Developer console

The developer console is a text window where you type commands and change settings that have no menu of their own. Hosts and server operators also use it to run their server.

Opening the console

Press F1 to open or close it. The key can be rebound as Open Console in Settings > Controls.

• Type a command and press Enter.
• Tab cycles through suggestions. Suggestions appear as you type, each with a short description.
• Up and Down step through commands you typed earlier this session. clear_history forgets them, and clear empties the window.
• Separate words with spaces. Put text with spaces in double quotes, for example bind k "say hi". Put several commands on one line with ; between them.
• help lists every command. help <name> shows a command's arguments and current value, and stat <name> prints just the value.

Most variables are set by typing the name and a value, such as voice_mode 1. For on/off variables, 1 is on and 0 is off.

Who can use what

• Anyone can use the commands that only affect their own game.
• Operator commands (marked Op below) change the game for others or are cheats. You are an operator when you are playing offline or hosting the game yourself. On someone else's server you are an operator only if that server lists you as one.
• Server commands (the ones starting with sv_, marked Server below) run on the server. Typed by the host or on a dedicated server they run directly; typed by a player on someone else's server they are sent to that server, which runs them only if the player is one of its operators.

General

Command	Arguments	What it does
help	[command]	Lists every command, or describes one.
stat	<variable>	Prints a variable's current value.
quit		Quits the game.
map	<map>	Starts an offline game on a map. It opens no network port.
die		Kills your character. The normal respawn timer follows.
ragdoll		Ragdolls your character.
thirdperson / firstperson		Switches your camera to third or first person.
spectate	<player id>	Spectates a player by their id (see get_peers).
say	<message>	Sends a message to everyone in the match chat. No quotes needed.
notify_clear		Dismisses every notification.
reset_settings		Resets all your settings to the defaults.
inv_list		Lists every item in the game and marks the ones you own.
inv_refresh		Reloads your items from Steam.
perfmon		Opens the performance monitor: players, memory, frame rate and network charts.
debug		Shows debug information and your frame rate on the HUD.

Key binds

You can bind a key to a game action or to any console command.

Command	Arguments	What it does
bind	<key> <action or command>	Binds a key, for example bind w forward or bind k "say hi". Keys can have modifiers (Shift+W, Ctrl+Alt+F1) and mouse buttons are mouse1, mwheelup and so on.
unbind	<key>	Removes a key's binding.
unbindall		Removes all your bindings and restores the default keys.
binds		Lists every bound key.

Video and view

Variable	Values	Default	What it does
viewmodel_fov	field of view	your setting	The field of view your arms and weapon are drawn at, separate from the world's. Saved with your settings.
cl_drawviewmodel	0 or 1	your setting	0 hides your arms and weapon, for screenshots. Same as Draw Viewmodel in Settings. Saved.
cl_self_shadow	0 or 1	your setting	0 stops your own body casting a shadow in first person. Same as Own Shadow in Settings. Saved.
use_occlusion_culling	0 or 1	your setting	Turns occlusion culling on or off, on maps that support it.
set_lod	number		Sets how soon distant objects switch to their simpler versions.
cl_shadow_mode	0, 1 or 2	the map's	Sun shadow quality: 0 one pass, 1 two splits, 2 four splits. Lower is faster.
cl_shadow_distance	meters	the map's	How far sun shadows reach.
cl_decal_spacing	fraction	0.2	How far apart bullet holes and scorch marks are kept, as a fraction of a mark's width.
cl_flame_lights	count	8	How many lights flamethrower flames can cast. 0 turns flame lighting off.
cl_full_length_tracers	0 or 1	0	1 draws bullet tracers as a full line from muzzle to impact instead of a moving streak.
cl_garment_sim_distance	meters	20	How close to the camera worn cosmetics swing and sway. 0 turns it off.
show_weapon_ranges	0 or 1	0	Shows rings for your weapon's ranges.

Chat

Variable	Values	Default	What it does
cl_chat_show_duration	seconds	5	How long chat stays on screen after a message arrives while the chat box is closed.
cl_chat_fade_duration	seconds	1	How long chat takes to fade out.

Voice chat

These match the options on Voice chat, plus a few more.

Command or variable	Values	What it does
voice_enable	0 or 1	Turns voice chat on or off.
voice_mode	0 or 1	0 push to talk, 1 open mic.
voice_transmit	0 or 1	Who hears you: 0 your team, 1 the whole match.
voice_listen	<channel> <0 or 1>	Joins or leaves a voice channel as a listener: 0 team, 1 match, 2 party.
voice_input_gain	0.5 to 4	Boosts your microphone. Aim for an input level of about 0.1 to 0.3 in voice_stats while talking.
voice_auto_gain	0 or 1	Levels your microphone's loudness automatically.
voice_denoise	0 or 1	Noise suppression on your microphone.
voice_gate	0 to 0.95	Mutes your microphone when it is not sure you are speaking. Cuts keyboard noise between sentences; lower it if your words get cut off. 0 is off.
voice_ducker	0 to 1	Softens sharp keyboard clicks while you talk. 0 is off.
voice_loopback	0 or 1	Plays your own voice back to you, to test your microphone. Works offline.
voice_mute / voice_unmute	<name>	Mutes or unmutes a player for this session.
voice_player_volume	<name> <0 to 200>	Sets a player's voice volume in percent for this session.
voice_stats		Prints voice chat statistics.

Connection

See Netcode for what these mean.

Command or variable	Arguments	What it does
cl_updaterate	60, 30 or 20	The most updates a second you ask the server for. Lower it on a connection that cannot keep up with 60. The server also lowers it by itself when your connection struggles.
host_transport	enet or steam	How the next game you host accepts players: enet by direct address (playing over the internet needs port forwarding), or steam through Steam's relay network (no port forwarding; players join through the Server browser or your friends list). See Hosting a game.
connect_steam	<server id>	Joins a game hosted through Steam by its server id, which the host's console prints when it starts.
sdr_pops		Lists Steam's relay locations, nearest first, with your ping to each. Ask again if it says the data is still being gathered.
sdr_force_cluster	<code> or off	Makes your connections use one relay location from sdr_pops (for example fra). Helps when you and the server are in the same region and Steam picked a relay outside it. Saved, and used from your next connection.
net_fakelag	<ms>	Op. Adds pretend latency to your own connection, for testing.
net_fakeloss	0 to 100	Op. Drops this percentage of your packets, for testing.
net_fakejitter	<ms>	Op. Adds a random delay of up to this much to each packet, on top of net_fakelag.
get_peers		Lists everyone connected to the server.
log_playerpeer_lists		Prints which players are on which team.
log_playerpeer_pings		Prints every player's ping.
debug_netlog	0 or 1	On by default. Prints a short summary line about your connection.

Quickplay

Command	Arguments	What it does
quickplay	[maps]	Starts a Quickplay search without the map picker. With no maps it plays any; with a comma-separated list (quickplay darkcove,soulhouse) only those.
quickplay_status		Shows your queue state and position, your party and the maps on offer.
quickplay_cancel		Leaves the queue.

Replays

Variable	Values	Default	What it does
replay_record	0 or 1		Starts (1) or stops and saves (0) a recording, the same as F10. Only works when you are hosting.
replay_auto_record	0 or 1	1	Records every game you host automatically. 0 leaves it to F10.

See Replays.

Cheats

All of these are Op: you can use them offline or on your own game, and on another server only as its operator.

Command	Arguments	What it does
noclip		Turns collision off for your character so you can fly through anything. Again to turn it back on.
host_timescale	<scale>	Speeds up or slows down time. 1 is normal.
cl_set_pos	<x> <y> <z>	Moves your character to a position.
cl_apply_impulse	<x> <y> <z>	Gives your character a push.
cl_set_speed	<speed>	Sets your movement speed.
cl_set_maxjumps	<count>	Sets how many jumps you can make in the air.
cl_set_scale	0.1 to 10	Makes your character bigger or smaller, hitboxes included. 1 is normal. Everyone sees it.

Bots

Bot commands work on the game you are hosting. See Bots.

Command or variable	Arguments	Default	What it does
bot_add	[count] [items]	1	Adds bots. With no items, each bot gets a kit of its own. To choose, list item names by slot, separated by commas: primary, secondary, melee, accessory. Leave an entry empty to leave that slot empty. Names ignore case and spaces. Spec points are spread to pay for the items, and a set no class can pay for is refused. Examples: bot_add 3, bot_add 1 shotgun,,castironpan, bot_add 1 flamethrower,smg,castironpan,baubleofcondensedair.
list_bots			Lists the bots with their ids and teams.
bot_kick	<id>		Removes one bot.
bot_kick_all			Removes every bot.
bot_control	[0 or 1]		1 hands your own character to the bot AI and 0 takes it back. It keeps its team, loadout and score. With no argument, says which is on.
sv_bot_skill	0 to 1, or -1	-1	Server. Every bot's skill, from 0 (easy) to 1 (expert); about 0.33 is normal and 0.67 hard. -1 uses the map's own setting.
sv_bot_reaction_scale	0.25 to 4	1	Server. Multiplies how long bots take to react. Higher is slower.
sv_bot_aim_error_scale	0 to 5	1	Server. Multiplies how far off bots aim. 0 is perfect aim.

Server

These are Server commands. Use them when hosting, on a dedicated server, or as an operator of someone else's server.

Running the match

Command	Arguments	What it does
sv_start	<port> <map>	Starts a server on a port with a map.
sv_status		Shows the map, the players and the server's settings.
sv_map	<map>	Changes map without dropping anyone. Everyone rejoins on the new map.
sv_endmatch	[team]	Ends the match with that team as the winner, then the results and the Map vote follow. 0 (the default) is a draw.
sv_kick	<player id>	Kicks a player.
sv_maxplayers	[count]	Shows or sets the most players allowed. 0 is unlimited.

Pausing

Command	Arguments	What it does
sv_pause		Pauses the match for everyone until sv_unpause.
sv_unpause		Lifts every pause.
sv_pause_countdown	[seconds]	How long everyone sees a countdown before a paused match resumes. 0 resumes at once.
sv_captain	<team> <Steam id>	Names a team's captain, who may pause for the team.
sv_pause_team_limit	[count]	How many pauses each captain may call per match. -1 (the default) is unlimited, 0 none.
pause / unpause		Used by a team captain: pauses the match for your team, or lifts your team's pause.

Rules

Variable	Values	Default	What it does
sv_regen_delay	0 to 60 seconds	3	How long a character must go without taking damage before Support regeneration starts. Any damage restarts the wait. See Classes#The spec triangle.
sv_sentry_range	5 to 500 meters	60	How far sentries built with the Struction Console see and shoot.
sv_max_rewind_ms	0 to 1000 ms	300	How far back the server will rewind to check a shot against what the shooter saw. See Netcode.
sv_snapshot_rate_auto	0 or 1	1	1 lets the server lower a struggling player's update rate to 30 or 20 a second. 0 always sends what each player asks for.

Operators

Run on the server itself. An operator can use Op and Server commands from their own console while playing on it.

Command	Arguments	What it does
op	<Steam id>	Makes a player an operator of this server. The list is kept between restarts.
unop	<Steam id>	Takes a player off the operator list.
ops		Lists this server's operators.
reloadops		Reloads the operator list after it was edited by hand.

See also

• Controls
• Settings
• Bots
• Hosting a game