Squad Server Requirements: RAM, CPU and Hosting Explained (2026)

For a licensed Squad dedicated server, Offworld Industries requires at least 8 GB of RAM per server, with 4 GB of additional RAM for each additional game instance, and recommends memory running at 3000 MHz or faster. Its current policy also identifies tested Intel, AMD and Epyc processors, prohibits virtual machines, VPS and VDS arrangements for licensed servers, and requires at least 10 administrators per server.

Godlike.Host offers hosted Squad servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.

Those are server-hosting rules, not the specifications for playing Squad on a PC. The Steam client listing says 8 GB RAM is the minimum for players and 16 GB is recommended. A player-count-specific CPU, RAM or internet-bandwidth table is not published by Offworld, so claims that an exact 80-player server needs a particular chip or connection speed should not be presented as official requirements.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Raven Squad - PC	$3.95	Buy on Amazon
2		Laser Squad Nemesis - PC	$21.48	Buy on Amazon
3		Mass Effect 2 - PC	$9.95	Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Official Squad dedicated-server requirements at a glance

The authoritative baseline is Offworld Industries’ current hosting and server-licensing policy, checked in October 2026. It separates hardware requirements from licensing and administration conditions.

The policy states, “Each server requires” 8 GB RAM minimum and 4 GB additional RAM per game instance. Treat that wording as the licensing floor. It is not a promise of a particular frame rate, tick rate or player capacity.

#1 Best Overall

Raven Squad - PC

• Combined RTS vs. FPS multiplayer experience opportunity. Jungle Atmosphere.
• Intuitive command and camera system. 8 Controllable Units with unique weapons and skills.
• 11 Campaign Missions with Co-Op Support
• Online and Local 2 player Co-Op
• 5.1 Atmospheric Dolby Digital Sound Experience

$3.95

Buy on Amazon

How much RAM does a Squad server need?

One server and one game instance

Plan for at least 8 GB of RAM for a licensed server. This is the minimum in the policy, not a general recommendation for every operating environment. The host still needs enough memory for the operating system, monitoring, administration tools and any other services you run on the same physical machine. Keeping those services separate from the game allocation gives you room to handle updates and short-lived memory spikes without forcing the game process into swap.

Multiple game instances

For additional instances on the same server, add 4 GB of RAM per additional game instance to the 8 GB server baseline. For example, two instances require a policy calculation of 8 GB plus 4 GB, or 12 GB; three instances require 16 GB. These figures describe the licensing policy’s minimum allocation and do not establish a player-count capacity for either instance.

Memory speed

Offworld recommends memory rated at 3000 MHz or faster. That is a recommendation about memory speed, not a substitute for sufficient capacity. Confirm that the motherboard and processor support the memory kit’s rated speed; a kit may run below its advertised rating when platform limits, firmware settings or mixed modules require a lower configuration.

No official player-count RAM chart

Offworld’s policy does not publish separate RAM requirements for 50-, 80- or 100-player configurations. Do not convert the 8 GB figure into an official “80-player requirement.” If you need a larger deployment, size the physical machine conservatively, leave operating-system headroom, and validate the exact workload after choosing the map, mods and number of instances.

Which CPU is supported for a licensed server?

Offworld lists processors it has tested and considers sufficient for hosting. The list is not a blanket approval for every processor in a product family. A model with a similar name, generation or core count is not automatically covered.

The policy can change, so check the live list before buying hardware or signing a hosting contract. If your processor is not listed, Offworld says it may be considered with prior approval when its performance is comparable. The license holder remains responsible for ensuring adequate performance; an unlisted CPU should therefore be cleared before you rely on it for a licensed deployment.

Does an 80-player Squad server need a particular CPU?

No official answer gives one CPU model, clock speed or core count specifically for 80 players. Community questions such as “What CPU do I need to run 80 players server?” cannot be answered from the policy with a guaranteed specification. Use a tested processor from the current list, then account for your map rotation, mods, logging, operating system and whether several instances share the machine.

Likewise, the policy does not publish a player-count-specific RAM table. The 8 GB baseline and 4 GB per additional instance remain the only stated allocation figures. They should be treated as licensing minimums rather than a performance guarantee at a particular population.

Rank #2

Laser Squad Nemesis - PC

• Pick your squad by spending 'Force Points'
• Choose Laser Marines, Greys, Machina or Spawn - 4 different races with unique unit types and special abilities
• Alter the landscape with grenades, rockets and other deadly weapons, in the fully-destructible terrain
• Play single player campaigns for each of the four races, then challenge anyone, anywhere in the world
• World league rankings - progress through the Rookie, Veteran and Elite divisions

$21.48

Buy on Amazon

Hosting options allowed by the policy

There are two practical paths: an Offworld Hosting Partner or approved self-hosted physical hardware. The distinction matters because the policy prohibits virtual machines, VPS and VDS for licensed servers. A provider that advertises a “dedicated” game server may still place customers on virtualized infrastructure, so ask what hardware arrangement actually underlies the service.

There is no verified universal list of current partners or official price schedule in the policy. Treat a hosting company’s marketing claim as unconfirmed until you verify its present Offworld status and the physical or virtual nature of the service you would receive.

Licensing, server visibility and administration requirements

Approval is not automatic

Meeting the RAM and CPU conditions does not guarantee a license. Offworld can reject an application at its discretion. Plan for the administrative requirements as well as the hardware checklist.

At least 10 administrators

The policy calls for a minimum of 10 administrators per server. This is an operational requirement for a licensed community server, not a suggestion to add more software users to the machine. Identify the people who will moderate and administer the server before applying.

Where players will see the server

Licensed servers are listed in Squad’s primary Server Browser. Unlicensed servers appear under Custom Servers. Browser placement is therefore tied to licensing status; it is not created simply by installing the dedicated-server files on a powerful computer.

Server requirements versus the player PC requirements

Do not mix the hosting policy with the game client’s system requirements. Valve’s current Squad Steam listing specifies 8 GB RAM minimum and 16 GB recommended for playing the game on a client PC. Those numbers describe the player’s computer and do not replace Offworld’s per-server and per-instance rules.

What changed with Squad 10.6?

Offworld’s Squad 10.6 release notes, dated October 1, 2026, describe client and game-performance work. The notes say the combined changes reduce the minimum requirements to play the game, and that a World Partition change should improve average memory use by about 1 GB depending on hardware and graphics settings.

That approximately 1 GB figure is client/game memory context. The release notes do not replace the dedicated-server policy, and they do not create a new server-sizing rule. Continue to use the hosting policy for licensed-server RAM, CPU and hosting eligibility.

Rank #3

Mass Effect 2 - PC

• Improved NPC conversation system where Commander Shepard can take matters into your own hands – interrupting or using force to get the answer required.
• The second act of BioWare's epic sci-fi RPG trilogy continues the story of Commander Shepard and humanity's first steps onto the galactic stage.
• Integration with the original Mass Effect game allows players to import saved files and contiue play with those files in Mass Effect 2.
• Choose from 19 different weapons, including devastating heavy weapons that can end a battle in seconds.
• New location based damage system allows for targeting of key weak points, blasting off limbs, igniting enemies, or cripple and disable enemy troops.

$9.95

Buy on Amazon

A practical planning checklist

1. Decide the deployment shape. Write down how many licensed servers and game instances you intend to run on one physical machine. Apply the 8 GB baseline and add 4 GB for every additional instance.
2. Select a CPU from the current tested list. Record the exact model, including suffixes such as K, KF or X3D. Do not assume that an adjacent model is approved.
3. Confirm memory capacity and speed. Install enough RAM for the policy allocation plus the operating system and management overhead. Prefer modules and a platform that can operate at the recommended 3000 MHz or faster.
4. Choose an eligible hosting arrangement. Use an Offworld Hosting Partner or physical self-hosted hardware. Reject offers that are explicitly VM, VPS or VDS based for a licensed instance.
5. Verify the provider or facility. Ask for the underlying CPU model, guaranteed RAM, whether other customers share the host, and the current Offworld approval status.
6. Prepare administration. Assemble at least 10 administrators and define moderation, update and incident-response responsibilities.
7. Apply for licensing before promising browser visibility. Approval is discretionary, and only licensed servers receive primary Server Browser placement.
8. Leave performance headroom. The published figures are floors. Reserve capacity for the operating system, logs, monitoring, updates, mods and temporary load rather than allocating every available gigabyte to the game.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Buying RAM based on the player client specification

Using the Steam client’s 16 GB recommendation as a server rule confuses two different workloads. Start with Offworld’s 8 GB-per-server calculation, then add memory for extra instances and host services.

Assuming a CPU family is universally approved

The tested list names individual processors. Check the exact model and request prior approval for an unlisted equivalent instead of relying on a family name or benchmark result.

Calling a VPS “dedicated”

Marketing terminology does not change the underlying platform. Ask whether the licensed instance runs on a physical server or a prohibited virtual arrangement, and retain the answer in your hosting records.

Promising 80-player capacity from the minimum numbers

The policy supplies no player-count table, bandwidth minimum, port list or tick-rate guarantee. Present the published RAM and CPU rules accurately, but do not advertise a guaranteed population or network performance from them alone.

Assuming hardware approval guarantees licensing

Offworld may reject an application even when the machine meets the listed hardware conditions. Complete the administrative requirements and wait for approval before promising primary-browser listing.

Internet connection and bandwidth: what is actually published?

Offworld’s reviewed policy does not state a minimum internet connection speed for a licensed 80-player server or any other player count. It also does not publish an official bandwidth-per-player formula, port requirement or network-uptime guarantee in the material governing these hardware rules.

That absence is important when comparing hosts. Ask prospective providers for their network capacity, DDoS protection, location, uptime commitments and traffic limits, but label those as provider terms rather than Offworld requirements. Do not turn an estimate from a community guide into an official specification.

Bottom line for choosing hardware

Use the current Offworld policy as the licensing checklist: 8 GB RAM per server, 4 GB more for each additional game instance, 3000 MHz or faster memory recommended, an individually listed or pre-approved comparable CPU, physical rather than VM/VPS/VDS hosting, and at least 10 administrators. The Steam client’s 8 GB minimum and 16 GB recommendation apply only to players. Because Offworld does not publish player-count-specific sizing, choose tested hardware with operational headroom and verify licensing and hosting eligibility before deployment.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Raven Squad - PC

Combined RTS vs. FPS multiplayer experience opportunity. Jungle Atmosphere.; Intuitive command and camera system. 8 Controllable Units with unique weapons and skills.

$3.95

Bestseller No. 2

Laser Squad Nemesis - PC

Pick your squad by spending 'Force Points'; World league rankings - progress through the Rookie, Veteran and Elite divisions

$21.48

Bestseller No. 3

Mass Effect 2 - PC

$9.95

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.