Short answer. You can host a Wreckfest 2 server yourself for free: download the free "Wreckfest 2 Dedicated Server" tool (Steam app 3519390) with SteamCMD, run start_community_server.bat on Windows, and forward the UDP game port. Or rent a Wreckfest 2 server and skip the networking.

Players find the server by name in the in-game server browser. The server is a Windows program. Our servers run the same Windows server under Wine.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for Content Update #9 Patch #2 (28 October 2026) and dedicated server build 26269859. Wreckfest 2 is in Early Access and is patched often.

This guide uses what Bugbear Studios ships in the dedicated server download, their Steam announcements, and what we run on our own Wreckfest 2 servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

Operating system: Windows. The dedicated server is a Windows program (Wreckfest2.exe) and the Steam store page lists Windows only. The download holds Windows files only; there is no Linux version of the server.
Hardware: Bugbear does not publish server requirements. The Steam page lists only what the game itself needs.
Network: one UDP port for the game, reachable from the internet. The server prints a reminder to forward it on your router, and to check with your internet provider that you are not behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT).
Steam account: not needed to download the server. The tool is free, and SteamCMD can use +login anonymous.
The game: every player needs Wreckfest 2 on Steam (app 1203190).

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

Option 1: host it yourself

Windows

Download the server. Install SteamCMD from Valve, then run:
```
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\Wreckfest2Server +login anonymous +app_update 3519390 validate +quit
```
The download is about 1.9 GB and takes about 2.5 GB on disk.
Create a save folder. The server keeps its settings and event loop there. Bugbear's own start files say the folder must exist before you launch:
```
mkdir C:\Wreckfest2Save
```
Start the server. The download includes start_community_server.bat, which writes steam_appid.txt (1203190) if it is missing and runs Wreckfest2.exe --server. To use your own save folder, run it by hand:
```
cd C:\Wreckfest2Server
Wreckfest2.exe --server --save-dir=C:\Wreckfest2Save
```
Look for the ready line. When the server is up, it prints Server Started, then Type 'help' for available commands, and tells you which UDP port to forward.
Set the name and password. Type help in the server window for the full command list. It includes commands to print or set the server name and description, and to set or clear the password. Settings are stored in server_config.scnf in the save folder.
Open the port. Allow the UDP game port in Windows Firewall. The server tries to forward the port on your router by UPnP; if its window says UPnP is unavailable, forward the same UDP port on your router to this PC by hand.
Join. Open the server browser in Wreckfest 2 and search for your server name. The browser can search by name and sort by name or player count.

Running more than one server on one machine

Each server needs its own save folder. If two processes use the same one, the second refuses to start with this message: Save directory is already in use, followed by a hint to pass --save-dir=<unique save directory name>. Give every server its own --save-dir and its own game port.

Useful server commands

The server has a console with its own commands. Since Content Update #7 (May 2026), a self-hosted server by default promotes the Steam account that launched it, if available, to admin. Among the commands, as listed in the server itself: status and players, kick, ban and banlist, roles and role (admin and moderator rights, by Steam user ID), add_bot and bot_count, grid_size (the maximum number of participants), track and weather, countdown, idle_kick, message, restart, and an eventloop group of commands (list, load, reload, create, save, enable and disable the track rotation).

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

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

Pick a plan. Open the Wreckfest 2 server hosting page and compare the plans (ROCKET, ROADSLAYER and VENOM at the time of writing, for 17, 24 and 24 players). Press Create Server on ROCKET or ROADSLAYER, or Customize Plan on VENOM, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
Wait for the install. We email you when the server is ready, and it appears at panel.playnhost.com. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints Server Started.
Open Settings, then Game Settings. These fields are written into the server each time it starts:
- Server Name: the name in the server browser. The game shows up to 47 characters (fewer for non-Latin names), so keep it within that.
- Server Password: the join password, up to 31 characters. Leave it empty if anyone may join.
- Max Players: set by your plan. You cannot raise it from the panel.
Server description, Race countdown (ms) and Voting time (ms) from server_config.scnf are on the same Settings page. Auto Update sits under Show advanced, is on by default, and looks for a new build each time the server starts.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for Server Started.
Join. Search for your server name in the in-game server browser and enter the password if you set one. See How to Connect to Your Wreckfest 2 Server for the join steps.

What our setup does for you

Install. The install downloads app 3519390 as the Windows build and retries if Steam answers "Missing configuration" without installing anything, using the app manifest as proof that the files arrived. The server runs under Wine with a virtual display.
Keys the panel writes at every start. In save/server_config.scnf, the panel sets the server name, the password and the game port. Hand edits to those keys are replaced at the next start, so use Game Settings.
The player cap. The maximum number of participants is stored in the event loop files (save/*.becl), not in server_config.scnf. A brand-new server has no such file until the game has run once, so the first session could start at the game's default instead of your plan's number. The install therefore tries to start the game once, headless, to write the default event loop before your first boot; if that run cannot write it, the first boot does, and your plan's number applies from the next start. At every start, the panel sets your plan's number in each .becl file.
Console. The Console tab shows the server log. Text typed into it does not reach the game, so the server commands above are not available there. Wreckfest 2 has no RCON.
Admin. Wreckfest 2 has no admin password. Admin and moderator are roles held by Steam accounts, and the role command that sets them is a server console command, so it is not available from the Console tab.
Workshop. There is no Steam Workshop for Wreckfest 2 yet.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

Cost. Self-hosted: the software is free, and you pay for a Windows machine, power and bandwidth. Rented: a monthly fee set by plan. See the current plans.
Availability. Self-hosted: as reliable as your PC and home internet, and it has to stay on while your friends race. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
Network exposure. Self-hosted: players connect to your public IP, you manage the firewall and router, and CGNAT can block hosting altogether. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
Control. Self-hosted: you can type server commands in the server window, including track, weather and event loop commands. Rented: settings come from Game Settings, and the console is read-only in practice.
Updates. Self-hosted: stop the server, run the SteamCMD command again, start it. Rented: Auto Update is on by default and checks for a new build at every start.

Self-hosting suits you if a Windows PC already runs all day and you want the server commands. Renting suits you if you would rather not look after hardware.

Common problems and fixes

The server will not start: "Save directory is already in use"

Cause: another Wreckfest 2 server process is using the same save folder.

Fix: stop the other process or give this one its own --save-dir.

Friends cannot see or join your self-hosted server

Cause: the UDP game port is not forwarded or not allowed in the firewall, or your internet provider puts you behind CGNAT.

Fix: allow and forward the UDP port the server printed at start. If your router's WAN address differs from your public IP, ask your provider about CGNAT. See How to Fix a Wreckfest 2 Server That Will Not List or Start.

Your changes to the config file disappear (PlayNHost)

Cause: the key is one the panel writes at every start: name, password or game port. The player count is rewritten in the event loop files.

Fix: change the name and password in Game Settings.

FAQ

Can I host a Wreckfest 2 server for free?

Yes. The Wreckfest 2 Dedicated Server tool is free on Steam. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

What is the Wreckfest 2 dedicated server app ID?

3519390 for the server tool. The game itself is 1203190, the number in the server's steam_appid.txt.

How many players can join?

Wreckfest 2 multiplayer takes up to 24 cars, according to its Steam store page. On a self-hosted server, grid_size sets the maximum. Our plans are 17, 24 and 24 players.

Can I host Wreckfest 2 on Linux?

Bugbear ships a Windows server. We run it under Wine on our Linux machines. That is our own setup, not something Bugbear documents.

Can I add Steam Workshop content?

Not yet. Wreckfest 2 has no Steam Workshop, and Bugbear says mod support comes later in Early Access or at the 1.0 launch.

Ready to race? See the Wreckfest 2 server plans.

How to host a Wreckfest 2 server (2026)