The reliable 2026 setup is: install the dedicated-server app with SteamCMD (app ID 2465200), launch it once, edit the generated dedicatedserver.cfg JSON, allow the configured UDP ports through your firewall and router, then test from outside your home network before inviting anyone. Keep SaveMode set to Continue for a persistent world.
You can run the server on a machine your group controls or rent managed hosting. Self-hosting costs no separate game-server subscription but leaves you responsible for the machine, updates, port forwarding, firewall rules and backups. Managed hosting can provide the environment and network controls, but you must verify its current region, latency, price, controls, save-recovery process and cancellation terms.
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Choose self-hosting or managed hosting first
Your choice determines who handles every task after the initial install. Decide before configuring ports so you know whether you can change router and operating-system firewall rules yourself.
Self-hosting on your own machine
With self-hosting, the server software runs on a computer you or a friend administers. Your group is responsible for installing and updating the dedicated server, keeping the machine available, forwarding ports on the home router, allowing traffic through the operating-system firewall, protecting the owner account, and making recoverable save backups. This option gives you direct access to the files and settings and avoids dependence on a provider’s control panel.
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Renting managed hosting
A managed game-server service supplies the server environment and normally exposes configuration and firewall controls through its panel. It can be useful when nobody in the group can leave a computer online, configure a router, or troubleshoot Windows services. The provider’s implementation may differ from the SteamCMD procedure below, so follow its current instructions for installation, ports, updates and backups.
If you want managed hosting, Godlike.Host offers Sons of the Forest plans. Its Sons of the Forest plans list 4, 12 and 20 slots; the server’s MaxPlayers setting allows 1 to 8 players (Steam Community server guide, 11 Oct 2026).
Questions to answer before paying a provider
- Which geographic regions are available, and where will the server run relative to your players?
- Does the plan expose all three UDP services required by your active configuration?
- Can you download saves, schedule backups and restore a specific backup?
- Which settings can you edit, and can you change the player limit, password and save slot?
- What are the current recurring price, renewal terms, cancellation process and data-retention period?
Provider offers and game support change frequently. Treat any advertised plan as a starting point and confirm those details directly before purchasing; no single provider is required for the procedure in this guide.
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For the SteamCMD route, use a Windows account that can create the installation directory and allow the server through the firewall. The documented command uses steamcmd.exe and a Windows path. The official configuration guide does not publish a current minimum CPU, memory or disk specification, so do not rely on old forum hardware figures as guaranteed requirements. Instead, leave enough capacity for the operating system, the server files and your world saves, and monitor the machine while your group plays.
- Choose a permanent folder, such as
c:/sons-dedicated/, rather than a temporary download directory. - Make sure the host can remain online for the sessions when friends need to connect.
- Have administrator access to the operating-system firewall and, for home hosting, the router that receives your internet connection.
- Decide the server name, maximum player count, password, save slot and game mode before editing the file.
- If you are migrating an existing world, identify the correct save slot and make a backup before changing its settings.
How do I install the dedicated server?
The Steam Community Dedicated Server Configuration Guide lists app ID 2465200. SteamCMD’s anonymous login can download and validate the files without using a personal Steam account.
- Download and unpack SteamCMD on the host machine using the current Steam distribution instructions.
- Open a command prompt in the folder containing
steamcmd.exe. - Run the documented Windows command:
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "c:/sons-dedicated/" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quit+force_install_dir selects the destination, +login anonymous uses the dedicated-server download account, +app_update 2465200 installs or updates the app, and validate checks the downloaded files before SteamCMD exits. Keep the path consistent; later launch and backup work are easier when the server has one permanent location.
There is another documented route: install the dedicated-server tool from the Steam client’s Library section with the Tools filter. If you use that route, use the launcher and file locations created by Steam rather than mixing them with a separate SteamCMD directory. A duplicate installation can leave you editing one copy while launching another.
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Run it once so the files and self-test are created
Do not edit a configuration file before the first successful launch. Starting the server creates the default configuration and can create the owner file that controls server ownership.
- Open the installation directory and run
StartSOTFDedicated.bat. When the server was installed through the Steam client, use the Steam launcher entry instead. - Leave the console open while initialization runs. The first startup performs a self-test of the configuration and network accessibility.
- Read the console output or log if the test reports a failure. The test includes a reason, which is more useful than guessing at firewall settings.
- Stop the process cleanly after the initial files appear, then edit the generated configuration before starting the server for your group.
The self-test is also useful after a network change. If you move the server, change ports or alter firewall rules, start it and read the new result before sending invitations.
Where do I find the configuration files?
Look in the server’s configurations folder under the installation created by SteamCMD or Steam. The active file is dedicatedserver.cfg. It is JSON, not the older key-value style often shown in obsolete Server.cfg recipes.
Open the generated file in a text editor that preserves plain text. Keep double quotes around string values, commas between properties, and matching braces. A missing comma, an extra comma or an unquoted string can make the self-test fail. Edit the existing document instead of replacing it with a short file, because the generated document contains additional settings the server expects.
This is an illustrative subset, not a complete replacement file:
{
"GamePort": 8766,
"QueryPort": 27016,
"BlobSyncPort": 9700,
"ServerName": "Forest group server",
"MaxPlayers": 8,
"Password": "choose-a-private-password",
"SaveMode": "Continue"
}Use the exact capitalization and data types already present in your generated file. Numbers such as ports and player limits should remain numbers; names and passwords should remain quoted strings. Save a copy of the original before editing so you can restore it if the server will not start.
Set the name, capacity and privacy
ServerName is the name players see. MaxPlayers accepts values from 1 through 8, and the guide shows 8 as the default. Set a lower value if your group wants a private capacity limit. Use Password when entry should be restricted to people who know the secret, and share it through a private channel rather than posting it publicly.
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Understand ownership and the owner file
The first launch can generate an owner file alongside the server’s configuration data. Use that file for server ownership rather than assuming that a player who knows the password has administrative authority. Keep the owner information private and include it in your backup plan; losing it can make administration harder even when the world save still exists.
Choose the save slot and SaveMode carefully
The selected SaveSlot determines which world the server opens. For a continuing world, set SaveMode to Continue. In that mode the server loads the selected existing save, or creates it when the slot is empty.
The documented new mode has a different consequence: it creates a new game and overwrites the slot’s previous game at restart while new remains selected. Confirm the slot and mode before every first run of a migrated or valuable world. A mistaken mode can destroy the previous slot rather than merely creating a temporary session.
Leave unrelated settings intact
The generated document includes fields such as IpAddress, GameMode and other options. Change only settings you understand, preserve valid JSON, and keep a dated copy of each working version. If you need a setting not described by the current guide, check the server’s own generated file and current documentation instead of importing syntax from an old tutorial.
How do I make the server available to the internet?
For the default internet-accessible configuration, create matching UDP rules for the game, query and blob-synchronization services. The documented defaults are:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Service | UDP port | Where the rule must exist |
|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | 8766 |
Operating-system firewall and, for home hosting, router port forwarding |
| Server query | 27016 |
Operating-system firewall and, for home hosting, router port forwarding |
| Blob synchronization | 9700 |
Operating-system firewall and, for home hosting, router port forwarding |
These are defaults, not independent magic values. If you change GamePort, QueryPort or BlobSyncPort in dedicatedserver.cfg, change every corresponding firewall, router and hosting-panel rule to the same active value.
Allow the ports in the operating-system firewall
- Create inbound UDP rules for each active port.
- Scope the rules to the server application or host profile when your firewall supports that choice.
- Apply the rules to the network profile used by the host and confirm that no broader deny rule overrides them.
- Restart the dedicated server after changing rules, then check the startup self-test again.
Forward ports on a home router
Give the host a stable local address, then forward each active UDP port from the router to that machine’s local address. Router interfaces use different labels, but the required information is the same: external UDP port, internal UDP port and destination host. A forwarding rule aimed at the wrong computer can look correct while leaving the actual server unreachable.
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Do not forward only the game port. The query and blob-synchronization services are part of the documented internet setup, so all active services need matching rules. If your internet service uses carrier-grade NAT or blocks inbound traffic, router rules alone may not be sufficient; ask the provider whether inbound forwarding is available or use managed hosting instead.
Configure a hosted firewall
On a rented server, add the same UDP rules in the provider’s firewall or security panel. Some services expose these controls automatically; others require a support request. Confirm that the panel’s ports match the values in your JSON file before testing.
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Test access before inviting the group
A successful connection from the host itself proves very little because local traffic can bypass the router’s public path. Test from a network that is not the host’s LAN.
- Start the server with the edited JSON and wait for initialization to finish.
- Read the self-test result and correct any reported configuration or accessibility issue first.
- Use a friend on another internet connection, or temporarily connect a test device through a mobile hotspot, to attempt entry.
- Use the server name, address and password exactly as configured. Confirm that the tester can see the server and complete a join, not merely discover a listing.
- Stop the test server and inspect the logs if the external attempt fails; note which stage failed before changing one setting at a time.
Only after an outside-network join succeeds should you distribute the address and password to the rest of the group. Keep a short record of the working port values and configuration backup so a later update can be compared against a known-good state.
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Use a predictable start and stop routine
Start the server before players launch the game and wait for the console to finish loading. When ending a session, use the server’s normal shutdown path and allow saves to complete before closing the window or powering off the host. Abrupt termination can leave the latest progress unsaved even when the configuration is correct.
Back up the world and configuration
Self-hosters should schedule backups of the save data, dedicatedserver.cfg and owner file. Stop the server before copying live save files, keep at least one backup on a different drive or machine, and label copies with the date and slot. Periodically restore a copy to a separate test location so you know the backup is usable rather than merely present.
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A managed provider may offer snapshots, but availability, retention and download access differ by plan. Confirm that you can retrieve a complete save before relying on the service as your only recovery path.
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Apply updates deliberately
For a SteamCMD installation, repeat the same update command when you want to check for a newer server build:
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "c:/sons-dedicated/" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quitStop the running server first, update the files, then start it and read the self-test. Keep the previous configuration and a recent save backup until the updated build has loaded the world successfully. If you installed through Steam’s Tools section, update from that installation’s launcher instead of updating a separate SteamCMD copy.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The server does not start after editing the file
- Restore the last known-good copy and start again.
- Check that the file is named
dedicatedserver.cfg, saved as plain text and still valid JSON. - Look for missing commas, mismatched braces, unquoted strings and accidental smart quotes.
- Confirm that numeric fields such as ports and
MaxPlayerscontain numbers and that string fields remain quoted. - Read the console or log for the self-test’s specific failure reason instead of changing several settings at once.
Players on the internet cannot see or join it
- Confirm that the server is running and completed its startup test.
- Compare every active port in
dedicatedserver.cfgwith the operating-system firewall, router forwarding and any hosting firewall. - Verify that forwarding points to the current local address of the host.
- Test from outside the host’s LAN; a local successful join does not validate public routing.
- Check whether the internet connection uses carrier-grade NAT or another inbound restriction.
The server appears locally but not externally
This pattern usually indicates a public-path problem rather than a game-world setting. Recheck the router destination, all three UDP rules and the external test network. If the router cannot receive inbound connections, move the server to a network or managed host that provides the required controls.
The wrong world loads or progress disappears
Check SaveSlot and SaveMode before starting again. Continue loads the selected existing world or creates it when empty; leaving new selected can overwrite that slot on later restarts. Restore a backup if the intended slot was replaced.
Players are rejected despite the server being reachable
Verify the password exactly, confirm that MaxPlayers has not been reached, and make sure the joining players are using the current server address and name. Keep ownership data private and do not distribute administrative files with the connection details.
Quick pre-invite checklist
- SteamCMD installed app ID
2465200into the intended permanent folder. - First launch completed with
StartSOTFDedicated.bator the Steam launcher. dedicatedserver.cfgis valid JSON and contains the intended name, password, player limit and slot.SaveModeisContinuefor an existing or persistent world.- All active UDP ports have matching operating-system, router or hosting-firewall rules.
- The owner file and a dated configuration backup are stored securely.
- An external tester completed a real join before invitations were sent.
- A backup and update routine is documented for the people who will administer the server.
What to verify when the 2026 instructions change
Dedicated-server launchers, configuration keys and hosting panels can change independently of the game client. The Steam Community Dedicated Server Configuration Guide used for this procedure was updated on January 15, 2025, and its current labels should take precedence over older posts that mention Server.cfg or a different launch file. Recheck the guide and your provider’s documentation whenever a server update changes the startup output, generated files or self-test behavior.
If you can install, launch, configure the JSON file, open the three matching UDP services and complete an outside-network test, you have a maintainable persistent server. The remaining choice is operational: keep responsibility for the machine and backups, or pay for a managed environment whose current controls and recovery terms you have verified.
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