How to Create & Configure ‘mapcycle.txt’

Overview

This guide will demonstrate how to customize the default map selection in-game by creating a mapcycle.txt file. This new file will override the mapcycle_default file.

Introduction

In this guide I will demonstrate how to customize the default set of maps that the game will cycle through when the server is set to do so after creating a server using the Create Server option.

This requires creating a copy of file mapcycle_default.txt and renaming it to mapcycle.txt.

Create ‘mapcycle.txt’ using ‘mapcycle_default.txt’

• Open the directory where mapcycle_default.txt is located on your PC, e.g. the default location on Windows is C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonCounter-Strike Sourcecstrikecfg

• Create a copy of this file and rename it to mapcycle.txt

This new file, mapcycle.txt, dictates which maps are cycled through by the server via the Create Server settings.
The file mapcycle_default.txt should not be modified as stated in the file itself:

“DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!
Instead, copy it to mapcycle.txt and modify that file. If no custom mapcycle.txt file is found, this file will be used as the default.”

It is advisable not to delete or remove mapcycle_default.txt from the directory.

Create server with Bomb Defusal maps only

• Open mapcycle.txt and remove the hostage rescue maps, i.e. the map titles prefixed with ce_
• Save the changes and close the file.

Create server with Hostage Rescue maps only

• Open mapcycle.txt and remove the bomb defusal maps, i.e. the map titles prefixed with de_
• Save the changes and close the file.

Applicable ‘Create Server’ Settings

A server can be created by selecting the Create Server option on the main title screen, as shown in the screenshot below, once the game is launched:

Select the Server tab and then the Map drop-down menu and you will see that all maps are loaded into the game even the maps that have been removed from mapcycle.txt. This is not an issue as the server will cycle through the maps on mapcycle.txt only.

To get the server to cycle through the wanted maps, select the Game tab and change the Win limit (rounds) and Round limit (rounds) settings.
In the following screenshot I have changed Win limit to 10 and Round limit to 19. The Time per map (minutes) setting has a default value of 60.

With these settings, the server will cycle through the maps when a team has won 10 rounds or 60 minutes has elapsed on the current map.

Notes

1. It is convenient to create multiple files for the different map combinations you wish to load at any given time. The first screenshot in section Create ‘mapcycle.txt’ using ‘mapcycle_default.txt’ shows two files mapcycle.txt_ce maps and mapcycle.txt_de maps. To play the maps listed in either file just remove the incorrect text in the file extension name.
2. If you wish to add notes to mapcycle.txt, do so as already laid out in the file, i.e. the line should begin with ‘//’ for each line of notes. Example: in the screenshots shown above, for the Bomb Defusal and Hostage Rescue files, I added a line stating when the files were created:
   // Copy created on dd/mm/yy by Red Tom! Hostage rescue maps only.

3. To repeat Valve’s wise words with regard to mapcycle_default.txt, do not modify this file even if you are not using it. I would suggest not modifying or deleting said file. It’s better safe than sorry!