SpawnBot • Competitive mode

CS:GO competitive server guide

A simple reference to understand the 5v5 format, the useful commands and the settings to know before launching a match.

Simple formatA server built for a real 5v5 match, with competitive settings already in place.

Fast startAn admin starts the match with one command, then both teams confirm they are ready.

Built-in admin toolsAuthorized admins control the match directly in-game without installing anything else.

Separate spectatorsA dedicated GOTV access lets you broadcast the match without disturbing players.

What does this competitive mode look like?

5v5 match

The server is designed for two teams of five players.

Competitive rules

The match follows a classic ready-to-play competitive baseline.

MR15 and overtime

The match follows a standard competitive format with overtime when needed.

Strict settings

Friendly fire, collision, freeze time and bomb timer are already tuned for competitive play.

In short: you join a server that is already configured for competitive play and ready to use, with no advanced setup required on your side.

How does a match start?

Players join the server

Both teams join the SpawnBot server.

The admin starts the match

An authorized admin uses sm_matchstart. The server switches to match mode and prepares the competitive session.

Teams mark themselves ready

Players use !ready. If needed, the admin can use sm_matchforceready.

The match goes live

The match then follows its competitive flow, with possible knife round or side choice depending on the event format.

How do you watch the match?

SpawnBot offers separate spectator access through GOTV so viewers do not interfere with players on the main server.

Reserved slots

If a password is set, match slots stay reserved for players.

GOTV access

Spectators use the GOTV port provided by SpawnBot to watch the match.

Admin commands

The match admin must connect to the main server to use in-game commands.

Clean broadcast

Viewers can watch without disrupting the organization or the players.

Commands for match admins

sm_matchhelp

Shows quick help and the list of available commands.

sm_matchstart

Starts the standard competitive match flow.

sm_matchstatus

Shows the current match state at a glance.

sm_matchforceready

Forces the match to start once everyone is in place.

sm_matchend

Stops the match without declaring a winner.

sm_matchend_team1 / sm_matchend_team2

Forces a win for one of the two teams.

Useful commands for players

!ready or !r

Marks you as ready to start.

!unready

Removes your ready status while the match has not gone live yet.

!pause, !tac or !tech

Requests a tactical or technical pause depending on the context.

!unpause

Resumes the game after a pause.

!stay, !swap, !ct, !t

Useful when a side choice is in progress.

!pick <map> and !ban <map>

Used if the match format includes a map veto.

Instance settings in SpawnBot

TV Delay: delay in seconds for the GOTV spectator broadcast.
Steam Token: unique identifier used to list the server with Steam. For CS:GO, the GSLT must be created with App ID 730 and not 740.
Admin list (SteamIDs): list of Steam64 IDs for admins allowed to manage the match.

After an important configuration change, restart the instance so the new settings are applied correctly.

Back to documentation Create a Steam Token (GSLT)