How to install Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp plugins on a CS2 server

Your CS2 server plugins stop loading after an update, or never load at all, because CS2 has no plugin support of its own and every update resets the gameinfo.gi line Metamod needs. RCON Hub fixes it: its CS2 Manager pack has a plugin manager that installs Metamod, CounterStrikeSharp and your plugins for you, puts gameinfo.gi back before every start and checks that everything loaded.

Why plugins break on CS2

CS2 has no plugin support of its own. Metamod loads plugins into the game, and CounterStrikeSharp runs C# plugins on top of it. Most plugins need both.

Metamod hooks in through one line in gameinfo.gi. CS2 updates reset that file, so after an update no plugin loads. The server starts fine, and your admin tools, map votes and match plugin are just gone.

So the manual fix looks like this:

• Find the Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp builds that fit the current CS2 build.
• Unzip them into the right folders, then add the Metamod line back to gameinfo.gi by hand.
• Hunt down each plugin's dependencies and install those first.
• Read the console to work out which plugin didn't load, and why.

Then CS2 updates again, and you start over.

What the game and other tools leave out

• Updates wipe the Metamod line. CS2 overwrites gameinfo.gi on update, and a plain RCON tool leaves you to add the line back by hand after every one. CS2 Manager repairs gameinfo.gi before every start.
• No warning when a build doesn't fit. After an update, the frameworks can fail quietly or crash the server until fixed builds ship. CS2 Manager holds back a release that says it doesn't fit, and Start without plugins runs the server vanilla meanwhile.
• Silent load failures. The server starts fine with no plugins loaded, and nothing tells you. CS2 Manager runs a load check after every start and names each plugin that didn't load, and why.
• No undo. Unzipping over the addons folder can't be taken back. CS2 Manager backs up the addons folder before every change, so you can roll back.
• Bans that don't stick. CS2's own banid keeps nothing. CS2 Manager kicks a banned player whenever they join, and its own RCON Hub Bans plugin keeps them out while the app is closed.

How RCON Hub fixes it

CS2 Manager handles the whole chain from its Plugins page. It installs Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp in one go, picks plugins from a curated catalogue or any GitHub link, and installs their dependencies first. The repair, load check, backups and Start without plugins all live on the same page.

Step-by-step setup

1. Install RCON Hub. Download it from rconhub.gg and run the installer. It's free for Windows 10 and 11.
2. Add the CS2 game pack. Open RCON Hub. On Your games, click Add game, pick Counter-Strike 2 and click Install.
3. Set up your server. Open the CS2 card. Click Install it for me to download the dedicated server with SteamCMD (about 35 to 60 GB). Already have one? Paste the folder that holds cs2.exe and click Use it.
4. Stop the server. Windows locks loaded plugin files, so installs wait until the server is stopped.
5. Install the frameworks. Open the Plugins page. Under Plugin frameworks, click Install next to CounterStrikeSharp. Installing CounterStrikeSharp installs Metamod too.
6. Add your plugins. Under Add a plugin, use Find a plugin to search the catalogue, or paste a GitHub link. Click Install.
7. Start and check. On the Server page, click Start server. Back on Plugins, the load check shows Everything loaded, or names each plugin that didn't load and why.
8. Roll back if needed. A bad update? Pick a backup under Backups of the addons folder and click Roll back.

Renting your server? Add it on the Servers page with file access. The Plugins page then works on it too. Stop the server first.

Is it safe?

Yes.

• It runs locally. RCON Hub and CS2 Manager run on your own Windows PC. CS2 Manager never opens the RCON port in your firewall or on your router.
• No injection. RCON Hub never touches the game client or your players' games. There's nothing for VAC to flag, so it won't get anyone banned.
• Your login token stays safe. Skin, knife, glove and agent changers are refused, because they get your login token banned.
• Your secrets stay put. The Game Server Login Token is stored encrypted, and the RCON password never goes on the command line.

It's beta software. Back up your server's settings and data before you change things.

Stop reinstalling Metamod after every update

Your plugins should survive a CS2 update. Download RCON Hub, add the CS2 pack, and keep your server's plugins loading.

Download RCON Hub 0.3.13 More guides