Short answer. You can host a Longvinter server yourself for free: install the dedicated server (Steam app 1639880) with SteamCMD using an anonymous login, write your settings into Game.ini and open UDP port 7777. Or rent a Longvinter server and skip the networking.

The server runs on Linux and Windows. Players join from the in-game server list by searching for your server's name.

Checked on 5 November 2026 against the newest Longvinter update announced on Steam (26 October 2026, "Bug Fixes & Halloween clowns are back!"). The developer's server guide gives no version number, so use the date.

This guide uses the developer's own server wiki (wiki.longvinter.com) and what we run on our own Longvinter servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

Operating system: 64-bit Linux, or 64-bit Windows 10 or newer.
Hardware: the developer lists a CPU with at least a 3 GHz clock speed, a broadband connection and a minimum amount of memory, which its Linux guide and its FAQ give differently. Leave headroom above that minimum, and more for more players.
Network: UDP 7777 for the game, reachable from the internet. The developer says not to open TCP, because Unreal Engine does not use it.
Steam account: not needed to download the server. The install command uses +login anonymous.
The game: every player needs their own copy of Longvinter.

The server software is free. You pay for the machine, power and bandwidth, not the software.

Option 1: host it yourself

This works on a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. The steps below follow the developer's Linux and Windows guides.

Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)

Install the library SteamCMD needs and SteamCMD itself. The steamcmd package is built for 32-bit (i386) only and sits in Ubuntu's multiverse and Debian's non-free sections, so switch those on first. On Ubuntu:
```
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install lib32gcc-s1 steamcmd
```
On Debian, add non-free to the components in your APT sources instead of the first line, then run the other three.
Open the game port. With ufw:
```
sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
```
Then forward UDP 7777 on your router to this machine. Some internet providers do not allow port forwarding. The developer suggests a VPS or dedicated server in that case.

Download the server.

mkdir ~/longvinter-server
steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/longvinter-server +login anonymous +app_update 1639880 validate +quit

Write your settings. Edit ~/longvinter-server/Longvinter/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini and add two sections:
```
[/Game/Blueprints/Server/GI_AdvancedSessions.GI_AdvancedSessions_C]
ServerName=My Longvinter Island
ServerMOTD=Welcome to my island
MaxPlayers=32
Password=
CommunityWebsite=example.com

[/Game/Blueprints/Server/GM_Longvinter.GM_Longvinter_C]
AdminSteamID=
PVP=true
TentDecay=true
MaxTents=2
```
An empty Password means no password. Use only letters and numbers in a password. Stop the server before you edit the file, because the developer warns that changes made while it runs can be overwritten when it saves.
Start the server.
```
cd ~/longvinter-server
./LongvinterServer.sh
```
The developer's guide also gives a systemd service for starting it at boot and restarting it on failure.
Join. Find your server by name in the in-game server list.

Windows

Download SteamCMD from https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd.zip and extract it to a folder such as C:\steamcmd.
Create an inbound Windows Firewall rule for UDP 7777 and forward UDP 7777 on your router.

In a Command Prompt:

C:\steamcmd\steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\longvinter-server +login anonymous +app_update 1639880 validate +quit

Create C:\longvinter-server\Longvinter\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Game.ini with the same two sections as in the Linux step 4.
Run LongvinterServer.exe from C:\longvinter-server. To change the game port, the developer documents the start parameter -GamePort=7777.

The settings in Game.ini

ServerName: the name in the server browser. The developer asks you to avoid the word "OFFICIAL", so it is not confused with official servers.
ServerMOTD: the message of the day shown on signs around the island.
MaxPlayers: the player limit. The default is 32.
Password: leave empty for none.
AdminSteamID: despite the name, it takes players' EOS IDs, which a player finds in the game's settings. Separate several IDs with a single space.
PVP, TentDecay and MaxTents: player combat, abandoned tent decay and the number of tents each player can place. The defaults are true, true and 2.
ServerTag: one tag for easier searching, such as PVE.
ServerRegion: if your server is listed in the wrong region, add this line with EU, NA, SA, AS or AU.
Further keys from the developer's configuration page: CoopPlay, CheckVPN, ChestRespawnTime, DisableWanderingTraders, RestartTime24h and SaveBackups.

Updating and backing up

To update, stop the server, run the same app_update 1639880 validate SteamCMD command again and start it. To back up, copy the Longvinter/Saved folder, for example cp -r ~/longvinter-server/Longvinter/Saved ~/longvinter-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the firewall and port forwarding. The ports and the config file are set up for you.

Pick a plan. Open the Longvinter server hosting page and compare the plans (CABIN for 20 players and MANSION for 35 at the time of writing). Press Create Server on CABIN or Customize Plan on MANSION, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
Wait for the install. You get an email when it is ready, and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints CreateSession: Successfully created session.
Open Settings. These fields are written into Game.ini each time the server starts:
- Server Name: up to 64 characters.
- Server Tag: up to 20 characters.
- Server MOTD: up to 64 characters.
- Server Password: letters and numbers only, up to 20 characters. Leave it empty for no password.
- Community Website, Enable PVP, Tent Decay and Max Tents.
- Admin EOS Account ID: one or more IDs separated by single spaces. A player finds their ID in the game's settings.
Max Players is shown but not editable: it is the player limit included with your plan.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", restart the server and wait for the ready line.
Join. Find your server name in the in-game server list, and enter the password if you set one. Our guide How to connect to your Longvinter server covers the options.

What our setup does for you

Ports. Your server gets its own ports on our network, so there is no firewall or router for you to set up.
Keys the panel owns. At every start the panel writes ServerName, ServerTag, MaxPlayers, ServerMOTD, Password, CommunityWebsite, AdminSteamID, PVP, TentDecay and MaxTents into Game.ini. A hand edit to any of these in the file is replaced at the next start, so change them in Settings. Keys it does not write, such as ServerRegion or RestartTime24h, can be edited in Game.ini under Files, with the server stopped. If your changes seem ignored, see Longvinter server settings are not applying.
Install retries. SteamCMD downloads can fail without an error, so the install checks that the game files really arrived and tries up to three times before it reports a failure.
Game updates. A new Longvinter build is installed by a reinstall, which runs SteamCMD over the game files and leaves the Saved folder (your island, players and config) alone. If players cannot join after a Longvinter update, open a support ticket and ask for your server to be updated, and support runs it for you.
Backups. If your plan includes backups, take one from Backups before editing Game.ini by hand.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

Cost. Self-hosted: the software is free, and you pay for hardware, power and bandwidth, or a cloud virtual machine. Rented: a monthly fee set by plan. See the current plans.
Availability. Self-hosted: as reliable as your machine, power and home internet, and it has to stay on when your friends play. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
Network exposure. Self-hosted: players connect to your public IP, and you look after the firewall and router. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, port forwarding and INI editing. Very doable, and a good way to learn. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
Updates. Self-hosted: stop, run the SteamCMD command again, start. Rented: ask support in a ticket, and they reinstall the new build for you with your island kept.
Control. Self-hosted: you can edit every key in Game.ini. Rented: the keys listed above are set in Settings, and the rest are editable under Files.

Self-hosting suits you if a machine already runs all day and you are comfortable with networking. Renting suits you if you would rather not look after hardware.

Common problems and fixes

The server does not show in the server list

Cause: the ports are not reachable from outside, or, as the developer's FAQ suggests, the server has trouble connecting to Epic Online Services (EOS).

Fix: check that the server is running and that UDP 7777 is open and forwarded. The developer's FAQ also mentions 27016 (TCP and UDP) for listing, and, on Windows, installing the certificates it links. Restart the server and your router afterwards.

Your Game.ini changes disappear

Cause: the server was still running when you edited the file, and it overwrote your edit when it saved. On PlayNHost, the key may also be one the panel writes at every start.

Fix: stop the server first, then edit. On PlayNHost, change the listed keys in Settings.

The server is listed in the wrong region

Fix: add ServerRegion=EU (or NA, SA, AS, AU) to Game.ini and restart.

You cannot become admin

Cause: the ID is not the player's EOS ID.

Fix: copy the ID from the game's settings, and see How to become an admin on your Longvinter server.

FAQ

Can I host a Longvinter server for free?

Yes. The dedicated server is free on Steam and downloads with an anonymous login. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

How many players can join?

The default is 32 and you can set it in Game.ini, but what your hardware can handle depends on the machine. Our plans are 20 and 35 players.

Which port does a Longvinter server use?

UDP 7777 for the game, set with -GamePort if you change it. Do not open TCP for the game port.

Do I need to own the game to run the server?

Not to install it. Players need the game to join.

Can I add Steam Workshop mods?

Not as a supported feature right now. With its anti-cheat update in June 2025 the developer said mod support was not working in the current game yet and left the modded experience on a 1.0 beta branch, and its Steam news since then has not announced that mods are back. Its server guide does not cover mods either. The Island Studio map editor added in October 2026 is a separate feature for building custom islands.

Ready to skip the setup? See the Longvinter server plans. For more help once you are running, read How to change your Longvinter server name, password and slots.

How to host a Longvinter server (2026)