Pterodactyl CS2 anti-cheat
The game node runs the plugin. The panel does not live inside the egg. That split is what makes this install boring — in a good way.
Most CS2 hosts on Pterodactyl fail the anti-cheat install the same way: they drop a zip into game/csgo/, skip Metamod, or expect the Pterodactyl panel itself to “have anticheat.” ImpactGuard is a plugin on the CS2 instance plus a license that phones home.
What runs where
- Pterodactyl node / egg: CS2 dedicated server, Metamod:Source 2.x, CounterStrikeSharp 1.0.368+, ImpactGuard zip extracted at the server root (the folder that contains
game/). - impactguard.ac panel: license, detections, appeals, store. Not installed on the game VM.
Install on the instance
- Open the server file manager (or SFTP) and confirm you can see
game/. - Install Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp the same way you would on a raw dedicated box.
- Download the official CS2 package from the homepage or Plugin Manager.
- Extract at the server root, not inside
game/csgo/. - Put the license in
Panel.json. - Restart the CS2 server from Pterodactyl. Check
meta listandigvg_statusin the console. - Wait about a minute for a heartbeat. The server should show online in the ImpactGuard panel.
If the instance has no outbound HTTPS, the license will not validate. That is a nest/firewall problem, not a plugin crash.
Wine / Windows eggs
Linux eggs are the common path. Windows eggs work if CSS 1.0.368+ and Metamod load. Do not mix a .NET 10-only CSS build with the package we ship for 368 compatibility.
General protection notes: CS2 server protection. Plugin details: CS2 plugin.
Questions operators ask
Do I install ImpactGuard inside the Pterodactyl panel?
No. Install Metamod, CounterStrikeSharp, and the ImpactGuard zip inside the CS2 server filesystem. The operations panel stays at impactguard.ac.
Does the egg need outbound internet?
Yes. The game node needs outbound HTTPS for license checks and heartbeats. You do not host the ImpactGuard panel on the game machine.