Unturned Server Hosting

What is an Unturned dedicated server and what kinds of servers can you run?

Unturned Dedicated Server (U3DS) is the server version of the free-to-play survival game Unturned, running 24/7 independently of players. Because the game is free, finding players is easy, and RP, survival and PvP servers attract steady interest.

Common types of Unturned server:

• Vanilla survival: Classic survival gameplay on official maps (such as PEI, Washington and Russia). The type with the lowest resource needs.
• Workshop map servers: Servers enriched with large community-made maps and new item packs.
• Roleplay (RP): Busy community servers running jobs, economies, vehicle systems and many plugins.
• PvP and arena: Fast-paced combat servers with kit systems and custom rules.

No game licence is required on the server side; the U3DS files are downloaded for free with SteamCMD. Deciding what type of server you want determines the resources, plugin framework and admin workload you will need.

The free-to-play model keeps new players flowing in, but it also means competition is high. A stable, low-latency and well-managed server is the foundation for keeping players for the long term. A server hosted in Türkiye suits players connecting from Türkiye and the surrounding region, which makes a difference in PvP fights in particular.

How many resources does an Unturned server need?

Unturned is a lightweight game server: a vanilla server can run on 1–2 GB of memory, while an RP server with more than 48 players, a large Workshop map and dozens of plugins needs 4–6 GB. The values in the table are estimates and vary with the amount of content.

The main factors that determine resource needs:

• Map size: Large Workshop maps, especially those with many objects and vehicles, increase memory use and start-up time.
• Workshop content: Weapon, vehicle and item packs affect both memory and disk; every player downloads this content when connecting.
• Plugins: Economy, job and inventory plugins add processing and database load.
• Vehicle and structure count: Barricades, structures and vehicles that players accumulate over time increase the number of objects the server tracks.

Unturned’s low resource needs make it sensible to run several servers on a single VDS: for example a survival and an RP server, or a live server and a test server, on the same machine. In that case add up each server’s memory share and leave room for the operating system. NVMe storage loads maps and Workshop content quickly at start-up.

Game package or VDS for Unturned?

At LIONFIN you run an Unturned server on a VDS; this page shows VDS plans for the game. You can install the server yourself or open a support ticket from the customer panel after ordering the VDS and ask for the setup.

The advantages of a VDS for Unturned specifically:

• Multiple servers: Thanks to its light footprint, you can run several Unturned servers on different ports on the same VDS.
• Plugin freedom: Install plugin frameworks such as RocketMod or OpenMod and your paid plugins without limits.
• Database: Host the MySQL/MariaDB database used by economy and inventory plugins on the same server.
• Linux option: U3DS officially supports Linux, so you can set up a licence-free installation.

Root access lets you set up start scripts, scheduled restarts and backup jobs exactly as you want. A general comparison of a game package and a VDS is on the game server package vs VDS page; current plan values are shown in the plan table on this page.

How do you install an Unturned server?

The Unturned server is downloaded with SteamCMD from ID 1110390 using an anonymous login and started with Unturned.exe on Windows or the official ServerHelper.sh script on Linux. The official documentation recommends following the current instructions in the repository for Linux installations.

1. Download the files:

   steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/unturned/U3DS +login anonymous +app_update 1110390 validate +quit

2. Start the server with a server name; on first launch the Servers/ServerName/ folder structure is created:

   ./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/ServerName

3. Stop the server and edit Servers/ServerName/Server/Commands.dat.
4. Add the GSLT to the configuration file and open the ports.
5. Start the server inside screen, tmux or a systemd service.

The +InternetServer parameter starts the server open to the internet, while +LanServer limits it to the local network. If you run several servers, give each a different server name and port; each uses its own folder under Servers.

What is a GSLT and why is it required?

A GSLT (Game Server Login Token) is a free key that links game servers to a Steam account, and according to the official documentation it is mandatory for internet-facing Unturned servers. The token also keeps your server’s Server Code from changing on every start.

To get a GSLT:

1. Log in to Steam’s game server account management page with your Steam account.
2. Enter the game’s client app ID (304930) and add a description.
3. Write the generated token into the server’s configuration file as described in the official documentation.

Use a separate token for each server; using the same token on more than one server causes connection problems. Steam requires the account to meet certain conditions (for example not being a limited account) to create tokens. Do not share the token publicly: a misused token can be revoked and your server drops from the list.

If a token is banned for abuse, all servers tied to that account can be affected. That is why it matters to keep content that breaks Steam’s rules off your server and to take measures against cheating.

What can you configure in Commands.dat?

An Unturned server’s core settings are kept in Servers/ServerName/Server/Commands.dat, one command per line. The server reads this file on every start.

Name LIONFIN Survival EU
Map PEI
MaxPlayers 24
Perspective Both
Port 27015
Owner 7656119XXXXXXXXXX
Password
PvE
Cheats

What the commands mean:

• Name: The name shown in the server list.
• Map: The map to load; the map name if you use a Workshop map.
• MaxPlayers: Maximum number of players.
• Perspective: Camera option (First, Third, Both, Vehicle).
• Owner: The server owner’s steamID64; grants admin rights.
• Password: Password to join the server.
• PvE: Disables player-versus-player combat; remove this line on a PvP server.
• Cheats: Enables cheat commands for admins.

Detailed gameplay settings (item spawn rates, zombie behaviour, structure durability and so on) are in the configuration file in the server folder. Make changes while the server is stopped and copy the file before each edit.

Stating your community’s language and type in the server name (for example “EN RP” or “EN Survival PvE”) attracts the right players in the server list. Choose MaxPlayers based on your real capacity: a smaller server that looks full is more attractive to newcomers than a large one that looks empty. You can raise the value step by step as the server grows.

How do you add Workshop maps and mods?

To add Workshop content to an Unturned server, write the items’ Workshop file IDs into the File_IDs list of WorkshopDownloadConfig.json in the server folder. The server downloads and updates this content at start-up, and players download any missing content automatically when connecting.

{
  "File_IDs": [
    1234567890,
    2345678901
  ]
}

To use a Workshop map, add its ID to this list and write the map name in the Map command in Commands.dat. The map name is usually given on the Workshop page.

Things to watch:

• Content size: A very large content list makes new players wait a long time when connecting. Keep only what you actually use.
• Compatibility: Two packs using the same item IDs can clash. Check the server log when adding a new pack.
• Updates: When a Workshop publisher updates content, restarting the server keeps versions in sync with players.

Switching Workshop maps is effectively a fresh start, because existing structures and player positions belong to the old map. Plan a map change as a season transition, announce it to your community in advance and back up the old map’s server folder so you can go back if needed. Trying new content packs on a test server on the same VDS first prevents unexpected clashes on the live server.

RocketMod or OpenMod? How do you choose a plugin framework?

In Unturned, server plugins run on a framework that is not part of the game itself; the two options widely used by the community are RocketMod and OpenMod. Features such as kits, economy, teleporting, administration and job systems are added through these frameworks.

• RocketMod: A framework in use for many years with a large number of old and new plugins. The plugin ecosystem is wide, but you need to check each plugin’s maintenance status individually.
• OpenMod: A framework with a more modern architecture and tidier plugin and dependency management. It offers a compatibility layer that can run RocketMod plugins to a certain extent.

Whichever framework you choose, download plugins only from sources you trust. “Free” copies of paid plugins may contain malicious code that gives unauthorised access to your server.

Economy and inventory plugins usually use a MySQL/MariaDB database. On a VDS you can run the database on the same machine and improve security by allowing only local connections. Monitor the server’s memory and CPU use as you add plugins; a poorly written plugin can slow the server down regardless of hardware.

Which ports need to be open, and what is Fake IP?

An Unturned server uses the Port value in Commands.dat plus the next port up; for a server on the default 27015, UDP ports 27015 and 27016 must be open.

sudo ufw allow 27015:27016/udp

The official documentation also mentions Fake IP as an alternative to port forwarding for internet-facing servers. With this method, connections are relayed through Steam’s network infrastructure, which is handy where you cannot open the server’s ports directly. On a VDS, however, you have a public IPv4 address and full control of the firewall, so opening ports directly is usually the simpler and more predictable solution.

If you run a second server on the same VDS, offset the Port value by at least two (for example 27025) and open both of its ports as well.

How do you back up an Unturned server?

Everything that needs backing up on an Unturned server is in the Servers/ServerName/ folder: player data, structures and vehicles on the map, configuration files and plugin data. If plugins use a database, its dump must also be part of the backup.

• Server folder: Archive the server directory, including the Players, Level and Server subfolders, every day.
• Plugin data: Include the configuration and data files in the RocketMod or OpenMod folders.
• Database: Dump the economy and inventory databases with mysqldump.
• Off-site copy: Move the archives to another server or storage.

The Unturned world is saved when the server shuts down; a copy taken from a running server may not contain the latest changes. Taking the backup right after a scheduled restart is an easy way to get a consistent copy. The same logic applies when migrating from another provider: stop the old server, take the server folder and database dump, do a clean U3DS install on the new VDS, copy the files to the same paths and start the server with the same name. You can reuse the GSLT on the new server, but do not run two servers with the same token before shutting down the old one.

How is an Unturned server protected against DDoS and cheating?

In a free-to-play game like Unturned, both DDoS attacks and cheating attempts are common; protection comes from network-level DDoS filtering used together with in-server admin tools. On LIONFIN infrastructure the RouteFence firewall filters at the network level and traffic is monitored 24/7 by our NOC and SOC teams; see our data center for more.

• Anti-cheat: Unturned supports the BattlEye anti-cheat system; keeping it enabled on public servers is recommended.
• Admin rights: Define only your own SteamID with the Owner command and give other admins limited rights through a plugin.
• Ports: Open only the game ports; keep the database port closed to the outside.
• SSH: Log in with a key instead of a password and block brute-force attempts, for example with Fail2ban.

In a free game, a banned player can easily return with a new account. So rather than relying on bans alone, combine plugins that limit what new players can do in their first minutes, admin tools that keep logs and an active moderator team. Collecting cheating reports through your community channel and reviewing them regularly builds players’ trust and protects your server’s reputation.

What are the most common Unturned server errors?

Most Unturned server problems relate to the GSLT, ports or Workshop content.

If you cannot solve a problem, open a support ticket from the customer panel.