CS2 workshop maps on a dedicated server: collections, voting, and fast download

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CS2 workshop maps on a dedicated server: collections, voting, and fast download

If you run a CS2 dedicated server and want to offer community maps without manually uploading files, the Steam Workshop integration is the way to go. This guide covers the two main approaches (collections and individual maps), how to set up map voting, and how to configure fast download so players do not wait forever on large maps.

How workshop maps work on a server

Valve's Workshop lets server operators load community maps directly from Steam. When you subscribe to a map or collection, Steam downloads it to the server, and players' clients download it automatically when they join. There is no need to manually transfer files.

The two main methods are:

• Workshop Collections: group multiple maps together and let players vote between them.
• Individual Workshop Maps: load a single map by its Workshop ID.

Setting up a workshop collection

1. Find or create a collection on the Steam Workshop. A collection ID is the number at the end of the collection URL, for example

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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=123456789

.
2. Add the collection ID to your

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server.cfg

:

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host_workshop_collection "123456789"
host_workshop_map ""
workshop_start_map ""

3. Restart the server. It will begin downloading the maps in the collection.

Setting up an individual workshop map

1. Browse the Steam Workshop and copy the map ID from the URL.
2. Add it to your

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server.cfg

:

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host_workshop_collection ""
host_workshop_map "987654321"

3. Restart the server or use RCON to change the map immediately:

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rcon_password YOUR_PASSWORD
rcon changelevel workshop/987654321

Enabling map voting

To let players vote on which map to play next, add these settings to your

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server.cfg

:

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sv_vote_level_change "1"
sv_vote_issue_changelevel_allowed "1"
sv_allow_votes "1"
sv_vote_issue_nextlevel_allowed "1"

Setting up fast download

Large workshop maps can take a while to download on the client side. Fast download lets you serve map files from a web server so players get them faster:

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sv_allowupload 1
sv_allowdownload 1
sv_downloadurl "http://your-fast-cdn.com/fastdl/"

To set up a fast download server, copy the workshop maps from

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csgo/maps/workshop/

to your web server and maintain the same directory structure.

Troubleshooting

• Map not downloading: check that the workshop ID is correct and the server has internet access.
• Players cannot download: set up fast download or ensure workshop downloading is enabled for clients.
• Map crashes the server: the map may be outdated or incompatible with the current CS2 version.
• Slow downloads: implement fast download or host maps on a high-bandwidth server.

Sources
[1] Valve: CS2 Maps Workshop FAQ
[2] CS2 Workshop Maps: Installation and Guide