So, you’re hooked on Valheim, huh? Building epic longhouses, battling trolls, and sailing the seas of this brutal yet beautiful world is way more fun with friends. But let’s be honest, playing on someone else’s server can be a pain. Lag, the host being offline, or even just not being able to tweak the server settings yourself can really put a damper on your Viking adventures. That’s where running your own dedicated Valheim server comes in!

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna throw a bunch of confusing tech jargon at you. This guide is for regular players who just wanna get their server up and running so they can explore the tenth realm of the Norse with their crew.

Why a Dedicated Server?

Before we dive in, let’s quickly talk about why you might even want a dedicated server. It’s not the only way to play, but it definitely has some advantages:

• 24/7 Uptime: Your server stays online, even when you’re not playing. This means your friends can hop in and continue building their settlements, exploring new areas, or just goofing off, without you being there.
• Improved Performance: If the host is also playing, their game is sharing resources with the server. With a dedicated server, the game runs smoother, especially with multiple players. Less lag is always a good thing, right?
• Full Control: You get to choose who plays on your server and what the server settings are, including world seed, password, and even whether to enable cheats (if that’s your thing).
• Modding Opportunities: Many Valheim modding communities thrive on dedicated servers, allowing you to enhance the game with everything from quality-of-life improvements to entirely new features.

The Two Ways to Run a Dedicated Server

There are basically two paths you can take:

1. Hosting on Your Own PC: If you have a decent computer that can handle running both the game and the server at the same time, this is the cheapest option.
2. Renting a Server: There are tons of services out there that specialize in hosting game servers. It costs a bit of money but usually saves you some of the hassle and gives you more reliability.

Let’s look at each option.

Option 1: Hosting on Your Own PC

This option is great if you have a gaming PC that isn’t too old and isn’t struggling to run the game by itself. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A Decent PC: A solid CPU with at least four cores, at least 8GB of RAM, and good internet connection are recommended, but 16GB of RAM is more comfortable. You’ll be running the game and the server process simultaneously. If you have multiple friends that are often going to play, it might be better to look into dedicated hosting.
• Valheim Installed: Make sure you have the game downloaded and updated on the computer you’re using as the server.
• Some Basic Tech Skills: Nothing crazy, but you’ll need to be able to follow instructions and be comfortable with things like file exploration and simple command lines.

Setting Up Your Own Server: Step-by-Step

1. Install SteamCMD: SteamCMD is a command-line version of the Steam client. You’ll need this to download the dedicated server files. Google it or check out the official Steam developer site for download links.
2. Create a Server Folder: Make a new folder on your computer. This is where all the server files will go. Something like “ValheimServer” will do just fine.
3. Download Server Files: Open SteamCMD and use these commands (you’ll need to change the directory to your folder):
   • login anonymous
   • force_install_dir C:\YourServerFolder\Path
   • app_update 896660 validate (replace ‘C:\YourServerFolder\Path’ with the location of the folder you created)
   Steam will now download the necessary files for your Valheim server.
4. Configure the Server: Go into the server folder you just created and find the start_server.bat file. Right-click on it and edit it using something like Notepad. You will see a line like this: valheim_server -name "My server name" -world "My world name" -password "My Password"
   • -name “Your server name”: Replace “My server name” with the name you want players to see.
   • -world “Your world name”: This is the name of the Valheim world your server will use. Create something unique to prevent conflicts if you already play locally.
   • -password “Your Password”: Set a password to keep random people from joining. Change ‘My Password’ to something secure and easily shareable with your friends.
5. Port Forwarding: This is probably the trickiest part. Your router needs to know to send game traffic to your computer. You will need to find your router settings page, which you can often find by going to your default gateway address in a browser (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1). Log in with your admin username and password, then find the port forwarding section. You will need to open both UDP and TCP ports for 2456, 2457, and 2458. The instructions for this will vary depending on your router model, so search online with your specific model number if you have trouble.
6. Run the Server: Now that everything is configured, simply double-click on start_server.bat to launch the server.
7. Connect to Your Server: In Valheim, open the server browser, and on the bottom select ‘Join IP’. Then you need to input your external IP address (you can find it by googling “what is my IP”) followed by the port, like so: your.ip.address:2457. Make sure your friends are using the IP and port you chose.

Option 2: Renting a Server

If you don’t want to deal with port forwarding, or if your computer isn’t powerful enough, renting a server is an easy solution. There are many services to choose from, just Google “Valheim server hosting” to see the options. Some providers:

• GTXGaming
• Nitrado
• Supercraft
• BisectHosting
• Sparked Host

The exact setup steps may vary depending on your provider, but generally it goes like this:

1. Choose a Hosting Provider: Research and choose a provider that fits your budget and needs.
2. Select a Server Plan: Choose a plan based on the amount of RAM, CPU power, and the number of player slots you need.
3. Set up Your Server: Follow your chosen hosting provider’s instructions to configure your server settings, like the name, world, and password.
4. Connect to the Server: They will provide you with an IP address and port. You’ll use these to connect to the server via the ‘Join IP’ option in the Valheim server browser, as described in the previous section.

Tips for Running a Smooth Server

• Keep Your Server Software Updated: Make sure your server files are updated along with any game updates to avoid conflicts. If you run the server through steamCMD just re-run the installation command. If you use a hosting service, they will usually do this automatically.
• Backup Your World: Regularly back up your server files (especially the world folder) to prevent losing all your progress in the case of crashes or other issues.
• Manage Your Community: Set up rules for your server and enforce them so everyone can have fun together.
• Be Patient: Sometimes, things can go wrong with server setups. Be prepared to do some troubleshooting or ask for help in the Valheim community.
• Check your server logs: Often times server logs can help to diagnose issues quickly, so knowing how to read those is good.
• Whitelist: If you are self-hosting and you have a dynamic IP, you might need to share your IP every now and then with your friends. Consider using a static IP address or a DDNS solution to keep your IP from changing.

What Next?

Setting up a dedicated Valheim server can seem a bit daunting at first, but with a bit of patience and the right guide, you can create your own private Viking playground to share with your friends. Whether you decide to host your own or rent a server, the rewards of having your own fully customized world are definitely worth the effort! Now go forth, brave Viking, and build your legend!