How To Connect To Valheim Dedicated Server

How to fix a dedicated or local server for Valheim multiplayer co-op

(Paradigm credit: Iron Gate Studios)

Looking to kickoff upwardly a Valheim defended server? Valheim has enjoyed huge success since it hit Early Access at the beginning of February—and for expert reason. In a market place that feels more than a little saturated with the survival genre, Iron Gate's take has proved to be i of the most exciting new survival game in years. One of the many factors that has no doubtfulness contributed to its success—aside from the need to build the perfect base of operations—is the ability to play solo or with up to ten players.

If you lot're cracking to take the multiplayer route, a dedicated Valheim server is 1 option—peculiarly with the latest update that improved defended server latency. But if yous don't want the added hassle of setting up your ain private server, hosting a game locally on your PC is likewise an selection. There are clearly pros and cons to each—while hosting a game locally simply requires a couple of extra clicks to prepare upward, a dedicated server volition hateful the globe is always online so the host won't need to be nowadays in order for friends to play.

If yous're unsure which option is best for yous, this guide details everything you lot demand to know almost Valheim multiplayer, also equally a breakdown of how to set up a dedicated server for you and your clan of Vikings.

Multiplayer nuts

How Valheim multiplayer works

To lay down some nuts, this is how multiplayer in Valheim works: Y'all can take whatever grapheme and their inventory from 1 game to some other. That carries over their skill progress from identify to identify, merely know that whatever equipment you lot lose in i earth volition still be lost in another if you lot log out earlier retrieving it or if a griefer prevents you lot from retrieving it. Developers Atomic number 26 Gate AB suggest having a separate grapheme for single and multiplayer, and those who are abundantly cautious should probably do that.

For each new player that enters the game, the enemies get harder. When a thespian leaves, they get easier. Some players report more generous drop rates on resources when playing solo, though I couldn't confirm that after some light testing.

Local hosting

Valheim dedicated server — (Image credit: Fe Gate Studio)

If you're just playing multiplayer Valheim with 1 or two other players, and you lot'll never play apart, a dedicated server is probably overkill. Merely take the person with the all-time internet connection and beefiest gaming rig host.

To host a game locally, either create a new world or choose an existing 1, then select the 'Start server' choice. Next, yous'll be prompted to enter a password and once that's done, click 'Start' to load in. Others tin can now search for your server nether Join Game and enter the password to connect.

How to join a Valheim server

The second tab on the carte du jour subsequently grapheme selection is Join Game. That'll let you see either servers hosted by your Steam friends, or search for Customs Servers and join that way. Either manner, yous'll demand a countersign.

Defended server setup

Valheim dedicated server

Yous can put up a dedicated server on any PC, your call. Some will put it on a secondary computer, others on the same machine on which they're going to play. Whether that'south a expert idea is up to you, how good your cyberspace connexion is, and how powerful your gaming PC is. Valheim isn't too demanding a game, and neither is running a server, but combined they'll put a strain on near machines—and on the connectedness quality for other players.

In my feel, a motorcar with a 15-yr-former processor stuttered a lot with three players connected, but became pretty unplayable with more. A automobile with an Intel i7 from 2013 did okay on 100mbps downwardly, 10mbps upwardly internet with 5 players connected, with occasional lag or stuttering—so an sometime spare PC or your media build might simply be ideal for the chore.

To get this set up, you'll need to know how to practice port forwarding and how to detect the server machine's IP, which means you'll likely need administrator access to your router.

How Valheim server hosting works

valheim dedicated server hosting — (Prototype credit: Valve)

i. Option the PC it's going to exist on and install or open Steam.

2. Toggle on "tools" in the Steam library search and look for "Valheim," y'all should come across Valheim Dedicated Server. Install Valheim and install Valheim Dedicated Server. You won't run it from Steam, though—you need Steam to play Valheim itself either on another PC or on this ane.

3. Go to the folder in which you installed the Valheim Dedicated Server.

4. At present you need to either create a world to use, or transfer the globe yous were using prior to this to the server if information technology's on another PC. If you're hosting from the same PC you've been playing on, skip this step. Navigate to your Windows Users folder: C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds. Transfer the files from this binder to the same folder on your server PC.

5. At present you need to edit the server startup script file, which is in the server folder. The default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\mutual\Valheim Defended Server. In there you'll go to a batch file called "start_headless_server." Correct click on that file and edit it.

half-dozen. The line in there now says something like "beginning valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name Ten -port 2456 -globe X -countersign 10 -public 1", except the X is your information you've already put in.

seven. You'll need to change it so that the 10 after name is the server name you desire—which can't be the name of your world. The Ten after earth is the proper name of your world salvage—which can't exist the same as your server. The password is… well, any yous desire the countersign to be, but information technology tin can't include the world or server names. (Over again, you must have a countersign.)

8. If y'all want the server to show up in the community servers list, leave the numeral after public as 1. If not, change information technology to 0.

nine. Save that. Now make a backup of the start_headless_server file, because when the game updates it'll wipe that file clean and y'all'll need to supercede information technology. Now you can quit that editor.

10. You now accept to open the ports on your server PC to permit connection. Go to your router software, opening ports 2456-2458 TCP/UDP on the PC that's running the server. The Host Port should exist 2456. If there'south a firewall on the server PC, you'll take to open those ports on the firewall also.

11. Now starting time the server by double clicking "start_headless_server." That should open up ii windows, one with the server logs and one that you lot select and press any key to stop the server if you want to stop it. (Why would you terminate the server? Updates. Otherwise don't practice that! The whole reason to run a dedicated server is that information technology's always effectually.)

12. Voila! Players can now bring together your server. It tin sometimes take ten to xv minutes for the Community Server list to update in one case a server goes live. If it never shows upwards, that'southward probably because yous included the proper noun of the game world in the server name or password… or because of a bug. Attempt the next steps if that happens.

13. If yous change the public numeral to 0, people will have to join using the Steam server browser, found under View > Servers on the Steam client in the Favorites tab, and then using the "Add together A Server" button in the bottom right.

xiv. The IP address for your server is your server PC's external IP with the affix :2457 on the finish for the right port—like 30.30.X:2457.

Congratulations! You're all set for Valheim multiplayer. Now, go forth and build. While the friend you sent this article to sets upwardly the server, can I suggest reading something like our guide to getting started in Valheim? Peradventure a tasteful bout of Viking homes?

Sarah'south earliest gaming memories involve playing Jet Set Willy on the ZX Spectrum at a friend'due south business firm. These days, and when not writing guides, virtually of her spare time goes into MMOs—though she's quite fractional to JRPGs too. She has spent much of the last decade playing the likes of Star Wars: The Quondam Republic, TERA, Terminal Fantasy xiv, and World of Warcraft. Sarah has been writing virtually games for several years and, earlier joining PC Gamer, freelanced for the likes of TechRadar, GamingBible, and Rock Newspaper Shotgun. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Concluding Fantasy 10 without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more than wolves in Valheim than you lot.