How to host a Squad server (2026)

Short answer. You can host a Squad server yourself for free: install the dedicated server (Steam app 403240) with SteamCMD using an anonymous login, start it with Port=7787 QueryPort=27165, and open UDP 7787 and 7788 for the game plus the query and beacon ports. Or rent a Squad server and skip the networking.

The server runs on Linux and Windows. Players find it in the in-game server browser by name, and a server without an Offworld licence appears under Custom Servers. A rented PlayNHost server is unlicensed, so it is listed there too.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for Squad Hotfix 10.6.3 (22 October 2026), the newest server build we could verify. Squad is patched often.

This guide uses the Squad wiki's server pages (Server Installation and Server Configuration), Valve's SteamCMD tooling, the Steam announcements for Squad, Offworld's server policies, and the setup our panel uses for Squad. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

• Operating system: 64-bit Linux (the wiki asks for GLIBC 2.17 or newer) or Windows. On Windows the wiki also lists the Visual C++ 2013 and 2015 redistributables and the DirectX June 2010 runtimes.
• Hardware: the Steam store page lists requirements for the game, not for the server. Offworld publishes hardware requirements for licensed servers on its server policies page. See How much RAM does a Squad server need? for our own notes.
• Network: the game port (UDP 7787 and 7788), the beacon port (15000), the Steam query ports (27165 and 27166) and the RCON port (21114), reachable from the internet. The wiki lists them all as UDP and TCP, except the game ports, which it lists as UDP.
• Steam account: not needed to download the server. The install uses login anonymous.
• The game: players join from Squad on Steam, which the store page lists for Windows only.

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 home server or a cloud virtual machine. Offworld's policy does not license servers on virtual machines, so a cloud virtual machine gives you a server listed under Custom Servers. The steps follow the Squad wiki's Server Installation page.

Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)

1. Install the libraries.

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install screen lib32gcc-s1 curl

2. Create a user for the server and switch to it. The wiki notes that a lower-privilege user keeps the server safer than root.

   sudo adduser squad
   sudo -iu squad

3. Install SteamCMD.

   mkdir SquadGameServer && cd SquadGameServer
   curl -so - https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz | tar xzv

4. Write the update script and the start script.

   printf %s\\n "force_install_dir server1" "login anonymous" "app_update 403240 validate" "quit" > update_squad.txt
   echo "./steamcmd.sh +runscript ./update_squad.txt; cd server1; ./SquadGameServer.sh Port=7787 QueryPort=27165 beaconport=15000 FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80 RANDOM=NONE" > startserver1.sh
   chmod +x startserver1.sh

   The start script updates the game first, then starts it, so every start picks up a new build. FIXEDMAXPLAYERS is a cap the player count cannot go above, and RANDOM=NONE keeps the map rotation in order.
5. Start it inside screen so it survives you closing SSH.

   screen -dmS server1 ./startserver1.sh
   screen -r server1

   Detach with Ctrl-A then Ctrl-D. The first run downloads the game, which is large, so allow time.
6. Stop it and edit server1/SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg. The keys most people change:

   ServerName="My Squad Server"
   ShouldAdvertise=true
   MaxPlayers=80
   NumReservedSlots=0
   AllowTeamChanges=true
   PreventTeamChangeIfUnbalanced=true

   The wiki warns that the game does not overwrite config files, so new options must be added by hand to an existing file.
7. Open the ports. Allow the ports from the list above on the machine's firewall, then forward them on your router. The wiki adds that Squad also uses UDP ports above 30000 between the server and each connected player, so some providers need those allowed too.
8. Check it. Look for your server name in the in-game browser. If you play from the same network as the server, the wiki says NAT loopback is required.

Windows

1. Download SteamCMD to C:\steamcmd and save the same four lines as update_squad.txt there, with force_install_dir C:\squad as the first line.
2. Run steamcmd +runscript update_squad.txt once to download the server.
3. Start it with:

   C:\squad\SquadGame\Binaries\Win64\SquadGameServer.exe Port=7787 QueryPort=27165 beaconport=15000 FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80 RANDOM=NONE -log

4. Edit SquadGame\ServerConfig\Server.cfg as in the Linux step 6, and allow the ports in Windows Firewall.

Other files in ServerConfig

• Admins.cfg: groups with permissions (for example Group=Admin:changemap,balance,chat,kick,ban), then one Admin=<SteamID64>:<Group> line per person. It must be the SteamID64.
• Rcon.cfg: the RCON port (21114 by default) and password. An empty Password= keeps RCON off.
• LayerRotation.cfg and LevelRotation.cfg: the rotation. MapRotationMode in Server.cfg chooses which one is used, and LayerList_Vote turns on the end-of-match layer vote.
• Bans.cfg, Motd.cfg and ServerMessages.cfg.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

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

1. Pick a plan. Open the Squad server hosting page and compare the plans (LEADER for 15 players and COMMANDER for 40 at the time of writing). Press Create Server on LEADER or Customize Plan on COMMANDER, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
2. Wait for the install. You get a "server ready" email and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com. The install downloads Squad from Steam (app 403240) with an anonymous login. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints Engine Initialization.
3. Open Settings, then Game Settings. These fields are written into SquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg each time the server starts:
   • Server Name: the name in the server browser.
   • Max Players: shown as Read only. It follows your plan.
   • Allow Team Change and Prevent Team Change If Unbalanced: whether players may switch teams, and whether they may when the teams are uneven.
   • Advertise Server: turn it off to keep the server out of the browser.
   • Reserved Slots: from 0 to 10 slots held for admins and whitelisted players.
   • Record Demos: server-side demo recording. It is on by default on our servers, so turn it off if you do not need recordings.
4. Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for Engine Initialization.
5. Make yourself admin. Open Files, go to SquadGame/ServerConfig and edit Admins.cfg with your SteamID64, as described in How to become admin on your Squad server and use admin commands. The panel does not write this file.
6. Set the rotation. The panel's own note for Squad says map rotation lives in SquadGame/ServerConfig, edited under Files. See How to set up your Squad server: key settings.
7. Join. Find your server name in the in-game browser. How to join your Squad server covers the details.

What our setup does for you

• Ports. The panel starts the server with its game, query and beacon ports, so there is no router or firewall to set up.
• Keys the panel writes. At every start the panel rewrites ServerName, MaxPlayers, AllowTeamChanges, ShouldAdvertise, NumReservedSlots, PreventTeamChangeIfUnbalanced and RecordDemos in Server.cfg. A hand edit to one of these is replaced at the next start, so change them in Game Settings. Every other key in the file is yours to edit.
• Install retry. Steam sometimes answers "Missing configuration" and SteamCMD still looks finished. Our install script tries up to three times and treats the Steam app manifest as proof the game is there, so a server is not left empty.
• Workshop mods. Workshop item IDs go in Download Workshops Items (the Workshop page edits the same list). Squad reads this list only while the server installs, so a restart does not apply it. Squad has no reinstall button in the panel yet, so contact support to reinstall the server after you change the list. A reinstall replaces the server files, so back up anything you changed first.
• Updates. Auto Update (under Show advanced in Game Settings) is on by default: the server checks Steam for a new build each time it starts. If a patch stops players joining, restart the server to pick up the new version.

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 and internet, and it has to stay on when your players are in. 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, the router, six ports and a range of UDP ports. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
• Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, port forwarding, config files and an update routine. Very doable, and a good way to learn. Rented: a web panel with form fields, plus file edits for admins and rotation.
• Updates. Self-hosted: the start script above updates before each start. Rented: Auto Update checks for a new build at each start.
• Licensing. Offworld's policy licenses servers only on an Offworld Hosting Partner or approved self-hosted hardware, and not on virtual machines. PlayNHost is not on Offworld's list of trusted server providers, so a PlayNHost server is unlicensed and appears under Custom Servers. Only licensed servers appear in the main Server Browser tab. If you need a licensed server, self-host on your own dedicated hardware and apply to Offworld.

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 browser

Cause: the Steam query port is blocked, or ShouldAdvertise is false. Offworld lists unlicensed servers under Custom Servers, not in the main list.

Fix: open 27165 and 27166 (or your own query port and the one after it), check Advertise Server, and look under Custom Servers. See Squad server problems and fixes.

You cannot see your own server from the same network

Cause: NAT loopback is off on your router. The wiki says it is required to host and play on the same network.

Fix: turn it on if your router has it, or ask a friend outside your network to check.

Your changes to Server.cfg disappear (PlayNHost)

Cause: the key is one of the seven the panel writes at every start.

Fix: change it in Game Settings instead.

FAQ

Can I host a Squad server for free?

Yes. The dedicated server is free on Steam (app 403240) 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 wiki's sample Server.cfg uses 100, and FIXEDMAXPLAYERS sets a hard cap. Our plans are 15 and 40 players.

Which ports does a Squad server use?

By the wiki's list: UDP 7787 and 7788 for the game, 15000 for the beacon, 27165 and 27166 for the Steam query, 21114 for RCON, and UDP above 30000 for connected players.

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

Not to install it. Players need Squad to join.

Can I add mods?

Yes, Workshop content works on the dedicated server. See How to add mods to your Squad server.