Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer game server that can be hosted on a VPS or dedicated server. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about hosting a Team Fortress 2 server for your community.
27015232250| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
27015 |
UDP | Game/Query (can change with -port) |
27015 |
TCP | RCON |
27020 |
UDP | SourceTV (tv_port) |
27005 |
UDP | Client port (outbound/varies) |
26900 |
UDP | Steam (outbound, -sport) (Optional) |
27031-27036 |
UDP | Steam Remote Play / P2P (outbound) (Optional) |
27036-27037 |
TCP | Steam Remote Play (inbound where applicable) (Optional) |
Allow server ports through your firewall:
# UFW (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo ufw allow [PORT]/tcp
sudo ufw allow [PORT]/udp
sudo ufw reload
# FirewallD (CentOS/RHEL)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=[PORT]/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=[PORT]/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
# Windows Firewall
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Team Fortress 2 Server" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=[PORT]
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Team Fortress 2 Server" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=[PORT]
# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Create server directory
mkdir -p ~/gameserver
cd ~/gameserver
# Download server files (method varies by game)
# Check official documentation for download links
./srcds_run -console -game tf -ip 0.0.0.0 -port 27015 +map cp_dustbowl +maxplayers 24 +exec server.cfg
Download the server files from the official game website or through Steam (if applicable). Extract to a dedicated folder and run the server executable.
This game can be installed via SteamCMD using App ID: 232250
# Update package list
sudo apt update
# Enable 32-bit architecture
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
# Install SteamCMD
sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 steamcmd
# Create directory for game server
mkdir -p ~/gameservers/tf2
# Run SteamCMD and download
steamcmd +login anonymous \
+force_install_dir ~/gameservers/tf2 \
+app_update 232250 validate \
+quit
# Server files are now in ~/gameservers/tf2/
cd ~/gameservers/tf2
ls -la
C:\steamcmd\cd C:\steamcmd
steamcmd.exe +login anonymous ^
+force_install_dir C:\gameservers\tf2 ^
+app_update 232250 validate ^
+quit
After installation, you'll need to configure your server. Here's where to find the configuration files and what settings you can change.
Common administrative commands (access via console or RCON):
# Kick player
kick [player_name]
# Ban player
ban [player_name]
# Change map/level (syntax varies by game)
changelevel [map_name]
# Set admin password (if supported)
setadminpassword [password]
The server uses the following command line template:
-console %GAME_TYPE% %PID_FILE% %MAP% %IP% %PORT% %PLAYERS% -condebugThe following parameters can be configured when starting the server:
+sv_setsteamaccount
- Steam Account Login Token
Manage your steam tokens here
-sv_pure
- Pure Server
A pure server is one that forces all clients on the server to use content that matches what is on the server.
Options:
-1 - Do not apply any rules or restrict which files the client may load. (Default)0 - Apply rules in cfg/pure_server_minimal.txt only1 - Apply rules in cfg/pure_server_full.txt and then cfg/pure_server_whitelist.txt2 - Apply rules in cfg/pure_server_full.txt-dev
- Developer Messages.
Show developer messages.
-debuglog custom_error.log
- Error Logging
File Errors are Logged to.
-debug
- Debugging
Turns on Debugging.
+motdfile custom_motd.txt
- Custom MOTD
Custom MOTD file.
+mapcyclefile custom_mapcycle.txt
- Custom Mapcycle
Custom Mapcycle file.
-nomaster
- Disable master server communication
No description available
-insecure
- Disable Valve Anti-Cheat
Will start the server without Valve Anti-Cheat technology.
-nohltv
- No SourceTV
Disables SourceTV and closes its port.
-norestart
- No Restart
Won't attempt to restart failed servers.
Linux (start.sh):
#!/bin/bash
cd /path/to/server
./server_executable [parameters] 2>&1 | tee server.log
chmod +x start.sh
./start.sh
Windows (start.bat):
@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
server_executable.exe [parameters]
pause
Linux (systemd):
# Create service file: /etc/systemd/system/gameserver.service
[Unit]
Description=Team Fortress 2 Server
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=gameserver
WorkingDirectory=/home/gameserver/server
ExecStart=/home/gameserver/server/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
# Enable and start service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable gameserver
sudo systemctl start gameserver
sudo systemctl status gameserver
Open 27015/udp and 27015/tcp; check -ip/-port; ensure sv_lan 0; verify external firewall/NAT.
Ensure -authkey is present; server has internet access; use +host_workshop_collection and +workshop_start_map or fall back to FastDL.
ps aux | grep servernetstat -an | grep [PORT]htop or topiotop# Monitor memory usage
free -h
top -p $(pgrep -f server)
# Restart server regularly via cron if needed
0 4 * * * /home/gameserver/restart.sh
# Increase file descriptor limits
echo "* soft nofile 65536" >> /etc/security/limits.conf
echo "* hard nofile 65536" >> /etc/security/limits.conf
# Network tuning
sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=16777216
sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=16777216
sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_rmem="4096 87380 16777216"
sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_wmem="4096 87380 16777216"
Set up monitoring to track server health:
#!/bin/bash
# backup.sh - Run via cron
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
BACKUP_DIR="/backups/gameserver"
SERVER_DIR="/home/gameserver/server"
# Create backup
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/backup_$DATE.tar.gz -C $SERVER_DIR .
# Keep only last 7 days
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "backup_*.tar.gz" -mtime +7 -delete
# Minimal firewall - only allow necessary ports
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow [SERVER_PORT]/tcp
sudo ufw allow [SERVER_PORT]/udp
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp # SSH
sudo ufw enable
Last updated: November 2025 | For Team Fortress 2 server hosting