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Valheim Dedicated Game Server Setup Guide

By 💖⎛⎝Silver Knight⎠⎞💂☢☣

This guide shows you what is required to get your very own Valheim dedicated server up and running. Not too much is known about Valheim right now due to just being released and i will update this guide as more is known. If you see any errors, please let me know and i will update them here in the guide.

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Created by

💖⎛⎝Silver Knight⎠⎞💂☢☣
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Category: Achievements, Characters, Classes, Co-op, Crafting, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Maps or Levels, Modding or Configuration, Multiplayer, Secrets, Story or Lore, Trading, Walkthroughs, Weapons, Workshop

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

4 Feb, 2021 @ 12:54am

4 Feb, 2021 @ 12:55am

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Guide Index

Overview

Introduction

Installation of server files

Server Configuration

Running the server

Comments

Introduction

Installation of server files

The first step is to retrieve the files for the game, this is done via SteamCMD.

Follow the guide here on how to use STEAMCMD.

Download SteamCMD for Windows: https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd.zip

Once you have STEAMCMD, run the following command:

steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir C:\valheimserver +app_update 896660 validate +exit

Note: You can adjust the +force_install_dir parameter to the directory you want to download the server to.

This will then download the entire game, Once completed, it's time to setup the server configuration.

Server Configuration

In this section we define the options on configuration and some basic commandline parameters

The best method for a self-hosted solution is to use the provided .batch file

Inside myserver\ folder where you downloaded the game files, create a bat file e.g. start.bat

Inside the .bat file enter in this:

start /high valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name "SERVER NAME" -port 2456 -world "CHANGEME" -password "PASSWORD"

Change parameters as required e.g.Change theport to the ports you want to use ( You will have to portforward/open them )

Change name to what you want your server name to be.

Change password to what you want.

Running the server

The best method for a self-hosted solution is to use the created .bat file you created above

Inside the folder you set with steamcmd to install the files above, use the myserver\ folder where you downloaded the game files, Run Start.bat.

Please note some port-forwarding may be required, by default the server will use port 2456 and 2457, each server should use unique ports and runs a separate process. You should unblock these port in your firewall\router.

If setting up your own server is too much work for you, then please consider renting a server from Citadel Servers[citadelservers.com] - They setup everything for you and offer over 20 locations worldwide, i would highly recommend them

108 Comments

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Satchel Rat 12 Jul @ 11:51am

I just setup a second PC to use as a game server box. After installing and launching SteamCMD I entered "login anonymous" let it do its thing. From here I entered "app_update 896660 validate" and it downloaded everything just fine. From here I was transferring my server/world files over from my primary PC that i used to run the server from. I opened ports 2456-2458 on my router but would always get a "failed to connect" message when joining the world.

If anyone runs into this issue, my solution was that I had to search for the world again and not use the one I had set as a favourite.

Adambean 1 Mar @ 4:27am

Looks like the dedicated server application ID (896660) is no longer available anonymously:

Steam>app_update 896660 validate
ERROR! Failed to install app '896660' (No subscription)

Reyden 4 Mar, 2021 @ 10:53am

It's working on Raspberry Pi 4Gb using Windows 10. I've tested it. The main issue is unstable ping (80-200ms), so it's not comfortable to play. There are many things that can affects ping. I'm trying to exclude them. If it's happening because of arm64 > x86 compiler that's sad.

💖⎛⎝Silver Knight⎠⎞💂☢☣ [author] 2 Mar, 2021 @ 10:18am

@Xilrat Yeah you can migrate the data over to a dedicated server instance, citadel have a guide here that may be of use to you: https://citadelservers.com/client/knowledgebase/365/Uploading-your-own-custom-Valheim-world-file-to-your-server.html

Xilrat 2 Mar, 2021 @ 5:28am

i have been running a game with friends on my pc, is there a way to have that game used as a server? we have built and done a lot with it.

brettpokemon 26 Feb, 2021 @ 7:14am

How do you UNinstall to reinstall?

Hermes 17 Feb, 2021 @ 2:12pm

I am mostly having trouble with the port forwarding thing. I'm new to this stuff and just want to set up a server for me and my friend to play even when the other isn't available. Is anyone using a Spectrum RAC2V1S Router? I've figured out how to access it but all the guides I'v found are for different models and the interface is different and confusing to me when trying to follow the guides. Specifically I've been using the guide for Valheim on PortForward. Any possible help is appreciated.

Mantis 14 Feb, 2021 @ 10:52am

So you mean that whatever number I put after -port, the game will add 1 to that number and that will become the query port? So if I use -port 8888, then query port would automatically be 8889? (Meaning I would need to make sure ports 8888, 8889, and 8890 are open/forwarded?)

So even though each server needs 3 ports in total, I only have to set the first number, and the game will automatically finish the other two numbers as I outlined above, I hope I have that correct?

(And thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it, and our community absolutely loves your game!)

💖⎛⎝Silver Knight⎠⎞💂☢☣ [author] 13 Feb, 2021 @ 10:54pm

query port is always the port after game port

Mantis 13 Feb, 2021 @ 1:34pm

We'd like to run multiple servers, as our first one is full most of the time, but I have a question regarding the ports.

Supposedly the game uses three ports (2456-2458), and all the 'how to set up your server' instructions only show using "-port 2456" in the instructions, as per above. Port 2457 is the connection port - but it isn't listed in the instructions, so how is it being assigned? Does the game take whatever number I use after "-port" and then just add N+1 and N+2 to get the other two numbers?

My concern is that when i go to make server #2, since I used port 2456 already, this time I'll use "-port 3456"... Will that automatically know I want to use ports 3457 & 3458 for the second server? Or can I use "-ports" with a range?

Like "-ports 3456-3458" ?

Or does it need to be comma separated values (CSV)?

Like "-port 3456,3457,3458" ?

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