CS2 Plugins Not Loading After an Update: Fix Metamod

When CS2 plugins stop loading after an update, the update has usually replaced gameinfo.gi and removed the Game csgo/addons/metamod line. Add the line back, update Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp to builds that support the new game version, restart, and run meta list to confirm both load.

Why a CS2 update breaks your plugins

Plugins on Counter-Strike 2 sit on a chain: Metamod loads through a single line in gameinfo.gi, CounterStrikeSharp loads through Metamod, and your plugins load through CounterStrikeSharp. An update can break the chain in two places:

1. The game replaces gameinfo.gi. That is a game file, and an update overwrites it. The Metamod line disappears, so Metamod and everything above it stop loading. The Metamod documentation says it directly: you need to redo the change every time a developer pushes a change that modifies gameinfo.gi.
2. The game changes internally. Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp rely on details of the game's code. After some updates they need a new build. CounterStrikeSharp's release notes show this pattern, with entries such as "Update for latest CS2 Game Update".

Both are fixable without losing your configs. If you are new to the stack, our guide on installing CounterStrikeSharp and Metamod explains each layer first.

Find out which layer broke

Start the server, open the console and run the checks. They go from the bottom of the chain to the top:

Fix 1: Put the Metamod line back

1. Stop the server and take a backup.
2. Open game/csgo/gameinfo.gi in the editor.
3. Find the SearchPaths block and add this line under Game_LowViolence csgo_lv:

SearchPaths
{
    Game_LowViolence    csgo_lv
    Game                csgo/addons/metamod
    Game                csgo
    Game                core

Edit the file in game/csgo, not the copy in csgo_core. The Metamod documentation says editing the second one does not load Metamod.

Fix 2: Update Metamod

If the line is already there and meta version still fails, the Metamod build is probably too old for the new game version. Download the newest development build for your system from the Metamod:Source development builds page, extract it, and upload its addons folder over the existing one in game/csgo. Restart and check:

meta version

You should see a line that starts with Metamod:Source version 2.

Fix 3: Update CounterStrikeSharp

Download the latest release from the CounterStrikeSharp releases page and copy its addons folder into game/csgo, the same way you did the first time. Your configuration files are not overwritten. After a first install you can use the build without the runtime, unless a new .NET version is required.

Then restart and run:

meta list

CounterStrikeSharp should be in the list, and the start-up log should print CounterStrikeSharp.API Loaded Successfully.

Fix 4: Update the plugins

Some plugins read game data that changes between updates, and they ship updated files for it. MatchZy is an example. It ships addons/counterstrikesharp/gamedata/matchzy.json, which practice-mode rethrows need, and its documentation asks you to keep that file updated. It also needs CounterStrikeSharp v369 or newer. To update a plugin:

1. Open its release page and download the newest version.
2. Upload the files over the old ones. MatchZy replaces the shipped .cfg files in cfg/MatchZy on update, so keep your own changes in the _override.cfg files.
3. Restart, then run css_plugins list and look for the plugin.

If a plugin still fails, read the start-up console for its name and the error next to it. Check the plugin's issue tracker; after an update, other people have usually reported the same thing. For match tools, see the MatchZy scrim guide.

The three commands to remember

Run them in this order after every update. The first one that fails tells you which layer to fix, and you never need to reinstall the layers below it.

If the server will not start

Put two slashes in front of the Metamod line in gameinfo.gi to turn it off:

    // Game                csgo/addons/metamod

The server then starts as plain Counter-Strike 2, without plugins. Your players can keep playing while you fix the stack. Remove the slashes when the new builds are in place.

Stop it from catching you by surprise

• Back up before every update. One click in the panel saves your configs, plugins and gameinfo.gi.
• Update in a quiet hour. Not twenty minutes before a scrim.
• Keep the three lines of the fix in a note. The Metamod line, the download links and the commands to verify. Then it is a two-minute job.
• Follow the projects you rely on on GitHub, so you hear about a new release when it appears.
• Re-check the rest of the server. After an update, confirm that your Workshop maps still load (Workshop guide) and that the server is still listed (GSLT guide).

On TheGameHosting

You get a File Manager with full sFTP, Backups you can restore in one step, and 24/7 support. If your plugins stop after an update and you cannot find why, send us the console output and we will read it with you. See the Counter-Strike 2 hosting page, or compare all plans if you run several plugins. If your server also fell out of the browser after the update, read CS2 server not showing in the browser.

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