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Host the Deep North with the regular Valheim Dedicated Server tool. Install it from Steam’s Tools library, copy Iron Gate’s Windows or Linux launch script, set the server name, world, password and port, then choose either the Steam backend or the relay-backed Crossplay backend.
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Steam-backend servers normally require UDP ports 2456–2457 forwarded to the server and allowed through its firewall. Crossplay uses a relay, so internet players do not need router port forwarding; you can give them a join code or use a supported server-list connection method. An existing world can continue into the Deep North, but unexplored terrain is the important condition: if your group already generated the far north, starting a new world is the dependable way to ensure the biome appears.
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A Deep North server is not a separate application. The current biome uses the same dedicated-server program as the rest of Valheim, so your preparation is mostly ordinary server administration plus a decision about world generation and connection method.
- A Windows or Linux computer that can remain available whenever people want to play.
- A Steam account and the Valheim Dedicated Server tool installed from Steam’s Tools filter.
- A world name, a server name, and a password that follows the rules in the current dedicated-server manual.
- Administrative access to the machine. On Windows, that includes permission to edit and run a batch file; on Linux, it includes permission to execute a shell script.
- For the Steam backend, access to the router and host firewall so you can forward and allow UDP 2456 and 2457.
- For Crossplay, no router forwarding is normally needed, but every player needs a supported way to join, such as the server’s join code.
Iron Gate does not publish a universal CPU, RAM, storage or bandwidth minimum in its dedicated-server guide. Do not size the machine from an invented specification. Player count, mods, world activity and the load you observe after launch are the meaningful variables.
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Choose Steam or Crossplay first
The backend determines your networking work and how players connect. Pick it before you edit the launch script so you do not troubleshoot the wrong layer.
| Backend | Networking | How players join | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Forward UDP 2456 and 2457 from the router to the server, and allow the server executable through the host firewall. | Use the connection methods supported by the Steam-backed server and your current Valheim client. | Groups that can configure a router and want a direct Steam connection. |
| Crossplay | Uses a relay, so router port forwarding is not required for internet access. | Distribute the join code or use a supported server-list method documented for the current release. | Groups with players on different connection environments or without control of the router. |
The relay removes a port-forwarding task, but it does not make every connection method interchangeable. Use the join-code and server-list options that the current Iron Gate documentation supports for your release, and make sure everyone is running a compatible game version.
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- Open Steam and go to Library.
- Enable the Tools filter. If the filter is hidden, use the library’s search and filter controls to show tools rather than games.
- Install Valheim Dedicated Server.
- After installation, open the tool’s installation folder. This is separate from the normal game shortcut and contains the launch files supplied for server use.
The installation includes a Windows batch script and a Linux shell script. Iron Gate recommends editing a copy rather than the original: updates can replace or reset the supplied file. Keep the untouched script as a reference and make your working copy beside it.
Configure the Windows or Linux launch script
Open your copied script in a plain-text editor. Retain the executable and flags already present in the supplied template; change the values for the four required arguments and add the Crossplay switch only when you want the relay backend.
Set the server identity
-namecontrols the name players see for the server. Example:-name "Northbound".-worldselects the save name to load or create. Example:-world "DeepNorth".-passwordsets the join password. Example:-password "N0rthWind!4827". Replace the example with your own password and follow the current server manual’s password requirements.-portsets the base port. The documented default is2456; the Steam setup also uses UDP2457.
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-name "Northbound" -world "DeepNorth" -password "N0rthWind!4827" -port 2456Do not put spaces or quotation marks into a value accidentally. If a name contains spaces, keep the value in quotation marks as shown. Choose a world name deliberately: changing it later can make the server load a different save or create a new one.
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Enable Crossplay when you want the relay
Add -crossplay to the same argument line for the relay-backed backend:
-name "Northbound" -world "DeepNorth" -password "N0rthWind!4827" -port 2456 -crossplayDo not add -crossplay if you intend to use the direct Steam backend and have configured router forwarding. The two modes have different connection behavior, so switching modes is a networking change, not just a cosmetic server-name change.
Windows-specific handling
Save the copied .bat file in the server installation folder, then launch that copy. Keep the console window visible during the first start so you can read the startup messages. If Windows asks about network access, allow the dedicated-server executable on the networks where your players will connect, subject to your own security policy.
Linux-specific handling
Use the copied Linux shell script and give it execute permission if the file is not already executable. Run it from the directory that contains the dedicated-server files so relative paths in the supplied script continue to work. If you run the server under a service manager or terminal multiplexer, make sure the process still receives the documented stop interrupt when you shut it down.
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Configure networking for the Steam backend
Steam-backend hosting normally needs both router and host-firewall changes. A successful local launch does not prove that someone outside your home network can connect.
- Give the server computer a stable address on your local network, preferably with a router DHCP reservation. Otherwise, a router restart can send the forwarding rule to a different machine.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding page.
- Create a UDP forwarding rule for port 2456 to the server computer’s local address.
- Create a second UDP rule for port 2457 to the same address.
- Open the host operating system’s firewall controls and allow the dedicated-server executable, or create matching UDP rules for those ports.
- Start the server and test from outside the home network. A test from the same LAN can succeed even when the router’s internet-facing configuration is wrong.
Forward only the ports required by the server. Do not expose unrelated administration services, and do not assume that a port-forwarding rule also creates a firewall exception; those are separate controls.
Use Crossplay without port forwarding
With -crossplay enabled, the server uses a relay. You normally do not need to change the router, which is useful when the host is behind carrier-grade NAT, a university network, a workplace firewall or a router you cannot administer.
- Start the server with the Crossplay argument.
- Wait for the startup output to show that the server has connected and is ready.
- Copy the join code or use the supported server-list method for the current release.
- Send the connection information and password to your players through a private channel.
- If a player cannot connect, confirm that the client is updated and that you are using the connection method supported by the backend you selected.
Crossplay avoids inbound port forwarding; it does not remove the need to permit the server application to run locally or to keep the server process online.
Start, verify and stop the server safely
First launch
- Run your copied Windows batch file or Linux shell script.
- Watch the console until it reports that the server has connected and is ready. The first launch may create the selected world and save-directory files.
- Connect with the chosen backend from a client on the same version of Valheim.
- Confirm that the visible server name, selected world and password behave as expected.
- Have one player travel a short distance and reconnect. This verifies that the world is saving and that the server remains available after a normal session.
Stopping
Use the console interrupt documented in the current dedicated-server script or manual. Do not close the window abruptly or kill the process unless it is unresponsive and you have accepted the risk of an incomplete save. A controlled stop gives the server a chance to flush world data.
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Backups and updates
Back up the world files in the server’s save directory before updates, major configuration changes or experiments with mods. The exact location depends on the platform and how the server was launched; use the directory identified by the dedicated-server documentation and look for the files belonging to your -world name. Keep at least one copy away from the server machine.
When Steam updates the dedicated-server tool, compare your working script with the newly installed template. The original can be reset by an update, which is why the copied-file workflow matters. Reapply only the settings you actually use, then test the server before announcing it to the group.
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The save directory can contain three text files for access control:
adminlist.txtidentifies players allowed to use administrative commands.bannedlist.txtrecords players who should be refused access.permittedlist.txtrestricts entry to the identities listed when a permitted-list mode is being used.
Edit these files only while the server is stopped, use the identity format required by the current manual, and restart cleanly so the server reloads the changes. Keep a private backup of the files: access lists are operational data, not something to publish with the join code.
Decide whether to keep an existing world
There is no special “Deep North server” installation step for world migration. The decision is about generated terrain.
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Continue an existing save when the far north is unexplored
Existing worlds can carry forward. Deep North terrain is generated in regions that have not been explored, so a group whose northern edge remains untouched can usually continue with the same -world value. Players should avoid sailing into or mapping the area until the server is running the release that contains the biome.
Start a new world when the far north was already generated
If the group sailed through the far north, mapped it, or otherwise caused those regions to generate before the biome update, a new world is the reliable choice. The issue is not the dedicated-server binary; it is that already generated terrain does not automatically become an unexplored Deep North region.
Make the choice as a group
- List the existing world’s name and keep a complete backup before testing.
- Ask whether anyone has explored or revealed the far-northern map area.
- If the answer is uncertain, launch a separate test world with a different
-worldname rather than risking the established save. - Do not delete the old world until the group has confirmed that the new world is acceptable.
The Deep North and Valheim 1.0 launch were reported for September 9, 2026. Treat that date as launch-era context and use the game’s current release notes when timing a migration or server update.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Self-host at home or rent a managed server?
Both approaches run the same Valheim server software. The practical difference is who maintains the machine, network and operating schedule.
| Option | What you provide | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-host at home | An always-on Windows or Linux computer, power, internet access, backups, updates, firewall administration and, for Steam, router forwarding. | No hosting subscription; complete control over files, scripts and maintenance timing. | The server is unavailable when the machine or home connection is offline. You are responsible for security, backups, updates and troubleshooting. |
| Managed Valheim hosting | A recurring hosting subscription and the provider’s control panel. You still choose the world, password, backend and access rules. | Designed for 24/7 availability without keeping a home machine running or configuring your own router. | Ongoing cost, provider-specific limits and dependence on that provider’s backup, update and geographic policies. Check those terms before moving an established world. |
Rent a managed Valheim server when the group needs a persistent world but nobody wants to maintain networking and an always-on computer. Self-host when avoiding a subscription and retaining direct control are more important than convenience. In either case, keep an independent copy of the world and access-list files.
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The official dedicated-server guide does not provide a universal CPU, RAM, storage or bandwidth minimum. A single number would be misleading because a quiet two-player world, a busy community server and a heavily modded world create different loads.
Instead, size the machine from the workload you actually intend:
- Players: more simultaneous players create more entity, inventory and world-update activity.
- Mods: server-side additions can increase CPU, memory or storage use and may need matching client versions.
- World activity: exploration and construction generate more save data than an idle base.
- Availability: an older spare computer may be adequate if it can remain powered, patched and connected reliably.
After launch, watch CPU utilization, memory pressure, disk space, network stability and the server console. If the machine is consistently overloaded, reduce unnecessary services, test without mods, move the server to stronger hardware or choose managed hosting. Do not treat a manufacturer’s general PC specification as a Valheim server guarantee.
Quick Recap
Troubleshoot the common failure points
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The server window closes immediately. | A script edit broke the command, the executable path is wrong, or the file lacks Linux execute permission. | Restore the copied script from the supplied template, reapply only the four required arguments, and run it from the installation directory. On Linux, verify execute permission. |
| Players on the internet cannot see or join a Steam-backend server. | Port forwarding, firewall access or the target local address is wrong. | Confirm UDP 2456 and 2457 both point to the server, confirm the firewall allows the executable, and test from outside the home network. |
| The host can play, but remote players cannot. | A local connection proves only that the process is running; it does not validate the public route. | Check the router’s WAN-facing configuration and firewall separately. If you cannot control inbound networking, switch to Crossplay. |
| Crossplay players cannot connect with the code. | The server may not have started with -crossplay, the code may be stale, or a client may be on a different version. |
Restart with the Crossplay argument, wait for the ready message, issue the current code and verify client updates. |
| The world does not contain the expected Deep North terrain. | The far-northern regions were already generated before the biome was available. | Test a fresh world with a different -world name. Keep the original save as a backup. |
| Admins, bans or permitted players are not recognized. | The list file was edited while the server was running, saved in the wrong directory or written in an unsupported identity format. | Stop the server cleanly, edit the documented files in the active save directory, verify the format required by the current manual and restart. |
| An update appears to erase the configuration. | The original launch script was reset by the tool update. | Use the preserved copy, compare it with the new template and reapply the intended arguments. Do not overwrite the new template blindly. |
Launch checklist
- Valheim Dedicated Server is installed from Steam’s Tools library.
- A working copy of the Windows or Linux script contains the intended
-name,-world,-passwordand-portvalues. -crossplayis present only when you want the relay backend.- Steam backend: UDP 2456 and 2457 are forwarded to the correct machine and allowed through its firewall.
- Crossplay: players have the current join code or supported server-list method.
- The chosen world has unexplored northern terrain, or the group has deliberately created a new world.
- The console reports that the server is connected and ready.
- The world, admin, ban and permitted-list files are backed up.
- You know how to use the documented console interrupt before taking the server offline.
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