CSGO Game Mode Commands

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Here is a table of game modes and the console commands to launch them in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

When a map is loaded with the map or changelevel command, the game uses the values of game_type, game_mode and sv_skirmish_id to determine .cfg files (representing a gamemode) that it executes. If these values are not set before loading a map, it results in the last gamemode played. The initial values of game_type, game_mode and sv_skirmish_id are 0 (Casual).

To launch a map with a desired gamemode, adjust the values of game_type, game_mode and sv_skirmish_id according to the tables below. After that, load a map by using the map <mapname> or changelevel <mapname> console command.

Tip: The map and changelevel commands have an optional <gamemode> parameter. Example: map de_dust2 deathmatch or changelevel myCustomMap coop. If such a gamemode parameter is given and if it is valid, the game will adjust game_type and game_mode and launch the map with the associated gamemode.

Tip: You can define aliases, for example alias dust2retake "game_type 0; game_mode 0; sv_skirmish_id 12; map de_dust2". Best used in autoexecs to be able to quickly launch and test custom maps in the right gamemode.

Tip: Set Launch Options can be used, e.g: +game_type <number> +game_mode <number> +map <mapname>

Note: If you want to test your local Competitive/Wingman/Weapon Expert map with bots, make sure to set bot_quota_mode to a different value other than the new value competitive (e.g. fill), which (also) stops bots. Also adjust bot_quota (default: 10 for Competitive, 4 for Wingman).

Idea: A way to permanently get back the bot joining behavior before 01/07/2021 for all of the three gamemodes is copy-pasting the configs gamemode_competitive_offline.cfg and gamemode_competitive2v2_offline.cfg inside csgo/cfg/ and renaming them from [...]_offline.cfg to [...]_server.cfg, unless you already use such a file in a different way. In this case you could copy-paste the content of [...]_offline.cfg to an appropriate place of your [...]_server.cfg.

Game Type and Game Mode

Note: Unless you want to load a Skirmish Mode, make sure sv_skirmish_id is (e.g.) 0.

Note: The information of these tables can be found in csgo/gamemodes.txt.

Defined pairs of values for game_type and game_mode

Game Type		Game Mode
		0	1	2	3
Classic	0	Casual	Competitive	Wingman	Weapon Expert
Gun Game	1	Armsrace	Demolition	Deathmatch
Training	2	Training
Custom	3	Custom
Cooperative	4	Guardian	Co-op Strike
Skirmish	5	Skirmish
Free For All	6	Danger Zone

Tip: The .cfg files ending with _server.cfg don't exist locally by default. You can create them and write commands into them that will be executed if you locally launch the corresponding gamemode.

Game Mode	game_type	game_mode	map command optional parameter	.cfg filenames executed, if existent	Description
Casual (default)	0	0	casual	gamemode_casual.cfg, gamemode_casual_server.cfg	Like Competitive but with fewer rounds, shorter freezetime per round, no friendly fire, no team collision, free armor and free defuse kit/cutters.
Competitive / Scrimmage	0	1	competitive	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_competitive_offline.cfg (only via Practice with Bots) gamemode_competitive_server.cfg	The classic gamemode, usually made for 5v5. Best of 30 rounds, teams are switched at halftime, friendly fire is on. Round-ending objectives are elimination, bomb explosion, bomb defusal and hostage rescue.
Wingman	0	2	scrimcomp2v2	gamemode_competitive2v2.cfg, gamemode_competitive2v2_offline.cfg (only via Practice with Bots) gamemode_competitive2v2_server.cfg	Like Competitive, but adjusted for 2v2 and for a smaller map or a map section. Best of 16 rounds. Also, each round is shorter.
Weapon Expert	0	3	scrimcomp5v5	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_competitive_offline.cfg op08_weapons_expert.cfg, gamemode_competitive_server.cfg	Like Competitive but every player can buy each weapon at most once per match. The freezetime is a bit longer.
Arms Race	1	0	armsrace, gungameprogressive	gamemode_armsrace.cfg, gamemode_armsrace_server.cfg	The game is one perpetual round where killed players respawn at the default spawns. A weapon progression (a number of guns and their order) is defined where players win by making a specified number of kills with each of these weapons.
Demolition	1	1	demolition, gungametrbomb	gamemode_demolition.cfg, gamemode_demolition_server.cfg	A mixture of Casual with Armsrace. Best of 20 rounds. Each player is given a fixed weapon for each round, depending on his individual progress. Each player can progress one gun per round by making at least one kill.
Deathmatch	1	2	deathmatch	gamemode_deathmatch.cfg, gamemode_deathmatch_server.cfg	Like Armsrace but with free weapon choice and respawns across the map. Kills grant points, depending on the weapon type and if it is currently the bonus weapon. A player wins by scoring the highest after the round's time limit.
Training	2	0	training	gamemode_training.cfg, gamemode_training_server.cfg	Assigns clients to CT with no weapon. No round limit, no time limit, no freezetime, minimal HUD. Good for singleplayer maps, used on CS:GO's Training Course.
Custom	3	0	custom	-	No longer working. Used to load csgo/cfg/<mapname>.cfg. Now this mode is like Undefined, see below.
Guardian	4	0	guardian, cooperative	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_cooperative.cfg, gamemode_cooperative_server.cfg	Two human players must defend a bombsite as CT or hostages as T against rushing bots. Maps must support this mode to work.
Co-op Strike	4	1	coop, coopstrike, coopmission	gamemode_competitive.cfg, gamemode_coopmission.cfg, gamemode_coopmission_server.cfg	Usually a custom mission for two human players on a custom map that is designed only for this mode.
Skirmish	5	0	skirmish	-	Like Undefined, see below.
Danger Zone	6	0	survival	gamemode_survival.cfg, gamemode_survival_server.cfg	A Battle Royale mode for big maps where players win by being the last man (or team) standing. Maps must be designed for this mode.
Undefined	none of the above		-	-	Like Casual but with no round limit, instead with a time limit of 5 minutes for the game and map. mp_roundtime is also set to 5 minutes.

Skirmish Modes

If sv_skirmish_id is set to a value that can be found in the following table, it will load an additional .cfg file associated to the ID. These .cfg files are supposed to be loaded to a specific base gamemode, which is mentioned as a comment in their first lines as well as in csgo/scripts/items/items_game.txt. Anyway, it is possible to use any base gamemode.

To play one of the following game modes, type sv_skirmish_id <number> in the console and launch a map with a base gamemode, see above.
Alternatively, it is possible in-game to execute the corresponding .cfg files manually and restarting the game using exec <cfg filename> and mp_restartgame 1. Incidentally, one could of course write/modify such configs himself.
To return to a "pure" gamemode from the above table, use a skirmish ID that is not on this table (intuitively 0), so the game will not load any additional .cfg files to a gamemode.

Example:

• To launch Stab Stab Zap on de_dust2, enter sv_skirmish_id 1 and map de_dust2 casual. This is equivalent to the commands sv_skirmish_id 1, game_type 0, game_mode 0 and map de_dust2.
  
• To launch Competitive on de_dust2 after having played a skirmish mode, enter sv_skirmish_id 0 and map de_dust2 competitive. This is equivalent to the commands sv_skirmish_id 0, game_type 0, game_mode 1 and map de_dust2.

Note: The skirmish IDs 2, 5 and 9 are undefined. However, there are .cfg files in cfg/ that have no associated skirmish ID. They are mentioned at the end of the following table. They probably were the modes for the skirmish IDs 2, 5 and 9.

Note: The information of this table can be found in csgo/scripts/items/items_game.txt.

Game Mode	sv_skirmish_id	Intended Base Gamemode	.cfg filenames executed	Description
Stab Stab Zap	1	Casual	op08_stab_stab_zap.cfg	Only knives and recharging taser.
Flying Scoutsman	3	Casual	op08_flying_scoutsman.cfg	Only scouts and knives, low gravity, high precision.
Trigger Discipline	4	Casual	op08_trigger_discipline.cfg	Gunshots that a player does not hit an enemy with damage himself down to a minimum of 1 HP.
Boom! Headshot!	6	Deathmatch	op08_headshots.cfg	Helmets are disabled and bodyshots deal no damage, causing a small spark effect instead of blood.
Hunter-Gatherers	7	Deathmatch	op08_hunter_gatherers.cfg	Team deathmatch with collecting dogtags: Killed enemies will drop dogtags that anyone can pick up. Collecting dogtags from the enemy team awards victory points. Killing enemies with the Deathmatch bonus weapon makes them drop an extra dogtag. The team with the most victory points at the end of the time limit wins.
Heavy Assault Suit	8	Casual	op08_heavy_assault_suit.cfg	Heavy armor can be purchased for $6000. Deprecated: The item is no longer accessible in the buy menu, but can still be bought with the command buy heavyarmor while not owning a rifle.
Arms Race	10	Arms Race	-	Equivalent to Arms Race.
Demolition	11	Demolition	-	Equivalent to Demolition.
Retakes	12	Casual	gamemode_retakecasual.cfg	Each round, 3 Terrorists spawn on a bomb site with a bomb being planted and 4 CTs spawn at fixed locations around it or on the other bomb spot. Each player can choose a loadout card at round start. Warning: If there is exactly one bombsite, the game crashes with a probability of 50 %.
Bloodletter	-	Arms Race	op08_bloodletter.cfg	Dealing damage heals you 100 % of the damage dealt (max 200). Players take non-lethal damage over time while they are alive.
Bounty Hunter	-	Deathmatch	op08_bounty_hunter.cfg	All players are enemies, killed enemies will drop dogtags that anyone can pick up. Killing players awards less points. Collecting dogtags awards additional Deathmatch points.
Team Deathmatch	-	Deathmatch	op08_team_deathmatch.cfg	Killing enemies is worth team victory points, killing enemies with the Deathmatch bonus weapon awards additional victory points. The team with the most victory points at the end of the time limit wins.

Gamemode dependent Events

There are the specific VScript functions ScriptGetGameType() and ScriptGetGameMode() which return the current integer value of game_type and game_mode.

Note: This is independent of the current value of sv_skirmish_id.

These allow VScript structures such as the following.

local nMode = ScriptGetGameMode();
local nType = ScriptGetGameType();

if (nType == 0 && nMode == 2)
{
  // code executed only in Wingman
}
else
{
  // code executed only in any other gamemode
}

Idea: When making a map, you can create a VScript exclusively for that map and use this concept to make gamemode dependent changes to: the map, player spawns, gamerules and much more. For example, it is possible to make closed areas on a map, that are opened up only in some gamemodes, such as Deathmatch and Armsrace.