Half-Life 2: Deathmatch: Complete Guide

Everything you need to get good at Valve's physics-driven arena shooter: weapons, the Gravity Gun, movement, the official maps, settings, and where to find games in 2026.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the August 24, 2026 Steam update (on top of the February 18, 2025 64-bit update). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

It's an arena shooter, not a military one. Instant respawns, weapons and items on the map, 100 health on spawn, and whoever controls the power weapons and chargers wins.
The Gravity Gun is a weapon. Launching a toilet, radiator, or saw blade at someone is a kill. Learn to grab props on the move.
Two modes. Deathmatch (free-for-all) and Team Deathmatch (Rebels vs Combine). The server decides which.
Eight official maps: Lockdown, Overwatch, Steam Lab, Underpass, Resistance, Powerhouse, Run Off and Halls3.
Pick up armor constantly. Suit batteries and HEV chargers are as important as guns; an armored player survives hits that would kill you.
Sprint uses suit power. Hold sprint in short bursts; don't arrive at a fight with an empty aux bar.
It's 64-bit now. The February 2025 update added 64-bit binaries (auto-launched on 64-bit systems), a borderless window option, UI scaling for high resolutions, native-resolution launch by default, and the HL2 20th Anniversary lighting (bicubic lightmaps, radial fog), so it runs cleanly on modern PCs.
Easy friend games. The same update added Steam Networking, raised the default listen-server size from 2 to 24 players (hard cap 100), and improved client-side prediction for the SMG, AR2, Crossbow, Gravity Gun, and sprinting.
No official bots. Your practice partner is the server browser (or a local server with a friend).

Game Modes and Teams

Mode	Rules	Notes
Deathmatch	Every player for themselves; highest frags at time/frag limit wins	Very common on public servers
Team Deathmatch	Rebels vs Combine; team frags count	Enabled by the server (`mp_teamplay 1`); team damage settings vary

Player models come straight from Half-Life 2 (Rebels and Combine soldiers/Metrocops). Model choice is cosmetic; hitboxes follow the model, so there's no competitive reason to agonize over it. The 20th Anniversary update (November 2024) fixed player model selection issues.

Weapons

Slot	Weapon	Primary / Secondary	How to use it
1	Crowbar / Stunstick	Melee	Finish off weakened players; Stunstick is the Combine-side melee
1	Gravity Gun (Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator)	Punt / pick up	Your most versatile weapon; see the next section
2	9mm Pistol	Semi-auto	Spam-click for decent close damage; last resort
2	.357 Magnum	High-damage revolver	Six shots, huge damage, precise; the best pick-up for skilled aimers
3	SMG	Auto fire / grenade launcher	Spray at close range; alt-fire lobs a contact grenade (limited ammo)
3	Pulse Rifle (AR2 / OSIPR)	Auto fire / Combine energy ball	The energy ball bounces and kills almost anything it touches
4	Shotgun	Single / double blast	Double blast at point blank is a near-guaranteed kill
4	Crossbow	Scoped bolt	Very high damage, projectile with travel time; lead your target
5	RPG	Laser-guided rocket	Steer with the laser; toggle the laser off to fire straight
5	Frag Grenade	Throw / roll	Lob over cover; roll under doors and down stairs
5	S.L.A.M.	Satchel / tripmine	Wall-mounted tripmines on doorways and pickups; satchel for remote traps

Priorities when you spawn: grab the nearest real gun (SMG or shotgun), then route through armor and a power weapon (Magnum, Crossbow, RPG, AR2).

The Gravity Gun

Punt (primary) hits an object with a force blast. Used on props at close range it launches them hard. It also knocks players around and can deflect grenades.
Pick up (secondary) holds an object in front of you. Press primary to launch it.
Deadly props: saw blades, radiators, paint cans, barrels, toilets, filing cabinets, explosive barrels. Heavier, sharper objects do more damage.
Carry a shield. Holding a large prop in front of you soaks bullets while you close distance.
Throw grenades back. Catch a live frag and fling it back before it pops.
Catch energy balls. A Combine ball from the AR2 can be grabbed and relaunched.
Prop-dense areas are where the Gravity Gun dominates; learn where the respawning props sit on each map.

Movement

HL2DM movement rewards practice more than almost any other Source shooter.

Technique	How	Why
Sprint	Hold sprint (default Shift)	Faster rotation, drains suit power
Crouch-jump	Jump then crouch in the air	Reach higher ledges and windows
Strafe-jump / bunnyhop	Chain jumps while air-strafing with mouse + A/D	Keep and build speed; a big part of the competitive skill ceiling
Prop climbing	Use props and the Gravity Gun to reach off-limits spots	Surprise angles and item shortcuts
Ladders and water	Ladders slow you; water hides footsteps but slows movement	Plan escape routes around them

Standing still in HL2DM is the fastest way to die. Keep moving, and never walk in a straight line into an open room.

Maps

The eight official maps (console names): dm_lockdown, dm_overwatch, dm_steamlab, dm_underpass, dm_resistance, dm_powerhouse, dm_runoff and halls3. Lockdown is the most-played classic and the best one to learn first.

For every map, learn the same four things:

What	Why
Where the RPG, Crossbow, AR2 and Magnum spawn	Power weapons decide fights
Where the health/HEV chargers and batteries are	Armor control is half the game
Where the deadly props sit (saw blades, radiators, barrels)	Free Gravity Gun kills
High ground and long sightlines	Magnum/Crossbow territory; avoid crossing them in the open

The November 2024 20th Anniversary update added more spawn points to many maps, closed out-of-world exploits, fixed floating props and the blast-door rendering bug on dm_runoff, and moved the blue barrels in dm_resistance that could be pulled through the chainlink doors.

Community maps are everywhere on public servers. New maps download automatically when you connect.

Item Control

Know the respawn loop. Guns, ammo, batteries and health kits respawn on timers. The best players rotate through the same pickups in a loop.
Chargers: wall-mounted health and HEV (armor) chargers let you refill between fights. Deny them by camping nearby with a trap (SLAM on the wall).
Power weapons: grab the RPG, Crossbow or AR2 when it spawns, even if it takes you out of a fight.
Don't overpick. Taking ammo you don't need is fine in FFA (it denies others) but slow if a fight is waiting.

Settings for Modern PCs

64-bit and borderless: since February 2025, 64-bit binaries launch automatically and there's a borderless window option in video settings.
FOV: set fov_desired 90 in console (the max) for better awareness.
Raw input and no acceleration: turn on raw input and disable mouse acceleration in the mouse options if available.
Net settings: most servers are fine on defaults; if hit registration feels off, try a lower-ping server before touching rates.
Hosting your own server: the console variable hl2mp_allow_pickup (added February 2025) lets players pick up objects without the Gravity Gun, and mp_teamplay 1 switches to Team Deathmatch.
Hitsounds and damage indicators are server-side mods on many community servers; toggle them in the server's menu if offered.

Finding Games in 2026

Use the in-game server browser and sort by players. Community servers remain active, especially in the evening in Europe and North America.
Try "Favorites" for servers you enjoy; regular communities are the best way to find consistent games.
Servers vary widely: pure vanilla, 1v1 arenas, "killbox" maps, and heavily modded servers with extra weapons or physics rules.
Friend lobbies: create a server from the main menu (Create Server), pick a map, and invite friends through Steam.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring armor. Armor effectively doubles your fight time; always route through batteries.
Walking. You'll be picked off by the Magnum or Crossbow. Sprint between cover and keep strafing.
Pointing RPGs with the laser on at close range. Toggle the laser off or switch weapons.
Using the AR2 energy ball carelessly in tight spaces. It bounces; mind where it's going.
Underestimating props. Watch for players holding objects with the Gravity Gun.
Standing in doorways. Tripmines love doorways.

Advanced Tips

Mix weapons fast. Magnum shot then crowbar, or shotgun then quick-switch to finish; quick-switching beats waiting on reloads.
Deny the Gravity Gun. If an opponent relies on props, fight in open areas with nothing to throw.
Use SLAMs as alarms. A tripmine on a flank tells you when someone's coming.
Crossbow leading. Aim slightly ahead of moving targets; bolts are projectiles with travel time, not hitscan.
Explosive barrels can be punted as projectiles; they're great finishers.
Learn one map deeply before trying to climb scoreboards everywhere.

FAQ

Is Half-Life 2: Deathmatch still active in 2026? Yes, with community servers. Valve still ships updates: November 2024 (20th Anniversary map and Gravity Gun fixes), February 18, 2025 (64-bit, borderless window, Steam Networking, lighting improvements) and August 24, 2026 (security/stability fixes, a Linux custom-map asset fix, and a .357 view-snapping fix from the community).

Do I need Half-Life 2 to play? No. HL2DM is its own Steam app, and it's included with some Half-Life 2 bundles and purchases.

Are there bots? No official bots. Play on public servers or create a server for friends.

Can I play with mods and custom maps? Yes. Servers push custom maps and content automatically on connect.

Why do people fly around so fast? Bunnyhopping/strafe-jumping plus prop tricks. It's legitimate movement tech; practice on empty servers.

Does it support Linux or Steam Deck? There are Linux binaries; the August 2026 update specifically fixed custom-map asset loading on Linux.