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How to Set Up an Unturned Server with SteamCMD

A complete Windows and Linux guide to installing Unturned Dedicated Server with SteamCMD, launching LAN or Internet profiles, forwarding ports, configuring a GSLT, and adding Workshop content.

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You can host an Unturned Dedicated Server on Windows or Linux by installing SteamCMD, downloading app ID 1110390, launching a server profile with ServerHelper.bat or ServerHelper.sh, and then configuring its ports, listing token, rules, and Workshop content. macOS is not supported for Unturned server hosting.

For a private home network, start with +LanServer/YourServerID. To appear in the public Internet list, use +InternetServer/YourServerID, forward the server’s ports, and attach a valid Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT) created for Unturned app ID 304930.

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What you need before installing

The dedicated server runs on a separate Windows or Linux machine, or on the same computer where you play if that computer can remain online while others connect. The official documentation supports Windows and Linux and explicitly states that hosting on macOS is not supported.

  • SteamCMD: Valve’s command-line Steam client, installed separately from the normal Steam desktop application.
  • Dedicated Server app ID: 1110390. This is the ID SteamCMD downloads for the server files.
  • Player game app ID for a login token: 304930. Do not substitute this for the dedicated-server ID when downloading files.
  • A ServerID: a short profile name such as MyServer. It becomes the folder name for that server’s saves and configuration.
  • Network access: LAN hosting needs only local connectivity. Internet hosting normally requires router port forwarding and a valid GSLT.

Use a different ServerID for every independent server on the same installation. This keeps each world, configuration, and Workshop setup in its own directory and avoids accidentally editing the wrong instance.

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Install SteamCMD

Windows

  1. Download SteamCMD for Windows from Valve’s official distribution channel and extract it to a dedicated folder, for example a folder named SteamCMD.
  2. Run steamcmd.exe. The first launch creates SteamCMD’s working directories and updates the client itself.
  3. Keep the SteamCMD folder separate from the eventual server profile. A separate location makes updates and backups easier to understand.

The Windows server launcher will later live in the downloaded U3DS directory, not necessarily beside steamcmd.exe.

Linux

  1. Install SteamCMD using the package and architecture instructions for your Linux distribution.
  2. Start the client with steamcmd.sh.
  3. Choose a directory where the U3DS files and server saves can remain available to the account that will run the service.

Package names and installation paths vary by distribution, so follow the SteamCMD instructions for the specific Linux release instead of copying a command intended for another distribution.

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Why SteamCMD is the right tool

SteamCMD is the command-line version of the Steam Client. Smartly Dressed Games recommends it particularly when hosting multiple servers; its documentation notes that multiple servers cannot be run at once from the same computer without using SteamCMD. The same installation can therefore hold several ServerID profiles, each with its own launch arguments and settings.

Download the Unturned Dedicated Server

At the SteamCMD prompt, authenticate anonymously and install the dedicated-server app:

login anonymous
app_update 1110390
quit

SteamCMD places the files in steamapps/common/U3DS beneath its installation area. Open that U3DS directory before creating launch scripts or editing server profiles so that paths point to the actual installation.

Update an existing installation

Run the same app_update 1110390 command whenever you want to bring the server files up to date. To check the local files and repair missing or damaged files, append validate:

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Updating the application files does not change the meaning of your ServerID. Your saves and profile configuration remain under the corresponding U3DS/Servers/<ServerID> directory, so confirm the profile before making maintenance changes.

Create a server profile and launch it

In the U3DS directory, choose a ServerID. The examples below use MyServer; replace it with a distinct name for your world.

Windows launch scripts

Create a .bat file in the U3DS directory. Use the Internet form for a public server:

start "" "%~dp0 ServerHelper.bat" +InternetServer/MyServer

For a server restricted to the local network, use:

start "" "%~dp0 ServerHelper.bat" +LanServer/MyServer

The %~dp0 variable resolves to the directory containing the batch file, allowing the script to continue working when the U3DS folder is moved. Keep the space and quoting exactly as shown so Windows passes the launcher path correctly.

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Linux launch scripts

From the U3DS directory, run one of these commands:

./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer
./ServerHelper.sh +LanServer/MyServer

The Internet and LAN arguments select the discovery mode; the ServerID after the slash selects the profile. On Linux, make sure the account launching the script can execute it and write to the U3DS directory.

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Finish the first startup cleanly

The first launch creates the profile folders and initial files. Wait until the console reports Loading level: 100%. Then enter Shutdown (or shutdown) in the server console. A normal shutdown saves the newly created world and closes the process safely before you begin editing configuration.

After that first run, the profile’s files are under U3DS/Servers/MyServer. Replace MyServer with your chosen ServerID whenever you inspect another instance.

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Configure Commands.dat and Config.json

Unturned separates launch-style commands from game-rule settings. In the ServerID directory, put one command per line in Commands.dat. Common command entries include:

Setting Purpose Where to place it
Map Selects the map loaded by the server. Commands.dat
Port Chooses the server’s network port. Commands.dat
Name Sets the name shown to players. Commands.dat
Password Restricts entry with a password. Commands.dat
Perspective Controls the allowed camera perspective. Commands.dat
Cheats Controls the server’s cheat setting. Commands.dat

Each line is a separate command; do not combine several commands into one line. The server’s game-rule settings are stored in Config.json. Let the first startup generate the files, shut the server down, edit the relevant values, and launch it again to test the result.

Keep a copy of the entire Servers/<ServerID> folder before major changes. That folder contains the profile’s savedata and configuration, so restoring it is the practical way to recover from an incorrect map or rule edit.

Make a server reachable on the Internet

Select the Internet launch mode

A server started with +InternetServer/ServerID is intended for public discovery. A +LanServer/ServerID instance is for local-network play and is not the correct mode when you want strangers to find it in the Internet browser.

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Forward the required ports

Unturned uses the selected port for game traffic and the next port number for server-list queries. The Unturned 3 Knowledgebase recommends 27015 for a first server and 27017 for a second server. In your router, create forwarding rules from the external ports to the local IP address of the machine running U3DS. Also allow the same traffic through the host’s firewall.

Instance Recommended game port Query port Profile guidance
First server 27015 The next port after the selected game port Use a unique ServerID such as MyServer.
Second server 27017 The next port after the selected game port Use a different ServerID and a non-conflicting port.

The port value in Commands.dat, the router rule, and the host firewall rule must describe the same instance. If the server is behind more than one router, forwarding may be needed on each layer.

Create and apply a Steam Game Server Login Token

Public listing requires a valid GSLT. Create the token through Steam’s Game Server Login Token page using Unturned app ID 304930, which is the player game’s app ID rather than the dedicated-server download ID.

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Apply the resulting token in either of the supported ways:

  • Set the Login_Token property in the server’s Browser configuration.
  • Pass the token with the GSLT startup command.

Every Internet-listed server must use a valid token. Without one, the server remains hidden from the Internet server list even if the process is running and the router is configured.

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Add Workshop maps and other content

Workshop downloads are controlled by WorkshopDownloadConfig.json in the server profile. Put numeric Workshop file IDs in the File_IDs collection. For example, the Unturned 3 Knowledgebase shows the Hawaii item ID 1753134636:

{
  "File_IDs": [1753134636]
}

Use the numeric ID from the Workshop item, not its title or full web address. On startup, the server downloads the listed files and detects their dependencies. Players who connect then download the required content. Restart after changing this file so the server can process the new list.

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Workshop troubleshooting

  • If a map does not load, check that its ID is numeric and placed inside File_IDs in the profile belonging to the server you actually launch.
  • If players report missing assets, allow the startup process to complete its dependency updates before accepting connections.
  • If one server has the content and another does not, compare their ServerID folders; each profile has its own Workshop configuration.

Windows versus Linux

Area Windows Linux
SteamCMD installation Extract SteamCMD and run steamcmd.exe. Install it using your distribution’s instructions and run steamcmd.sh.
Server launcher ServerHelper.bat with +InternetServer/ID or +LanServer/ID. ./ServerHelper.sh with the same arguments.
Server files steamapps/common/U3DS, with profiles under U3DS/Servers/<ServerID>.
Automation Batch files are a straightforward way to start a profile. The shell script can be placed under the distribution’s service manager for automatic starts; the exact unit setup depends on the distribution.
Network work Configure Windows firewall and router forwarding for the selected ports. Configure the Linux firewall and router forwarding for the selected ports.
Administration fit Convenient if you prefer a graphical desktop and batch files. Well suited to a machine managed remotely through a shell and service tools.

Both platforms use the same dedicated-server app ID, Internet/LAN launch arguments, ServerID concept, configuration files, and GSLT requirement for public listing. The choice is mainly about which operating system you can maintain reliably.

Routine maintenance and safe operation

Updating without losing a world

Stop the server with the Shutdown command before updating. Run SteamCMD’s app_update 1110390, adding validate when you need a file check or repair, then start the same ServerID again. Because the world is stored in that profile’s directory, launching a different ID can make it appear that the save has disappeared when you have actually opened another profile.

Running more than one server

Give every instance its own ServerID and a non-conflicting port arrangement. Create one launch script per profile so the selected Internet or LAN mode is explicit. SteamCMD is the supported approach for operating multiple servers from one computer; avoid trying to make several instances share a single profile directory.

Backups

Back up U3DS/Servers/<ServerID> while the server is stopped. Include Commands.dat, Config.json, WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, and the savedata beneath that folder. A backup made after a clean shutdown captures the most recent saved state and gives you a rollback point before changing maps or rules.

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Troubleshooting by symptom

The process starts, but the server is not in the Internet list

  1. Confirm the launch argument is +InternetServer/ServerID, not the LAN variant.
  2. Verify that a valid GSLT created for app ID 304930 is assigned through Login_Token or the GSLT startup command.
  3. Check that the configured game port and its next query port are forwarded to the correct host and permitted by its firewall.
  4. Make sure the router forwards to the machine’s current local address, not an old address from a previous lease.

The server closes or behaves as if files are missing

Run SteamCMD again with app_update 1110390 validate. This verifies and repairs the U3DS installation. If the files are valid, check that the launch script points to the same U3DS directory where SteamCMD installed them.

The world or settings seem to have reset

Inspect the ServerID in the launch command and compare it with the folder under U3DS/Servers. A changed ServerID creates or opens a different profile. Return to the original ID to access its savedata and configuration.

A Workshop map or dependency is unavailable

Check WorkshopDownloadConfig.json for the correct numeric file ID, restart the server, and wait for its download and dependency detection to finish. Players need to complete their own content download when connecting.

Players on the same home network can connect, but outside players cannot

That pattern usually indicates a router or host-firewall problem rather than a map setting. Recheck forwarding for both the selected game port and the next query port, confirm the destination machine, and ensure the Internet launch mode and GSLT are configured if the goal is public listing.

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A reliable first-server checklist

  • Install SteamCMD on Windows or Linux; do not plan a macOS host.
  • Download app ID 1110390 with login anonymous.
  • Choose a unique ServerID and launch the Internet or LAN variant deliberately.
  • Wait for Loading level: 100%, then use Shutdown before editing files.
  • Set map, name, port, password, perspective, and cheats in Commands.dat; place game rules in Config.json.
  • For Internet hosting, forward the selected port and its next port, then configure a GSLT made with app ID 304930.
  • Add Workshop file IDs to WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and restart to process them.
  • Back up the complete ServerID folder before major updates or configuration changes.

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