Running an Unturned server is not just a matter of opening a port and adding Workshop files. Public servers must follow Smartly Dressed Games (SDG) hosting rules, use an accurate monetization label, obtain a Game Server Login Token (GSLT), and avoid conduct, copyright, latency and event-related violations. A server that breaks the rules can be temporarily or permanently banned, while a server without a GSLT is hidden from the Internet server list.
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The rules that apply to every Unturned server
SDG’s Server Hosting Rules are the controlling policy for multiplayer servers. SDG clarified its vanilla-premium-content rule on June 12, 2025, and changed aspects of server-list moderation on June 3, 2024. Those dates do not create a permanent safe harbor: rules and enforcement can change, so check the current official rules before launching or changing a monetized server.
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- Do not sell or grant access to vanilla premium content.
- Describe monetization accurately in the server configuration.
- Do not promote cheats or repeatedly violate Steam Online Conduct rules.
- Do not build roleplay around ongoing real-world wars, conflicts or natural disasters.
- Do not use an anycast proxy to make the browser ping appear better than the in-game experience.
- Use Workshop content only with appropriate permission and licensing.
What counts as prohibited vanilla premium content?
Servers are not allowed to sell or otherwise offer access to vanilla premium content. That includes Gold Upgrade benefits, vanilla cosmetics and vanilla skins. SDG’s practical test is useful: if an item can be purchased through Unturned’s Stockpile or the Steam Community Market, treat it as vanilla premium content and do not sell it through your server.
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This restriction applies whether the transaction is called a donation, membership, supporter package, key, bundle or reward. Renaming a sale does not change what the player receives. Do not give a player access to a vanilla skin, Gold benefit or other market-linked item in exchange for money, a recurring payment or a donation threshold.
Custom cosmetics can be different
Custom cosmetics may be offered when the server owner owns the rights or has a valid license from the rights holder. Keep written permission, asset licenses and creator agreements. A model downloaded from a Workshop page is not automatically cleared for commercial use; the Workshop author may not own every texture, sound or brand in the upload.
Copyright owners can submit notices through Steam’s DMCA process, which is reviewed by Steam’s copyright agent. Remove disputed material promptly and retain records showing where each third-party asset came from and what commercial rights were granted.
Choose the correct Monetization setting
The server’s Monetization field is a public description of what players can buy. Set it to match the actual practice, not the least alarming description.
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| Setting | Use it when | Examples |
|---|---|---|
None |
The server has no monetization or accepts donations only. | A voluntary donation with no in-game benefit. |
NonGameplay |
Purchases provide no gameplay advantage. | A cosmetic or other permitted custom item that does not improve survival, combat or progression. |
Monetized |
Players can buy a gameplay advantage. | Paid kits, vehicles or other purchases that affect play. |
Unspecified |
Use only when you genuinely do not know the server’s monetization status. | Do not leave this value as a way to conceal a store. |
A paid kit remains pay-to-win even if it is described as a “supporter reward.” If money changes a player’s access to weapons, vehicles, resources, kits or progression, the truthful classification is Monetized. If you change the store, revisit the field immediately.
Pay-to-win: a practical compliance test
Ask whether a paying player can obtain an outcome, resource or capability that a non-paying player cannot obtain on equivalent terms. Paid weapons, vehicles, starter kits, item bundles, teleport privileges that affect combat, or accelerated progression are gameplay advantages. They belong in the pay-to-win category even when the purchase is optional.
Cosmetic-only sales are lower risk, but they still require rights clearance and truthful labeling. A custom uniform that changes only appearance is different from armor that improves protection. Document what each product does, who owns it and which Monetization value describes it.
Conduct, cheating and sensitive real-world events
Cheats and Steam conduct
SDG says repeat violations of Steam’s Online Conduct rules by a multiplayer server may result in moderation, and specifically says servers that promote cheats are not allowed. Do not advertise cheat tools, bypasses, exploit services or instructions for evading anti-cheat systems. Moderation risk can arise from repeated conduct violations even when the server itself is not distributing a cheat.
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Current tragedies are not roleplay themes
Simulating ongoing wars, current conflicts or natural disasters is prohibited and may reduce visibility or trigger other moderation. This rule concerns current real-world tragedies, not every fictional disaster or historical setting. If your concept is close to a current event, choose a fictional setting instead of relying on a disclaimer to separate the server from the event.
Why a server is missing from the Internet list
For an Internet-listed server, configure a Game Server Login Token. SDG states that servers without a GSLT are considered anonymous and are hidden from the Internet server list. A server can still be useful for a LAN, friends using a Server Code or a private community, but it will not appear as a normal public Internet listing without the required token.
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The official documentation identifies Unturned app ID 304930 for GSLT creation. Keep the token private, use the token for the intended server and replace it if it is exposed. A GSLT does not make an otherwise non-compliant server acceptable; it only identifies the server for listing and administration.
Public-server setup: an order that avoids common failures
- Install U3DS. Install the Unturned Dedicated Server on Windows or Linux. macOS hosting is unsupported. Confirm that the host can keep the process running and has enough storage for the base files, maps, Workshop downloads and updates.
- Decide private or public access. A private or LAN server can be shared with friends or through a Server Code. An Internet server needs the public-listing configuration, including a GSLT.
- Choose networking. Use either Fake IP or conventional port forwarding; both are not required. Fake IP avoids exposing the real IP and does not require port forwarding, but its address and port change after every restart. Port forwarding provides conventional IP-based access and predictable connection details.
- Create and configure the GSLT. Use the Unturned app ID
304930when creating the token, then place the token in the server’s configuration as required by the current U3DS documentation. - Add Workshop files. Create or edit
WorkshopDownloadConfig.jsonand list the Workshop File IDs. At startup, U3DS installs or updates the listed mods and their dependencies. Joining players automatically download the required files. - Set server rules. Use
Commands.datand the Server Configuration for the map, password, player limit, PvE or PvP mode, perspective and other gameplay choices. Set Monetization to the value that describes the real store. - Test as a player. Join from a separate client, verify the displayed address, load every map and mod, test password and capacity limits, and check that the in-game experience matches the browser information. Do not use a proxy to manufacture a lower-looking latency.
- Save and shut down deliberately. There is no built-in autosave feature. Use
Savewhile the server is running and useShutdownfor a clean close. A forced process termination can lose recent progress.
Fake IP, port forwarding and misleading latency
Fake IP is useful when exposing the host’s real address is undesirable or router configuration is unavailable. Its operational cost is that the address and port change after every restart, so update bookmarks, community posts and monitoring systems.
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Port forwarding is the conventional choice when players need a stable IP-based endpoint and when router access is available. Whichever method you select, compare browser ping with the actual in-game experience. SDG warns that anycast proxies can make browser ping look much lower than what players experience in-game. Hosts using such a service should submit a support request so the server can be flagged correctly. Ordinary proxies whose browser and in-game ping are similar are not flagged under this guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Workshop mods, dependencies and copyright records
WorkshopDownloadConfig.json controls the files U3DS retrieves on startup. When a mod has dependencies, include the required IDs and verify that the dependency versions are compatible. A player who joins downloads the server’s required Workshop content, but a broken, removed or private item can still prevent loading.
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- Record the Workshop File ID, author, license terms and date obtained.
- Keep permission messages or licenses for commercial and cosmetic assets.
- Review updates before restarting a live server; an author can change an asset’s license or remove a dependency.
- Remove content after a credible copyright complaint while you verify rights.
Managing more than one server
For multiple simultaneous servers, use SteamCMD. The official installation command is app_update 1110390, where 1110390 is the U3DS app ID. SteamCMD supports Windows and Linux deployments and is suited to repeatable installs and updates. Give each instance its own configuration, save location, ports and Workshop configuration, and verify each instance independently after an update.
Managed Unturned server hosting can reduce operational work when the provider supports U3DS, GSLTs, Workshop downloads, updates and either Fake IP or port forwarding. The provider does not remove your responsibility for monetization, copyright, conduct or event compliance; confirm that its controls expose the settings you need.
Pre-launch compliance checklist
- U3DS is installed on Windows or Linux; no macOS host is being used.
- The server is intentionally private or has a valid GSLT for public listing.
- Fake IP or port forwarding is selected, not both by assumption.
- Workshop IDs and dependencies are recorded and load on a clean client.
- No Stockpile or Steam Community Market vanilla premium content is sold or granted.
- Custom cosmetics have ownership or licensing records.
- The Monetization field accurately says
None,NonGameplayorMonetized. - The server does not promote cheats or repeatedly violate Steam conduct rules.
- The theme does not simulate an ongoing war, current conflict or natural disaster.
- Browser latency is not being artificially lowered with an unreported anycast setup.
SaveandShutdownprocedures are documented because autosave is unavailable.- The current SDG hosting rules have been checked immediately before launch and before a monetization change.
What to do when something goes wrong
The server is online but absent from the list
First verify the GSLT and that the server is intended to be public. Then check the selected network method, firewall and port configuration. If the browser latency is unusually low compared with in-game latency, stop using an unreported anycast arrangement and contact SDG support for the correct flag.
Players cannot join after a mod update
Stop the server, inspect WorkshopDownloadConfig.json for incorrect IDs, restore missing dependencies and start it again. Test with a client that has not previously cached the files. If the author removed or restricted an item, choose a permitted replacement and update your records.
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Pause the product, identify whether it changes combat, survival, vehicles, resources or progression, and classify the server as Monetized when it does. Do not use a donation label to disguise the benefit.
Recent progress disappeared
Use the in-game Save command during operation and Shutdown for planned maintenance. Build those commands into your operating procedure because U3DS has no built-in autosave.
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