Applies to Valheim patch 0.221.12 (default branch, released 2026-02-19). Valheim is still in Early Access; version 1.0 launches September 9, 2026 — see the 1.0 section below before you rebuild your server.
Hosting your own Valheim dedicated server is the best way to keep a persistent Viking world running 24/7 so you and up to nine friends can jump in anytime — no host needing to be online, no world resetting when the party leaves. The good news: Valheim ships a free dedicated-server tool, so self-hosting costs nothing but the machine it runs on. This guide walks the exact official setup, the flags that actually matter, the crossplay vs Steam decision that trips up most people, and how to get your server ready for the 1.0 launch.
Quick answer: how to host a Valheim dedicated server
- In your Steam Library, open the top-left dropdown and tick the Tools checkbox, then install Valheim Dedicated Server (it's free).
- Browse to the install folder, copy `start_headless_server.bat` (Windows) or `start_server.sh` (Linux), and edit the copy — never the original.
- Fill in your `-name`, `-world`, `-password`, and either port-forward 2456-2457 (Steam backend) or add `-crossplay` (relay backend, no port forwarding).
- Launch the copy. When the console prints "Game server connected," your server is live.
- In-game, join via the server browser, Join IP, or a crossplay join code.
That's the whole loop. Everything below is the detail that keeps it stable, secure, and 1.0-ready — all verified against Iron Gate's official A Guide to Dedicated Servers.
What you need before you start
- A copy of Valheim ($29.99 on Steam, AppID 892970). Valheim has held a single price with no DLC paywalls, no season pass, and no live-service monetization since Early Access began on February 2, 2021.
- A machine to run the server on. It can be the same PC you play on, a spare PC, or a Linux box/VPS. Running it on your gaming PC works but eats RAM and CPU while you play, so a dedicated or spare machine is smoother for a group.
- The free server tool. The dedicated server is a Steam Tool, not a separate purchase. You do not need a second Valheim license to run it.
- Player cap: 1-10. Valheim's own store listing describes it as a game "for 1-10 players," so plan around a maximum of ten concurrent Vikings.
Self-hosting vs paid hosting: The server tool is free, so if you have a spare always-on machine, hosting costs you nothing. Paid Valheim host companies exist because they handle uptime, DDoS protection, and a control panel for you — convenient, but not required. This guide covers the free, official self-hosted route, which is what most small friend groups actually want.
How do you download the Valheim dedicated server?
The server lives in Steam's Tools section, which is hidden by default:
- Open your Steam Library.
- Click the dropdown at the top-left of the library (it usually says "Games") and make sure the Tools checkbox is filled.
- Scroll to Valheim Dedicated Server and click Install.
Once installed, right-click the Valheim Dedicated Server entry and choose Manage → Browse local files to open the install folder. You'll find the startup scripts and a copy of the official guide right there in the directory.
Setting up the startup script (do this the right way)
Before you run anything, you edit one file to tell the server its name, world, and password.
- Windows: `start_headless_server.bat`
- Linux: `start_server.sh`
Iron Gate's guide is explicit about one step almost everyone skips: make a copy of the file and edit the copy. In the official words:
"We recommend that you make a copy of this file and enter the required information in the copy instead of the original, since the original file will be reset each time it is updated in Steam."
If you edit the original, Steam wipes your settings on the next server update and you'll be re-typing everything. The one catch: you can't launch the copy from the Steam shortcut (it points at the original filename), so start your copy directly from the folder.
Open your copy in a text editor. The line that matters starts with `start valheim_server…` (around line 7) — that's where all the flags below go. Save the file, launch it, allow it through the Windows Firewall if prompted, and wait for "Game server connected."
To stop the server cleanly, press CTRL+C in the command window. Do not click the X — per the official guide, closing it that way may leave the server running in the background.
The dedicated server flags that actually matter
Every setting is a launch flag on that startup line. These are the ones worth knowing, straight from the official command list:
| Flag | What it does | Default / note |
|---|---|---|
| `-name "My server"` | The name shown in the server browser | — |
| `-port 2456` | The port the server communicates on | Uses this port and port+1 → 2456-2457 |
| `-world "Dedicated"` | Creates or loads a world by that name | Reuses an existing world if the name matches |
| `-password "Secret"` | Sets the join password | Required for public servers |
| `-public 1` | 1 = listed in the server browser; 0 = join by IP only | `0` is ideal for a private/LAN server |
| `-savedir [PATH]` | Overrides where worlds + permission files are stored | Optional |
| `-saveinterval 1800` | How often (seconds) the world saves | Default 1800s = 30 min |
| `-backups 4` | How many automatic backups to keep | Default keeps 1 short + 3 long |
| `-backupshort 7200` | Interval to the first backup | Default 7200s = 2 hours |
| `-backuplong 43200` | Interval between later backups | Default 43200s = 12 hours |
| `-crossplay` | Runs on the PlayFab crossplay backend | No port forwarding needed |
| `-preset hard` | World-modifier preset | Normal / Casual / Easy / Hard / Hardcore / Immersive / Hammer |
| `-modifier raids none` | Fine-tunes a single world modifier | Combat, DeathPenalty, Resources, Raids, Portals |
A couple of these are genuinely useful and get missed: `-preset` and `-modifier` let you bake the same difficulty and world rules a single-player world can set (portal item-transfer, raid frequency, resource rates) straight into your dedicated world at launch, so everyone joins into identical rules.
Steam backend vs crossplay: which should you pick?
This single choice causes more Valheim server confusion than anything else. You get two networking backends:
Steam backend (default). If you launch without `-crossplay`, the server uses Steam networking. Only Steam players can see and join it, and — critically — it requires port forwarding on your router so outside players can reach it.
Crossplay backend (PlayFab), enabled with `-crossplay`. In Iron Gate's words:
"If you're using the Crossplay backend, the server transmits data via a relay server and therefore does not require Port Forwarding to be accessible from outside of your local network."
That relay is the big deal: no port forwarding. Players connect using the public IP + port, a join code, or the server list. The one limitation the guide calls out: on the crossplay backend you can't connect via a local or loopback IP, so even LAN players use the code or public address.
The verdict: for most friend groups, use `-crossplay`. It skips router configuration entirely, hands you a shareable join code, and it's the backend that lets Xbox (and, at 1.0, PS5 and Switch 2) players into the same world as PC. Only stick with the Steam backend if you specifically want a Steam-only server or a pure-LAN setup. Save files are compatible between the two, so you can switch later.
For the full platform picture, see our Valheim crossplay guide for PC, Xbox, PS5 & Switch 2.
Ports: it's 2456-2457, not 2456-2458
If you go the Steam-backend route, port forwarding is the step that breaks people. Get one number right: Valheim uses the port you specify AND that port + 1. With the default `-port 2456`, that's 2456-2457 — a two-port range, not three. The official guide states it plainly:
"Valheim uses the specified Port AND specified Port+1. Default Ports are 2456-2457."
Plenty of hosting blogs tell you to forward 2456-2458; the third port is unnecessary per Iron Gate. Forward 2456-2457 on both TCP and UDP to your server machine's local IP, match your `-port` value to it, and you're set. If you use `-crossplay`, skip all of this — the relay handles it.
How do you connect to your server?
- Server browser: if you set `-public 1`, the server appears in the in-game Join Game → Community list. Search your `-name`.
- Join IP: click Join Game → Join IP and enter `publicIP:port`. This is the go-to for `-public 0` servers.
- Join code: on the crossplay backend, share the numeric join code the server generates — the simplest option for a mixed-platform group.
Everyone needs the password you set with `-password`. Players are identified by a Platform User ID in the format `[Platform]_[User ID]`, which you can read from the in-game F2 panel or the server log.
Admin, bans, and permissions
Your save folder holds three plain-text files you edit to control access:
- adminlist.txt — grants admin privileges.
- bannedlist.txt — blocks specific players.
- permittedlist.txt — an allow-list. Warning: adding anyone to the permitted list bans everyone else not on it, so only use it for a locked-down private server.
Add one Platform User ID per line. In-game, admins open the console with F5 and can use `Kick`, `Ban`, `Unban`, and `Banned` (lists all bans) followed by a player name.
Where are the save files? (back these up)
Know these paths — they're where your world lives and what you back up before any big change:
- Windows: `%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim`
- Linux: `~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim`
The server auto-saves every 30 minutes and rotates backups by default, but nothing beats a manual copy of your `.db` and `.fwl` world files before you update, migrate machines, or head into 1.0.
Hosting on Linux or Docker
The dedicated server runs fine headless on Linux. Two things to know:
- Extra packages required: `libatomic1`, `libpulse-dev`, and `libpulse0`.
- Old GLIBC? The server needs at least GLIBC_2.29 and GLIBCXX_3.4.26. If your distro is older, Iron Gate ships a Docker path: run `docker_start_server.sh` and pass it your startup script. Game data lives in a Docker volume (`valheim_server_data` by default), which you can repoint to a host folder by editing `DOCKER_DATA_VOLUME` in the script.
On Linux, the same "copy the script, edit the copy" rule applies — `start_server.sh` gets overwritten on updates.
Getting your server ready for Valheim 1.0 (September 9, 2026)
Valheim's 1.0 release lands September 9, 2026, adding the final biome — the Deep North — plus the first PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions and full crossplay across every platform. Iron Gate has published the date and the biome name, but not a full changelog, so treat anything about how the Deep North plays as preview material, not confirmed content.
For server owners, the practical checklist right now:
- Back up your world file (both the `.db` and `.fwl`) before you update on launch day. Iron Gate has not published whether 1.0 requires any server-side migration, so a backup is your safety net.
- Unexplored northern zones should generate the new Deep North once you update; zones you've already loaded stay as the old placeholder terrain, so your existing world can carry forward. We break down the details in our Valheim 1.0 & Deep North new-world and save-carryover guide.
- For PS5 and Switch 2 friends joining at 1.0, run the crossplay backend — the official line is "full crossplay between all the platforms." Whether those console players can join a self-hosted dedicated server (versus official/paid crossplay servers) hasn't been confirmed by Iron Gate, so verify at launch before promising a console friend a slot.
If you're prepping the whole group for launch, line up progression with our Valheim boss order guide and the current endgame in our Ashlands survival guide so you're at the north's doorstep when Deep North opens.
FAQ
Is hosting a Valheim dedicated server free? Yes. The Valheim Dedicated Server is a free Steam Tool — you only need one copy of the game and a machine to run it on. You don't buy a second license, and self-hosting has no subscription. Paid host companies charge for convenience, uptime, and DDoS protection, not for the software itself.
Do I need to port forward to host a Valheim server? Only on the Steam backend. If you launch with `-crossplay`, the server routes through a PlayFab relay and needs no port forwarding at all — players join with the public IP, a join code, or the server list. If you use the default Steam backend, forward ports 2456-2457 (the port you set plus port+1) to your server machine.
Can PS5 and Switch 2 players join my dedicated server? At 1.0 (September 9, 2026), Valheim adds PS5 and Switch 2 with "full crossplay between all the platforms," so a crossplay server is the way to include them. Iron Gate hasn't specifically confirmed whether console players can join a self-hosted dedicated server at launch, so run the `-crossplay` backend and re-check the official notes on release day.
How many players can be on a Valheim server? Valheim supports 1-10 players per its Steam store listing, so ten is the practical maximum for a dedicated world.
Will my mods work on a dedicated server? Mods like BepInEx are PC-only and hook Steam networking, so the community widely reports that enabling the `-crossplay` backend prevents them from loading — you'd disable crossplay to run BepInEx-based mods. Iron Gate hasn't published an official statement on this, and 1.0 mod compatibility is unconfirmed, so test on a backup world before committing a modded server to launch.
How do I stop my Valheim server without corrupting the world? Press CTRL+C in the server's command window. Clicking the X on the window can leave the process running in the background, so always shut down with CTRL+C after an auto-save has completed.
Bottom line
Self-hosting a Valheim dedicated server is free, officially supported, and — once you copy the startup script and pick your backend — genuinely quick to stand up. For almost everyone, the winning setup is `-crossplay` (skip port forwarding, get a join code, invite any platform), a strong `-password`, and a manual world backup before every update. Do that now and your world is ready the moment the Deep North opens on September 9.
Verified against Iron Gate's official A Guide to Dedicated Servers and the Steam store page for AppID 892970. Server flags and defaults are current for patch 0.221.12; re-check the official guide after the 1.0 update.
