How to Host an SCP: Secret Laboratory Server in 2026

You can host an SCP: Secret Laboratory dedicated server on a supported x86-64 Windows or Linux machine, or rent a managed game-server instance. The official baseline is modest—a two-core CPU, 3 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage for a full 25-player, unmodified server—but it is a minimum, not a performance guarantee. This guide covers installation, the active configuration file, reachability, DNS, public-server rules and the trade-offs between self-hosting and renting.

Choose a hosting route first

Your best route depends less on buying new hardware than on what you already have access to. A spare desktop running a supported Windows release is usually the shortest path for someone who prefers a graphical interface. Linux is a strong choice when you are comfortable with SSH, shell commands and keeping a service running without a desktop. Renting removes most operating-system and network administration, but gives you less control over the underlying machine and creates a recurring bill.

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Northwood’s server-guide navigation includes a renting-a-game-server route, so renting is a legitimate alternative. No particular provider or current price is verified here.

Check the supported environment and minimum hardware

Support details change faster than a server’s configuration file. Recheck the official dedicated-server guide immediately before installing.

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The official minimum for either operating-system path is:

These numbers are a published baseline, not a benchmark or an ideal specification. Plugins, modifications, operating-system overhead, additional services and higher player demand can require more headroom. You may already own a machine that meets the baseline; do not buy a new computer solely because a dedicated server exists.

The guide’s explicit warning is unambiguous: ARM CPUs are not supported, and cannot be used to host SCP:SL servers. A small ARM board or ARM virtual machine is therefore not a supported substitute for an x86-64 host.

Install on Windows

Recommended method: Steam Dedicated Server tool

1. Open the Steam client and switch to Library.
2. Use the library’s type filter to show Tools, then search for Secret Laboratory Dedicated Server.
3. Select the tool, choose Install, and let Steam place the files in the library location you selected.
4. Launch the installed tool. On first start, LocalAdmin prompts for the initial settings. Record the LocalAdmin port; it determines which per-port configuration directory you will edit later.

This route is the Windows recommendation in the official guide because Steam handles installation and ordinary updates through its library interface.

Alternative: SteamCMD

SteamCMD is useful when you want a scripted or desktop-independent installation. The official server application ID is 996560, and anonymous login is permitted. From a SteamCMD prompt, the public-release update command is:

app_update 996560 validate

Run that command after logging in anonymously and setting SteamCMD’s install directory to the folder where you want the server files. The command’s validate option checks the downloaded files. The official guide does not identify a current game build number, so do not pin a script to an invented version.

The vanilla distribution includes Northwood’s Plugin API framework. That does not mean plugins are installed or enabled; it means the framework is part of the server distribution. Treat every additional plugin or modification as a separate operational and policy decision.

Install on Linux

The current official Linux section names Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Debian 13. It assumes an x86-64 machine and a shell or SSH connection.

Prepare a dedicated account and tools

Install SteamCMD and tmux using your distribution’s package manager, then create a separate account named scpsl-server (or an equivalent unprivileged account). Running the game process under its own account limits the damage a compromised server process could do and keeps its files separate from your personal home directory.

On an Ubuntu or Debian system, a typical preparation sequence is:

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sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamcmd tmux
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos '' scpsl-server
sudo -iu scpsl-server

Package names and SteamCMD availability can vary by distribution repository. If your system does not provide the package directly, follow the current SteamCMD instructions for that distribution rather than downloading an unrelated ARM build.

Download the server files

From the scpsl-server account, choose an installation directory and use SteamCMD’s anonymous login with application ID 996560. For example:

mkdir -p ~/scpsl
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir ~/scpsl +app_update 996560 validate +quit

If SteamCMD reports a validation or download failure, confirm that the account can write to the chosen directory, that DNS and outbound internet access work, and that sufficient storage remains. Do not run the installer as root just to bypass a permissions mistake.

Launch in tmux

1. Change to the directory containing the downloaded files: cd ~/scpsl.
2. Create a persistent terminal session: tmux new -s scpsl.
3. Start LocalAdmin: ./LocalAdmin.
4. Detach without stopping the server by pressing Ctrl+B, then D.
5. Reconnect later with tmux attach -t scpsl.

The official guide recommends tmux so the process continues after you close an SSH session. If you simply run LocalAdmin in the foreground and disconnect, the server can stop with your shell.

Find and edit the active gameplay configuration

The most common configuration mistake is editing a template or the directory for a different LocalAdmin port. Use the config_gameplay.txt inside the folder named for the port used by the running LocalAdmin instance.

Replace the port notation in the path with the actual LocalAdmin port shown at first launch. If you create another instance on another port, it gets its own configuration directory; changing one file will not change the other instance.

The official gameplay configuration guide documents fields including these:

Defaults and additional keys can change. Keep a backup copy of the file before editing, stop LocalAdmin or follow the guide’s reload procedure when applying changes, and use the exact key spelling shown by the current documentation.

Make the server reachable

Automatic forwarding with UPnP

Setting forward_ports enables automatic port forwarding only when the router supports UPnP and UPnP is enabled. This is convenient on a home network, but UPnP is a network-wide trust decision: enable it only if you understand which devices are allowed to request mappings.

After enabling the setting, check the router’s UPnP mapping list and test from a device outside your home network—for example, a friend’s connection or a mobile hotspot. A successful local connection does not prove that internet players can reach the server.

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When UPnP is unavailable

The configuration page does not substantiate a universal manual port list. Do not copy a port number from an unrelated game or an old forum post. Instead, consult the current SCP: Secret Laboratory support material and your router’s documentation for the exact game and LocalAdmin ports, then create matching firewall and router rules. Permit only the traffic required by the current server build.

On the host, allow the LocalAdmin/server executable through the operating system firewall and confirm that the machine is not behind a second router or carrier-grade NAT that prevents inbound connections. If your internet service uses carrier-grade NAT, ask the provider whether a public IPv4 address or an alternative hosting arrangement is available.

Give players a memorable address with SRV

Version 13.2 added SRV-record support according to the official SRV guide. An SRV record can point a hostname to a particular port, so players can use a name without you exposing the numeric port in the connection instructions. The service is _scpsl over UDP.

There is an important operational caveat: the official guide says verification and server-list placement with a domain are not possible. Use the server’s IPv4 address for verification and set server_ip to IPv4 for automatic verification, even if you give players an SRV-based hostname for connecting.

Prepare a public server responsibly

Disclose modifications

If you install plugins, alter gameplay or otherwise modify the server, accurately report it with the modded flag. Make the same information visible in your server name, rules or welcome message so players are not misled about the experience they are joining.

Review monetization rules

Northwood’s Community Server Guidelines state: Community Servers are welcome to monetise their experience to support the expenses of their server, but you may not do so by using (or restricting players from using) anything sold or otherwise offered by Northwood Studios. That sentence is not a substitute for reading the complete, current guidelines. Review the full policy before accepting donations, selling ranks, restricting features or linking a payment system.

Separate administration from ordinary play

• Keep the LocalAdmin port and administrative credentials private; give players only the public connection information they need.
• Back up config_gameplay.txt and any whitelist or plugin data before changing versions.
• Document who can administer the machine and who can change gameplay settings.
• Tell players the server’s rules, modification status and expected maintenance windows.
• Test an update on a copy or during a scheduled outage before applying it to a busy public instance.

Self-hosting versus renting

Self-hosting gives you direct access to every file and setting. It also makes you responsible for operating-system updates, backups, firewall rules, power failures, bandwidth limits and recovery after a crash. Linux can run economically on an existing always-on machine, while Windows is often easier for an owner who wants Steam’s graphical management.

A rented instance shifts the physical machine, connectivity and much of the uptime work to a provider. You should still verify where files are stored, whether you can use the LocalAdmin and Plugin API features you need, how backups are handled, which player capacity is guaranteed, and how to export your configuration if you leave. Current provider names and prices are not established here, so treat every advertised plan as a separate purchase decision.

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Troubleshoot the failures that stop most first launches

Operate and update the server

1. Keep a written record of the operating system, SteamCMD install directory, LocalAdmin port and configuration backups.
2. Before an update, stop the running instance cleanly and copy the active configuration and any plugin or whitelist data.
3. Run the official SteamCMD update command, app_update 996560 validate, from the installation directory’s SteamCMD workflow.
4. Start LocalAdmin again, watch its console for errors, and verify the expected server name and player limit.
5. Test a connection from outside the host’s local network after changes to the router, firewall, DNS or server files.
6. Recheck the dedicated-server guide, gameplay-config guide, SRV instructions and community guidelines after major game or operating-system releases; the labels and requirements are version-sensitive.

With a supported x86-64 machine, the correct per-port configuration file and a tested network path, self-hosting is a practical 2026 option without buying a dedicated computer. Renting is the simpler choice when uptime and maintenance matter more than full control, but its capacity, access and recurring price must be verified with the provider you select.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.