How to Create a CS:GO Surf Server

Overview

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is not only about clutches, utility lineups, and the occasional suspicious one-tap. Community modes give the game a very different pace, and surfing is one of the longest-running favorites. Instead of fighting other players, everyone rides angled ramps, builds speed, and tries to chain clean movement through a custom map.

A dedicated server is the best way to host CS:GO surfing because the movement values, map loading, round timing, and workshop settings can all be tuned for the mode. This guide explains how to prepare the Steam requirements, add surf maps, configure the server, and start playing on your CS:GO server.

What CS:GO Surfing Is

Surfing focuses on movement and control rather than combat. Players slide along slanted surfaces, gain momentum, and use strafing plus mouse movement to stay on course. Most surf servers remove normal match pressure entirely, so there are no bots ruining the mood or rounds ending while someone is finally having a good run.

Default CS:GO settings are not ideal for surfing, so the server needs custom values for air acceleration, stamina, bunny hopping, round length, and related options. Once those are in place, the server can feel beginner-friendly, brutally technical, or somewhere between the two.

Before Configuring the Server

You need three things before changing the server settings: a workshop map or collection, a Steam login token, and a Steam Web API key. Keep these values in a notes file while working, because they will be pasted into the server panel later.

Choose a Workshop Surf Map

Surfing requires a map built for the mode. You can use a single surf map or a public workshop collection if you want several maps available.

• Open the CS:GO Steam Workshop and choose the surf map you want to use.
• Click Subscribe so Steam downloads the map files.

• Copy the number after ?id= in the workshop URL. That number is the map ID.

If you are using a collection instead of one map, save the collection ID the same way.

Create a Steam Login Token

A Steam game server login token lets your CS:GO server register properly so players can connect.

• Open Steam's game server account management page and sign in.
• Enter 730 in the App ID field. This is the CS:GO app ID.
• Add any memo that helps you recognize the token later.

• Click Create, then copy and save the login token.

Generate a Steam Web API Key

Workshop maps also require a Steam Web API key. This helps the server communicate with Steam workshop content correctly.

• Open Steam's Web API key page and sign in.
• Enter CSGO, your domain, or another recognizable label in the Domain field.

• Click Register, then save the key value shown on the page.

Do not share your login token or API key publicly. If either one is exposed, revoke it from Steam and create a replacement before running the server again.

Basic Server Options

Now add the Steam values and set the server to use a custom game mode.

• Open your server panel and go to the server settings.

• Adjust any general options you want, such as a server password or hostname.
• Find the Account Token and Web API fields, then paste the matching Steam values.

• Change Game Mode to Custom Game so the surf settings can load.

• Keep this page available while you finish the map configuration.

Add Workshop Maps

The next step depends on whether you are running one map or a collection.

Single Map

• In your panel settings, find Workshop File ID.
• Paste the map ID you saved from the workshop URL.

• Return to the main server panel when finished.

Map Collection

• In your panel settings, find Workshop Collection ID.
• Paste the collection ID into the field.

• Return to the main server panel and open Config Files.

• Open autoexec.cfg and find or add workshop_start_map.
• Enter one map ID from the collection as the starting map, then save the file.

• Return to the main panel for the final surf settings.

Configure the Surf Game Mode

The custom game mode file controls the movement values that make surfing work. The settings below enable bunny hopping, remove stamina penalties, increase air acceleration, prevent bots from joining, and keep rounds from ending too quickly.

• From the main server panel, open FTP or the file manager.

• Enter your server password and click Login.

• Navigate to the csgo/cfg folder.
• Find gamemode_custom_server.cfg and click Edit.

• Remove the current contents, then add these settings with each command on its own line:

sv_enablebunnyhopping 1 sv_autobunnyhopping 1 sv_staminamax 0 sv_staminajumpcost 0 sv_staminalandcost 0 sv_staminarecoveryrate 0 sv_airaccelerate 800 sv_accelerate 10 mp_warmuptime 3 mp_autokick 0 mp_freezetime 0 mp_roundtime 999999 mp_timelimit 999999 mp_round_restart_delay 0 bot_kick all

• Add any extra server settings you want below those values, then save the file.

• Restart the server from the main panel so the custom surf configuration loads.

Adjust Surf Difficulty

The main value to tune is sv_airaccelerate. Higher values make movement more forgiving, while lower values require cleaner timing and sharper control.

• Very easy: sv_airaccelerate 1000 or higher
• Easy: sv_airaccelerate 800
• Medium: sv_airaccelerate 500
• Hard: sv_airaccelerate 250
• Very hard: sv_airaccelerate 100 or lower

Start with 800 if the server is for friends who are learning. Lower it once everyone stops treating the first ramp like a personal enemy.

How to Surf in CS:GO

After joining the server, jump or fall onto the first angled wall to start gaining speed. If you land on the right side of a ramp, hold A to push into it. If you land on the left side, hold D instead. Do not hold W while surfing, since forward movement can fight against the ramp physics.

Mouse control matters just as much as keyboard movement. Smoothly looking up, down, and across the ramp changes your path and speed. Combining mouse movement with proper strafing lets you launch between ramps, recover from awkward angles, and eventually look like you meant to do all of it.

Common Problems

If players cannot join, first check the login token and Web API key in your panel settings. A mistyped value, revoked token, wrong server address, or incorrect port can all block connections. Also confirm that players are using the current server IP, port, or subdomain from the panel.

If the server fails to load after adding workshop content, verify the map ID or collection ID. Collections must be public, and very large collections can take a long time to download. For a collection, make sure workshop_start_map uses a valid map ID from that collection.

If the server crashes after editing the custom game mode file, review gamemode_custom_server.cfg for unsupported commands or formatting mistakes. Save the file again, restart the server, and test with only the core surf settings if needed.

Useful Next Steps

Once the surf server is working, you can add more workshop maps, tune air acceleration for your group, set a password for private sessions, or expand the configuration with plugins and timers. Keep the basic setup documented somewhere safe, because rebuilding a working surf config from memory is not the kind of movement challenge anyone asked for.