Left 4 Dead 2 Console Commands: Full List and Usage

Last updated: September 18, 2026

You control a Left 4 Dead 2 server through its console, which is the Console page in the NolimitHost Game Panel. You can also run commands remotely with RCON from inside the game.

RCON Basics

Command	Description
`rcon_password <password>`	Set (on the server) or enter (in-game) the RCON password.
`rcon <command>`	Run a command on the server from the in-game console.

An in-game admin runs commands as rcon changelevel c1m1_hotel, for example.

Campaign and Map Commands

Command	Description
`changelevel <map>`	Change the map and keep players in the lobby.
`map <map>`	Change the map as a fresh start, sending players to the main menu.
`nextlevel <map>`	Set the map to load when the current one ends.
`maps *`	List all available maps.

Game Mode and Server Settings

Command	Description
`hostname "<name>"`	Change the server name at runtime.
`mp_gamemode <mode>`	Set the game mode: `coop`, `versus`, `survival`, or `scavenge`.
`sv_gametypes "<list>"`	Restrict which game modes the server may run, for example `"coop,versus"`.
`sv_password <password>`	Set or clear the join password.
`sv_cheats <0\|1>`	Toggle cheats. Required for cheat-only commands.
`sv_consistency <0\|1>`	Allow clients without exactly matching custom files to join.
`say "<message>"`	Send a message to all players.
`exec server.cfg`	Reload the config from `left4dead2/cfg/`.

Player Management

Command	Description
`status`	List connected players with their user IDs, Steam IDs, IPs, and ping.
`kick <name>`	Kick a player by name.
`kickid <userid> <reason>`	Kick a player by user ID.
`banid <minutes> <steamid>`	Ban a Steam ID. Use `0` minutes for a permanent ban.
`unbanid <steamid>`	Remove a Steam ID ban.
`writeid` / `writeip`	Save the ban lists to disk.

Important: Bans are held in memory and are lost on restart unless you run writeid and writeip to save them.

The Director

L4D2's AI Director manages pacing, hordes, and special infected. Useful tuning commands include:

Command	Description
`director_no_death_check <0\|1>`	Control whether the round ends when the team is wiped.
`director_ready_restart`	Restart the director, starting the map fresh.
`z_common_limit <value>`	Maximum common infected at once.

Tip: Many servers add SourceMod plugins that provide extra commands prefixed with sm_. Type sm help in the console to see what is available. See Install Plugins.

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