1 min readUpdated Oct 7, 2026

How To Edit Black Mesa Server Config Files

Most settings on your Black Mesa server live in two files in the bms/cfg folder. You can edit them in Files.

server.cfg

Location: bms/cfg/server.cfg

The server runs this file when it starts and on every map change. Use it for rules like these, one per line:

CommandWhat it does
mp_timelimit 900Seconds per map, so 900 is 15 minutes. 0 turns it off.
mp_fraglimit 30Kills that end the map. 0 turns it off.
mp_teamplay 1Team deathmatch, marines against scientists. 0 is free-for-all deathmatch.
mp_friendlyfire 1Lets teammates damage each other.
mp_forcerespawn 1Respawns players automatically. 0 lets them choose when to respawn.
mp_warmup_time 30Length of the warmup round in seconds.
mp_chattime 10Seconds players can chat after the map ends.
mp_allowspectators 0Turns off spectator mode.
sv_alltalk 1Everyone hears everyone on voice chat.

hostname, sv_password, rcon_password and sv_downloadurl are set from your Settings page every time the server starts, so change them there.

mapcycle.txt

Location: bms/cfg/mapcycle.txt

Your map rotation, one map per line. See change map.

Tip

To find a command, type find and a word in the server console, for example find gravity.