Short answer. You can host an Operation: Harsh Doorstop server yourself for free: download the dedicated server (Steam app 950900) with SteamCMD using an anonymous login, then start it with your own game port, a query port and, if you want remote admin, an RCON port. Or rent an Operation: Harsh Doorstop server and skip the ports and updates.

Players need the game, which is free to play on Steam. Our connect guide shows how to join.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for game version 0.14.2.2 (hotfix of 22 October 2026). Drakeling Labs announced further updates in October 2026, so details can change.

Drakeling Labs, the developer, does not publish a server guide that we could find, so this one rests on the Steam store pages, the developer's Steam announcements, and what we run on our own Operation: Harsh Doorstop servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

Operating system: 64-bit Linux for the steps below. The Steam store page of the dedicated server lists Windows only, but the same Steam app also downloads a Linux server, HarshDoorstopServer-Linux-Shipping, and that is the one we run.
Hardware: the developer does not publish server requirements (the server's Steam page only asks for a 64-bit processor and operating system).
Network: three ports in our setup: the game port, a query port and an RCON port. You choose all three with startup arguments (the example below uses 7777, 27005 and 7779), and the game and query ports must be reachable from the internet.
Steam account: not needed to download the server. The install uses +login anonymous.
The game: every player needs Operation: Harsh Doorstop on Steam. It is free to play and runs on Windows.

The server software is free. You pay for the machine, power and bandwidth.

Option 1: host it yourself

This works on a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. The SteamCMD steps come from Valve's SteamCMD page, and the server command is the one our panel runs.

Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)

Install the library SteamCMD needs.
```
sudo apt-get install lib32gcc-s1 curl
```
Create a steam user. Valve warns against running SteamCMD as root.
```
sudo useradd -m steam
sudo passwd steam
sudo -iu steam
```

Install SteamCMD as that user.

mkdir ~/Steam && cd ~/Steam
curl -sqL "https://client-update.steamstatic.com/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -

Download the server.
```
~/Steam/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/ohd +login anonymous +app_update 950900 validate +quit
```
Check that /home/steam/ohd/steamapps/appmanifest_950900.acf exists. SteamCMD can fail to download and still finish without an error, and our install script has to check for exactly this: on clean installs about two in seven downloads failed, so it tries up to three times. If the file is missing, run the command again.

Copy the Steam client library. Our install copies SteamCMD's steamclient.so files into the places the server looks for them:

mkdir -p ~/.steam/sdk32 ~/.steam/sdk64
cp ~/Steam/linux32/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk32/
cp ~/Steam/linux64/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk64/

Start the server. This is the command our panel runs, with example values. Pick your own name, ports and RCON password:
```
cd /home/steam/ohd
./HarshDoorstop/Binaries/Linux/HarshDoorstopServer-Linux-Shipping HarshDoorstop "AAS-TestMap?MaxPlayers=32" \
  -SteamServerName="My Server" -Port=7777 -MULTIHOME=0.0.0.0 -QueryPort=27005 \
  -RCONPort=7779 -EnableRCON -RCONPassword="choose-a-password" \
  -RCONMaxAuthAttempts=3 -RCONMaxActiveConnections=5
```
AAS-TestMap is the map our startup line launches with, and MaxPlayers after it sets the slot count. Our panel adds -EnableRCON only when an RCON password is set. If you use RCON, pick a long password of your own. The server's console prints this line when RCON is up:
```
LogRCON: RCON server listening on
```
Open the ports. Allow your game port, query port and RCON port on the machine's firewall and forward them on your router to this machine. If you do not plan to use RCON from outside, you do not need to expose the RCON port.
Keep it running and updated. Our panel runs the same app_update 950900 step at every start when Auto Update is on. On your own machine, repeat the SteamCMD command from step 4 after each game patch, and run the server under a service manager such as systemd so it survives a logout.

Workshop mods on a self-hosted server

The game loads community content from the Steam Workshop, and a server needs the same mods as its players. Two traps we found on our own servers:

The server does not download Workshop items. It mounts every plugin folder it finds under HarshDoorstop/Mods without any config entry, but for an item that is not there it logs LoadWorkshopItem: UGC item (%llu) not installed. Subscribing on your own Steam account does nothing for the server.
Use the game's app id for the download. Workshop items belong to the game (app 736590), not to the dedicated server (app 950900). We fetch them anonymously with +workshop_download_item 736590 <item id> and move the plugin folder into HarshDoorstop/Mods.
Keep items current. A mod that was updated on Steam and is not downloaded again turns players away with Version mismatch for Steam UGC plugin.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the firewall, port forwarding and update routine. The ports and RCON arguments are filled in for you.

Pick a plan. Open the Operation: Harsh Doorstop server hosting page and compare the plans (INSURGENTS, PMC and WEHRMACHT at the time of writing, for 20, 35 and 65 players). Press Create Server on INSURGENTS or PMC, or Customize Plan on WEHRMACHT, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
Wait for the install. The server appears at panel.playnhost.com. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints LogRCON: RCON server listening on.
Open Settings. These are the fields you can change:
- Server name: the name players see. It cannot contain double quotes or backslashes, and it can be up to 200 characters.
- Rcon Password: the password admin tools use. Set one of your own (up to 32 characters, no spaces, double quotes, backslashes, * or ?), and the panel adds -EnableRCON to the start line. Our RCON guide covers the rest.
- Workshop mods: Workshop item IDs, comma-separated.
Max Players is shown read only, and Auto Update, under Show advanced, is on by default.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for the ready line.
Add Workshop mods (optional). Put the numeric ID from the end of each item's Steam address into Workshop mods. The server downloads them before it starts, so the first start after a change takes a while, and some mods are over a gigabyte, so they count against your disk space. Our Workshop mods guide has the details.
Join. Follow the connect guide. If your server does not show in the browser, see the missing-from-the-browser fix.

What our setup does for you

Ports. The panel assigns your game, query and RCON ports and passes them on the start line.
Install checks. The install retries SteamCMD up to three times and stops with an error when the server files are not there, instead of leaving a server that fails on its first start.
Workshop mods. Before every start, our startup script looks up each item on Steam's public API. It downloads an item only when its last-updated time changed, which avoids a multi-gigabyte download on every restart. It also refuses an ID that belongs to a different game, and it installs only mods from your list. A plugin folder you upload yourself over SFTP is left alone, and removing an ID and restarting removes only the mod it installed.
Updates. With Auto Update on, the server checks Steam for a new build at each start.

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 players are on. 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 an update routine, plus a script for Workshop mods. Doable, and a good way to learn. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
Mods and updates. Self-hosted: you download and refresh every Workshop item yourself. Rented: listed IDs are downloaded and refreshed when the server starts.

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 first start fails on a fresh install

Cause: the SteamCMD download did not finish but reported success, so the server folder is empty or partial.

Fix: check that steamapps/appmanifest_950900.acf exists and run the app_update 950900 validate command again until it does.

A Workshop mod does not load

Cause: the item was never downloaded (UGC item ... not installed), or it is out of date (Version mismatch for Steam UGC plugin).

Fix: download it against app 736590 and place the plugin folder in HarshDoorstop/Mods, or on PlayNHost add its ID to Workshop mods and restart.

RCON does not answer

Cause: the admin tool uses a different password from the server, or the RCON port is closed. Our panel adds -EnableRCON to the start line only when Rcon Password is set.

Fix: set a password, restart, use the same password in your admin tool, and open the RCON port if your admin tool connects from outside.

The server does not show in the browser

Cause: often the query port is not reachable from outside.

Fix: open and forward the query port you gave with -QueryPort. See the browser fix guide.

FAQ

Can I host an Operation: Harsh Doorstop server for free?

Yes. The dedicated server is on Steam as app 950900 and downloads with an anonymous login. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

Do players need to buy the game?

No. Steam lists Operation: Harsh Doorstop as free to play.

Which ports does the server use?

A game port, a query port and an RCON port, all set with start arguments (-Port, -QueryPort and -RCONPort). On PlayNHost the panel assigns all three.

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

Not to install it: the download uses an anonymous login.

Can I add Steam Workshop mods?

Yes, but you have to download them yourself: the server only mounts what is already in HarshDoorstop/Mods. On PlayNHost, paste the IDs into Workshop mods and restart.

Ready to skip the setup? See the Operation: Harsh Doorstop server plans.

How to host an Operation: Harsh Doorstop server (2026)