Valheim server: how to set up a dedicated server for multiplayer

Looking to set up a Valheim server? Building majestic forts, slaying Valheim bosses, and elevating tankards of mead along with your friends is a part of what makes Valheim such an addictive survival game – however the best way Valheim multiplayer works might be simple to get unsuitable. You can create a number of characters, and their stock and talent development will switch throughout a number of Valheim servers, permitting you to drop into a pal’s server and set out on adventures collectively with out having to begin from scratch in a new map.

However, in the event you’re not concerned with enjoying by yourself, and your Viking journey has taken place completely on a recreation server hosted by another person, you’ve most likely run into a few points. Valheim continues to be in early entry, so – in our expertise – the connection isn’t at all times steady, plus if you need to play whereas your recreation host is offline, you’re out of luck.

That’s the place Valheim dedicated servers are available in. You can both host a dedicated server in your PC for your mates to hop on to even once you’re not enjoying, or you possibly can pay for a internet hosting service to run one for you, 24/7. The excellent news is that you simply don’t have to begin from scratch in both case – we’ll stroll you thru transferring your save file to your new Valheim server.

How to set up a Dedicated Valheim server

To set up a dedicated server in Valheim, you should first obtain the Valheim Dedicated Server instrument on Steam – this may be accessed by way of your Steam library, by choosing ‘Tools’ within the high proper hand nook.

Before you possibly can run this server, you want to edit some data. Right click on Valheim Dedicated Server in your library, after which go to ‘Manage’ and ‘Browse native recordsdata’. This will open a folder referred to as Valheim Dedicated Server in your laptop. Make a duplicate of ‘start_headless_server.bat’ as a backup earlier than you begin fiddling round with it.

Right click on on ‘start_headless_server.bat’ and click on ‘Edit’ to open the file in Notepad. The line starting ‘valheim_server’ is the place we will customise our server data.

• -name “My server” – change ‘My server’ with the title you need to present up within the Server record.
• -port 2456 – that is the Port that may entry the web. You want to set up Port Forwarding in your router to permit the server to talk with the web this fashion.
• -world “Dedicated” – that is the title of the World that will likely be hosted. If you have already got a world that you really want to host in your PC, enter its title right here – in any other case, a new one will likely be created.
• -password “secret” – that is the password for your server. You most likely need to change this, or else we’ll have the opportunity to get in and steal your blueberries.
• -savedir [PATH] – you possibly can add this to inform Valheim the place to retailer your hosted worlds. The default for Windows is %USERPROFILEpercentAppDataLocalLowIronGateValheim

Save your file (and make a again up) – now you’re prepared to boot it up. Launch Valheim Dedicated Server – it’s possible you’ll want to permit it previous your firewall – and once you see the message ‘Game server related’, the whole lot is up and operating.

To cease the server, press CTRL + C within the command window. Apparently, in the event you exit by closing the window, the server could maintain trundling alongside within the background – not what you need.

How to join to a Valheim server

Once your Valheim server is operating, you possibly can add it to your Favorites in Steam and launch Valheim from there. At the highest of your Steam window, click on ‘View’, after which ‘Servers’ – on the ‘Favorites’ tab, click on ‘Add a Server’ within the backside proper nook.

If you’re internet hosting the server your self, otherwise you’re on the host’s residence community, you’ll enter your inside IP deal with adopted by a colon and the port you selected to use when setting up – it’ll be one thing like 192.168.1.7:2456. You can discover your inside IP deal with by typing ipconfig into your Command Prompt.

Furry mates: How to tame Valheim animals

Your mates on a completely different residence community will want your exterior IP deal with, which you could find by typing ‘what’s my ip’ into Google. They will use this together along with your port quantity.

If you’ve paid for third-party internet hosting, they may give you an IP deal with and password which you enter into your Steam Favorites in the identical approach.

If your Valheim server will not be responding, you possibly can refresh your Steam server web page by switching tabs – it’s possible you’ll want to wait a quick whereas for Steam to register the server. As the server administrator, you possibly can set permissions by including Steam IDs to the next textual content recordsdata:

How to switch your Valheim save to a server

If you and your Viking buddies have already made progress on a Valheim world and also you need to add it to your new server, excellent news – that is completely potential.

If you’re internet hosting a world that you simply personal, merely change the -world worth in start_headless_server.bat to the title of that world.

If you need to host a pal’s world, ask them to ship you the .db and .fwl recordsdata from their Valheim Worlds folder (which might be discovered at AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimworlds) after which save them in your Valheim Worlds folder, then comply with the directions above.

If you need to add your save to a third-party server, you want to add them utilizing FTP software program like Filezilla. Once you’ve logged in utilizing your server’s credentials, add your native ‘Worlds’ folder into the server’s ‘Save’ folder.

If your pal is sending you a world to host, you should copy the .db and .fwl recordsdata into your Valheim Worlds folder first, earlier than importing them to the server – it gained’t work in the event you add straight out of your downloads folder.

Read extra: The best Viking games on PC

Hopefully, your Valheim dedicated server is now working, and you’ll run across the wilderness with your mates in quest of Valheim bronze, forge highly effective Valheim weapons, and bases with our Valheim building guide. Can you run it? Check out the Valheim system requirements