For a persistent Sons of the Forest co-op world in 2026, install the dedicated-server app with SteamCMD (app ID 2465200), launch it once to generate its files and run the built-in self-test, edit the generated dedicatedserver.cfg JSON, and open UDP ports 8766, 27016, and 9700. Test an outside connection before inviting anyone. Self-hosting costs no separate hosting fee but leaves the machine, router, firewall, updates and backups to your group; managed hosting removes much of that maintenance while adding a provider bill and provider-specific limits.
What you need before installing
The dedicated server is a Windows server application distributed through Steam’s tools or through SteamCMD. The Steam Community Dedicated Server Configuration Guide, posted June 23, 2023 and updated January 15, 2025, is the primary procedural reference for the current files and startup behavior. Instructions and hosting products can change, so check that guide again when you deploy or update.
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- A Windows machine that can remain powered on whenever the group wants to play. It may be your gaming PC, another computer on the home network, or a rented server.
- Permission to install software and create firewall rules on that machine.
- Router-administration access if the server is behind a home router. You need to create port-forwarding rules, not just allow the application in Windows Firewall.
- A planned save-slot name, server name, player limit and password before you invite the group.
- A backup location for the server’s save files. The official guide does not publish a current minimum CPU, memory or disk specification, so do not treat old community hardware figures as official requirements.
Decide who owns the machine, who can change the router and firewall, and who will restore a save if something goes wrong. That decision matters more than a particular hardware number because a dedicated world is only persistent while somebody maintains its host.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSelf-hosting or managed hosting?
Self-hosting gives you direct access to the files and avoids a separate game-server rental, but your group is responsible for every operational task. A managed service supplies a server environment and usually exposes configuration, firewall and backup controls through its own panel. It is an option rather than a universally better choice: current regions, latency, price, cancellation rules, included backups and supported controls vary by provider and must be checked directly before purchase.
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| Decision point | Self-hosted machine | Managed game-server service |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | You install SteamCMD or the Steam tool, create the first launch, edit JSON and configure the operating-system firewall. | The provider creates the environment; you still select a game version, name, password and other settings in its panel or files. |
| Internet access | You configure the router’s port forwarding plus the host firewall. Carrier-grade NAT or a blocked inbound connection can prevent access. | The provider normally supplies the public network path and its own firewall controls, but the exact implementation is provider-specific. |
| Updates | You schedule SteamCMD updates and confirm that configuration and saves remain intact after an update. | The provider may offer an update button or schedule; verify whether updates are automatic and whether they can restart the world. |
| Backups and recovery | You choose where to copy saves, how often to copy them and how to restore an older slot. | Ask whether backups are automatic, how many versions are retained, where they are stored and whether restoration costs extra. |
| Availability | The computer, power and internet connection must stay available. A sleeping or shut-down home PC takes the world offline. | The provider keeps the rented machine online subject to its service status and maintenance windows. |
| Cost and terms | No separate hosting subscription is established by the setup instructions; you supply the hardware, electricity and network connection. | Monthly price, region, latency, player capacity, cancellation and supported controls differ by provider and require current verification. |
Choose self-hosting when someone in the group can administer Windows and the router, wants full file access, and can maintain backups. Choose managed hosting when nobody wants to expose a home network or keep a PC running, provided the service offers the ports, save access and recovery process you require.
If you go that route, Godlike.Host rents Sons of the Forest servers with a Pterodactyl-based panel, free DDoS protection, up to three free backups a day with restore, and 24/7 support; see the current plans. Its Sons of the Forest plans list 4, 12 and 20 slots; the server’s MaxPlayers setting allows 1 to 8 players (Steam Community server guide, 11 Oct 2026).
How do I install the dedicated server?
Option 1: SteamCMD
SteamCMD is the documented command-line route and is convenient for repeat updates. Download and extract SteamCMD from Valve’s official distribution, then open a command prompt in the folder containing steamcmd.exe. Use a dedicated install directory rather than mixing server files with your Steam client library.
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- Create the target directory, such as
C:sons-dedicated. The directory must be writable by the account that will run the server. - Run this command exactly, changing only the path if you chose another location:
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "c:/sons-dedicated/" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quit - Wait for SteamCMD to report that app
2465200has finished installing. Thevalidateswitch checks the downloaded files; it can take longer than a normal update. - Keep this directory as the server’s permanent home. Moving it later is possible, but you will need to update shortcuts, batch files and your backup procedure.
For an update, run the same app_update 2465200 validate sequence while the server is stopped. Do not overwrite your configuration or save backups with a fresh empty directory.
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Option 2: Steam’s Tools library
In the Steam desktop client, open the Library, use the content-type filter to show Tools, and install the Sons of the Forest Dedicated Server tool if it is listed for your account. The Steam launcher is then the documented way to start it. The files and configuration concepts are the same; the installation path is simply chosen by Steam instead of your SteamCMD command.
How do I start the server and create its files?
- Open the installation directory and run
StartSOTFDedicated.bat. If you installed the tool through Steam, you can start it from the Steam launcher instead. - Allow the process through the operating-system firewall when Windows prompts you. If no prompt appears, create explicit inbound UDP rules as described in the networking section below.
- Leave the process running through its first initialization. On first startup it performs a self-test for configuration and network accessibility and can generate the default configuration and owner file.
- Read the console and log output. A failed self-test includes a reason; capture that message before changing several settings at once.
- Stop the server cleanly after initialization, then locate the generated configuration before making your edits.
A window that opens and closes immediately usually indicates a path, permission or invalid-setting problem. Run the batch file from a command prompt so the error remains visible, then inspect the latest log rather than repeatedly double-clicking it.
Where do I find the configuration files?
The active file is dedicatedserver.cfg in the dedicated server’s configurations folder. Despite the .cfg extension, it is JSON, not the old line-by-line key/value format used by outdated guides. Open it in a text editor that preserves plain text and make a backup copy before each change.
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Before starting the server, validate the file with a JSON-aware editor or validator. A missing comma, an extra comma after the final property, mismatched quote or unescaped character can make the server reject the file. If a change causes a startup failure, restore the last known-good copy and reapply one edit at a time.
Configuration settings that determine your world
Server identity and access
ServerNameis the name players should recognize in the server browser or connection list.Passwordrestricts entry to people who know the value. Use a new, non-personal password rather than one reused for another account.MaxPlayersaccepts values from 1 through 8; the documented default is 8. Set it to the number your group actually intends to support.LanOnlycontrols whether the server is limited to the local network. An internet server must not remain in LAN-only mode.
Save slot and persistence
Choose the intended SaveSlot before the first public connection. Keep SaveMode set to Continue when the server should load an existing world or create that slot if it is empty. The documented new mode creates a new game and overwrites the slot’s prior game at restart while new remains selected. That makes it appropriate for deliberately starting over, not for a continuing campaign.
After changing a save setting, stop and start the server once while you are watching the console. Confirm that the expected slot loaded before players build anything important. Back up the save while the server is stopped or after a clean shutdown so that a copy is not captured mid-write.
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The default internet-facing values are GamePort 8766, QueryPort 27016 and BlobSyncPort 9700, all UDP. You may change them, but every corresponding firewall and forwarding rule must use the new values. If you leave the defaults, use those three numbers consistently.
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How do I make the server available to the internet?
There are three separate controls: the server’s JSON values, the host operating-system firewall and, for a home-hosted machine, the router or gateway. All three must agree. Opening only Windows Firewall does not bypass a router that has no forwarding rule.
- In
dedicatedserver.cfg, confirm the activeGamePort,QueryPortandBlobSyncPort. For the default setup they are UDP8766,27016and9700. - On the server machine, create inbound UDP firewall rules for each active port. Scope them to the dedicated-server executable where your firewall supports application rules, or to the specific local ports when using port rules.
- If the machine is behind a home router, reserve its local IP address with a DHCP reservation or static lease. Forward each UDP port from the router’s public interface to that local address.
- If your router has separate IPv4 and IPv6 controls, verify which address family your players will use. A forwarding rule for one family does not automatically create access through the other.
- Restart the server and wait for its startup self-test. Read the console or logs for the exact failure reason.
- Test from a device outside the host’s local network, such as a friend’s connection or a phone hotspot. A successful test from the host PC or the same Wi-Fi network proves only local reachability.
Do not publish your home IP address in a public chat. Give trusted players the server entry details through a private channel, and remove forwarding rules if you retire the server.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do I test before inviting the group?
Use a short, controlled test session rather than inviting everyone immediately.
- Verify that the process remains running after the self-test and that no port is already occupied by another server.
- From outside the home network, locate the server by its name or enter the connection details supported by the current game client.
- Join with the intended password and confirm that the player count increases to the expected value.
- Leave and reconnect to check that authentication and browser visibility work consistently.
- Place a temporary item, save or otherwise make a harmless world change, shut down cleanly, restart, and confirm that the change persists in the selected slot.
- Check the logs after the test for repeated network, authentication or save errors. Fix those before sharing the address.
Only an outside-network test validates router forwarding. If local players can connect but remote players cannot, investigate the router, upstream NAT or provider firewall rather than rewriting the JSON.
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Ownership, whitelist and administration
The first launch can generate an owner file in addition to the configuration. Use the owner or whitelist mechanism supplied with the current dedicated-server files to identify who may administer the server. Keep that file restricted like a password: do not place it in a public download or synchronize it to an untrusted machine.
Document who has administrative access, where the configuration and saves are backed up, and which person can change the router. If the usual host is unavailable, a second administrator should be able to stop the process, restore a known-good configuration and restart the world without guessing.
Backups, updates and routine maintenance
Back up the world
- Stop the server cleanly so no save is being written.
- Copy the complete save data associated with the selected slot to a separate drive or protected storage location.
- Keep several dated copies rather than only the newest one. A corrupted or accidentally overwritten save can make the newest copy unusable.
- Record the server version, slot name and
SaveModebeside each backup. - Periodically perform a test restoration to a non-production slot or spare installation. A backup that has never been restored is only an assumption.
Apply updates safely
- Tell players the maintenance window and stop the server.
- Make a fresh save backup.
- Run SteamCMD with
app_update 2465200 validate, or apply the equivalent update through Steam’s Tools library. - Review
dedicatedserver.cfgafter the update. Keep your intentional values, but compare the generated defaults if new keys appear. - Start the server, watch the self-test and perform an outside connection test before reopening the world.
Never use the new save mode as a shortcut for testing an update on your live slot. Use a separate slot or a restored copy; leaving new selected can overwrite the prior game at subsequent restarts.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The server will not start
- Run
StartSOTFDedicated.batfrom a command prompt and read the final error. - Restore the last valid JSON backup and check that every quote, comma, brace and value type is valid.
- Confirm that the account can read and write the installation and configuration folders.
- Ensure another process is not already using one of the configured ports.
The self-test reports a network failure
- Confirm that the three active ports are UDP rules, not TCP-only rules.
- Match the firewall rules and router forwarding destination to the current configuration, especially after changing ports.
- Check that the router forwards to the server’s current local IP address, not an address that changed after a reboot.
- Ask the internet provider whether inbound connections are blocked by carrier-grade NAT. If so, a normal home forward may not be possible; use a reachable host or a managed service.
Players on the same network can join, but friends outside cannot
This pattern points to the public network path, not the save file. Recheck router forwarding, the operating-system firewall and any additional firewall in a modem or hosting control panel. Test from a genuinely external connection and do not rely on the host’s own public address from inside the LAN, because some routers do not support hairpin access.
The server appears to reset or start an empty world
- Confirm the intended
SaveSlot. - Set
SaveModetoContinuefor an existing campaign or an empty slot that should be created and then continued. - Make sure
newis not still selected after an earlier experiment. - Stop the process cleanly and restore the latest verified backup if the slot was overwritten.
The server is visible but the password or player limit is wrong
Stop the server, edit the active dedicatedserver.cfg rather than an old copy elsewhere, validate the JSON and restart. Check that MaxPlayers is an integer between 1 and 8 and that the password contains the exact characters you intend to share.
A repeatable launch checklist
- Install: SteamCMD has app
2465200in the permanent server directory. - Initialize:
StartSOTFDedicated.bathas run once and generated the configuration and owner files. - Configure: the active file is
dedicatedserver.cfgJSON, with a validated name, password, slot, mode and player limit. - Protect the world:
SaveModeisContinueunless you intentionally want a new-and-overwriting slot, and a backup exists. - Network: UDP
8766,27016and9700match the file, firewall and router or hosting firewall. - Verify: the startup self-test passes, the console shows no unresolved error, and an external player can join and reconnect.
- Operate: somebody is assigned to updates, backups, password changes and recovery.
What changed from older setup guides?
Many older pages describe a Server.cfg key/value file or an obsolete launch filename. The current documented workflow uses dedicatedserver.cfg in JSON and starts with StartSOTFDedicated.bat (or the Steam launcher for a Steam-installed tool). Following an old path can leave you editing a file the server never reads. When a community post conflicts with the current Steam Community configuration guide, use the current guide and the files generated by your own installation as the authority.
Bottom line for a persistent co-op world
The reliable 2026 sequence is: install app 2465200, launch once, edit the generated JSON, select Continue for a continuing slot, align UDP ports 8766, 27016 and 9700 across the server and every firewall, then test from outside the local network. Self-host when your group accepts the network and maintenance work; rent managed hosting when predictable availability and simpler administration justify an ongoing provider cost. In either case, a verified backup and a successful external test are the difference between a server that merely starts and a world your group can safely keep playing.
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