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ReHLDS vs HLDS: what changes on a CS 1.6 server

ReHLDS is a rebuild of Valve's HLDS engine, with defects fixed and an extended plugin API, under the MIT licence. Configs and AMX Mod X stay the same. Where xHLDS fits.

Last checked
Steps
6
Reading time
3 min
On Hostsrc
Includes the steps for a Hostsrc server

HLDS is Valve's Half-Life dedicated server, the program a CS 1.6 server runs. ReHLDS is a rebuild of its engine, made by reverse engineering HLDS build 6152/6153, with many defects and potential bugs fixed along the way. It is made by the ReHLDS Contributors and released under the MIT licence.

For an admin, ReHLDS replaces one file: the engine. The game, server.cfg, Metamod and AMX Mod X stay as they are. What you get is the fixes, new settings against command floods and speed hacks, and an extended API that ReAPI, ReGameDLL_CS and Metamod-R build on.

On Hostsrc

xHLDS is our fork of ReHLDS. It keeps ReHLDS's plugin API, settings and commands, and adds -pingboost 5, crash fixes and crash reports that say what crashed. New Hostsrc servers install with it, free.

Before you start

  • Access to the server console.
  • To install ReHLDS on your own server: HLDS from SteamCMD, and a copy of the server folder in case you want to switch back.

Steps

  1. Step 1: Check which engine your server runs

    Type version in the server console. ReHLDS adds a ReHLDS version: line, and plain HLDS has none. xHLDS prints an xHLDS version: line above the ReHLDS one.

    Console
    version

  2. Step 2: Install HLDS from the steam_legacy branch

    ReHLDS works with the official pre-anniversary HLDS, engine version 8684 or lower, from SteamCMD. It doesn't work with the old 5xxx builds from hldsupdatetool. Install or update app 90 from the steam_legacy branch.

    app_set_config 90 mod cstrikeapp_update 90 -beta steam_legacy validate

  3. Step 3: Replace the engine file

    Download a release from ReHLDS releases (external site, opens in a new tab). Replace engine_i486.so on Linux, or swds.dll on Windows, with the ReHLDS file. Keep the original file, so you can switch back.

    The ReHLDS binaries need a CPU with SSE, SSE2 and SSE3. Linux releases are signed with GPG, and the ReHLDS README has the key.

  4. Step 4: Check plugins that read the engine's code

    ReHLDS is built with other compilers, so it isn't binary compatible with HLDS. Plugins that look for patterns in the engine's machine code, such as Orpheu, probably won't work. Plugins that use the normal Metamod and AMX Mod X interfaces don't depend on the engine's machine code.

    Restart the server and check meta list and amxx plugins after the switch.

  5. Step 5: Use what ReHLDS adds

    ReHLDS's settings mostly start with sv_rehlds_, and their defaults are chosen to be safe, so most servers never change them. Its commands include rescount and reslist for precache limits, and an RCON allow list (rcon_adduser). The ReHLDS settings and ReHLDS commands list them all.

  6. Step 6: On Hostsrc: xHLDS is already there

    New Hostsrc servers install with xHLDS, on the current release, and follow each release. An existing server can switch to xHLDS too. Your start command can stay the same, because -pingboost 1 to 3 behave as they do in ReHLDS.

HLDS, ReHLDS and xHLDS

What each engine is, who makes it and where it runs. Checked 24 October 2026.
EngineMade byPriceBuilds-pingboostPlugin API
HLDSValveFreeLinux and Windows1 to 3, Linux onlyThe game library interface Metamod uses
ReHLDSThe ReHLDS ContributorsFree, MIT licenceLinux and Windows1 to 3, Linux onlyAdds the ReHLDS API, used by ReAPI, ReGameDLL_CS and Metamod-R
xHLDSHostsrc, as a fork of ReHLDSFree on Hostsrc. €119/year or €12/month per server elsewhereLinux1 to 3, and 5The same ReHLDS API, version 3.15

Troubleshooting

Is ReHLDS free?

Yes. ReHLDS is free and released under the MIT licence.

Is ReHLDS still maintained?

Yes. Its latest release, 3.15.0.896, came out on 18 May 2026, and the latest commit we saw is from 20 September 2026.

Does ReHLDS run on the 25th anniversary HLDS?

No. ReHLDS works with the pre-anniversary HLDS, engine version 8684 or lower, from the steam_legacy branch.

Do my AMX Mod X plugins work on ReHLDS?

Plugins that use AMX Mod X's normal functions work as before. Plugins built on Orpheu, or on other patterns in the engine's machine code, may not.

Is ReHLDS faster than HLDS?

We don't publish speed comparisons. ReHLDS lists what it changes in its README: fixes, new settings and an API. To compare on your own server, run stats for the same time with players on each engine.

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