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You do not install Hildir’s Request as a separate server download. The content arrives through the normal Valheim game and Valheim Dedicated Server updates. Update the players’ clients and the server application to compatible builds, then launch the server with an edited copy of Iron Gate’s supplied script. The same setup supports existing worlds, automatic backups, Crossplay, and the world modifiers added in the post-Hildir dedicated-server update.
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What you need before installing
Hildir’s Request is delivered as part of Valheim’s game and server build. A dedicated server does not use a separate DLC installer, archive, or plug-in. Every player who connects should update Valheim, and the machine hosting the world should update Valheim Dedicated Server. Version mismatches are the first thing to correct when a server appears offline, rejects a connection, or does not show the expected content.
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- A Steam installation of Valheim Dedicated Server, or the documented Microsoft Store server installation.
- A Windows or Linux machine that can remain running while people play.
- A world name and a password of at least the length required by the server application.
- Firewall permission for the server executable.
- A decision between the Steam backend and the relay-backed Crossplay backend.
If you are moving an existing world, locate and back up its save before changing launch arguments. If you are starting fresh, choose the final world name before the first launch; the -world value selects or creates that named world.
Update Valheim and the dedicated server first
Update every player’s client
On each computer or console account, allow Valheim to finish its normal update. Players on an older build may be unable to discover or join a server that has already received the Hildir-era updates.
Update the server application
On Steam, open Library, enable the Tools filter, find Valheim Dedicated Server, and install or update it. Steam may replace supplied files during an update, so never make your only configuration changes in the original launch script. Copy that script first.
The first post-Hildir bug-fixer update also added dedicated-server support for world modifiers. If your installation predates that update, update the application before trying to use modifiers.
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Copy the supplied script
- Open the Valheim Dedicated Server installation folder from Steam’s Manage or Browse local files command.
- Find
start_headless_server.bat. - Make a copy in the same folder and give the copy a clear name, such as
start_my_valheim_server.bat. - Edit the copy, not the original. Steam updates can reset the original file and erase custom settings.
Set the essential launch values
The supplied command already includes the headless and batch-mode options. Keep those options and replace the example values for the server name, port, world, password, and visibility. A typical command has this shape:
valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name "My Valheim Server" -port 2456 -world "MyWorld" -password "Use-a-strong-password" -public 1Use a name that players can recognize, a world name without accidental spelling changes, and a password you are comfortable sharing only with the intended group. The -public 1 setting makes the server discoverable in the public list. A private server can use the documented private visibility value instead.
Choose a save location and backups
By default, Valheim uses its normal save location. Add -savedir when you want world files on another volume, a dedicated data directory, or a location included in a separate backup system. The server manual also documents automatic backup retention and the backup interval arguments -backups, -backupshort, and -backuplong. Set these deliberately rather than relying on an unprotected single save file.
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Linux and container-style installations
Linux users edit and run the supplied shell script rather than a Windows batch file. Install or update the official dedicated-server application through the distribution method you use, copy the supplied start script, and place the same core arguments in the copy: -name, -port, -world, -password, and -public. Add -savedir and the backup arguments if your storage layout requires them.
Make the copied script executable, start it from the server account, and keep its working directory pointed at the dedicated-server installation. If you run the process under a service manager or container, preserve the same save directory between restarts. A container that loses its data volume can make an apparently successful Hildir installation look as though the world disappeared.
Microsoft Store installation path
For a Microsoft Store installation, Iron Gate documents the server files in:
C:XboxGamesValheimContentServerOpen that folder, run or copy the included headless-server batch file, and use the included manual for the available arguments. Configure the world, password, visibility, save directory, backups, and optional Crossplay setting in the copied command just as you would for a Steam installation.
Steam backend versus Crossplay
The backend determines how people reach the server and whether you must configure inbound router ports.
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| Backend | Launch setting | Network requirement | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam backend | Use the normal command without -crossplay |
Ports 2456–2457 must be reachable through the router and operating-system firewall. | A group playing through the Steam-based server path with control over the home or office router. |
| Crossplay relay | Add -crossplay to the launch command. |
The relay normally removes the need for router port forwarding for outside players. Firewall permission for the server process is still required. | Mixed-platform groups or hosts that cannot configure inbound forwarding. |
Using the Steam backend
Forward ports 2456–2457 from the router to the computer running the server, then allow the same traffic through the operating-system firewall. Keep the server’s local address stable, preferably with a DHCP reservation, so a router rule does not point to the wrong machine after a reboot. If the server is visible locally but not to people outside the network, check the router rule, firewall profile, and the address players are using before changing the world settings.
Using Crossplay
Add -crossplay to the copied launch command and restart the server. Crossplay uses a relay-backed service, so external players normally do not need an inbound port-forwarding rule. Players should search for the server using the name and password you configured. The relay changes the connection path; it does not remove the need to update clients, allow the executable through the firewall, or keep the process running.
Start the server and verify the result
- Save the copied script and close the editor.
- Run the script from the dedicated-server folder. On Linux, run the copied shell script from the account that owns the save directory.
- When the operating system asks, allow the dedicated-server executable through the firewall on the appropriate network profile.
- Wait for the console to report that the server has connected and completed startup. Do not try to join while it is still loading the world.
- From an updated Valheim client, search the server list when using a public server, or connect using the method appropriate to your backend.
- Enter the configured password and confirm that the expected world loads.
For a first test, have one player join before distributing the address to everyone else. Confirm that the player can move, interact with objects, log out, and reconnect. Then stop the server cleanly so the save has a normal shutdown before you begin a longer session.
Enable Hildir-era world modifiers on a dedicated server
Dedicated servers received world-modifier functionality in the bug-fixer update that followed Hildir’s Request. You do not install a second modifier package. Instead, add the documented modifier arguments to the server launch command.
Presets
The official arguments include the presets Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive, and Hammer. A preset establishes a group of rules at once.
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Individual rules
The manual also documents individual combat, death-penalty, resource, raid, and portal modifiers. Use those when a preset is close to what you want but one or two rules need changing. Keep the exact argument spelling and accepted values from the manual; modifier names and values are not interchangeable with ordinary world names.
Order matters
A preset overwrites other modifier settings. Put the preset first, then add individual modifiers that should override it. If you put the preset last, it can silently replace the custom values you entered earlier. Restart the server after editing the command and test the resulting rules in-game.
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New world setup versus existing-world migration
Starting a new world
Choose a unique -world name, launch once, and let the server create the save. Stop the server, confirm that the new files appear in the configured save directory, then add any final modifier or backup settings before inviting players. This approach avoids accidentally changing an established group’s rules.
Moving an existing world
- Stop the old server or local game cleanly.
- Make a complete copy of the world files before moving anything.
- Place the world in the new server’s save location, or point the server at the existing location with
-savedir. - Set
-worldto the exact existing world name. - Start the server with the same password and backend choice first, then test with one player.
- Only after the test succeeds, add or change world modifiers and announce the new rules.
Do not create a new world with a near-identical name and assume the old progress was imported. Valheim treats the name as a selector; a spelling difference can produce a fresh world.
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Backups, recovery, and routine maintenance
Use automatic retention
Configure the documented backup count and short- and long-interval settings. Keep backups outside the live world directory when possible, and periodically copy one to storage that is not mounted permanently on the server. A backup that shares the same failed disk is not a reliable recovery plan.
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- Stop the server cleanly and verify that the latest save and backup timestamps changed.
- Copy the world files and the edited launch script.
- Update the server application, then start it without changing several unrelated settings at once.
- Test joining, world loading, and the specific modifier you changed.
If a world appears missing
Check the active -savedir value and the exact -world spelling before restoring anything. A changed save directory or a renamed world is more likely to explain an empty world list than Hildir’s content being absent. If the files are genuinely damaged, stop the server and restore a known-good backup rather than repeatedly launching against the damaged copy.
Troubleshooting common installation failures
The server is not visible
- Confirm that both the client and server finished updating.
- Check that the copied script is the one you actually launched.
- For the Steam backend, verify router forwarding and firewall permission for ports 2456–2457.
- For Crossplay, confirm that
-crossplayis present and that the server process reports a successful connection. - Check that
-publicis set for a public-list server; a private setting will not produce the same discovery result.
Players outside the home network cannot join
This usually indicates a Steam-backend networking problem: the forwarding rule may target the wrong local address, the firewall may be blocking the process, or the server may be behind a network that does not permit inbound forwarding. Switching to Crossplay can avoid router forwarding for outside players, provided the host and clients support the relay path.
The server starts but creates the wrong world
Compare the -world and -savedir values with the location of the intended files. Remove accidental spaces or spelling changes in the world name, stop the server, and make a backup before correcting the command.
Modifiers do not take effect
Update the dedicated-server application to a build that includes post-Hildir dedicated-server modifiers. Then check argument order: put a preset before individual overrides. Restart the server after every command change and test the rule in a safe area.
A Steam update erased the settings
That is why the installation procedure uses a copied script. Reopen the copy, confirm its values, and launch that file instead of editing the vendor-supplied original again.
Self-hosting or managed hosting?
| Approach | Advantages | Responsibilities and trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted Windows or Linux machine | Full control of scripts, save paths, backups, modifiers, and update timing; no separate hosting dashboard required. | You provide an always-on machine, firewall configuration, backups, monitoring, and recovery when the host stops. |
| Managed dedicated-server service | Useful when you need an always-on location, managed updates, scheduled backups, or simpler networking. | Features, supported backends, storage, backup retention, and current pricing vary by provider and must be checked before purchase. |
The game-side installation logic remains the same either way: compatible client and server builds, a selected world, a protected password, a chosen backend, and a launch configuration that preserves saves and backups. Managed services may expose those settings through a control panel rather than a local script.
Recommended first-session checklist
- All players and the server are fully updated.
- The copied launch script contains the intended name, port, world, password, and visibility.
- The backend is explicit: Steam, or Crossplay with
-crossplay. - Steam-backend ports 2456–2457 are reachable through the router and firewall.
- The save directory and world name are recorded.
- Automatic backup retention and intervals are configured.
- Any preset appears before individual modifier overrides.
- A test player can join, reconnect, and see the expected world rules.
Once those checks pass, Hildir’s Request is installed in the only sense a dedicated server requires: the updated Valheim server is running the content, and its launch configuration safely selects the world, network path, backups, and rules your group wants.
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