sv_steamgroup Command Help & Examples

Playing CS:GO solo certainly has its advantages. However, sometimes, surrounding yourself with a group of like-minded individuals can do wonders for your matches. Not only will you meet some cool peeps to play your favorite shooter with regularly, but you will also gain access to in-game knowledge that can’t be found elsewhere.

Steam community groups have been around for quite some time, helping players join forces and communicate efficiently. Server owners and administrators, in particular, greatly benefit from them, as any type of server can be linked to a CSGO Steam group, making it that server’s official community hub.

Let’s explore the concept of CSGO Steam groups and understand how the sv_steamgroup command can help you create your loyal community. 

What Are CS:GO Steam Groups?

After joining in on a few community and private servers, you’ll quickly notice that they all share something in common, every server has its own dedicated CSGO Steam group. Steam groups are user-generated hubs that allow members to share their interests, initiate open discussions, coordinate gaming-related activities, and host various online tournaments.

Players can be a part of three types of Steam groups, each bearing its own distinct set of membership rules. These include:

• Public groups: These ones are the easiest to get into. A user can either join at their own will with the link or group ID in hand or receive an invitation from a fellow playmate.

• Restricted groups: These types of Steam groups are a bit tougher to join. Users can either request membership or receive an invitation from a group member with permission to add new players.

• Closed groups: The most restricted Steam group type. The only way a new member can find their way into a closed group is if they receive an invite.

Creating Your Own CSGO Steam Group

Now that we’ve established what Steam groups are and how you can join one, it’s time to turn toward those who like to take the lead. If you are ready to take the initiative and create a Steam group for your own CSGO server, the process of doing so is relatively simple. Just follow these steps, and you’ll get it configured in no time:

• Launch Steam and log in to your account.

• Once logged in, hover over your username in the top-left corner of the Steam bar, then click on Groups.

• After being presented with a list of the Steam groups that you’re already a part of, hover your mouse over the left side of the screen and click on Create Group.

• You will be redirected to the group creation menu, where you will be prompted to enter your desired group name, abbreviation, and group link. Fill those in after checking their availability.

• Check the Public Group box at the bottom of your screen if you want your group to maintain a public status. If you wish to keep it private, keep it unchecked.

• Click on the green Create button.

• You will be redirected to a window asking you to confirm your group creation selections. If everything seems to be in order, click on Create once again.

• Your Steam group has now been created.

Steam Group Configuration

You will be redirected to the group configuration window once you successfully create your CSGO Steam group. You can fill out the information immediately or leave it blank and fill it out at a more convenient time. These configurations include:

• Group ID: Your group ID is generated by the Steam engine and cannot be changed. Make sure you remember where it can be found, as you will need it when you want to connect your server to your CSGO Steam group.

• • Abbreviation: Your group’s abbreviation is a collection of letters and numbers that will be displayed next to your server’s name. You can change it at any time.

• Headline: Typically, the tagline or motto for your group.

• Summary: A short explanation of what the group is about, or in our case, which CSGO server it represents.

• Custom URL: The link that players can use to access the group. You can change your group’s URL at any time.

• Language and country: If you want to keep your group more localized, choose your group’s preferred language and country. If not, keep Do not display selected.
• Associated games: Select the game that your server is about, in our case, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
• Avatar: Select a group avatar of your choice by uploading a .jpg or .png file.
• Websites: A list of any websites or platforms associated with your group.

What Is The sv_steamgroup Command Used For?

If you’re maintaining your own CSGO server, it’s normal for you to want to link a dedicated Steam group to it. This way, you’ll be able to start building a community and have a place where you can share valuable information about the server. To sum it up, players who regularly play on your server will have a platform to refer to for any questions that they might have.

Connecting your server to a dedicated CSGO Steam group can be done by inserting the sv_steamgroup command in the console. Keep in mind, though, that these commands do require admin access to a server. There are two variations of the sv_steamgroup command, including:

• sv_steamgroup: This command is used to set the official Steam group of a server.
• sv_steamgroup_exclusive: This command makes your server accessible only to players who are members of your Steam group. The default setting is 0, making your server exclusive to your Steam group. 1 allows users to join the server only when other players are in, and 2 makes it so that only people from the Steam group can connect.

How To Use The sv_steamgroup Command

If you’re the server administrator or maintain server admin rights, inputting the command and setting your server’s official CSGO Steam group is simple. Take a look at the steps necessary to do so:

• While in a match hosted by your server, open up the CSGO console by hitting the tilde (~) key.

• Type in the command sv_steamgroup, followed by an empty spacing and your Steam group ID, and hit Enter. An example of this would be sv_steamgroup 44856324.

• Should you want to make your server exclusive to your Steam group’s members, insert the command sv_steamgroup_exclusive 0 and hit Enter. If you want to take advantage of the other variations of this command, use sv_steamgroup_exclusive 1 or sv_steamgroup_exclusive 2, depending on what you are going for.
• Your server is now linked to its official CSGO Steam group. Hit the Esc button to exit the console and continue playing or moderating. GLHF!