--- title: "TF2 Dedicated Server: Setup and Admin Guide" url: https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/tf2-dedicated-server/ lastmod: 2026-10-26 --- # TF2 Dedicated Server: Setup, GSLT, Maps and Admin Commands Run a TF2 dedicated server: Valve's 64-bit server, the optional Steam token, the first map and slots, joining with connect, your own cvars, and kicks and bans from the panel. By [Baurtock](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/author/baurtock/) Updated Oct 26, 2026 · 6 min read Read in[es](https://1up-servers.com/es/blog/servidor-dedicado-tf2/)[en](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/tf2-dedicated-server/) **Your game server, free**Ready in 60 seconds, no card.[Create free server](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/) A TF2 dedicated server brings back what made Team Fortress 2 communities work: fixed teams, a map rotation you pick and regulars who know each other by name. This guide covers Valve's dedicated server, running it on our [Team Fortress 2 server hosting](https://1up-servers.com/en/team-fortress-2/), the Steam token, the settings, how players connect and how to moderate. - **What it is:** Valve's free Team Fortress 2 Dedicated Server, Steam app 232250, for Windows and Linux. We run its 64-bit Linux build. - **Steam token:** optional. Without a GSLT the server logs on to Steam anonymously and still accepts players by address. - **Players:** 2 to 32. A new server opens on ctf_2fort with 24 slots when your plan allows it. - **On 1up:** TF2 needs 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk, so it runs on Free with the hourglass at ×1.5 and 24/7 from Casual. ## 1. Self-host or hosting? TF2's own matchmaking puts you on Valve's servers with strangers. A community server is yours: your maps, your rules, your bans. - **Self-host:** install the server with SteamCMD (`+login anonymous +app_update 232250 validate`) and start `srcds_run -game tf +map ctf_2fort +maxplayers 24`. You open UDP 27015 on your router and keep the PC on. - **A hosted server:** the server runs in a data centre and you manage it from a web panel. The install is heavy for an old Source game. We measured about 14.5 GB of files and close to 800 MB of memory with nobody connected, which is why TF2 runs on Free with the hourglass at ×1.5: its disk is bigger than Free's 6 GB. ## 2. Create a TF2 server on 1up 1. Create an account and press **Create server**. 2. Choose **Team Fortress 2**. On Free it runs with the hourglass at ×1.5 (your free time drains 1.5 times faster); Casual and up keep it online 24/7. 3. Pick a region, London or Paris. The wizard measures your ping and suggests the nearest one. 4. Optionally paste a Steam GSLT (section 3), choose the first map and the slots. 5. Create the server. The first start downloads the whole game from Steam and takes several minutes; later starts only fetch new builds. 6. When it is online, the **Overview** shows the **IP** line with the address and port. **Team Fortress 2 24/7 from Casual** Your own Team Fortress 2 server online around the clock on the Casual plan, €3.00 a month. [Team Fortress 2 24/7 from Casual](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/?plan=casual&game=tf2) ## 3. The Steam token (GSLT) A Game Server Login Token gives the server a permanent Steam account instead of an anonymous one. Create it on Steam's [game server account page](https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers) with app ID **440**, the ID of the game, and paste the 32 characters into **Steam GSLT token**. Steam's rules for tokens, from that page: - Your account must own the game, have a registered phone and not be limited, banned or locked. - One token per server. Do not share it. - A token the server never uses expires; you can regenerate it on the same page. - Resetting your Steam password regenerates all your tokens, so paste the new one into the panel. You can add or change the token later in the **Game** tab; it applies on restart. ## 4. The panel settings The **Game** tab holds four sections. The panel shows a preview of the launch line and `server.cfg` it writes. | Setting | What it sets | When it applies | | --- | --- | --- | | **Starting map** | `+map` | Restart | | **Max players** | `+maxplayers`, 2 to 32 | Restart | | **Server password** | `sv_password` | Restart | | **Server name** | `hostname` | At once | | **Steam GSLT token** | `+sv_setsteamaccount` | Restart | Mind the slots of your plan. **Max players** cannot go above them: Casual has 6, Starter 10, Pro 30 and Studio 50. Pro fits a 24-player public server, Starter a 5 vs 5 match, and Casual a 3 vs 3 scrim; a full 32-player server needs Studio. Any map that ships with the game works as the starting map: `ctf_2fort`, `cp_dustbowl`, `pl_badwater`, `koth_harvest_final` and the rest. To switch while people play, use `changelevel` in the console. ## 5. Your own cvars: 1up-owner.cfg We rewrite `tf/cfg/server.cfg` at every start, so edits there are lost. Your lines go in `tf/cfg/1up-owner.cfg`, a file we create empty once and never overwrite. Open it in the **Files** tab, add what you need and restart. A fresh server starts locked down so strangers cannot take it over: votes, custom uploads such as sprays, pausing and `sv_cheats` are all off. Turn them on only if your group wants them: ``` sv_allow_votes 1 sv_allowupload 1 mp_timelimit 30 ``` The lines that keep the server reachable and safe (name, password, logging) are written after your file and always win. ## 6. How players connect 1. Each player enables the developer console in **Options**, **Advanced**. 2. They open it with the key above Tab and type `connect` with the address and port from the **IP** line, for example `connect 203.0.113.10:31015`. 3. If you set a password, the game asks for it. After the first visit, the server sits in the **History** tab of the community server browser, and one click adds it to **Favorites**. Copy both numbers from the panel: our port is not 27015. ## 7. Moderating from the panel The **Console** tab sends the server's own commands. The quick buttons cover `say`, `kick`, `banid`, `status` and `changelevel`; the command builder adds `kickid` with a reason and `removeid`. - `status` lists everyone with a user ID and Steam ID. - `banid` takes minutes (0 for permanent) and a Steam ID. The ban is written to `banned_user.cfg` at once and loaded again on every start. - `removeid` lifts a ban. The **Players** tab shows each connected Steam profile with hours played and any VAC ban, and the console's activity view counts kills, deaths and chat from the server log. ## 8. Limits worth knowing - **No SourceMod in the panel.** There is no plugin manager for TF2 yet. The `addons` folder is kept across restarts, but installing a mod framework is on you. - **No SourceTV.** We start the server without its relay. - **Slots follow the plan.** See section 4. For the RAM, 2 GB is the floor and 4 GB is the relaxed choice for a full 24 or 32-player rotation. With prices from [our pricing page](https://1up-servers.com/en/pricing/), Casual (€3/month) gives 2 GB of RAM, 20 GB of disk and 6 slots; Starter (€5/month) gives 4 GB, 20 GB and 10 slots; Pro (€10/month) gives 8 GB, 60 GB and 30 slots; Studio (€20/month) gives 16 GB, 80 GB and 50 slots. If your friends also play other Source classics, our guide to a [Garry's Mod dedicated server](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/gmod-dedicated-server/) works the same way, and our guide to [free vs paid game server hosting](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-vs-paid-game-server-hosting/) helps you pick a plan. Our [Garry's Mod server hosting](https://1up-servers.com/en/garrys-mod/) runs 24/7 from Casual, like TF2. **Team Fortress 2 24/7 from Casual** Your own Team Fortress 2 server online around the clock on the Casual plan, €3.00 a month. [Team Fortress 2 24/7 from Casual](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/?plan=casual&game=tf2) Tested on Team Fortress 2 Dedicated Server build 25738880, 2026-10-08: settings, files and commands checked against our image on 1up v0.282.4. **Change log** - 2026-10-08: first version. - 2026-10-20: TF2 is out of beta and runs on Free with the hourglass at ×1.5; Casual is €3 and Studio €25. - 2026-10-26: current slots (Starter 10, Pro 30, Studio 50) and Starter, Pro and Studio figures (€5, €10, €20). ## Frequently asked questions Install Team Fortress 2 Dedicated Server with SteamCMD (app 232250), start it with -game tf, a map and a player count, and open UDP 27015. Or create a hosted server and pick the map in its panel. About the author[Baurtock](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/author/baurtock/)Founder, developer and support ## Keep reading [Space Engineers · 7 min**Space Engineers Dedicated Server: Setup, Worlds, Admins and RAM**](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/space-engineers-dedicated-server/)[Icarus · 7 min**Icarus Dedicated Server: Setup, Olympus, Admin Commands and RAM**](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/icarus-dedicated-server/)[Return to Moria · 6 min**Return to Moria Dedicated Server: Setup, Invite Code, Saves and RAM**](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/return-to-moria-dedicated-server/)