Playing V Rising with a group of friends usually starts the same way: one person hosts a game from their PC, everyone piles in, and the world stops existing the moment that host has to log off. A V Rising dedicated server fixes that. It runs as its own standalone process, independent of any single player’s machine, and it stays up around the clock so your castle keeps generating blood essence whether you’re online or not.

This tutorial walks through the entire process of standing up a V Rising dedicated server from a clean machine: installing SteamCMD, downloading the official server tool, editing the two JSON configuration files that control everything from your server name to loot rates, opening the correct ports, wiring up RCON for remote administration, and automating backups. We’ll also cover the community-maintained Docker route for readers who want to run their V Rising server hosting setup on Linux instead of Windows, since Stunlock Studios currently ships an official server build for Windows only. Budget about 30 minutes for the full walkthrough if you’re following along step by step.

Every command, file path, and configuration field in this guide comes from Stunlock Studios’ own published server instructions, cross-checked against the game’s official developer blog and community configuration references – not guesswork. Where Stunlock hasn’t published an official figure, such as minimum hardware specs, we say so explicitly rather than inventing a number. By the end, you’ll have a fully functioning, publicly connectable V Rising server plus the admin tools, backup routine, and troubleshooting knowledge to keep it running long after the initial setup.

What Is a V Rising Dedicated Server, and Do You Need One?

V Rising, developed by Stunlock Studios, gives you three distinct ways to put a world online, and picking the right one before you start saves a lot of wasted setup time.

The first option is local hosting, where one player starts a game from inside the client itself. This is the fastest way to get a session running, but the world only exists while that player’s game is open, it consumes that player’s own CPU and bandwidth alongside the game itself, and it doesn’t scale well past a small group of friends who all keep similar schedules.

The second option, and the subject of this guide, is a self-hosted dedicated server. You download a free, separate server application through SteamCMD, run it on hardware you control – a home PC, a spare machine, or a server you rent by the month – and it keeps running whether or not anyone is actually playing. This is the right call if you want full control over configuration files, don’t mind doing your own port forwarding and Windows Firewall rules, and want to avoid a recurring hosting bill.

The third option is rented dedicated hosting from a managed provider. Stunlock’s official hosting partner is G-Portal, and a number of third-party game server hosts also offer V Rising plans. You pay monthly, the provider handles the underlying hardware and networking, and you typically get a web panel for config edits instead of hand-editing JSON over SSH or RDP. We compare the self-hosted and rented paths in more detail later in this guide.

If you’re already comfortable with the idea of running other dedicated game servers like Rust or Valheim, the V Rising process will feel familiar – it’s SteamCMD, a couple of JSON files, and some port forwarding.

One more distinction worth understanding up front: a dedicated server is not the same thing as a listen server that merely allows other players to join a local game. V Rising’s dedicated server tool is a completely separate application, VRisingServer.exe, that has no in-game client attached to it at all. Nobody needs to be “playing” on the host machine for the world to keep running – the process simply simulates the world, accepts connections, and writes autosaves on its own schedule. That’s the core reason dedicated servers are the standard choice for any group planning to play across multiple sessions over weeks or months rather than a single weekend.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before You Start

Gather these before you open a terminal. Having everything ready up front is what keeps this a 30-minute job instead of a multi-session troubleshooting project.

Software and Account Requirements

  • A Windows PC, VM, or rented Windows server – the official V Rising Dedicated Server tool currently ships for Windows only. Linux is possible through community-maintained wrappers, covered in Step 10.
  • SteamCMD, Valve’s free command-line tool for downloading Steam content without the full Steam client.
  • No purchase of V Rising itself is required to download and run the dedicated server tool – it’s listed as a free application in Steam’s Tools category, separate from the game you and your friends buy to actually play.
  • Administrator access to the machine, so you can create Windows Firewall rules and, if it’s behind a home router, log into the router to forward ports.
  • A text editor that won’t mangle JSON formatting – Notepad++, VS Code, or similar. Avoid plain Notepad on older Windows builds, which can silently insert byte-order marks that break JSON parsing.

Hardware Considerations

Stunlock Studios has not published official minimum or recommended hardware specifications for the dedicated server tool, so treat the following as practical planning guidance rather than an official requirement. Storage matters more than most people expect – put the install and save data on an SSD or NVMe drive, since world saves and auto-save writes are disk I/O sensitive as your castle and clan count grow. Plan to scale available RAM and CPU headroom up as your player cap, number of clans, and castle count increase, since each active clan adds simulation load. A wired Ethernet connection is strongly preferable to Wi-Fi for the host machine, since upload stability affects every connected player equally, not just the host.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

SteamCMD is the same tool used to stand up dozens of other dedicated servers, including ARK and Palworld. Download the Windows version from Valve’s official SteamCMD page, extract it into a permanent folder – something like C:\steamcmd works fine – and launch steamcmd.exe. On first run it will download its own update files automatically.

Once it finishes updating and drops you at a Steam> prompt, log in anonymously. You don’t need a Steam account with V Rising in its library, because the dedicated server tool is free and publicly downloadable:

cd C:\steamcmd
steamcmd.exe
login anonymous

A successful login prints Logging in user 'anonymous' to Steam Public...Logon successful. If it hangs, it’s almost always a firewall or antivirus tool silently blocking SteamCMD’s outbound connection on first run – temporarily allow it through and try again.

Step 2: Download the V Rising Dedicated Server Files

With SteamCMD open and logged in, set an install directory and pull down the server application using its SteamCMD app ID, 1829350. Run app_update with the validate flag on the first download so SteamCMD checksums every file as it writes it:

force_install_dir ../vrising-server
app_update 1829350 validate
quit

This is a multi-gigabyte download, so it will take a few minutes depending on your connection. When it’s done, SteamCMD prints the standard confirmation line used across every app it manages:

Success! App '1829350' fully installed.

Inside vrising-server you’ll now find VRisingServer.exe, a VRisingServer_Data folder, and a start_server_example.bat launch script. Leave all of it in place – the next two steps configure it rather than move anything around.

Step 3: Configure ServerHostSettings.json

V Rising’s dedicated server splits its configuration across two JSON files. ServerHostSettings.json handles the infrastructure side: server identity, network ports, player limits, save scheduling, and RCON. Its counterpart, covered in the next step, handles gameplay.

The default copies live inside the install itself, at VRisingServer_Data\StreamingAssets\Settings\. Don’t edit those files directly – Steam updates can overwrite anything inside the install folder. Instead, copy them into the override location the server actually reads at runtime:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Stunlock Studios\VRisingServer\Settings\

If you’re running more than one server on the same machine, launch each instance with a -persistentDataPath parameter pointing at its own folder instead, so the two never fight over the same settings and save files.

Open your copy of ServerHostSettings.json and set at minimum the name, description, and password fields, then confirm the port values match what you intend to forward in Step 5:

{
  "Name": "My Awesome V Rising Server",
  "Description": "A friendly PvE server",
  "Port": 27015,
  "QueryPort": 27016,
  "MaxConnectedUsers": 20,
  "MaxConnectedAdmins": 4,
  "ServerFps": 30,
  "SaveName": "world1",
  "AutoSaveInterval": 120,
  "AutoSaveCount": 20,
  "ListOnSteam": true,
  "ListOnEOS": true,
  "Password": ""
}

The table below covers the fields you’re most likely to touch:

FieldDefaultWhat It Controls
Name / Description–Server identity shown in the in-game browser
PasswordemptyOptional access password; leave blank for a public server
Port27015 (UDP)Main game traffic port – required for any connection
QueryPort27016 (UDP)Steam server-list query port – required to appear in the browser
MaxConnectedUsers–Player cap; hard ceiling is 128
MaxConnectedAdmins–Extra reserved admin connection slots
ServerFps30Simulation tick rate the server targets
AutoSaveInterval120 (seconds)How often the world autosaves
AutoSaveCount20Number of rolling autosave slots retained
ListOnSteam / ListOnEOS–Whether the server is publicly listed on Steam / Epic Online Services
GameDifficultyPreset–Shortcut that bundles multiple gameplay values from a preset

Step 4: Configure ServerGameSettings.json

While ServerHostSettings.json handles infrastructure, ServerGameSettings.json – in the same Settings folder – handles what your world actually feels like to play: game mode, PvP rules, castle damage behavior, loot economy, crafting speed, resource yields, stat multipliers, and limits like castle count and build height.

Named fields you’ll encounter include GameModeType (for example, "PvE" or a PvP variant), ClanSize, CraftRateModifier, BloodDrainModifier, and GameDifficulty, which governs boss encounter complexity independently of the resource-focused sliders. A minimal edit looks like this:

{
  "GameModeType": "PvE",
  "ClanSize": 4,
  "CraftRateModifier": 1.0,
  "BloodDrainModifier": 1.0,
  "GameDifficulty": "Normal"
}

If you’d rather not hand-tune every multiplier, set GameDifficultyPreset in ServerHostSettings.json to apply a bundled ruleset in one shot, then override only the specific fields you care about afterward. This is the fastest path to a playable server if you’re hosting for a casual group and don’t want to spend an hour reading every slider’s effect.

Step 5: Open and Forward Your Ports

V Rising’s dedicated server needs two UDP ports: the Port value (27015 by default) for actual game traffic, and QueryPort (27016 by default) so it can register with Steam’s server list. Only the game port is strictly required if you plan to have friends connect by direct IP instead of browsing the public server list – but forward both if you want the server discoverable in-game.

On the host machine itself, add inbound Windows Firewall rules for both ports and for VRisingServer.exe directly, since Windows Defender’s default ruleset blocks unsolicited inbound UDP traffic:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="VRising Game Port" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=27015
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="VRising Query Port" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=27016
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="VRising Server EXE" dir=in action=allow program="C:\steamcmd\vrising-server\VRisingServer.exe" enable=yes

If the machine sits behind a home router, you’ll also need to forward the same two UDP ports to the host’s local IP address in the router’s admin panel – the exact steps vary by router vendor, but the setting is typically labeled “Port Forwarding” or “Virtual Server.” If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT, port forwarding won’t work no matter how it’s configured on your side, since you don’t have a public-facing IP to forward to; a Tailscale or WireGuard mesh (covered under Advanced Tips in Step 11) sidesteps that limitation entirely for private, friends-only servers.

Step 6: Create a Startup Script and Launch Your Server

Rather than editing start_server_example.bat directly, copy it to a new file – start_server.bat, for example – since the original may be silently overwritten the next time you update the server. Point it at your persistent data path if you set one in Step 3:

@echo off
VRisingServer.exe -persistentDataPath "C:\vrising-data" -serverName "My Awesome V Rising Server" -saveName "world1" -logFile "server.log"
pause

Double-click the script. A console window opens and starts spooling through map generation and world initialization – this first launch is slower than every subsequent one because it’s generating the world from scratch. Leave the window open; closing it stops the server. Once initialization finishes, the console settles into a steady stream of tick and autosave log lines, which is your signal that the server is live and ready for connections. A healthy first-launch console typically works through stages similar to this before it settles down:

Loading server settings from Settings folder...
Initializing world simulation...
Generating world state (first launch only)...
Registering server with Steam (Port: 27015, QueryPort: 27016)...
Autosave scheduled every 120 seconds
Server started and is now accepting connections

If the window closes itself within a second or two of opening instead of reaching that steady state, the cause is almost always a malformed JSON file rather than a hardware problem – see the troubleshooting table later in this guide before assuming anything more serious is wrong.

Step 7: Set Up Admin Access, Bans, and RCON

To manage the server from inside the game, add your 64-bit Steam ID to adminlist.txt in the same Settings folder as your JSON files, one ID per line. In-game, open the console and run adminauth to authenticate against that list. banlist.txt in the same folder works the same way for banning players by Steam ID.

For remote administration without being logged into the game – restarting the server, pushing announcements, or checking status from a phone – enable RCON by adding a block to ServerHostSettings.json:

{
  "Rcon": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Password": "choose-a-strong-password-here",
    "Port": 25575
  }
}

RCON runs over TCP 25575 by default, and a password is mandatory – the server won’t enable the RCON listener without one. Supported commands include announce, shutdown, name, description, and version. If you plan to leave RCON on long-term, restrict inbound access on that port to your own IP in the firewall rather than opening it to the whole internet – RCON is a full administrative channel, and a weak or missing password on an internet-facing port is one of the most common ways self-hosted game servers get hijacked.

Step 8: Connect to Your Server From V Rising

From the V Rising main menu, go to Play → Online → Show all servers to browse listed servers if you set ListOnSteam or ListOnEOS to true – your server name and description from ServerHostSettings.json should appear within a minute or two of startup. If you’d rather skip the browser entirely, use direct IP connect with the host’s public IP address and game port.

If the server doesn’t show up in the browser after a few minutes but direct IP connect works fine, the game port is open but the query port isn’t – double-check both the Windows Firewall rule and the router forward for port 27016 (or whatever you set QueryPort to).

Step 9: Automate Backups and Updates

AutoSaveCount gives you rolling in-place saves, but rolling saves don’t protect you from a corrupted save file or a patch that changes the save format in a way you don’t want yet – you need copies stored somewhere else. A simple scheduled task that mirrors your save folder to a second location covers most of this risk:

@echo off
set SOURCE=%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Stunlock Studios\VRisingServer\Saves
set BACKUP=D:\vrising-backups\%date:~-4,4%%date:~-10,2%%date:~-7,2%
robocopy "%SOURCE%" "%BACKUP%" /E /R:2 /W:5

Register that script in Windows Task Scheduler to run daily, and keep at least a week of dated folders before pruning older ones. Take a manual backup immediately before applying any game update, since a major content patch – like Update 1.1, “Invaders of Oakveil,” which shipped April 28, 2025 – can change save compatibility in ways that are hard to undo after the fact.

To update the server itself after a patch, stop the running process, then re-run the same SteamCMD command from Step 2:

steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir ../vrising-server +login anonymous +app_update 1829350 validate +quit

Worth knowing: when Update 1.1 shipped, Stunlock built in a dual-version system where existing 1.0 saves stayed playable but locked to 1.0 content, while a fresh save was needed to access 1.1 features. Major updates like this won’t always work identically, so read the patch notes before you update a server your community actively plays on.

Step 10: Run V Rising on Linux With Docker

Because Stunlock only ships a Windows build, running V Rising natively on Linux isn’t officially supported. The community has filled the gap with Docker images that run the Windows server binary under Wine inside the container. The jjtc/v-rising-dedicated-server image, built on Alpine Linux with DepotDownloader, Wine, and Xvfb, is a popular example, and it re-pulls the latest server files on every container start, so restarting the container doubles as your update mechanism.

docker run -d --name v-rising-dedicated-server \
  -v /srv/v-rising-server/:/home/steam/data/:rw \
  -e TZ=UTC \
  -e "SERVERNAME=My Awesome V Rising Server" \
  -e GAMESAVE=world1 \
  -e GAMEPORT=27015 \
  -e QUERYPORT=27016 \
  -p 27015:27015/udp \
  -p 27016:27016/udp \
  docker.io/jjtc/v-rising-dedicated-server:latest

Or, using Docker Compose if you’d rather keep the configuration in a file you can version-control:

git clone https://github.com/JJTC-Containers/v-rising-dedicated-server
cd v-rising-dedicated-server
docker compose up -d

Your ServerHostSettings.json and ServerGameSettings.json edits from Steps 3 and 4 still apply here – they just live inside the mounted volume instead of an AppData folder. Because this runs the Windows binary under Wine rather than a native Linux build, expect slightly higher resource overhead than the Windows-native route, and treat it as a community-supported path rather than one Stunlock tests against directly.

Step 11: Harden and Optimize Your Server

With the server running, a few adjustments separate a functional setup from one that stays stable and secure over months of uptime.

Run it as a background service. A console window you have to keep open isn’t durable – it dies on reboot, RDP disconnects, or an accidental click. On Windows, wrap VRisingServer.exe with NSSM (the Non-Sucking Service Manager) to run it as a proper Windows service that restarts automatically on crash or reboot.

Tune ServerFps to your player count. The default of 30 is a reasonable baseline; if you’re consistently running near your MaxConnectedUsers cap with many active clans, monitor CPU usage before assuming a higher tick rate will help – a CPU-bound host gains nothing from raising ServerFps and will just show more dropped ticks in the log. Conversely, LowerFPSWhenEmpty and LowerFPSWhenEmptyValue let an idle server sit at a lower tick rate when nobody’s connected, saving CPU cycles on a shared or budget host.

Keep RCON and remote access private. If your group is entirely friends you trust, consider putting the server on a Tailscale or WireGuard mesh network instead of forwarding RCON’s port to the public internet at all – connected devices reach the server over an encrypted private network, and you skip router configuration and CGNAT problems entirely for anyone who joins the mesh.

Run more than one world on the same box. Because -persistentDataPath isolates settings and saves per instance, a single reasonably specced machine can host a PvE world and a separate PvP world side by side – just make sure each instance uses its own Port and QueryPort pair so they don’t collide.

Step 12: Self-Host or Rent? Choosing the Right V Rising Hosting

By this point you’ve either got a working self-hosted server or a good sense of what’s involved in getting one running. If the SteamCMD-and-JSON-files workflow above isn’t appealing, renting from a managed provider is a legitimate alternative – you trade a monthly fee for someone else handling the hardware, networking, and update process. Stunlock’s official hosting partner is G-Portal; general-purpose game server hosts including Nodecraft, XGamingServer, Liquid Web, and IONOS also list V Rising plans.

Managed game server hosts generally differ from the self-hosted route in a few consistent ways: a browser-based control panel replaces direct file access (though most still expose your config files for editing), the provider typically handles Steam/EOS updates automatically rather than requiring a manual SteamCMD re-run, and network-layer protections such as DDoS mitigation are usually bundled in rather than something you’d need to configure yourself. What you generally give up is the ability to run the server on hardware you already own, and – depending on the plan – some fine-grained control over launch parameters that this guide covers in Steps 6 and 11. If you’ve never managed a Windows Firewall rule or a router’s port forwarding page before, that trade-off is often worth the monthly cost; if you’re comfortable with both, self-hosting costs nothing beyond what your hardware already draws in electricity.

FactorSelf-Hosted (This Guide)Rented Dedicated Hosting
Upfront costFree (SteamCMD + tool are free)Recurring monthly fee
Setup time~30 minutes, hands-onMinutes, mostly automated
Configuration accessFull – direct JSON file editsUsually a web panel; some allow raw file access
Uptime responsibilityYours – depends on your hardware and connectionProvider’s SLA
Port forwarding / firewallRequired on your router and OSHandled by the provider
Update managementManual SteamCMD re-run (or Docker restart)Often automated by the host
Best forTechnical users, no recurring cost, full controlGroups who want zero-maintenance hosting

Neither path is objectively better – it comes down to whether you’d rather spend 30 minutes now and pay nothing monthly, or pay a hosting provider to make the infrastructure someone else’s problem. If you’ve followed every step above, your complete setup now includes a downloaded server, two edited config files, forwarded ports, a startup script that survives updates, admin and RCON access, and an automated backup job – the full stack, end to end.

What Update 1.1 Changed for Server Admins

If you’re setting up a fresh server now, you’re building on top of Stunlock’s Update 1.1, “Invaders of Oakveil,” which shipped April 28, 2025. It’s worth understanding what changed, because several of the gameplay defaults you’ll see in ServerGameSettings.json trace directly back to this patch rather than the game’s original 1.0 launch.

The headline change for server admins was a dual-version save system. Existing 1.0 saves didn’t stop working – they remained playable, but locked to 1.0-era content – while accessing the new 1.1 features required starting a fresh save. If you’re migrating an older server’s world forward, factor in that your playerbase may need to choose between continuity and new content rather than getting both automatically. Stunlock’s own official server fleet handled this by extending maintenance windows on existing 1.0 servers with more than 11 days left on their cycle, letting those specific servers keep running under 1.0 rules past the patch date, while simplifying the broader official server lineup down to seven varieties built around one-to-three-month reset cycles.

The patch also adjusted several values you can now tune yourself through ServerGameSettings.json. Castle heart limits changed to one per clan for duo-sized clans and two per clan for squad-sized clans under PvP rules, and two per clan under PvE rules – relevant if you’re setting a custom ClanSize and want castle limits to scale sensibly alongside it. Mortium Rift Events, one of the game’s recurring world encounters, now trigger roughly every 30 minutes instead of the original 60-minute interval, meaning a busier, more frequent late-game loop on any server running current settings. Squad-server Golems also got tougher, with health raised from 1,750 to 2,500, a change worth knowing if your community complains a boss “feels different” from videos or guides written before April 2025. One side effect worth planning storage around: because the client now bundles support for both save versions, overall game file size increased compared to the pre-1.1 build.

Monitoring and Keeping Your Server Healthy Long-Term

Getting a V Rising server online is the easy part; keeping it healthy over weeks or months of uptime is where most self-hosted setups quietly degrade. A handful of habits go a long way.

Check the log file, not just the console window. If you launched with -logFile "server.log" as shown in Step 6, that file captures everything the console prints, including errors that scroll past too quickly to read live. Skim it after any crash or player complaint before assuming you need to change a setting.

Use RCON as a lightweight health check. Since the version and announce RCON commands from Step 7 respond immediately when the server is healthy, a simple scheduled script that sends one of these commands and alerts you on a timeout is a low-effort way to catch a hung or crashed process before your players do.

Watch disk usage on your save folder, not just your install drive. AutoSaveCount keeps a rolling set of saves rather than an unlimited history, but a large, long-running world with a high clan and castle count can still consume meaningfully more disk space over time than a fresh one. Combine this with the dated-backup routine from Step 9 and prune backup folders on a schedule rather than letting them accumulate indefinitely.

Schedule a periodic restart during low-traffic hours. Long-running game server processes – not just V Rising’s – are prone to slow memory growth over days of continuous uptime. A weekly restart via Task Scheduler (Windows) or a cron-triggered container restart (Docker) during your community’s quietest hours is cheap insurance against a gradual slowdown nobody notices until it’s severe.

Common Pitfalls When Hosting a V Rising Server

Most V Rising server problems trace back to one of these six mistakes.

  • Editing the default settings files inside the install folder. Anything in VRisingServer_Data\StreamingAssets\Settings\ can be overwritten the next time SteamCMD updates the server. Always edit the override copies in your AppData or -persistentDataPath location instead.
  • Only forwarding one of the two UDP ports. Forwarding just Port and forgetting QueryPort (or vice versa) means the server either won’t accept connections or won’t appear in the in-game browser, depending on which one got missed.
  • Forwarding TCP instead of UDP. Both the game port and query port are UDP. A firewall or router rule written for TCP silently does nothing for V Rising traffic.
  • Leaving RCON enabled with a weak or reused password. RCON is a full remote-administration channel. A weak password on a publicly forwarded RCON port is an open invitation, not a convenience feature.
  • Updating the server without backing up first. Major content patches can change save compatibility. Take a manual backup before every update, not just before ones you assume are risky.
  • Editing start_server_example.bat directly instead of a copy. That file ships with the install and can be replaced on update, silently wiping any custom launch parameters you added.

Troubleshooting Common V Rising Server Issues

If something isn’t working, check this table before assuming a deeper problem:

SymptomLikely CauseFix
Server doesn’t appear in the in-game browserQueryPort not forwarded, or ListOnSteam/ListOnEOS set to falseForward the query port and confirm both listing flags are true
Friends can’t connect by direct IPGame port blocked by firewall/router, or ISP uses CGNATVerify the Windows Firewall rule and router forward; consider Tailscale/WireGuard if behind CGNAT
Server crashes immediately on launchMalformed JSON – trailing comma or mismatched bracesValidate the JSON syntax with a linter before saving
SteamCMD reports a failed updateInterrupted download or insufficient disk spaceRe-run app_update 1829350 validate; confirm free disk space first
RCON connection refusedRCON block missing/disabled in ServerHostSettings.json, or wrong port/passwordConfirm "Enabled": true, the password field is set, and the client is pointed at port 25575
Save doesn’t persist after a restartWrong -persistentDataPath, or the server was killed before an autosave completedDouble-check the path argument and allow the full AutoSaveInterval to elapse before stopping
Admin commands don’t work in-gameSteam ID missing from adminlist.txt, or adminauth wasn’t runAdd the correct 64-bit Steam ID and run adminauth from the in-game console
Noticeable lag with many players onlineHost is CPU-bound at the current ServerFpsCheck CPU usage under load; lower the player cap or upgrade the host before raising tick rate further
Server reachable on the LAN but not from outsideDouble NAT – a router behind another router/modemForward ports on both devices, or put the host device in the outer router’s DMZ
Docker container exits immediately after startPorts not mapped correctly, or a Wine/Xvfb dependency issue inside the imageCheck docker logs for the exact error and confirm both -p UDP mappings are present

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the V Rising dedicated server tool free?
Yes. It’s listed as a free application in Steam’s Tools category and downloads through SteamCMD with an anonymous login – you don’t need to own V Rising itself to download and run it, only to connect and play.

Can I run a V Rising dedicated server on Linux?
Not officially. Stunlock currently ships a Windows-only server build. Community Docker images run that Windows binary under Wine inside a Linux container, which works but isn’t tested or supported directly by Stunlock.

How many players can one V Rising server support?
MaxConnectedUsers in ServerHostSettings.json sets your cap, up to a hard ceiling of 128 connected users, plus any additional slots reserved via MaxConnectedAdmins.

What ports does V Rising’s dedicated server use by default?
Port 27015 (UDP) for game traffic and port 27016 (UDP) for the Steam query/listing port, both configurable in ServerHostSettings.json. RCON, if you enable it, defaults to TCP 25575.

Do I need to forward both ports, or just one?
Only the game port is strictly required for friends connecting by direct IP. You need the query port forwarded too if you want the server to show up in V Rising’s public server browser.

Can I host a V Rising server behind CGNAT or without forwarding ports?
Traditional port forwarding won’t work if your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT, since you don’t have a public IP to forward to. A private mesh network tool like Tailscale or WireGuard lets friends reach the server directly without any router configuration, though it won’t make the server publicly listed.

How do I update my server after a new patch?
Stop the running server process, then re-run steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +app_update 1829350 validate +quit pointed at your install directory. Back up your save folder first, especially before major content updates.

Is rented V Rising hosting worth it over self-hosting?
It depends on how much you value your own time versus a recurring bill. Self-hosting costs nothing beyond hardware and electricity you likely already have, but you own the port forwarding, updates, and uptime. Rented hosting from providers like G-Portal costs monthly but removes nearly all of that maintenance burden.

Can I change server settings after the world is already running?
Yes. Most fields in ServerHostSettings.json and ServerGameSettings.json take effect on the next server restart rather than requiring a new save, though some values, particularly anything tied to ClanSize or castle limits, are best changed before a community gets deeply established under the old rules to avoid confusing existing players.

Does the dedicated server support mods?
Community modding tools exist for V Rising, but they modify the client and server binaries outside of Stunlock’s own configuration files, which is a different process from anything covered in this guide. If you plan to run mods, apply them after your vanilla server is confirmed working using the steps above, and keep an unmodified backup in case a mod update breaks compatibility with a game patch.

For more dedicated server and self-hosting tutorials, visit the Gaming section on shattered.io.

Sources and further reading: the official Stunlock Studios dedicated server instructions on GitHub, the Update 1.1 developer blog post, Valve’s official SteamCMD documentation, the V Rising Steam store page, NSSM for running the server as a Windows service, and the community-maintained V Rising Docker image for Linux hosting.