How to Make an Unturned Server, Step by Step

Downloading the server files with SteamCMD

The Unturned server's Steam app ID is 1110390. Once SteamCMD is installed, download the files with:

On Linux:

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

On Windows:

steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\unturned\server +login anonymous +app_update 1110390 validate +quit

+force_install_dir must come before +login. Run the same command whenever Unturned updates to keep your server current.

Creating a GSLT

Steam only lists servers that identify themselves with a Game Server Login Token (GSLT) in the internet server list.

1. Sign in to Steam's Game Server Account Management page with your Steam account.
2. Enter Unturned's game ID, 304930, as the app ID and add a memo (for example "My Unturned RP server").
3. Copy the token; you'll add it to Commands.dat in a moment.

Use a separate GSLT for each server and don't share it.

Starting the server for the first time

Unturned keeps each server in its own folder under Servers. The name you give when starting the server becomes the folder name.

On Windows, create a start.bat file in the server folder:

Unturned.exe -nographics -batchmode +InternetServer/MyServer

On Linux, start it with the helper script in the server folder:

./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer

The first start creates the Servers/MyServer folder and its config files. Start the server once, stop it with the shutdown command and move on to the settings.

Settings in Commands.dat and Config.json

An Unturned server's settings live in two files.

Servers/MyServer/Server/Commands.dat defines the server's identity. Each line is a command:

Name Your Server Name
Map PEI
MaxPlayers 24
Perspective Both
Mode Normal
PvE false
Welcome Welcome to our server!
Owner 76561198000000000
GSLT your-token

• Name: the name in the server list.
• Map: an official map or one you've added from the Workshop.
• MaxPlayers: the player limit.
• Perspective: First, Third, Both or Vehicle. First gives a PvP server its own character.
• Mode: Easy, Normal or Hard.
• Owner: your 17-digit SteamID64. You get admin rights when you join.
• Password: if you want to password-protect the server.

Config.json holds the game rules: item and vehicle spawn rates, zombie numbers and damage, structure decay and whether players drop items on death. Settings are defined per difficulty, so edit the section for the difficulty you set in Mode.

Use Loadout in Commands.dat to decide what new players spawn with, and Cycle to set how many seconds a day lasts. Longer days on RP servers give players time to finish their scenes before night.

Adding Workshop mods and maps

You don't need to upload mod files one by one:

1. Open the mod's Steam Workshop page. The id= value in the URL is the mod's ID.
2. Add the IDs to the File_IDs list in Servers/MyServer/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json.
3. Restart the server. It downloads the mods itself on startup, and players download them automatically when they connect.

If you've added a map mod, write the map's name on the Map line in Commands.dat. Lots of mods make the first connection slower; removing unused ones cuts both RAM use and download time.

Plugins with RocketMod or OpenMod

To add an economy, kits, teleports, region protection or jobs, you use a plugin framework:

• RocketMod: The classic framework with the most plugins. A maintained version ships with Unturned in the Extras folder; copy it into Modules to enable it. Popular plugins like Uconomy, Kits and Zaup Shop are made for RocketMod.
• OpenMod: A more modern, .NET-based framework. You install plugins as NuGet packages with a command, and its compatibility layer runs most RocketMod plugins too.

To get going quickly with ready-made plugins, pick RocketMod. If you'll write your own plugins or build a long-term RP server, OpenMod is the more flexible choice.

Ports and connecting

The Unturned server uses port 27015 and the next port, 27016, by default. Open both in your firewall. With ufw on Linux:

sudo ufw allow 27015:27016/udp

Players find the server by name in the in-game internet server list or connect directly by IP. If you host at home, forward both ports on your router to your computer too.

Game servers are frequent attack targets, and hosting from home exposes your IP address to players. Our guide What is a DDoS attack? explains why protection in front of your server matters.

Running an RP or PvP server

Unturned RP servers are usually built around a Workshop city map, job and salary systems, an economy plugin and vehicle mods. You separate roles like police, medics and gangs with permissions and take player applications on Discord. Mod counts grow quickly on these servers, so 8 GB or more gives you a comfortable start.

On PvP servers, smoothness comes first: smaller maps, kit and region protection plugins and frequent spawn points. Back up the Servers folder before any big mod change; player inventories and structures live there.

Renting an Unturned server

Nodesty's Unturned server hosting runs in Frankfurt on the Ryzen 9 9950X, which boosts to 5.7 GHz, with NVMe storage and L3–L7 DDoS protection. Choose Unturned during installation and the server files come preinstalled, leaving you only the settings. For other games, see our guides on how to make a Rust server and how to make a Minecraft server.