CS2 GSLT Token Guide: Create and Use a Game Server Login Token
A Game Server Login Token, usually shortened to GSLT, is the credential a Counter-Strike 2 community server uses to log in to Steam. It is created on your Steam account, entered in one field in the panel, and from then on identifies that server to Steam. If you run a public CS2 server and skip it, the server does not behave like a normal internet server.
This guide covers the full lifecycle: the account requirements, creating a token for App ID 730, entering it in the panel, what happens when it is missing or revoked, how to regenerate it, and how to keep it private. It was checked on 2026-11-03 against the text on Steam's own game server account page and Valve's CS2 dedicated server documentation, with community documentation used only where noted.
- Create the token on Steam's Game Server Account Management page using App ID
730(Counter-Strike 2). Use one token per running server. - Enter it in the Game server login token field on the Startup tab, then Save startup and Restart. The game's own name for this setting is
sv_setsteamaccount, but you do not type it. - Steam's page lists these account requirements: not community banned or locked, not limited, a qualifying registered phone number, and ownership of the game. One account can hold up to 1,000 server accounts.
- Treat the token like a password. Never share it, and know that resetting your Steam password regenerates all your tokens.
- The token is a login credential, not a purchase. It is tied to your Steam account, not to a host, so it stays valid if you move the server to a different machine or provider.
On this page
- What a GSLT is and what it is not
- Why CS2 community servers need one
- Account requirements
- How to create a CS2 token, step by step
- Apply the token on your ChicagoServers server
- What happens if a token is missing, expired, banned or shared
- Regenerating, rotating and protecting your tokens
- Frequently asked questions
What a GSLT is and what it is not
Steam calls these entries game server accounts. Each one has a login token, and the token lets a dedicated server authenticate with Steam as a persistent server rather than an anonymous one. Because the identity belongs to the token and not to the machine, the same server can change IP address or hosting provider and keep the same standing with Steam.
| It is | It is not |
|---|---|
| A login credential for one game server, issued by Steam | A purchase, a licence or a subscription |
| Linked to your Steam account, which is responsible for what the server does | Linked to your hosting company, your IP address or your machine |
Specific to one game: a CS2 token is created with App ID 730 | A general token that works for every game |
| Valid for one running server at a time | A way to run many servers from one token |
| A secret that should stay on the server | A public setting you can paste into a forum thread |
It also does not change gameplay. The token does not choose your map, your mode or your plugins, it does not protect against DDoS attacks, and it does not exempt a server from Valve's rules. Because the account behind the token is accountable, a ban reaches that account, which is covered below.
Why CS2 community servers need one
Valve's own dedicated server page tells you to generate a GSLT for game ID 730 and pass it to the server with +sv_setsteamaccount; on ChicagoServers that is the Game server login token field. In practice a token is what makes a server a first-class citizen of the Steam network: it can log in with a persistent identity, it can be found by players who favourited it earlier, and it can stay listed when its address changes.
Server operators describe the failure mode consistently. With no token, the server logs in anonymously, and server operators report that it is not listed in the server browser and that players outside your network may be unable to join. That matches the only exception Valve's documentation gives: a LAN server with sv_lan 1 disables Steam authentication and internet listing entirely, so it does not need a token. For anything players reach over the internet, plan on having one.
Account requirements
Steam's Game Server Account Management page states the conditions for creating server accounts. You must be logged in to the Steam account that will own the tokens, and that account has to meet all of these:
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Not community banned or locked | An account with a Steam Community ban or a lock cannot create tokens. |
| Not limited | Steam restricts accounts that have not met its spending requirement. If yours is limited, resolve that first. |
| A qualifying registered phone number | Steam asks for a registered phone number on the account. It is a plain requirement of the page, so add one in your Steam account settings before you start. |
| Owns the game | CS2 is free, but the account should have Counter-Strike 2 in its library. |
| At most 1,000 server accounts | A limit per Steam account, far above what a normal operator needs. |
Use an account you control long term, not a throwaway. Steam warns on the same page that if your game server accounts are banned for any reason, you may be restricted from playing the associated games. Using your main account for a server that runs risky plugins is a bad trade.
How to create a CS2 token, step by step
- Open Steam's Game Server Account Management page
Search for the page by its name, Steam Game Server Account Management. Sign in with the Steam account that meets the requirements above.
- Enter App ID 730
In the create form, put
730in the App ID field. That is the CS2 ID. Use the base game ID rather than any separate server application ID. - Add a memo
The memo is a note to yourself. Use something that identifies the server, such as
chicago-comp-1, so you can tell your tokens apart later. - Create the token and copy it
Steam shows the new login token in your list. It is typically a 32-character string of letters and digits. Copy it into a password manager or a private note.
- Repeat for each server
Make a separate token for every server you run. Do not clone one token across a test server and a live one, even if you intend only one of them to run at a time. Each server in the panel has its own Startup tab, so each gets its own token there.
A cheap habit that pays off: keep a short spreadsheet or note with the memo, the server it belongs to and the date you created it. When a token needs replacing, you will know which server's Startup tab to open.
Apply the token on your ChicagoServers server
On ChicagoServers the token is a start setting, so it goes in a field and never on a command line. Write it exactly as Steam shows it. No quotes are needed, and extra spaces or a truncated copy are the usual mistakes.
- Open the Startup tab
Sign in at panel.chicagoservers.co, click your server under Your servers, then open the Startup tab.
- Paste the token
Paste it into the Game server login token field, with no spaces before or after.
- Save and restart
Click Save startup, then Restart at the top of the page. The login happens at startup, so a change only takes effect after a restart.
- Check the Console tab
Open the Console tab and read the output during startup to confirm the login.
Community guides also show sv_setsteamaccount as a line in server.cfg, with reports that a token set there may not be applied in time. On ChicagoServers you do not need that fallback: use the Startup field.
- The token is a secret, so avoid pasting screenshots of the Startup tab with the token visible into support tickets and public chats.
- Someone you give the Startup permission to can open the tab where the token is entered, so only give it to people you trust with the token. Under Sub-users, tick only the servers and permissions each person needs.
- On a ChicagoServers Counter-Strike 2 server hosting plan you supply your own token.
To confirm it worked, read the Console tab during startup. Community documentation reports a successful Steam connection message and a VAC secure message when the token is accepted, and no Steam connection or VAC line when it is not. Server operators also report that the management page shows when each token last logged in, which is a useful cross-check after a restart.
Regenerating, rotating and protecting your tokens
Steam's page lets you regenerate an expired token. It is also worth rotating tokens on purpose. A token that has appeared in a chat, a screenshot or a public config repository should be treated as leaked.
- Sign in to the management page and find the entry by memo.
- Regenerate it, or delete it and create a new token for App ID
730if you want a clean record. - Paste the new value into the Game server login token field on the Startup tab and click Save startup.
- Click Restart and check the Console tab for a successful login.
- Remove the old value from every note, script and backup you control.
Steam is direct about responsibility: you alone are responsible for your tokens, you should not give them to third parties, and if you already have, you should delete the token. The same page says some tokens are invalidated when they are shared. The practical rules follow from that.
- Keep the token out of version control, shared documents and server names.
- Give sub-users access to the Startup tab only if you trust them with the token. Sub-users get their own login and only the permissions you tick, so you can limit who can reach it and revoke access later.
- After a Steam password reset, plan time to replace the tokens on every server you run.
- Do not reuse an account that has been restricted for server misbehaviour; create tokens under an account in good standing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a GSLT for a CS2 server?
For a normal internet server, yes. Valve's documentation tells you to create a token for game ID 730 and pass it with +sv_setsteamaccount. On ChicagoServers you paste it into the Game server login token field on the Startup tab. LAN-only servers that run with sv_lan 1 do not use Steam authentication or internet listing, so they can run without one.
What App ID do I use for a CS2 GSLT?
Use 730, the Counter-Strike 2 App ID. Do not use 740, which was the old CS:GO dedicated server ID. Always generate the token with the base game's ID.
Can I use one token on several servers?
No. Every server should have its own token. Community documentation says a token cannot run on two servers at the same time, and starting a second server with it typically logs the first one out, or makes both fail. Create as many tokens as you need; a Steam account can hold up to 1,000.
Is a GSLT free, and does it come with my hosting?
The token is a login credential from Steam, not something you buy from a hosting company. It belongs to your Steam account. Counter-Strike 2 server hosting at ChicagoServers expects you to supply your own, so create it before you set up the server.
Why does Steam say my account cannot create a token?
Steam requires an account that is not community banned or locked, not limited, has a qualifying registered phone number and owns the game. Check each condition on your account. Limited accounts and accounts without a phone number are the two usual blockers.
What do I do if my token stops working?
Check whether it expired from inactivity, was reset by a Steam password change, is running on another server, or was banned. For the first three, regenerate or create a new token, update the Game server login token field on the Startup tab and restart. For a ban, Valve's rules apply to the account, and a new token will not fix the underlying problem.