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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe quickest way to play Valheim with friends is local host-and-play: one player starts the world and stays online while everyone else joins. For a world that should remain available when that player is away, install the free Valheim Dedicated Server tool and run a dedicated server, either on your own machine or through a rental host. This guide covers both routes, including world migration, launch settings, ports, crossplay, backups and the most common connection failures.
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Choose how your group will host
Your first decision determines how much setup you need and when friends can play. There are two practical choices.
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| Option | Host requirement | Setup effort | When friends can join | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local co-op (host and play) | The host’s game must be running and connected. | Lowest: no separate server installation or port configuration is normally required. | Only while the host is online. | No separate server charge. |
| Dedicated server | The server process runs independently of any player’s game session. | Install the server tool, configure a world and password, and handle networking yourself; a rented server’s control panel usually maps ports for you. | Any time the server is running, even when the usual host is offline. | Free when self-hosted; rental cost varies by provider and plan. |
Use local co-op for a same-evening session
Local hosting is the sensible starting point when everyone can play together and one person is happy to keep the game open. The host creates or loads the world, starts multiplayer through Valheim’s normal play flow, and gives friends the in-game invitation or server details shown by the client. If the host quits, disconnects or closes the game, the session ends for everyone else.
Use a dedicated server for an ongoing world
A dedicated server is better for a group with different schedules. The server process keeps the world available without a player occupying the host slot. You can run it on a spare Windows or Linux computer, or rent a managed server. Self-hosting costs nothing beyond the machine and its internet connection, but you must install updates and configure the firewall and router. A rental panel generally handles the port mapping, leaving you to set the world name, password and visibility.
Plan the first world before installing anything
Decide who owns the world, whether the server must be reachable while the owner is away, and whether console or Microsoft Store players need to join Steam players. Write down one world name and a strong password before configuration. The world name is the identifier Valheim uses for its save files, so changing spelling or capitalization later can make the server appear to have started a new world.
Check client versions
Everyone must run the same Valheim game version. A version mismatch can prevent a join even when the address and port are correct. Update each player’s client before troubleshooting networking.
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A public server can appear in Valheim’s server list. A private server can be reached by its address and port instead. Decide which behavior suits your group; a strong password is still required either way.
Install the free dedicated-server tool
The standalone dedicated-server application is free. The server machine does not need a Valheim game license for the tool itself, according to the setup guides used here. Do not confuse the server application ID with the game client ID.
| Identifier | Use |
|---|---|
896660 |
Standalone Valheim Dedicated Server application. |
892970 |
Valheim game client application ID; do not substitute it for the dedicated-server ID. |
Windows through Steam’s Tools library
- Open the Steam Library.
- Enable the Tools filter.
- Find Valheim Dedicated Server and install it.
This route avoids typing a SteamCMD command and is convenient when the server computer already uses Steam.
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Windows or Linux through SteamCMD
Install SteamCMD, open a terminal in its directory, and use an anonymous login. The core update command is:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quitThe validate option checks the downloaded files. Older forum posts sometimes contain a transposed application number; verify that the command contains 896660, not the client ID 892970.
Configure and launch a dedicated server
The installation includes a Windows launcher named start_headless_server.bat and a Linux launcher named start_server.sh. Copy the launcher and edit the copy rather than modifying the original. Server updates can restore the original launcher and remove your settings.
Set the essential launch arguments
The arguments define the name players see, the network port, the save to load, the password and whether crossplay is enabled. A representative Windows command is:
valheim_server.exe -nographics -batchmode -name "Odin's Basement" -port 2456 -world "Midgard" -password "your-strong-password" -crossplay| Argument | Purpose | What to change |
|---|---|---|
-nographics |
Runs without rendering a game window. | Leave it in a headless-server launch. |
-batchmode |
Runs as a background process suitable for a server. | Leave it in the launcher. |
-name |
The displayed server name. | Use a recognizable name for your group. |
-port |
The base network port. | Use the port you intend to forward; 2456 is the default cited by the guides. |
-world |
The save name to create or load. | Match the existing save name exactly when migrating a world. |
-password |
Protects entry to the server. | Use a long, unique password and share it only with the group. |
-crossplay |
Enables the crossplay backend and a join code. | Include it only when your group needs cross-platform access. |
Create a new world
If no save exists with the name supplied to -world, Valheim creates a new world on first launch. Keep the spelling unchanged so every subsequent launch points to the same files.
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Move an existing solo world
- Stop the dedicated server if it is running.
- Copy the solo world’s save files to the server’s Valheim worlds directory.
- Set
-worldto the exact name used by those files. - Launch the server and confirm that it loads the expected terrain and structures before inviting friends.
A mismatch between the copied filename and the -world value causes Valheim to create a different world instead of opening the solo save.
Confirm that the process is live
Keep the launcher window or service log open during the first start. The server is ready when the log reports that the game server is connected. If that message never appears, fix installation or launch-argument errors before changing router settings.
Open the network ports carefully
Port guidance for Valheim is inconsistent across published setup guides, so treat the following as a practical starting point rather than an official specification. The default game port is 2456. Guides disagree about whether the server needs only UDP or both TCP and UDP, and whether it uses two ports or three:
| Guidance found in setup documentation | Ports described | Protocol described |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal interpretation | UDP 2456 |
UDP |
| Three-port interpretation | 2456–2458 |
Usually UDP; some guides also request TCP. |
| Two-port interpretation | The selected port plus the next port, normally 2456–2457 |
UDP in the newer guidance. |
Open UDP 2456 at minimum. If you cannot confirm the current requirement, forward UDP 2456–2458 on the router and allow the same range through the server machine’s firewall, then check Iron Gate’s current documentation at valheimgame.com before publishing a permanent rule. Do not assume a port range or TCP requirement is settled solely because an older guide lists it.
Router forwarding checklist
- Give the server computer a stable local address, such as a DHCP reservation, so the forwarding rule does not point to a different device later.
- Create the forwarding rule for the chosen Valheim port range and the server computer’s local address.
- Allow the same traffic in the operating system firewall.
- Restart the server and test from a different network, such as a friend’s home connection or a mobile hotspot.
Testing from inside the same home network can give misleading results because some routers do not support loopback connections.
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Let friends join
Public server list
If the server is configured as public, friends can search for the server name in Valheim’s server list. The name is the value supplied to -name, so distinctive wording helps avoid selecting the wrong result.
Direct address
For a non-public server, give friends the public IP address followed by the port, for example 123.45.67.89:2456. They still need the server password. The public address is the router’s internet-facing address, not the server’s private address such as 192.168.x.x.
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A managed host normally provides a hostname, port and control-panel credentials. Use the exact address and port shown in that panel; do not replace them with the default unless the panel explicitly assigns 2456.
Enable crossplay when the group uses different platforms
Add -crossplay to the launch command when console or Microsoft Store players need to connect to a Steam-hosted world. The server then issues a join code that those players can use. Every player must still be on the same Valheim version.
Some current setup guidance reports that crossplay routes through a PlayFab relay and therefore does not require router port forwarding, while a server using the Steam backend does. Treat that relay behavior as implementation-dependent: test the actual join path with one player on each platform, and keep the server’s network rules documented so you can remove unnecessary exposure if the relay works.
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Choose realistic server hardware
Published hardware estimates conflict, and no single official figure is established by the material available for this guide. Use these numbers as planning ranges, not guarantees:
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| Estimate | CPU | Memory | Storage | Network | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small group estimate | Dual-core | 6 GB RAM | SSD with 15 GB free | At least 15 Mbps upload | Given for roughly 2–5 players. |
| Alternative estimate | Not stated | 4 GB minimum; 8 GB recommended for larger worlds and more concurrent players | Not stated | Not stated | Published as a separate minimum/recommended range. |
An SSD with sufficient free space and a stable upload connection are sensible priorities. If your group grows or the world becomes larger, watch for delayed saves, long joins or players being disconnected and move the server to stronger hardware rather than assuming the lower estimate will remain adequate.
Back up the world before inviting everyone
Valheim worlds use two important files: a .db database and a .fwl world-definition file. Back up both together on a regular schedule.
- Windows stores world files under the
LocalLowportion of the user profile, inside the IronGate/Valheim worlds folder. - Linux stores them under
.config/unity3d, in the corresponding IronGate/Valheim worlds location. - Copy the matching
.dband.fwlfiles to a separate drive or account, keeping dated versions so you can roll back after a mistake.
Stop the server cleanly before copying a live world. To restore a backup, stop the process, replace both files with the same backup set, confirm the -world name matches, and start the server again.
Troubleshoot the first connection
The server does not appear in the list
- Confirm the launcher reached the “game server connected” state.
- Check that the server is configured for public discovery if you expect it in the list.
- Verify that every player is on the same game version.
- Use direct IP-and-port joining to distinguish a discovery problem from a server problem.
Direct joining times out
- Recheck the public IP and the port included after the colon.
- Confirm the router rule points to the server computer’s current local address.
- Check both the router firewall and the operating system firewall.
- If you selected crossplay, test with the join code and the crossplay backend instead of assuming Steam port forwarding is being used.
The wrong world loads
- Compare the
-worldvalue with the save filename character for character. - Make sure the copied
.dband.fwlfiles are in the server’s worlds directory, not only on the original computer. - Stop the server before replacing files; otherwise a running process may write the unwanted state back to disk.
Your settings disappear after an update
Edit the copied launcher, not the vendor-supplied start_headless_server.bat or start_server.sh. When an update restores the original file, launch the maintained copy again.
Friends are rejected even with the correct password
Check for a version mismatch first, then verify that the password being entered exactly matches the launch argument. If the server was recreated under a different world name, stop and correct the world setting before asking players to try again.
A reliable first-session sequence
- Choose local co-op or a dedicated server based on whether the host must remain online.
- Pick one world name and a strong password.
- For a dedicated server, install application
896660through Steam’s Tools library or SteamCMD. - Copy the launcher, set
-name,-port,-worldand-password, and add-crossplayonly when needed. - If reusing a solo world, copy both its
.dband.fwlfiles before the first launch. - Open and test the required network ports, remembering that published port ranges conflict and should be checked against Iron Gate’s current guidance.
- Start the server and wait for the connected-server log message.
- Have one friend test a join before distributing the address and password to the whole group.
- Make a fresh backup after the test succeeds.
For a one-off gathering, stop here with local host-and-play. For a persistent shared world, leave the dedicated process running, keep the copied launcher for updates, and maintain the paired world-file backups.
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