Half-Life 2 Console Commands

The PC version of Half-Life 2 has a developer console for cheats, item spawns and chapter jumps. Since the November 2024 20th Anniversary Update, Episode One, Episode Two and Lost Coast run from the same game, so most commands work there too.

Cheats: 55
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Type: Console commands
Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

Cover art: Valve

Before you use cheats: Sources agree that turning on sv_cheats disables Steam achievements for that session; guides say restart the game with sv_cheats 0 to restore them. Spawned entities can crash the game or trap you, so make a manual save before experimenting.

How to enter cheats

Options, Keyboard, Advanced: tick Enable developer console, or add -console to the Steam launch options. Press the tilde (~) key under Esc. Most commands need sv_cheats 1 typed first.

PlayStation

PS3 (The Orange Box): no built-in developer console. Button codes entered during play restore health and ammo and unlock all chapters.

Xbox

Xbox (2005) and Xbox 360 (The Orange Box): no built-in developer console. Button codes entered during play restore health and ammo and unlock chapters; Xbox 360 adds god mode.

Mobile

Android (Nvidia SHIELD port, 2014): no developer console or cheat codes are documented, so the PC commands here are for PC only.

All Half-Life 2 commands

55 cheats

Cheat mode and survival (7)

Turn cheat mode on, which most other commands need
Use sv_cheats 0 to turn it off. Turning it on disables Steam achievements for the session.
PC
sv_cheats 1
PC
sv_cheats 0
God mode: you take no damage
Toggle. Type it again to turn it off.
PC
god
Buddha mode: damage still lands but your health stops at 1
Toggle. Type it again to turn it off.
PC
buddha
Noclip: fly and pass through walls and floors
Toggle. Switch it off over solid ground so you do not get stuck.
PC
noclip
Hide from NPCs so they stop targeting you
Toggle. Type it again to turn it off.
PC
notarget
Damage yourself by an amount you choose
Example: hurtme 50.
PC
hurtme <amount>
Kill your character at once
explode kills with explosive damage but shows no blast.
PC
kill
PC
explode

Weapons, ammo and items (15)

Equip the HEV suit, the standard weapons and ammo, and add up to 25 health if you are under 100
Extras such as Annabelle still need give.
PC
impulse 101
Refill ammo for the weapon in your hands
PC
givecurrentammo
Pistol and pistol ammo
Ammo also answers to item_box_srounds.
PC
give weapon_pistol
PC
give item_ammo_pistol
.357 Magnum and its ammo
PC
give weapon_357
PC
give item_ammo_357
SMG, its ammo and SMG grenades
Also valid: item_box_mrounds for ammo, item_ar2_grenade for grenades.
PC
give weapon_smg1
PC
give item_ammo_smg1
PC
give item_ammo_smg1_grenade
Pulse rifle (AR2), its ammo and energy balls
PC
give weapon_ar2
PC
give item_ammo_ar2
PC
give item_ammo_ar2_altfire
Shotgun and shells
PC
give weapon_shotgun
PC
give item_box_buckshot
Crossbow and bolts
PC
give weapon_crossbow
PC
give item_ammo_crossbow
Rocket launcher and rockets
Rockets also answer to item_ml_grenade.
PC
give weapon_rpg
PC
give item_rpg_round
Frag grenade
PC
give weapon_frag
Crowbar
give weapon_stunstick only adds suit power; the player cannot wield it.
PC
give weapon_crowbar
Gravity gun
PC
give weapon_physcannon
Bugbait (pheropods) for commanding antlions
PC
give weapon_bugbait
Annabelle, Father Grigori's shotgun
Select it with its number key, not the mouse wheel.
PC
give weapon_annabelle
Health, suit battery and HEV suit pickups
Kit restores 25 health, vial 10, battery adds 15 suit power.
PC
give item_healthkit
PC
give item_healthvial
PC
give item_battery
PC
give item_suit

Spawning, entities and vehicles (8)

Spawn any entity where you are aiming
Key and value pairs can follow the name. Entities the level has not loaded can crash the game.
PC
ent_create <classname>
Spawn an NPC where you are aiming
Aim at open ground. Run npc_create_equipment weapon_pistol first to arm it.
PC
npc_create npc_<name>
Spawn a Combine soldier, police officer, zombie, antlion, Alyx or Dog
npc_combine_s is the soldier and npc_metropolice the Civil Protection officer.
PC
npc_create npc_combine_s
PC
npc_create npc_metropolice
PC
npc_create npc_zombie
PC
npc_create npc_antlion
PC
npc_create npc_alyx
PC
npc_create npc_dog
Fire an input at a named entity, or at whatever you aim at with !picker
A value and a delay can follow. The second example sets your target on fire.
PC
ent_fire <target> <input>
PC
ent_fire !picker ignite
Delete the object or NPC under your crosshair
Both do the same job.
PC
impulse 203
PC
ent_remove
Freeze the AI of every NPC
Toggle. Run it again to let NPCs move.
PC
ai_disable
Spawn the buggy in front of you
It spawns armed.
PC
impulse 82
PC
ch_createjeep
Spawn an airboat in front of you
It spawns unarmed. Add the gun with ent_fire airboat enablegun 1.
PC
impulse 83
PC
ch_createairboat

Gravity gun, suit power and view (5)

Turn the gravity gun into the supercharged Citadel version
Combine soldiers' dropped weapons dissolve while it is on. Use 0 to switch it off.
PC
physcannon_mega_enabled 1
Infinite suit power for sprinting, the flashlight and breathing underwater
Use 0 to go back to normal.
PC
sv_infinite_aux_power 1
Change the game speed for slow motion or fast forward
1 is normal. Below 1 slows the game and above 1 speeds it up.
PC
host_timescale <number>
Switch between third-person and first-person view
PC
thirdperson
PC
firstperson
Show the frame rate counter
Use 0 to hide it.
PC
cl_showfps 1

Maps and chapter select (16)

Load any map by name; maps * lists every valid name
Chapter maps are below. changelevel also switches maps from a running game.
PC
map <mapname>
PC
changelevel <mapname>
PC
maps *
Unlock chapters on the New Game screen up to this number
Values run from 1 to 15. Use 15 to unlock everything.
PC
sv_unlockedchapters <number>
Chapter 1, Point Insertion: load its first map
Later maps: d1_trainstation_02 to d1_trainstation_04.
PC
map d1_trainstation_01
Chapter 2, A Red Letter Day: load its first map
Later map: d1_trainstation_06.
PC
map d1_trainstation_05
Chapter 3, Route Kanal: load its first map
Later maps: d1_canals_01a, d1_canals_02, d1_canals_03, d1_canals_05.
PC
map d1_canals_01
Chapter 4, Water Hazard: load its first map
Later maps: d1_canals_07 to d1_canals_13.
PC
map d1_canals_06
Chapter 5, Black Mesa East: load its first map
Later map: d1_eli_02.
PC
map d1_eli_01
Chapter 6, We Don't Go To Ravenholm...: load its first map
Later maps: d1_town_01a, d1_town_02, d1_town_03, d1_town_02a, d1_town_04, d1_town_05.
PC
map d1_town_01
Chapter 7, Highway 17: load its first map
Later maps: d2_coast_03, d2_coast_04, d2_coast_05, d2_coast_07, d2_coast_08.
PC
map d2_coast_01
Chapter 8, Sandtraps: load its first map
Later maps: d2_coast_10, d2_coast_11, d2_coast_12, d2_prison_01.
PC
map d2_coast_09
Chapter 9, Nova Prospekt: load its first map
Later maps: d2_prison_03, d2_prison_04, d2_prison_05.
PC
map d2_prison_02
Chapter 9a, Entanglement: load its first map
Later maps: d2_prison_07, d2_prison_08, d3_c17_01.
PC
map d2_prison_06
Chapter 10, Anticitizen One: load its first map
Later maps: d3_c17_03 to d3_c17_08, including d3_c17_06a and d3_c17_06b.
PC
map d3_c17_02
Chapter 11, Follow Freeman!: load its first map
Later maps: d3_c17_10a, d3_c17_10b, d3_c17_11, d3_c17_12, d3_c17_12b, d3_c17_13.
PC
map d3_c17_09
Chapter 12, Our Benefactors: load its first map
Later maps: d3_citadel_02 to d3_citadel_05.
PC
map d3_citadel_01
Chapter 13, Dark Energy: load its first map
The only map in this chapter.
PC
map d3_breen_01

Xbox and PS3 button codes (4)

Restore 25 health (spawns a medpak)
Enter it during play. These versions have no built-in console.
Xbox and Xbox 360
1. Up
2. Up
3. Down
4. Down
5. Left
6. Right
7. Left
8. Right
9. B
10. A
PlayStation
1. Up
2. Up
3. Down
4. Down
5. Left
6. Right
7. Left
8. Right
9. Circle
10. Cross
Refill ammo for your current weapon
One wiki lists an extra RB (R1 on PS3) at the start.
Xbox 360
1. Y
2. B
3. A
4. X
5. RB
6. Y
7. X
8. A
9. B
10. RB
Xbox (2005 original)
1. Y
2. B
3. A
4. X
5. White
6. Y
7. X
8. A
9. B
10. White
PlayStation
1. Triangle
2. Circle
3. Cross
4. Square
5. R1
6. Triangle
7. Square
8. Cross
9. Circle
10. R1
Unlock all chapters
Xbox 360
1. Left
2. Left
3. Left
4. Left
5. LB
6. Right
7. Right
8. Right
9. Right
10. RB
Xbox (2005 original)
1. Left
2. Left
3. Left
4. Left
5. Black
6. Right
7. Right
8. Right
9. Right
10. White
PlayStation
1. Left
2. Left
3. Left
4. Left
5. L1
6. Right
7. Right
8. Right
9. Right
10. R1
God mode (Xbox 360 only)
Xbox 360
1. LB
2. Up
3. RB
4. Up
5. LB
6. LB
7. Up
8. RB
9. RB
10. Up

Covers the most-searched commands. Other cvars exist: type find <word> in the console to search them. Episode map names are not listed.

FAQ

How do you open the console in Half-Life 2?

Go to Options, Keyboard, Advanced and tick Enable developer console, or add -console to the Steam launch options. Press the tilde key to open it, then type sv_cheats 1 before cheat commands.

Do cheats disable achievements in Half-Life 2?

Yes. Turning on sv_cheats disables Steam achievements for that session. Guides say to set sv_cheats 0 and restart the game to earn them again. Since the 2024 update, Episode One and Two achievements are part of Half-Life 2 too.

How do you get all weapons in Half-Life 2?

Type sv_cheats 1, then impulse 101 for the HEV suit, the standard weapons and ammo. For single items use give with the exact name, such as give weapon_rpg or give weapon_physcannon.

Does Half-Life 2 have cheats on Xbox 360 or PS3?

There is no built-in console, but The Orange Box accepts button codes during play: 25 health, an ammo refill and unlock all chapters on both, plus god mode on Xbox 360. The 2005 Xbox lists all but god mode.

Checked against

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