Short answer. You can host a Wreckfest server yourself for free: download the Wreckfest dedicated server (Steam app 361580) with SteamCMD, let the first launch create server_config.cfg, and open UDP 33540 for the game plus UDP 27015, UDP 27016 and TCP 27015 as the developer lists. Or rent a Wreckfest server and skip the router and firewall work.
Players find your server by name in the in-game server browser. If you set a password, they enter it when they join.
Checked on 5 November 2026 against the newest Wreckfest announcement on Steam, the PC Crossplay Update of 22 March 2024. Later posts on that page are about Wreckfest 2, a separate game.
This guide uses three sources: the instructions a Bugbear developer posted on the Steam community page, the sample server_config.cfg our installs start from, and what we run on every Wreckfest server we host. It covers the original Wreckfest, not Wreckfest 2. To skip to the rental route, go to Option 2.
What you need
The server software: The Wreckfest dedicated server, Steam app 361580. The developer says you can download it anonymously, so you do not need to own the game, and that Steam does not have to be running for the server to work. It also ships with the game.
A machine that stays on: a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. The developer's instructions use Windows. We run the same Windows server files on Linux under Wine, so the Linux route below is the one we have tested.
Four open ports: UDP 27015, UDP 27016, UDP 33540 and TCP 27015, allowed through your router and firewall.
A player cap: the sample config sets max_players=24, and our panel limits the value to 1 to 24.
Hardware and upload speed: Bugbear does not publish fixed server requirements. The developer says the number of players a host can carry depends on its upload bandwidth and hardware, and suggests starting around 8 players on a slow connection (1 Mb/s upload), then raising the number step by step.
Option 1: host it yourself
On Windows
In SteamCMD, log in anonymously, set an install folder and update the app: login anonymous, force_install_dir <path>, app_update 361580 validate.
Start the server once with start_server.bat. The first launch copies initial_server_config.cfg to server_config.cfg. The server reads server_config.cfg, so make your changes in that file and leave the initial one alone.
Set the basics in server_config.cfg: server_name (up to 63 characters), password (up to 31), max_players, and the ports steam_port=27015, game_port=33540 and query_port=27016.
To get admin rights as soon as you join, add your SteamID64 to admin_steam_ids=, and remove the # in front of that line if it has one.
Allow the ports and the server executable through your firewall, and forward the ports on your router to the machine's local IPv4 address.
Start it again with start_server.bat, or from a command prompt in the server folder with Wreckfest_x64.exe -s server_config=server_config.cfg, the executable our own setup runs. A console window opens and shows a notice when the server is connected to Steam.
On Linux
This is the route our panel uses. The server is a Windows program, so you ask SteamCMD for the Windows files and run them with Wine and a virtual display.
Install Wine with 64-bit support and Xvfb (the package that provides xvfb-run), and unpack SteamCMD from Valve's Linux download, which gives you steamcmd.sh.
Download the server: ./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /srv/wreckfest +login anonymous +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows +app_update 361580 validate +quit.
The batch file does not run on Linux, so copy initial_server_config.cfg to server_config.cfg in that folder yourself and edit it as in the Windows steps.
Start it: xvfb-run --auto-servernum wine ./Wreckfest_x64.exe -s server_config=server_config.cfg -server_set log=server_console.log. On a hosted server we also pass the port, name, password and player count with -server_set and -s switches so they always match the panel.
Open the same ports as above. The server is ready when its log shows Server connected.
Mods, the part that surprises people
Wreckfest does not download Workshop items itself. The mods= line in server_config.cfg is a comma separated list of folder names, and each folder must already exist in the server's mods folder. The server download we tested had no mods folder, so create it if it is missing, then copy each mod folder in by hand.
Option 2: host it on PlayNHost
Pick a plan. Open the Wreckfest server hosting page. The plans are CLASS C, CLASS B and CLASS A. Press Create Server on CLASS C or CLASS B, or Customize Plan on CLASS A, and finish the order.
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 the log prints Server connected.
Open Settings, then Game Settings. Set Server Name (up to 63 characters) and Server Password (up to 31 characters, empty means anyone can join). Max Players is read-only here: it shows your current player limit.
Add Workshop mods (optional). Paste Workshop item numbers into Steam Workshop mods, separated by commas. Players need the same mods on their own game.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for the ready line. The first start after adding mods is slow because the server is downloading them.
Join. Find your server name in the in-game server browser and enter the password if you set one. Join early: the first person to join becomes the server's owner with full in-game admin rights.
What our setup does for you
The ports. The panel passes your game port, query port and player count on the start line, and it rewrites max_players in server_config.cfg at every start. To run with fewer players, use the pencil beside Slots on the server's Overview; to raise the limit, change plan. Editing the file does not stick.
Workshop mods, both halves. At every start our startup script downloads each numeric item with SteamCMD, copies it into mods/<id>, and rewrites the mods= line from your list. Take an ID out and its folder is deleted. Empty the field and no mods= line remains. A name that is not a number is treated as a folder you uploaded yourself: it is added to the line, never downloaded and never deleted, and the log tells you if that folder is missing.
Steam port. The panel passes a Steam port, but in our measurement the Wreckfest server ignores it and uses its own fixed port for the Steam connection.
Console. The Console tab shows the server log. What you type there does not reach the game, and Wreckfest has no RCON, so use in-game admin rights to change things mid-race.
Backups. If your plan includes backups, take one from Backups before editing files 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 and home internet, and it has to be on whenever your friends want to race. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
Network exposure. Self-hosted: players connect to your public IP and you manage the firewall and router for four ports. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
Skill needed. Self-hosted: SteamCMD, port forwarding, config editing, and on Linux Wine. A good way to learn. Rented: web panel fields.
Mods. Self-hosted: you download each Workshop item and copy its folder into mods yourself. Rented: paste the item numbers and restart.
Self-hosting suits you if a machine already runs all day and you are comfortable with networking. Renting suits you if you would rather spend the time racing.
Common problems and fixes
Your edits to the config are ignored
Cause: you edited initial_server_config.cfg, which the server does not read. The server reads server_config.cfg.
Fix: edit server_config.cfg and restart. Console changes made while the server runs are not saved to the file.
The server does not show in the browser
Cause: the ports are not reachable from outside.
Fix: allow UDP 27015, UDP 27016, UDP 33540 and TCP 27015 through the firewall and forward them on the router. The sample config also notes that a server only appears in LAN search for query ports 27015 to 27020 and 26900 to 26905. We have a separate guide: How to Fix a Wreckfest Server Missing From the Browser.
A mod does nothing
Cause: self-hosted, the mod's folder is not inside mods, or the mods= line is commented out or misspelled.
Fix: copy the whole mod folder into mods, list the folder name in mods= and restart. Players need the same mods on their own game.
Your changes disappear after a restart (PlayNHost)
Cause: the key is one the panel writes at every start: max_players or the mods= line.
Yes. The dedicated server downloads anonymously from Steam, and you do not need to own the game to install it. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.
How many players can join?
The sample config uses 24. Our plans are 17, 24 and 24 players.
Which ports does a Wreckfest server use?
The developer lists UDP 27015, UDP 27016, UDP 33540 and TCP 27015. In the sample config these are steam_port, query_port and game_port.
How do I become an admin?
Add your SteamID64 to admin_steam_ids= in server_config.cfg. With owner_disabled=0, as in the sample config, the first player to join also gets owner rights. See How to Become an Admin on Your Wreckfest Server.
Is this the same as a Wreckfest 2 server?
No. Wreckfest 2 is a separate game on Steam, and this guide covers the original Wreckfest.
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