Game modes

A Counter-Strike 2 game mode is mostly selected by these two console variables: game_type and game_mode.

The pair points at one entry in gamemodes.txt, and that entry decides which config files run when a map loads and how many player slots the mode has, some rules are also switched in game code by the raw values, for example the Deathmatch and Arms Race rule sets.

Two more convars change the selected mode further:

• sv_game_mode_flags picks a variation such as Free For All Deathmatch

• sv_skirmish_id selects a War Games mode.

All of this is applied when a map loads. Changing the convars in the middle of a match doesn't re-run any configs.

info

It's not recommended to change these while a map is running, some hardcoded game checks can still alter behavior leaving the level in a weird in-between state, so set them before loading the map

Mode list

gamemodes.txt sits in game/csgo/pak01_dir.vpk and lists every game type, with its game modes nested inside. The numbers are each entry's value key.

Mode	game_type	game_mode	Internal name	Slots	Configs, in order
Casual	0	0	casual	20	gamemode_casual.cfg, gamemode_casual_server.cfg
Competitive	0	1	competitive	10	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_competitive_offline.cfg (offline), gamemode_competitive_server.cfg
Wingman	0	2	scrimcomp2v2	4	gamemode_competitive2v2.cfg, gamemode_competitive2v2_offline.cfg (offline), gamemode_competitive2v2_server.cfg
Weapons Expert	0	3	scrimcomp5v5	10	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_competitive_offline.cfg (offline), op08_weapons_expert.cfg (missing), gamemode_competitive_server.cfg
New user training	0	4	new_user_training	10	gamemode_new_user_training.cfg
Retakes	0	5	retakes	7	gamemode_casual.cfg, gamemode_casual_server.cfg, gamemode_retakecasual.cfg
Rush	0	6	rush	6	gamemode_rush.cfg, gamemode_rush_offline.cfg (offline)
Arms Race	1	0	gungameprogressive	16	gamemode_armsrace.cfg, gamemode_armsrace_server.cfg
Demolition	1	1	gungametrbomb	16	gamemode_demolition.cfg, gamemode_demolition_server.cfg
Deathmatch	1	2	deathmatch	16	gamemode_deathmatch.cfg, gamemode_deathmatch_server.cfg
Training	2	0	training	1	gamemode_training.cfg (missing), gamemode_training_server.cfg
Custom	3	0	custom	100	gamemode_custom.cfg, gamemode_custom_server.cfg
Guardian	4	0	cooperative	20	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_cooperative.cfg, gamemode_cooperative_server.cfg
Co-op Strike	4	1	coopmission	10	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_coopmission.cfg, gamemode_coopmission_server.cfg
War Games	5	0	skirmish	16	none
Danger Zone	6	0	survival	16	gamemode_survival.cfg (missing), gamemode_survival_server.cfg
Workshop	7	0	workshop	1	gamemode_workshop.cfg, gamemode_workshop_server.cfg

info

Observarions:

• The game types' internal names are classic (0), gungame (1), training (2), custom (3), cooperative (4), skirmish (5), freeforall (6) and workshop (7).
• Configs live in game/csgo/cfg/. (offline) entries only run in an offline game. (missing) files are named in gamemodes.txt but don't ship with the game.
• No *_server.cfg file ships. They are there for server owners to create, and the couldn't exec ... unable to read file line for them in the console is harmless.
• gamemode_new_user_training.cfg executes gamemode_competitive.cfg itself before its own settings. The mode also uses Competitive's display name in the menu.
• Slots is the mode's maxplayers key. The server reports it as the match's slot count; a dedicated server's own player limit is a separate setting.
• The Workshop type isn't in gamemodes.txt. It comes from gamemodes_tools.txt and is only merged in under the same condition as the workshop alias.
• Training, Guardian, Co-op Strike and Danger Zone are still defined but they are legacy from CS:GO, their maps don't ship with Counter-Strike 2.

Values the game code checks

Most of a mode is plain config, but the server also checks the raw numbers:

• game_type 1 with game_mode 2 creates the Deathmatch rules object when the map loads, and game_type 1 with game_mode 0 creates the Arms Race one.
• game_type 0 with game_mode 1 to 4 or 6 is treated as one group in several checks, which covers Competitive, Wingman, Weapons Expert, New user training and Rush.
• game_type 7 (Workshop) is checked on its own in several places.
• game_type 3 (Custom) with sv_autoexec_mapname_cfg enabled executes cfg/maps/<map name>.cfg after the map's configs, if that file exists.
• game_type 4 (Guardian and Co-op Strike) forces game_online on when the match settings are applied.
• game_type 0 with game_mode 5 turns on the Retakes rules. Both server.dll and client.dll check for that pair, with a matching sv_skirmish_id as an alternative.
• Rush has no checks of its own, game_mode 6 only shows up in the group above. The rest of its behaviour comes from its config and a cs_script.

game_type and game_mode are replicated, so clients always know the current values. game_type defaults to 0 and game_mode to 1, which is Competitive. Aliases and the gamemode option never set a game_type above 7. Values set by hand are only checked when the map loads: a pair with no entry, such as game_type 0; game_mode 9, fails with GamesTypes: game_mode is set to an invalid value (9). Range [0,6]. and no game mode config runs at all, including the flag and skirmish configs.

Switching game mode

Theres a surprisingly large amount of ways to load a gamemode:

Goal	Command
Load a map in a mode	map de_dust2 gamemode=deathmatch
The same as a launch option	+map de_dust2 gamemode deathmatch
Set the mode for the next map	game_alias deathmatch, then map de_dust2
Set the values directly	game_type 1; game_mode 2; map de_dust2
Use the map's own default mode	map de_dust2 gamemode auto

Everything after the map name is read as a list of key/value options, and the mode goes under the gamemode key. Typed in the console, key=value and key value both work. In a launch option use the space form.

game_alias

game_alias sets both convars from one of the aliases below. Run without an argument it prints its usage and the current game_type and game_mode.

It only knows the alias list. Anything else, including internal names like scrimcomp5v5 or rush, prints Game alias "…" is unknown, setting default game type=0 mode=1 and resets both convars to their defaults, which is Competitive.

The gamemode option

The gamemode map option is resolved in three steps:

1. The alias list below.
2. default or auto, which load the map in its own default mode. See Default mode of a map.
3. Any internal mode name from the mode table, searched across all game types. This is how scrimcomp5v5, gungametrbomb, rush or survival work even though they have no alias.

If none of them match, the mode stays whatever game_type and game_mode already were.

Aliases

Alias	game_type	game_mode	Mode
casual, cas	0	0	Casual
competitive, comp	0	1	Competitive
wingman, competitive2v2, comp2v2	0	2	Wingman
new_user_training	0	4	New user training
retakes	0	5	Retakes
armsrace, ar	1	0	Arms Race
deathmatch, dm	1	2	Deathmatch
training	2	0	Training
custom	3	0	Custom
guardian, guard, cooperative	4	0	Guardian
coop, coopstrike, coopmission	4	1	Co-op Strike
workshop, preview	7	0	Workshop, only when gamemodes_tools.txt is loaded

Aliases, default, auto and internal names are all case-sensitive, so type them in lowercase. game_alias Casual or game_alias DEATHMATCH count as unknown.

What happens when a map loads

This is the order a dedicated server goes through, taken from its console with developer 1:

1. Reset game convars to their defaults. game_type, game_mode, sv_game_mode_flags and sv_skirmish_id keep their values.
2. Pick the mode. A gamemode map option is resolved as above and written to game_type and game_mode. Without one, the current values are kept.
3. Run the server configs, server_default.cfg and then server.cfg.
4. Run the mode's exec list. Entries named exec always run, in file order. Entries named exec_offline only run when the game isn't online. A dedicated server always counts as online, so it never runs them. Otherwise it comes down to the hidden game_online convar.
5. Stop here for Custom. With game_type 3 the rest of the sequence is skipped, so game mode flags and skirmish IDs do nothing in Custom.
6. Apply bot difficulty, offline only. The botDifficulty entry selected by custom_bot_difficulty sets its convars, for example bot_difficulty and bot_dont_shoot.
7. Create mode rule objects for Deathmatch and Arms Race.
8. Run the game mode flag configs.
9. Run the skirmish config, if sv_skirmish_id isn't 0.

The configs are queued while this runs, so in the console the GameTypes lines show up before any execing line. A Deathmatch load with developer 1 looks like this:

GameTypes: setting game type to 1.
GameTypes: setting game mode to 2.
GameTypes: set convars for game type/mode (gungame:1/deathmatch:2):
  exec {
    exec gamemode_deathmatch.cfg
    exec gamemode_deathmatch_server.cfg
  }
execing server_default.cfg
execing server.cfg
execing gamemode_deathmatch.cfg
exec: couldn't exec '{*}cfg/gamemode_deathmatch_server.cfg', unable to read file

sv_game_mode_convars is meant to print the current mode's exec list and the convars of the current bot difficulty without loading a map, but on a dedicated server it prints nothing.

Game mode flags

sv_game_mode_flags is a bit field. After the mode's own configs, the server checks two bits and runs a config built from the mode's internal name:

Bit	Config
32	gamemode_<internal name>_short.cfg
4	gamemode_<internal name>_tmm.cfg

Both bits can be set at once, 36, and then the _short config runs first. Only the internal name is used, so on game_type 1; game_mode 2 the server looks for gamemode_deathmatch_short.cfg. No other bit does anything on the server, and as covered above, Custom ignores the flags entirely.

These flag configs ship:

File	What it does
gamemode_deathmatch_short.cfg	Turns on mp_teammates_are_enemies, which makes Deathmatch Free For All.
gamemode_deathmatch_tmm.cfg	Sets mp_dm_teammode to 2 with its kill and bonus scores, a frag limit of 100 and a 65 second warmup.
gamemode_competitive_tmm.cfg	Competitive with overtime, team timeouts and a 20 second freeze time.
gamemode_competitive_short.cfg	Contains only a comment, so it changes nothing.

The play menu offers the flags through panorama/scripts/util_gamemodeflags.vts: Deathmatch gets 32 with a visible Free For All option, and Competitive has 16 registered but hidden from users. The server doesn't react to bit 16.

To play Free For All Deathmatch:

sv_game_mode_flags 32
map de_dust2 gamemode=deathmatch

The flags stay set across map changes, so set them back to 0 before loading a mode that shouldn't use them.

Skirmish IDs (War Games)

War Games are defined under skirmish_modes in scripts/items/items_game.txt. Each one has an ID, a base game mode it is meant to be played on, and a server_exec command:

sv_skirmish_id	Name	Internal name	Base mode	server_exec
0	none (default)
1	Stab Stab Zap	stabstabzap	casual	execwithwhitelist op08_stab_stab_zap.cfg
2	Free For All	dm_freeforall	deathmatch	execwithwhitelist gamemode_dm_freeforall.cfg
3	Flying Scoutsman	flyingscoutsman	casual	execwithwhitelist op08_flying_scoutsman.cfg
4	Trigger Discipline	triggerdiscipline	casual	execwithwhitelist op08_trigger_discipline.cfg
6	Boom! Headshot!	headshots	deathmatch	execwithwhitelist op08_headshots.cfg
7	Hunter-Gatherers	huntergatherers	deathmatch	execwithwhitelist op08_hunter_gatherers.cfg
8	Heavy Assault Suit	heavyassaultsuit	casual	execwithwhitelist op08_heavy_assault_suit.cfg
10	Arms Race	armsrace	gungameprogressive	none
11	Demolition	demolition	gungametrbomb	none
12	Retakes	retakes	casual	execwithwhitelist gamemode_retakecasual.cfg

The skirmish ID doesn't change game_type or game_mode, so the base mode has to be loaded separately.

warning

Counter-Strike 2 has no execwithwhitelist command. With a skirmish ID set, the console prints Unknown command 'execwithwhitelist'! on map load and no skirmish config runs. Most of the op08_* configs don't ship either. gamemode_dm_freeforall.cfg and gamemode_retakecasual.cfg do, and can be run with a plain exec.

What sv_skirmish_id still affects:

• Retakes. The game runs the Retakes rules when the mode is Retakes (game_type 0, game_mode 5) or when sv_skirmish_id equals the ID of the skirmish named retakes, which is 12. Either one is enough, so map de_dust2 gamemode=retakes needs no skirmish ID. The ID is only needed to get the Retakes rules on top of a different mode.
• Slots. With a skirmish ID set, the slot count comes from the War Games entry, 16, instead of the current mode's. ID 12 is the exception, its slot count is mp_retake_t_count plus mp_retake_ct_count, which is 3 + 4 by default. That matches the 7 slots of the Retakes mode itself.
• Match info. The ID is reported to the match as c_skirmishid.

sv_skirmish_id persists across map changes, so set it back to 0 to leave a War Game.

Default mode of a map

map <name> gamemode default and map <name> gamemode auto load the map in its default mode. The default is read from the map's entry in the maps section of gamemodes.txt, from default_game_type and default_game_mode. The official maps all have entries, for example ar_shoots defaults to Arms Race and de_dust2 to Casual.

A map with no entry, such as a workshop map, can provide its own in maps/<map name>.kv, which is only read for maps missing from gamemodes.txt. The file holds a single map entry, and its root key is the map name:

"de_mymap"
{
	"default_game_type"	"1"
	"default_game_mode"	"2"
}

It accepts the other keys of a gamemodes.txt map entry as well, such as nameID, t_models, ct_models, t_arms and ct_arms. Leaving out t_models and ct_models logs GameTypes: missing t_models entry for map de_mymap. and the same line for ct_models, which can be ignored.

Customising modes with gamemodes_server.txt

After gamemodes.txt, the game merges gamemodes_server.txt over it. The file doesn't ship, so the developer message Failed to load gamemodes_server.txt at startup is normal. The launch option -gamemodes_serverfile <file> loads a different file instead.

The file uses the same structure as gamemodes.txt and only needs the keys it changes. Plain values replace the original ones. Entries in an exec block are added after the stock entries, not instead of them:

"GameModes_Server.txt"
{
	"gameTypes"
	{
		"gungame"
		{
			"gameModes"
			{
				"deathmatch"
				{
					"maxplayers"	"24"
					"exec"
					{
						"exec"	"my_deathmatch.cfg"
					}
				}
			}
		}
	}
}

With this file Deathmatch reports 24 slots and runs gamemode_deathmatch.cfg, gamemode_deathmatch_server.cfg and then my_deathmatch.cfg.

Reading the mode at runtime

cs_script scripts can read the current values with Instance.GetGameType() and Instance.GetGameMode(), see the function list. Both return the numbers from the tables above.

Commands and convars

Name	Description
game_type	The current game type. Replicated, defaults to 0.
game_mode	The current game mode within the game type. Replicated, defaults to 1.
game_alias	Sets game_type and game_mode from an alias.
sv_game_mode_flags	Mode variations, see Game mode flags.
sv_skirmish_id	The War Game to run, see Skirmish IDs.
sv_game_mode_convars	Meant to print the current mode's exec list and bot difficulty convars. Prints nothing on a dedicated server.
custom_bot_difficulty	Selects the botDifficulty entry applied in offline games.
game_online	Hidden convar, whether the current game is online. Decides whether exec_offline configs run on a listen server.
-gamemodes_serverfile <file>	Launch option that replaces gamemodes_server.txt.