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OpenArena server hosting

Name: OpenArena Server Hosting
Brand: GamezServers
Availability: InStock

Free idTech3 deathmatch for your group, with the maps you pick

Host an OpenArena server for free arena deathmatch, CTF, Elimination and more. Pick the start map, fill empty slots with bots and drop in custom .pk3 maps.

Deploy now, starting at $0.75 Compare plans

Staying longer? Subscribe and get 50% off your first month

DDoS protected
24/7 support
Live the moment you pay

Split the billUp to 10 friends, own cards
Custom plansAny RAM up to 32 GB
Prepaid or monthly3 days to 1 year
Live in 60 secondsNo setup, no waiting
Cancel any timeNo contracts, ever

Pick your OpenArena plan

Every plan is live the moment you pay. Upgrade or cancel from your dashboard any time.

Starter

1 GB

50% off your first month$1.49USD first month

Then $2.99/mo. $0.10 a day.

1 GB RAM
2 vCPU cores
DDoS protection included
24/7 support

Deploy Starter

Standard

2 GB

50% off your first month$2.49USD first month

Then $4.99/mo. $0.17 a day.

2 GB RAM
2 vCPU cores
DDoS protection included
24/7 support

Deploy Standard

Pro

4 GB

50% off your first month$4.99USD first month

Then $9.99/mo. $0.33 a day.

4 GB RAM
2 vCPU cores
DDoS protection included
24/7 support

Deploy Pro

Build your own

Want something in between? Customize your OpenArena server.

Any RAM from 1 to 32 GB
3 days up to a year
Prepaid or subscription
Server type and settings

Customize

What comes set up on a OpenArena server

Every classic mode

Free for all, team deathmatch, CTF, One Flag, Elimination, Domination and more, all set with g_gametype in your server config.

Custom .pk3 maps

Upload map packs to the baseoa folder over SFTP and add them to your rotation. Set the boot map in the panel.

Bots fill the gaps

Use bot_minplayers so bots hold the server warm until real players show up, then step aside as they join.

Tiny footprint

An idTech3 server barely uses memory, so the smallest plan runs it with room to spare. No need to pay for more.

A look inside OpenArena

Real screenshots from the game. Click any of them to see it full size.

How much RAM does a OpenArena server need?

Find the row that sounds like your group and we will point you at the right plan.

Your server	RAM	Plan
Duel or small deathmatch server	1 GB	Starter$2.99/mo
16 slot CTF or team server with bots	2 GB	Standard$4.99/mo
Big custom map collection and several modes	4 GB	Pro$9.99/mo

This is the panel. Click around.

This is the OpenArena panel you get. Click any button, or type a command.

panel / openarena

Online

OpenArena Server

play.gamezservers.com:7777

CPU21%

Memory1.2 / 2 GB

Players3 online

[12:00:00] Starting OpenArena server

[12:00:03] Loading world

[12:00:06] Server started on port 7777

[12:00:09] Ready for players. Try a button.

Power

How to join your OpenArena server

1
Download and install OpenArena 0.8.8 from openarena.ws.
2
Launch OpenArena and open Multiplayer.
3
Click Specify, enter 203.0.113.24 and connect, or open the console with the tilde key and type \connect 203.0.113.24.
4
If the server has a password, type \password yourpassword in the console first, then connect.

Common problems

Settings typed into the console reset on restart. Put them in a server.cfg in the baseoa folder and run exec server.cfg from the live console after each start.

A player who lacks a custom map gets dropped or sees missing textures. Share the same .pk3 files with your group before you add them to the rotation.

sv_maxclients counts bots and spectators too, and the change only applies after a map restart.

Version mismatch on connect? The server runs 0.8.8, the final release, so make sure players have not installed an old 0.8.x build.

Server not responding

Make sure the server is online. Servers sleep after 4 days with nobody playing, and anyone with access can start them again from the dashboard in one click.

Use the server address

Do not use localhost, 127.0.0.1 or your own IP from a home hosting guide. Copy the exact address of the server.

No port forwarding or firewall changes

Opening ports on your router is only for hosting a server at home, so there is nothing to change to join this one. If Windows asks whether to let the game through the firewall, choose Allow.

OpenArena server hosting, explained

OpenArena is a free, open source arena shooter built on the GPL release of the idTech3 engine, the tech behind Quake III Arena. It plays the way you would expect: rocket jumps, the railgun, item timing and short loud matches. The last release, 0.8.8, came out years ago, and the community that remains is small and loyal. Because the game is free and runs on almost anything, it is easy to get a whole group installed for a LAN style night online.

Most OpenArena servers today belong to small groups and old clans who want a reliable arena for their own nights. A dedicated server means nobody has to host from a home connection or leave a PC on. It also gives you a fixed address that does not depend on the public master list, which is handy for a game whose browser is quiet most of the day.

In the panel you set the Game Map the server boots into. From there, the live console and a server.cfg handle the rest: g_gametype for the mode, fraglimit and timelimit, sv_maxclients, map rotations with vstr, bots with addbot or bot_minplayers, and an rcon password so an admin can manage things from inside the game. Custom maps and configs go in through the file manager or SFTP, and one click backups keep a copy before you experiment.

This is one of the lightest servers we host. An idTech3 server runs in a small fraction of a gigabyte, so 1 GB covers a duel or small deathmatch server, 2 GB handles a busy 16 slot CTF server with bots, and 4 GB is only for a very large custom map folder. Sleep when empty can stop it after 4 days with nobody on, ready to wake with one click.

OpenArena server guides

Setup

OpenArena5 min read

How to Host an OpenArena Server (0.8.8 Dedicated Server Guide)

Host an OpenArena 0.8.8 dedicated server: run oa_ded with dedicated 2, net_port and a server.cfg, open UDP 27960, add bots and a map rotation.

Read

Fixes

OpenArena5 min read

OpenArena Server Not Showing in the Server List? How to Fix It

OpenArena server missing from the browser? It needs dedicated 2, a reachable UDP port, outgoing 27950 to dpmaster and 0.8.8 on both sides. Or just connect by IP.

Read

How to

OpenArena6 min read

OpenArena server.cfg Explained: Game Types, Bots and Map Rotation

Every important OpenArena server.cfg setting: g_gametype 0 to 12, limits, sv_maxclients, bot_minplayers, rcon, votes and a vstr map rotation that works.

Read

All guides

Included on every plan

Always on DDoS protection
24/7 support from real people
Low ping game hardware
Live the moment you pay
Your own address and port
Live console with full access
One click game actions
One click backups
Upgrade or cancel any time

Common questions

How many players can an OpenArena server hold?

Set sv_maxclients in your config. 8 to 16 is typical, and the number includes bots and spectators.

Is OpenArena free?

Yes. OpenArena is free and open source, and players download it from openarena.ws. The server is installed for you.

Which game modes can I run?

OpenArena 0.8.8 includes free for all, tournament, team deathmatch, CTF, One Flag CTF, Harvester, Overload, Elimination, CTF Elimination, Last Man Standing, Double Domination and Domination. Pick one with g_gametype.

How do I join an OpenArena server by IP?

Open the console with the tilde key and type \connect followed by the address, or use Specify in the multiplayer menu.

Can I add bots?

Yes. Use addbot in the console, or set bot_minplayers so bots join and leave as real players come and go.

Can I run custom maps?

Yes. Upload .pk3 files to the baseoa folder, restart, and load them with the map command. Players need the same files.

How do I set an admin password?

Set rconpassword in your server.cfg. Admins then type \rconpassword followed by the password and use \rcon commands from the game.

Is OpenArena still updated?

Not really. 0.8.8 is the final release, but the game still works well and small communities keep playing it.

Is GamezServers affiliated with OpenArena?

No. You rent and control your own dedicated OpenArena server. GamezServers is not affiliated with the game's developer or publisher.

Can my friends and I split the cost?

Yes. At checkout choose "Me and my friends" and up to 10 people each pay their own share with their own card, on any plan length, from 3 days to a year. It is not a payment plan: nobody pays in parts over time, each friend simply pays their own share. You pay yours, send each friend their link, and the server starts straight away. Each share includes a $1 payment fee.

Can I build a custom plan?

Yes. Every game has a Build your own page: pick any amount of RAM up to 32 GB, any length from 3 days to 1 year, prepaid or a subscription, plus your server type and settings. A custom size costs 15% more per GB than the standard plans next to it.

Can I pay once instead of a subscription?

Yes. Pick Prepaid and pay once for 3 days, 30 days, 6 months or a year. Nothing renews: when the time is up the server pauses and keeps its world for 14 days. Add time or switch to a subscription from your panel any time. Short rentals cost more per day, since every server is set up from scratch.

How fast is setup, really?

Your server starts building the moment Stripe confirms payment. Most are online in under a minute, and the address and login appear on your dashboard automatically.