English
Deutsch
Español
Français
Русский
Türkçe
Black Mesa Server Hosting
Replay Half-Life the way it deserves, in co-op or deathmatch with friends, while the AI copilot runs the server.
What do you need for Black Mesa server hosting?
Black Mesa server hosting needs 2 GB of RAM, the Black Mesa: Deathmatch Dedicated Server (Steam app 346680, a free anonymous download), port 27015 open, and a bms/cfg/server.cfg plus mapcycle.txt. Out of the box it runs deathmatch and team deathmatch on the remade Half-Life maps; campaign co-op comes from the community SourceCoop mod. On GameTeam you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, slots are never priced, and the AI copilot sets the mode, the rotation and the rules for you.
Run your Black Mesa server by just asking.
Black Mesa ships without server docs, so most owners guess at the cvars. Tell the copilot how the match should play: it writes server.cfg, rebuilds the map rotation and runs the console commands, including SourceCoop's once it's installed.
Your Rules, Written for You
Map cycle, mode, timelimits — tell the copilot and it writes server.cfg and confirms it.
Light Server, Small Bill
Source engine runs on very little; you pay per GB, so this one is cheap to keep around.
One Address, Any Game
The same server can become CS:S, TF2 or something entirely different next week.
Black Mesa with friends
A ground-up remake of the original Half-Life, and the definitive way to play it. Its multiplayer brings back classic Half-Life deathmatch — fast, tight and unforgiving — for a group that wants the maps they remember.
Black Mesa server RAM requirements
2 GB is sufficient for a co-op or deathmatch server.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| Deathmatch or team deathmatch, up to 16 players | 2 GB | $0.98 / week |
| SourceCoop campaign with friends | 2 GB | $0.98 / week |
A Black Mesa server is a Source engine process, and 2 GB, our smallest plan, covers deathmatch and a co-op campaign alike. If a big plugin set or Workshop map pushes it, add RAM in one click from the panel. Player limit: 12-32 depending on game mode.
How to set up a Black Mesa server on GameTeam
Pick a location
Take 2 GB and the location nearest your group: 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Low ping matters in a gauss-cannon fight.
Choose the mode
Ask the copilot for deathmatch or team deathmatch, a frag limit and a map list, or edit bms/cfg/server.cfg and mapcycle.txt in the file manager. For co-op, upload MetaMod:Source, SourceMod and SourceCoop to the server.
Invite your friends
Players need their own copy of Black Mesa. They find the server under Play Online in the server list, or type connect and the address from the panel in the console.
Good to know before you start
Co-op and deathmatch use different map sets, so the map cycle needs to match the mode you intend to run.
Black Mesa server settings explained
The main config is bms/cfg/server.cfg, read at every start; the rotation sits next to it in bms/cfg/mapcycle.txt, one map per line. The game folder is bms, which is also the -game value on the launch line.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
hostname | The name shown in the server list. |
sv_password | Password to join. Leave it empty for a public server. |
rcon_password | Password for running console commands remotely. |
mp_teamplay | 0 is free-for-all deathmatch, 1 is team deathmatch. |
mp_fraglimit | Frags that end the map. |
mp_timelimit | Time on a map before the rotation moves on. |
mp_friendlyfire | Whether teammates can damage each other in team deathmatch. |
mp_forcerespawn | 1 respawns players automatically after death. |
mp_weaponstay | 1 leaves weapons in place after pickup; extra ammo then has to come from ammo pickups. |
mp_warmup_time | Warm-up before a match starts. |
sv_alltalk | 1 lets everyone hear everyone on voice, regardless of team. |
sv_allowdownload / sv_downloadurl | Let players download missing custom content from the server or from a web address you set. |
sv_pure | Enforces that players' game files match the server's. |
Black Mesa server commands
These go into the panel console, or through RCON from your own game. SourceCoop's commands only exist once that mod is installed. The copilot can run any of them for you.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
status | Shows the current map, the players with their IDs, and the server address. |
changelevel <map> | Switches map, for example changelevel dm_stalkyard. |
kick <name> | Removes a player. |
banid / addip | Bans by Steam ID or IP; writeid and writeip save the ban lists. |
exec server.cfg | Re-applies your config. |
sm_coopmenu | SourceCoop: opens the co-op menu for any player. |
sm_changemap / sm_restartmap | SourceCoop: menu to change the campaign map, or a vote to restart it. |
sm_survival | SourceCoop: starts a vote for survival mode, where dead players wait for the next checkpoint instead of respawning right away. |
sc_revive | SourceCoop admin: force-respawns a player. |
Can I add mods to a Black Mesa server?
Yes. It is a Source engine server, so MetaMod and SourceMod plugins and custom maps are supported.
Custom deathmatch maps go in as .bsp files in bms/maps or as .vpk files in bms/addons; add the map name to mapcycle.txt to rotate it. Players need Workshop maps too, so they subscribe to the same items. For campaign co-op, the community SourceCoop mod (it also runs on Half-Life 2: Deathmatch) restores the single-player campaign logic, carries players and their equipment from map to map, and has its own difficulty and survival settings. It installs like any SourceMod plugin.
Black Mesa server ports
On GameTeam there is nothing to forward; the panel shows the exact address and port. Hosting at home, only 27015 has to be forwarded for players to get in.
Pay per GB of RAM. Never per slot.
You pay for memory, not seats, and billing can be weekly, so you are never locked into a month the group might not play. Change RAM in one click, or switch the same server to another game. The AI copilot is included on every plan.
- ✓ AI copilot included on every plan
- ✓ Unlimited player slots — we never charge per slot
- ✓ Ryzen 9 7950X · NVMe storage
- ✓ DDoS protection included
- ✓ Switch to another game anytime
- ✓ 25 GB NVMe storage · 160 Gbps DDoS protection
- ✓ AI copilot included on every plan
- ✓ Unlimited player slots — we never charge per slot
- ✓ Ryzen 9 7950X · Unlimited NVMe storage
- ✓ 480 Gbps DDoS protection
- ✓ Switch to another game anytime
- ✓ Dedicated threads
- ✓ Automatic backups
- ✓ Priority support
Hardware & network
Locations
What server owners say
"Honestly didn't expect much from an 'AI manager', but it's how I run my server now. I'll type something like 'why did the server crash last night' and it actually reads the logs and tells me."
Verified review
"I'd been on two other hosts before this. What sold me was the AI manager catching a memory leak in one of my mods and naming the exact one — something I'd been chasing for weeks."
Verified review
"I'm not very technical and setting up servers always stressed me out. Now I just ask the assistant to fix a config, and it either walks me through it or does it for me."
Verified review
Black Mesa server hosting FAQ
Does Black Mesa have co-op multiplayer?
Not officially. Black Mesa's own multiplayer is deathmatch and team deathmatch. Campaign co-op comes from SourceCoop, a community mod that runs on the same dedicated server with MetaMod:Source and SourceMod. It lets a group play the campaign together and carries players and their equipment between maps.
Do my friends need to own Black Mesa to join?
Yes. The dedicated server is a free download, but Black Mesa itself is a paid game on Steam, so every player needs their own copy. With SourceCoop, players also subscribe to any custom Workshop maps the server uses; most other files download on join.
Which maps come with the Black Mesa server?
The server ships with a dozen stock deathmatch maps, all with a dm_ prefix: dm_bounce, dm_boom, dm_chopper, dm_crossfire, dm_gasworks, dm_lambdabunker, dm_power, dm_rail, dm_stack, dm_stalkyard, dm_subtransit and dm_undertow. More are on the Steam Workshop.
How many players can a Black Mesa server hold?
Deathmatch servers commonly run 12 to 32 slots, depending on how big the maps in your rotation are; 16 is a common default. The limit is the maxplayers you set, not your plan: GameTeam never charges per slot.
How do I switch between deathmatch and team deathmatch?
Set mp_teamplay 1 for team deathmatch or 0 for free-for-all, then reload the map. Or tell the copilot "team deathmatch from the next map" and it edits server.cfg and handles the reload.
How do players find my server?
In Black Mesa, choose Play Online and look for your server name in the list, or open the console and type connect with the address from the GameTeam panel. Set sv_password and they'll be asked for it on join.
How much does a Black Mesa server cost?
Pricing is per GB of RAM, $0.49/GB a week on Budget or $1.99/GB billed monthly. The 2 GB a Black Mesa server needs is $0.98 a week, with unlimited slots, DDoS protection and the AI copilot included.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Suit up. Your server is ready.
Deploy it, tell the copilot the mode and the maps, and send the facility's new staff the address.
Deploy your Black Mesa server