How to Make a Valheim Server (2026 Guide)

When you host Valheim from inside the game, the world disappears the moment you log off. A dedicated server keeps it online so your crew of up to 10 Vikings can play whenever they want. The server is free from Iron Gate, runs on Windows and Linux, and is light enough for a spare PC. This guide covers the setup for Valheim 1.0, which launched on 9 September 2026, with a quicker option at the end.

Short on time? You can skip SteamCMD, scripts and port forwarding completely. A hosted Valheim server is online in about a minute with its own address, and our quick start for hosting a Valheim server shows every step.

What you need

• A PC or server that stays on while people play. Windows and Linux both work. If nobody in your group can leave a machine running, this is where a hosted server earns its price.
• 4 GB of RAM free for a small group, and 6 to 8 GB for a full crew, big bases or mods.
• A few GB of free disk space, ideally on an SSD.
• A CPU with good single core speed. Heavy building in one area is what makes Valheim servers stutter.
• Access to your router for port forwarding.

For more on sizing, read how much RAM a game server needs.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

• Windows: download SteamCMD from Valve, extract it to a folder such as C:\steamcmd and run steamcmd.exe once.
• Linux: install the steamcmd package for your distribution, or use Valve's tarball and run ./steamcmd.sh.

Windows players who own Valheim can also install Valheim Dedicated Server from the Tools section of their Steam library.

Step 2: Download the server

The Valheim dedicated server is app ID 896660 and downloads anonymously:

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\valheim-server +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit

On Linux use a path like ~/valheim-server. Run the same command after every Valheim update so players can join. Miss one and your crew gets "Incompatible version" until you do, which is the upkeep a hosted server takes off your hands.

Step 3: Set up the start script

The server comes with a ready made start script: start_headless_server.bat on Windows and start_server.sh on Linux. Copy it to a new name such as start_myserver.bat so updates do not overwrite your changes, then edit the line that starts the server. On Windows it looks like this:

valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name "Viking Crew" -port 2456 -world "Midgard" -password "secret123" -public 1

What each option does:

• -name: the server name shown in the community list.
• -port: the first port the server uses. It also uses the next ones up, so 2456 means 2456 and 2457.
• -world: the world name. If no world with that name exists, a new one is created.
• -password: needs at least 5 characters and must not appear in the server name, or the server refuses to start.
• -public: 1 lists the server in the community list, 0 keeps it hidden so people join by address only.

Useful extras:

• -crossplay: lets Xbox, PC Game Pass, PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 players join. Mods do not work with console players.
• -savedir "C:\valheim-data": stores worlds and admin lists in a folder you choose.
• -preset and -modifier: world modifiers, for example -preset hard or -modifier raids none, to set difficulty for the whole server.

Run the script. The server is ready when the console reports that the game server has connected.

Step 4: Add yourself as an admin

The server creates adminlist.txt in its save folder (by default %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim on Windows or ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim on Linux, or your -savedir). Add your ID on its own line, restart, and you can use admin commands from the in game console. Since crossplay, IDs use the platform format shown in the in game F2 panel, such as Steam_76561198000000000, rather than a bare SteamID64. Our Valheim admin commands guide lists what admins can do. bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt in the same folder handle bans and whitelisting.

Step 5: Open the ports

Forward UDP 2456 to 2458 on your router to the server's local IP address, and allow valheim_server through your firewall. The game uses the port you set plus the next one, and forwarding the small range covers everything. With crossplay on, the server also prints a join code in its log that players can use instead of an address. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side. If your router fights you or your provider uses CGNAT, a hosted server sidesteps the whole step, since there is nothing to forward.

Step 6: How your crew joins

1. Launch Valheim, click Start Game and pick a character.
2. Open the Join Game tab and click Add server.
3. Enter your public IP and port, for example 203.0.113.10:2456, and confirm.
4. Select the server, click Connect and enter the password.

Public servers also show up in the community list after a few minutes, where friends can search for the name instead.

Bringing your existing world

Valheim 1.0 moved to a new save format: each world is now a folder inside worlds_local, split into smaller pieces that save faster. To move a world from your PC, copy its folder from your own worlds_local into the server's worlds_local and set -world to its name.

Worlds last saved before 1.0 are a .db and .fwl pair. Copy both files in, and the server converts them to the new format the first time it loads the world, keeping a backup of the old files. That first load can take several minutes, so do not stop the server while it works. The full walkthrough is in how to upload a Valheim world to a dedicated server.

Mods with BepInEx

Valheim mods run on BepInEx and are shared on Thunderstore. Most gameplay mods need installing on the server and on every player's game in matching versions, which is easiest with a mod manager profile that everyone imports. Mods often need an update after big patches like 1.0, so check each one before updating the server, and keep crossplay off on modded servers.

Common problems

• Server will not start: the password is under 5 characters or is part of the server name.
• Friends cannot see the server in the list: the community list can take a while. Adding it by IP under Join Game works straight away. More causes in Valheim server not showing up.
• "Incompatible version": the server or a player is out of date. Update the server with SteamCMD and restart. See the Valheim incompatible version fix for beta branch and mod causes.
• Stuttering near big bases: too many objects in one area. Give the server more CPU headroom, and spread builds out.
• World missing after uploading: the -world name does not match the folder or file name exactly.

The easy way

Self hosting Valheim is a good weekend project, but the upkeep never really ends: a PC left on whenever anyone wants to play, UDP ports open on your router, your home IP shared with everyone, and a SteamCMD update after every patch before the crew can join again.

A hosted server takes all of that off your plate. Pick a plan from 9.99 USD a month (or split it with up to 10 friends), pay, and your world is online in about 60 seconds with its own address. Upload your existing world over SFTP, edit adminlist.txt in the browser, and hit Backup before every boss fight. See Valheim server hosting for plans, or follow the quick start for hosting a Valheim server.