Set up a Valheim dedicated server

Valheim is a Norse-inspired survival game supporting co-op multiplayer. You can host your own persistent server on Linux so you and friends can explore and build together anytime.

Prerequisites

• A Linux VPS (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later recommended)
• SteamCMD installed (see Install SteamCMD on Linux for setup)
• At least 10 GB of free disk space
• Port 2456–2458 (UDP) open in your firewall/security group

Step 1: Download Valheim server files

Log in as the steam user and download the server binaries. Valheim server's app ID is 896660:

su - steam
cd ~/steamcmd
./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit

Wait for the download to complete (around 800 MB). You'll see "Success!" when finished.

Step 2: Verify the installation

Check that the server files are in place:

ls -la ~/Steam/steamapps/common/Valheim_dedicated_server/

You should see valheim_server.x86_64 executable and supporting files.

Step 3: Create a startup script

Valheim server is controlled via environment variables and command-line options. Create a script:

nano ~/valheim_start.sh

Paste the following, replacing your_server_name and your_password:

#!/bin/bash
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/Steam/steamapps/common/Valheim_dedicated_server/linux64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
cd ~/Steam/steamapps/common/Valheim_dedicated_server

./valheim_server.x86_64 \
  -name "your_server_name" \
  -port 2456 \
  -world "MyWorld" \
  -password "your_password" \
  -crossplay

Make it executable:

chmod +x ~/valheim_start.sh

Step 4: Open firewall ports

Open the required ports from your main user account:

sudo ufw allow 2456:2458/udp
sudo ufw reload

For cloud providers (AWS, Azure, etc.), add inbound UDP rules for ports 2456–2458 from 0.0.0.0/0.

Step 5: Start the server

From the steam user account, run the startup script:

su - steam
~/valheim_start.sh

You should see output like:
CODE7

Step 6: Connect from the game client

On your personal PC:
1. Launch Valheim
2. Click Start Game
3. Select Join Game
4. Select Community (or Friends, if your friend is on your friend list)
5. Enter your server IP (your-server-ip:2456) in the address box, and the password you set

Running the server in the background

Use screen to keep it running after you disconnect:

su - steam
screen -S valheim-server
~/valheim_start.sh

Detach with Ctrl+A, then D. Reattach with screen -r valheim-server.

For automatic restart on server reboot, add to the steam user's crontab (crontab -e):

@reboot sleep 30 && cd /home/steam && /home/steam/valheim_start.sh >> /home/steam/valheim.log 2>&1 &

Step 7: Manage and update the server

### View server logs
CODE10

### Update the server
CODE11

Stop the server, update, then restart it.

Tips and Notes

• Save data: The server stores world data at ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds/. Back this up regularly.
• Server name: Keep it under 32 characters to avoid display issues in the game's server list.
• Player limit: Valheim servers support up to 10 players by default. Performance degrades significantly beyond that.
• Crossplay: The -crossplay flag allows both PC and console players to join (when on supported platforms).
• Performance: A typical co-op server uses 500 MB–1 GB RAM. Monitor CPU usage; heavily developed worlds consume more resources.
• Persistence: The world persists even when no players are logged in—progress is saved to disk continuously.