CS2 Game Modes & How to Change Them
All Counter-Strike 2 game modes with their game_type and game_mode values — Competitive, Casual, Deathmatch, Wingman, and more.
Setting the Game Mode
Via startup parameters:
+game_type 0 +game_mode 1All Game Modes
| Mode | game_type | game_mode | Default Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | 0 | 0 | 20 (10v10) |
| Competitive | 0 | 1 | 10 (5v5) |
| Wingman | 0 | 2 | 4 (2v2) |
| Arms Race | 1 | 0 | 10–20 |
| Deathmatch | 1 | 2 | 20 |
| Custom | 3 | 0 | varies |
Mode Descriptions
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Casual | 10v10, shorter matches, start with Kevlar+Helmet, no friendly fire |
| Competitive | 5v5, standard bomb defusal, full buy system, MR12 (24 rounds) |
| Wingman | 2v2 on smaller map variants |
| Deathmatch | Free-for-all, instant respawn, 10-minute rounds |
| Arms Race | FFA, progress through weapons per kill, first knife kill wins |
| Custom | For modded servers (retakes, surf, KZ, etc.) |
Per-Mode Config Files
Each mode has a _server.cfg file for custom overrides:
| Mode | Config File |
|---|---|
| Casual | gamemode_casual_server.cfg |
| Competitive | gamemode_competitive_server.cfg |
| Wingman | gamemode_competitive2v2_server.cfg |
| Deathmatch | gamemode_deathmatch_server.cfg |
Related Guides
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