Black Mesa: connect to and set up your server

Start your Black Mesa server, connect and adjust the most important settings.

1 minute read Updated 22.10.2026

Here's how to connect to your Black Mesa server and adjust the most important settings.

Connecting

  1. Open the server page in the client area and click Start.
  2. Wait until the status shows “running”. You can follow the progress in the Console tab.
  3. Copy the address (IP:Port) at the top of the server page.
  4. Open the developer console in Black Mesa (key ~, enable it in the options first if needed) and enter connect IP:Port.

Important settings

In the Startup variables tab:

  • Default Map (SRCDS_MAP) – default map.
  • Client port (SRCDS_CPORT) – client port.
  • Source TV (SRCDS_STV) – source TV.
  • Max Players (MAX_PLAYERS) – The maximum amount of players allowed on your game server.

Changes in the Startup variables tab take effect on the next restart.

Good to know

  • The first start takes longer because the server files are downloaded and set up.
Was this helpful?