How to Set Up a Valheim Dedicated Server: Self-Hosted vs. Managed

There are two ways to run a Valheim dedicated server: on your own PC, or through a hosting provider. Both get you a persistent world that players can join - the difference is how much setup and maintenance you want to deal with.

If your group is 2-3 people and you don’t mind the server going offline when your PC does, self-hosting is free and works fine. If you want it online 24/7 without babysitting it, a hosted server saves you the headache.

This guide covers both paths, plus the essential config and admin setup you’ll want regardless of which you choose.

Which Path Is Right for You?

Self-Hosted: Running a Server on Your PC

Step 1: Install the Dedicated Server via SteamCMD

You have two options for getting the server files:

Option A - Steam Library: In Steam, go to Library, check “Tools” in the filter, and find “Valheim Dedicated Server.” Install it like any game.

Option B - SteamCMD (headless): Download SteamCMD, then run:

steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +app_update 896660 validate +quit

App ID 896660 is the Valheim Dedicated Server. It’s separate from the game itself (892970).

Step 2: Configure and Launch

The server ships with a startup script. On Windows, find start_headless_server.bat in the install folder. Open it in a text editor and modify these values:

set SteamAppId=892970

echo "Starting server PRESS CTRL-C to exit"

valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name "My Server" -port 2456 -world "Dedicated" -password "yourpassword"

The key flags:

On Linux, use start_server.sh instead. Same flags, same idea.

Step 3: Port Forwarding

For players outside your local network, you need to forward UDP ports 2456-2458 on your router. The exact steps depend on your router model, but the general process:

1. Find your PC’s local IP (run ipconfig on Windows, ip addr on Linux)
2. Log into your router’s admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
3. Find the port forwarding section
4. Create a rule: UDP ports 2456-2458 forwarding to your PC’s local IP
5. Save and restart the router if prompted

Players connect using your public IP address and port 2456. You can find your public IP at a site like whatismyip.com.

Managed Hosting: Using WinterNode

If you’d rather skip port forwarding, SteamCMD, and leaving your PC on, a hosted server gets you running in a few minutes.

With WinterNode, you pick your RAM allocation, pay, and have a running Valheim server within minutes. No SSH, no scripts, no router configuration.

What you get:

• Server online 24/7 on dedicated hardware
• Automatic game updates
• File manager and SFTP access for mods and world files
• One-click settings through the control panel (server name, password, crossplay, world name)
• Backups every 12 hours with 45-day retention

All game servers are $1.99/GB of RAM. A 6GB Valheim server (good for vanilla groups) runs $11.94/mo. No extra charges for CPU, storage, or features other hosts mark up. Get your Valheim server →

Quick Setup on WinterNode

1. Order a Valheim server from our Valheim hosting page
2. Once provisioned, go to Configuration > Server Options in the control panel
3. Set your Server Name, Server Password, and World Name
4. Toggle Enable Crossplay if you have Xbox or Game Pass players
5. Start the server and share the connection details with your group

Players connect via the IP and port shown in your control panel. Direct connect through the Valheim client works immediately - no Steam friend invite needed.

Essential First-Time Configuration

Whether self-hosted or managed, these settings are worth getting right from the start.

World Modifiers

Valheim introduced world modifiers that let you customize difficulty without mods. These are set when creating a new world and affect things like:

• Combat difficulty - enemy damage and health scaling
• Death penalty - what you lose on death (all items, equipped only, nothing)
• Resource rates - how much you get from gathering
• Portal restrictions - whether ores can go through portals
• Raid frequency - how often events target your base

These can’t be changed after world creation without starting fresh, so discuss them with your group before launching.

Admin Setup

You’ll want at least one admin who can kick, ban, and manage the server in-game.

1. Get the player’s Steam ID (our player ID guide shows how)
2. Add the Steam ID to the admin list (on WinterNode, this is in the control panel; self-hosted, edit adminlist.txt)
3. In-game, press F5 to open the console

Admin commands worth knowing:

For the full list, see our admin guide.

Connecting to Your Server

How players connect depends on whether crossplay is enabled:

Steam-only (crossplay off): Open Valheim, go to Join Game, select “Community” tab. Search for your server name, or use “Add Server” with the IP:port (e.g., 123.45.67.89:2456). Enter the password when prompted.

Crossplay (crossplay on): Players join via the in-game server browser or by using Join Code. The host can generate a join code from the server, which works across all platforms. Direct IP connection also works for Steam players.

If the server doesn’t appear in the browser, try direct IP connect first. The server list can be slow to update, and direct connect bypasses it entirely.

Next Steps

Once your server is running:

• Add mods - Our best Valheim server mods guide covers what’s worth installing and what to avoid
• Import your world - Already have a singleplayer world? Our world transfer guide walks through moving it to your server
• Tune settings - Our server settings guide covers the configuration options that actually matter
• Help center - Full documentation at winternode.com/help/games/valheim

Everything’s backed by a 48-hour refund policy. If you have questions, support responds with actual humans via ticket or Discord.