Counter-Strike 2 / UPDATED October 27, 2026

How to Set Up a Dedicated Deathmatch Server in CS2

Run a high-performance Free-For-All (FFA) or Team Deathmatch server in CS2 using CounterStrikeSharp and the CS2-Deathmatch plugin in DustBowl Warden.

CS2DeathmatchFFAPluginsCounterStrikeSharpAim TrainingWarden

Why Run a Community Deathmatch Server?

Free-For-All (FFA) Deathmatch is the primary aim training, warmup, and community recruitment format in Counter-Strike 2. While Valve provides an official Deathmatch game mode, community servers prefer plugin-driven deathmatch suites that feature instant respawns, player weapon selection menus (!guns), custom spawn protection timers, and headshot-only modes.

Prerequisites

CounterStrikeSharp (CSS) must be installed on your server — see CS2 Plugins Guide.

Step 1: Install CS2-Deathmatch via DustBowl Warden

The standard DM plugin is CS2-Deathmatch by NockyCZ:

Stop your server from the DustBowl Warden Console.
Download the latest release .zip from the NockyCZ/CS2-Deathmatch GitHub repository.
Open DustBowl Warden File Manager (or connect via SFTP on port 2022).
Navigate to:
```
game/csgo/
```

Extract the archive so that the plugin binary lands at:

game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/Deathmatch/

Start the server from the Warden Dashboard.

Step 2: Configure Free-For-All and Weapon Menus

Open the configuration file in Warden File Manager:

game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/configs/plugins/Deathmatch/Deathmatch.json

{
  "FreeForAll": true,
  "SpawnProtectionTime": 1.5,
  "RespawnDelay": 1.0,
  "GiveHPOnKill": 25,
  "GiveAmmoOnKill": true,
  "AllowWeaponsMenu": true
}

FreeForAll: When true, every player can shoot anyone regardless of CT or T team assignment.
SpawnProtectionTime: Seconds of invulnerability upon spawning (prevents instant spawn camping).
GiveHPOnKill: Health replenished immediately upon securing a frag, keeping aggressive players alive.

Step 3: Warden Startup Options for Deathmatch

In DustBowl Warden, navigate to the Startup tab:

Set Game Type to 0 and Game Mode to 0 (Casual mode provides the most stable base round loop for custom deathmatch plugins).
Set Max Players to 16 or 20 (FFA deathmatch becomes chaotic with > 20 players on defusal maps).

In game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg, append the following cvars:

mp_respawn_on_death_t 1
mp_respawn_on_death_ct 1
mp_respawn_immunitytime 0
mp_roundtime 60
mp_timelimit 30

Player Commands

!guns / !menu: Opens the weapon selection menu to pick primary weapons (AK-47, M4A1-S, AWP) and secondary sidearms.
!hs: Toggles headshot-only mode for focused crosshair placement training.