How to Make Your V Rising Server Private

For a friends-only V Rising dedicated server, set a non-empty Password in ServerHostSettings.json. To keep the server out of public discovery, also set ListOnSteam and ListOnEOS to false. If you still use EOS listing and want the server’s address concealed, set HideIPAddress to true; this routes clients through relay servers but does not replace a password.

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A short co-op session can instead use V Rising’s private game mode in the client. That requires no dedicated-server files, but the session is available only while the host is running the game. The instructions below cover both choices, firewall requirements, administration, migration and backups.

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Choose the privacy model that fits your group

Use the client’s private-game option when you want to play immediately with a small group and do not need the world to run without the host. Use a dedicated server when the world should remain available, several people will administer it, or you need explicit password, ban and backup controls.

Set up a private dedicated server

1. Install the official dedicated-server tool

1. Open Steam and go to Library > Tools.
2. Install or launch V Rising Dedicated Server.
3. Steam’s launch entry opens Stunlock Studios’ instructions. The server itself is started by running VRisingServer.exe from the installation directory.

Run the executable once so the server creates its folders and configuration files. Stop it before editing settings. Starting the process directly from its installation directory also makes it easier to identify which executable must be allowed through the firewall.

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2. Edit the persistent settings, not the shipped defaults

V Rising uses two important JSON files: ServerHostSettings.json for hosting, listing and connection behavior, and ServerGameSettings.json for world and gameplay options. On Windows, the default local override directory is:

%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingServerSettings

Make your changes in that persistent settings location. Editing an example file inside the installation directory can be overwritten by an update or ignored when the server starts with a different data path.

3. Add a strong password

Open ServerHostSettings.json and set Password to a long, unique value. Stunlock Studios documents the setting as “Set a password or leave empty”; an empty value leaves the server without password protection. The same setting can also be supplied with the -password launch option.

{
  "Password": "Raven-Quartz-84!Moss"
}

The value above is only an example; create your own passphrase and share it through a private channel. Do not reuse an account password. A password controls admission, not whether the server is visible in a browser.

4. Decide whether the server should appear in lists

In the same file, set the listing switches according to your goal:

{
  "ListOnSteam": false,
  "ListOnEOS": false
}

• Set ListOnSteam to false to prevent registration on the Steam server list.
• Set ListOnEOS to false to prevent registration on the EOS list.
• Leave a listing switch enabled only when you want friends to find the entry through that service.

Unlisting does not make the process unreachable. Players who know the server’s connection details can still connect if the port is reachable and they have the password. A newly launched server may take a few minutes to appear when listing is enabled, so an immediate absence is not necessarily a configuration failure.

5. Conceal the advertised IP when using EOS listing

If you want an EOS-listed entry but do not want clients to receive the server’s public address directly, add:

{
  "HideIPAddress": true
}

Stunlock Studios states that this setting forces clients to connect through relay servers. It reduces direct IP exposure in EOS connections; it is not authentication, does not make an unlisted server private by itself, and does not substitute for Password. If EOS listing is disabled, there is no EOS listing address to conceal.

6. Allow the server through the firewall

1. When Windows prompts about network access for VRisingServer.exe, allow it on the network profiles appropriate for your home or hosting network.
2. If no prompt appears, create an inbound firewall rule for the executable or for the configured game port.
3. Keep the rule limited to the networks and ports you actually use; do not disable the firewall to solve a connection problem.

Players connecting directly need the configured game port reachable from the internet. For a server that is intended to appear in a server list, the official instructions call for forwarding both the game port and the query port. For direct connections, forwarding the game port is sufficient. The documentation uses 27015 as an example game port and 27016 as an example query port; these are examples, not universal values. Use the ports in your generated configuration and forward those exact numbers to the computer running the server.

7. Share only the details invited players need

Give players the server name or direct address, the configured port when a direct connection requires it, and the password. Keep the password separate from a public post. If you disabled both listing switches, private distribution of the address is the practical way for players to find the server.

Run a private game without a dedicated server

For a short session, start V Rising’s private game mode from the game client and configure the session in its in-game interface. This avoids installing or maintaining VRisingServer.exe and avoids editing JSON files. The trade-off is availability: the session exists while the host is running it, so other players cannot use the world when the host is offline.

This mode is appropriate when:

• Everyone will play at the same time.
• You do not need a persistent process running on a separate machine.
• You want the host to manage access directly from the client.

Move to a dedicated server if the group expects to play asynchronously, wants a world available while the original host is away, or needs console administration and ban files.

Understand what each privacy control does

Administer players, kicks and bans

Create the administrator list

In the server’s persistent data directory, open the Settings folder and create or edit adminlist.txt. Put one Steam ID on each line. Only the listed IDs should be given administrative access.

Authenticate and use the console

1. Enable the in-game console in the game’s options.
2. Open it with the ~ key while connected to the server.
3. Run adminauth to authenticate as an administrator.
4. Use the documented commands as needed: banuser, bancharacter, banned, unban and kick.

V Rising stores bans in banlist.txt. Keep the admin list and ban list inside the server’s persistent data location so an update or a new installation does not silently discard them.

Move an existing private world to the dedicated server

Migration is safest when the client save is copied before the dedicated server is configured to use it. Make a complete backup of the client save folder first and keep the original untouched until the dedicated server has loaded successfully.

Locate the client save

Stunlock Studios documents client saves in one of these Windows locations:

%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingCloudSavesSteamID
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowStunlock StudiosVRisingSaves

The first path contains a directory named for the relevant Steam ID. Use the local Saves path instead when that is where the world was created.

Copy and select the world

1. Stop both the game client and the dedicated server.
2. Copy the complete world folder into the dedicated server’s Saves directory.
3. Start the server with the -saveName option set to the copied world’s name.
4. Check that the server is not applying conflicting overrides from ServerGameSettings.json.
5. Connect once, verify the map, characters and settings, then make another backup of the working dedicated-server save.

Do not delete the original client save during testing. A mismatched save name or conflicting game-settings override can make the server appear to start normally while loading a different world or applying unexpected rules.

Back up before updates and configuration changes

Make frequent copies of the server’s save data. Stunlock Studios specifically recommends backing up saves before patching and before starting the server after a patch. Keep at least one backup outside the live server directory so an update or accidental deletion cannot affect every copy.

If you customize start_server_example.bat, rename the file after editing it. Stunlock Studios warns that updates can revert changes made to that example filename. A renamed copy preserves your launch options, including a password option or a custom save selection, while the installation updates around it.

Troubleshoot the most common privacy and connection problems

The server is visible, but strangers can attempt to join

Visibility and authentication are separate. Confirm that Password is non-empty and that players are using the current value. If you do not need public discovery, disable both listing switches and distribute the address privately.

The server does not appear in a list

First verify which service you expect to use and that its corresponding listing switch is enabled. Allow a few minutes after launch for registration. If listing still fails, check that the query port is forwarded in addition to the game port, because list visibility requires both according to the official instructions. Direct connection can bypass list discovery when the game port is reachable.

Direct connections time out

1. Confirm that VRisingServer.exe is running and loaded the intended save.
2. Check the Windows firewall rule for the executable or configured game port.
3. Forward the configured game port from the router to the server computer’s local address.
4. Ensure the player is using the same port shown in the server configuration; do not assume the example 27015 value applies to your installation.
5. Check for a second router or carrier-grade NAT that prevents inbound forwarding.

Players are concerned about IP exposure

For EOS-listed connections, set HideIPAddress to true so clients use relay servers. If you do not need a listing at all, disable EOS and Steam registration and share the connection details only with invited players. Neither choice removes the need for a password and sensible firewall rules.

Settings disappear after an update

Move edits out of shipped defaults and into the persistent settings directory. Keep a copy of your JSON files and rename any edited batch file so an update does not restore the original example.

The migrated world loads incorrectly

Stop the server, verify that the copied folder is inside the dedicated server’s Saves directory, and check the exact value passed to -saveName. Remove or correct conflicting ServerGameSettings.json overrides, then restore the last known-good backup if the world remains inconsistent.

When managed hosting is worth considering

A managed host can be useful when you do not want to maintain a Windows machine, configure router forwarding, monitor uptime or perform backups yourself. It does not eliminate the need to choose a password policy, control listing visibility and protect administrator credentials. Before moving a world, confirm that the service supports importing the existing save, selecting a save name and exporting backups. For a self-hosted friends-only server, the dedicated tool, persistent settings and a carefully configured firewall are usually enough.

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Private-server checklist

• Choose client private mode for a temporary session or a dedicated server for an independently running world.
• Store dedicated-server changes in the persistent Settings directory.
• Use a unique non-empty password and share it only with invited players.
• Disable Steam and EOS listing when you want an unlisted server.
• Use EOS relay address concealment when you need EOS listing without direct IP advertisement.
• Allow the executable through the firewall and forward the correct ports for the connection method.
• Protect adminlist.txt, authenticate with adminauth, and review banlist.txt when moderating.
• Back up saves before updates and before migrating an existing world.

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Dedicated Serverserver administrationserver privacySteamV Rising