Cube 2: SauerbratenSauerbraten Master and Admin Commands for Server Owners
Cube 2: Sauerbraten server commands: /setmaster with your admin password, mastermode 0 to 3, kick, spectator, mode numbers, bots, demos and pausing.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 6 min read
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On a Cube 2: Sauerbraten server you take control with /setmaster followed by the server's admin password, which makes you admin. From there /mastermode 2 locks the server so new arrivals spectate, /kick name removes and bans a player for 4 hours, /mode 12 followed by /map hallo switches to instagib CTF, and /addbot fills empty slots. Open the chat line with T and type each command with its leading slash.
Sauerbraten has two levels of control: master, which any player can claim on an open server, and admin, which needs the password set with adminpass in server-init.cfg or -p on the command line. Admin can do everything master can, plus pausing, demos and bot limits, and can take master away from anyone.
Claiming master or admin
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/setmaster 1 |
Claims master, if nobody holds it and the server allows it |
/setmaster yourpassword |
Claims admin with the admin password, taking master from whoever has it |
/setmaster 0 |
Gives up master or admin |
/auth |
Claims master with a registered auth key, on servers that accept auth |
Whether ordinary players can use /setmaster 1 depends on publicserver in server-init.cfg:
publicserver |
Effect |
|---|---|
0 |
Anyone can claim master, and every master mode is allowed |
1 |
Master only through auth or admin, and locked and private modes are blocked |
2 |
Anyone can claim master, but private mode is blocked |
For a small community server, publicserver 0 with a strong adminpass is the usual choice: regulars can claim master to set up a game, and you can always take it back with the password.
Master modes
/mastermode N sets how open the server is. The current master mode shows in the server browser, so people know before they join.
| Mode | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | open | Anyone joins, maps are chosen by vote. The default |
| 1 | veto | Anyone joins, but master can force map changes |
| 2 | locked | Anyone who joins after this is set becomes a spectator |
| 3 | private | Nobody new can join at all |
Mode 2 is the one for clan matches and tournaments: everyone already in keeps playing, and anyone who wanders in can only watch. Mode 3 is for a private game with friends when someone keeps trying to crash it. When the last master or admin gives up master or leaves, the server drops back to open.
Kicking, banning and spectators
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/kick name |
Kicks the player and bans their IP for 4 hours or until the server empties |
/kick 3 |
Same, by client number (the number in brackets next to their name) |
/clearbans |
Removes every kick ban, as if the server had emptied |
/spectator 1 name |
Forces a player to spectate |
/spectator 0 name |
Lets them play again |
/setteam name good |
Moves a player to a team in team modes |
For a permanent ban, add an ipban line to server-init.cfg and restart:
ipban 203.0.113.45
Kicking is meant for cheaters and people wrecking games, not for winning arguments. On a small scene, word gets around fast about servers with trigger happy admins.
Changing mode and map
The mode applies to the next map you load, so set the mode first, then the map:
/mode 12
/map hallo
As master in veto mode or above, or as admin, the change happens straight away. In open mode, /map is a vote and other players have to vote the same map.
| Number | Mode | Number | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ffa | 12 | insta ctf |
| 1 | coop edit | 13 | protect |
| 2 | teamplay | 14 | insta protect |
| 3 | instagib | 15 | hold |
| 4 | insta team | 16 | insta hold |
| 5 | efficiency | 17 | effic ctf |
| 6 | effic team | 18 | effic protect |
| 7 | tactics | 19 | effic hold |
| 8 | tac team | 20 | collect |
| 9 | capture | 21 | insta collect |
| 10 | regen capture | 22 | effic collect |
| 11 | ctf |
Instagib (3), instagib team (4), insta ctf (12) and efficiency ctf (17) are where most of the remaining players live. Matches last 10 minutes by default, except coop edit, which has no time limit.
To control which maps come up next without anyone voting, set a rotation in server-init.cfg with maprotation lines, and use lockmaprotation 1 or 2 to stop players voting for maps outside it. The setup is covered in how to host a Cube 2: Sauerbraten server.
Bots
| Command | Who | What it does |
|---|---|---|
/addbot |
Master | Adds a bot with random skill between 50 and 100 |
/addbot 85 |
Master | Adds a bot with skill 85 |
/delbot |
Master | Removes a bot |
/botlimit 6 |
Admin | Changes how many bots a master may add |
/botbalance 1 |
Master | Keeps teams even by moving bots |
serverbotlimit in server-init.cfg sets the starting bot limit for masters, and 0 turns bots off. Admins are not bound by it. Bots only navigate well on maps that ship with waypoints, which most stock maps do.
Coop edit commands
In mode 1, everyone can edit the map together. Two commands keep everyone on the same version:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/sendmap |
Uploads your copy of the current map to the server |
/sendmap mymap |
Saves your edit as mymap, then uploads it |
/getmap |
Downloads the last map someone sent |
Use mastermode 2 or 3 during edit sessions so a random visitor cannot walk in and start deleting geometry.
Admin only commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/pausegame 1 / /pausegame 0 |
Pauses or resumes the match |
/recorddemo 1 |
Records a demo of the next match |
/stopdemo |
Stops recording |
/listdemos and /getdemo 2 |
Lists demos on the server and downloads one (any player can) |
/cleardemos |
Deletes stored demos |
With restrictdemos 0 and restrictpausegame 0 in server-init.cfg, master can record demos and pause too. Demos are handy for clan scrims and for proving a cheating accusation.
Running these on a hosted server
A GamezServers Sauerbraten server generates an admin password when it is created and shows it in the panel, so /setmaster with that password works from your first visit. server-init.cfg is in the file manager for publicserver, rotations, bot limits and ipban lines, and a restart from the panel applies them. If players cannot find your server, see Sauerbraten server not showing in the server browser.
FAQ
How do I become admin on a Sauerbraten server?
Type /setmaster followed by the admin password set with adminpass in server-init.cfg or -p on the command line. Without a password, /setmaster 1 only gives master, and only if the server allows it.
What is the difference between master and admin in Sauerbraten?
Master can change maps in veto mode, set master modes, kick and add bots. Admin can do all of that, plus pause the game, record demos, change bot limits and take master from anyone.
How long does a kick last in Sauerbraten?
4 hours, or until the server empties, whichever comes first. Use ipban in server-init.cfg for a permanent ban.
How do I change the game mode on my Sauerbraten server?
Set the mode with /mode and a number, such as /mode 12 for insta ctf, then load a map with /map. The mode takes effect on that map load.
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