.
- 2.Create an account with app ID 730 and a memo you will recognise later.
- 3.Copy the 32-character token.
- 4.Paste it into the Setup tab and start the server.
Without the token the server still runs and you can still connect directly by address - it simply will not appear in the public browser. That is the single most common 'my server is broken' report, and it is not broken.
What to change before you open it
- The RCON password. It ships generated rather than blank, but if you change it, change it to something long.
- sv_setsteamaccount is set from your token by the Setup tab - do not also set it in a config file, or the two will disagree.
- Tick rate and max players, which decide how much CPU the server actually uses.
- The map cycle, unless you enjoy Dust II exclusively.
A token is a credential. If you paste it into a Discord channel to ask for help, revoke it and make a new one.