Left 4 Dead 2 has no screen for entering promo codes. When people say "cheat codes," they mean commands typed into the developer console in the PC (Steam) version of the game. These commands never expire; you just need to open the console and enable cheat mode in a game you host yourself. Below, we've grouped the most useful commands by category.
Opening the console and enabling cheat mode
- From the main menu, go to Options > Keyboard/Mouse and set Allow Developer Console to Enabled.
- In game, press the
~key (the one right below ESC) to open the console. - Type
sv_cheats 1and press Enter. The console will show a line confirming that sv_cheats is set to 1. - You can now type the commands below one by one. To turn cheats off completely, type
sv_cheats 0.
Depending on your keyboard layout, the console key may show a different character. If the console won't open, right-click the game in your Steam library, go to Properties > Launch Options, and type -console; the game will then start with the console open. If you type bind p toggleconsole in the console, you can open it with the P key from then on.
Basic cheat commands
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| god 1 | Makes the whole team invincible. Type god 0 to turn it off. |
| buddha 1 | You still take damage, but you can't die. |
| noclip | Lets you fly freely and pass through walls. Type it again to turn it off. |
| sv_infinite_ammo 1 | Gives you unlimited ammo. |
| give health | Fully restores your health. |
| give ammo | Refills your ammo. |
| impulse 101 | Gives ammo to your primary weapon. |
| kill | Kills your character; useful if you get stuck somewhere. |
| thirdpersonshoulder | Switches the camera to an over-the-shoulder third-person view. |
| thirdperson | Moves the camera behind your character. |
| firstperson | Returns the camera to the normal first-person view. |
Weapon commands
| Command | Weapon |
|---|---|
| give pistol | Pistol |
| give pistol_magnum | Magnum pistol |
| give smg | Submachine gun (SMG) |
| give smg_silenced | Silenced SMG |
| give pumpshotgun | Pump shotgun |
| give shotgun_chrome | Chrome pump shotgun |
| give autoshotgun | Auto shotgun |
| give shotgun_spas | SPAS shotgun |
| give rifle | M16 assault rifle |
| give rifle_ak47 | AK-47 |
| give rifle_desert | Combat Rifle (three-round burst) |
| give hunting_rifle | Hunting rifle |
| give sniper_military | Military sniper rifle |
Melee and item commands
| Command | Item |
|---|---|
| give katana | Katana |
| give machete | Machete |
| give frying_pan | Frying pan |
| give electric_guitar | Electric guitar |
| give tonfa | Nightstick |
| give chainsaw | Chainsaw |
| give first_aid_kit | First aid kit |
| give pain_pills | Pain pills |
| give adrenaline | Adrenaline shot |
| give molotov | Molotov cocktail |
| give pipe_bomb | Pipe bomb |
| give vomitjar | Bile jar |
| give gascan | Gas can |
| give propanetank | Propane tank |
| give oxygentank | Oxygen tank |
Weapon upgrade commands
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| upgrade_add laser_sight | Attaches a laser sight to the weapon in your hands. |
| upgrade_add incendiary_ammo | Gives incendiary ammo; zombies you hit catch fire. |
| upgrade_add explosive_ammo | Gives explosive ammo. |
Zombie and special infected spawn commands
The creature you spawn appears at the spot your crosshair is pointing to.
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| z_spawn tank | Spawns a Tank. |
| z_spawn witch | Spawns a Witch. |
| z_spawn hunter | Spawns a Hunter. |
| z_spawn smoker | Spawns a Smoker. |
| z_spawn boomer | Spawns a Boomer. |
| z_spawn charger | Spawns a Charger. |
| z_spawn jockey | Spawns a Jockey. |
| z_spawn spitter | Spawns a Spitter. |
| z_spawn mob | Sends a horde of zombies. |
| z_spawn zombie | Spawns a single common zombie. |
Director and bot commands
In Left 4 Dead 2, an AI called the AI Director controls zombie hordes and when special infected arrive. You can control it with these commands:
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| director_stop | Stops new zombies, special infected, and Tanks from spawning. |
| director_no_mobs 1 | Turns off zombie hordes. |
| director_panic_forever 1 | Makes the panic event never end. |
| z_common_limit [number] | Sets the maximum number of common zombies that can exist at once. |
| z_tank_health [number] | Sets the Tank's health. |
| sb_friendlyfire 1 | Allows bot teammates to deal damage with friendly fire. |
| sb_openfire | Bot teammates fire nonstop. |
| boom | Drops an active pipe bomb at your feet. |
Map start commands
To enable cheat mode, you need to start the game on your own server; the easiest way is the map command in the console. The first map of each campaign:
| Campaign | Command |
|---|---|
| Dead Center | map c1m1_hotel |
| Dark Carnival | map c2m1_highway |
| Swamp Fever | map c3m1_plankcountry |
| Hard Rain | map c4m1_milltown_a |
| The Parish | map c5m1_waterfront |
| The Passing | map c6m1_riverbank |
| The Sacrifice | map c7m1_docks |
| No Mercy | map c8m1_apartment |
| Crash Course | map c9m1_alleys |
| Death Toll | map c10m1_caves |
| Dead Air | map c11m1_greenhouse |
| Blood Harvest | map c12m1_hilltop |
| Cold Stream | map c13m1_alpinecreek |
Why aren't the cheats working?
- You're not on your own server: sv_cheats can only be enabled on the server of the player who hosts the game. If you get a "Can't use cheats now" warning, return to the main menu, start a map yourself with a command like
map c5m1_waterfront, and typesv_cheats 1again. - Achievements are disabled: You can't earn Steam achievements while cheat mode is on. If you're chasing achievements, try cheats in a separate game.
- Type the command in full: When copying, don't paste the description text into the console; type only the command itself.
- If the console won't open: Check the Allow Developer Console setting in Options and the
-consolelaunch option.
Since the game has no timed code system, don't trust lists shared as "October 2026 codes" or "expired codes." All the cheats in Left 4 Dead 2 come down to the console commands above.