How to Set Up an Unturned Dedicated Server

Unturned is free, lightweight, and great fun with friends — and a dedicated server keeps your survival world persistent without hammering your hardware. This guide sets up an Unturned server on a Linux VPS with SteamCMD, opens the right ports, and runs it as a service.

What you need

• A Linux VPS: Ubuntu 22.04/24.04. Unturned is light — 2–4 GB RAM handles a typical server comfortably.
• Open ports: UDP 27015, 27016, and 27017 (game, query, and the extra port Unturned uses).

Step 1: Create a user and install dependencies

sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" unturned
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 steamcmd

Step 2: Install the server with SteamCMD

The Unturned dedicated server is App ID 1110390 with a native Linux build:

sudo su - unturned
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/unturned/server +login anonymous +app_update 1110390 validate +quit

Step 3: Open the firewall

sudo ufw allow 27015:27017/udp
sudo ufw reload

Open UDP 27015–27017 on any provider firewall too.

Step 4: Generate the server config

Unturned creates a server instance folder the first time you run it with a server ID. Launch it once to generate the config:

cd /home/unturned/server
./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer

Stop it after it generates the folder. Your config now lives under Servers/MyServer/Server/, where the main file is Commands.dat. Edit it to set:

• Name — the server name shown in the browser.
• Map — e.g. PEI, Washington, Russia, or Elver.
• MaxPlayers — the slot count.
• Password — set to make the server private.
• Perspective — first/third person, or both.

A typical Commands.dat looks like:

Name My Nxeon Unturned Server
Map Washington
MaxPlayers 16
Perspective Both

Step 5: Run it as a systemd service

Create /home/unturned/start.sh:

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/unturned/server
./ServerHelper.sh +InternetServer/MyServer

chmod +x /home/unturned/start.sh

# /etc/systemd/system/unturned.service
[Unit]
Description=Unturned Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=unturned
ExecStart=/home/unturned/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now unturned
sudo journalctl -u unturned -f

Step 6: Add Workshop mods and curated maps

Unturned has a rich Steam Workshop. Add Workshop item IDs to the server's WorkshopDownloadConfig.json, and the server downloads them on startup. Custom maps from the Workshop are loaded the same way — set the Map in Commands.dat to the workshop map's name after it downloads. As always, keep the server updated by re-running the +app_update 1110390 command, or automate it.

Admin commands and backups

Add your SteamID64 to the Admins.dat file (or use the Admin command in the console) to grant yourself admin powers. From there you can kick, ban, teleport, and give items. Commands can be typed into the server console or issued in-game as an admin.

Your world data lives inside the server instance folder (Servers/MyServer/), so backing up that whole folder captures your world, config, and admin lists in one shot:

# nightly backup, keep a week
0 4 * * * tar -czf /home/unturned/backups/unt-$(date +\%F).tar.gz /home/unturned/server/Servers && find /home/unturned/backups -name 'unt-*' -mtime +7 -delete

Because Unturned is so light on resources, it's an ideal candidate to run on a small, affordable VPS — see how to back up your game server automatically for a fuller routine.

FAQ

What ports does an Unturned server use?

UDP 27015 (game), 27016 (query), and 27017. Open the 27015–27017 range on both the OS and provider firewalls.

How much RAM does an Unturned server need?

2–4 GB is plenty for a typical server. Heavy Workshop mods and large custom maps can push it a little higher, but Unturned is one of the lighter survival servers.

How do I add mods to an Unturned server?

Add the Steam Workshop item IDs to WorkshopDownloadConfig.json. The server downloads them automatically on launch. Curated maps load the same way.

Is an Unturned dedicated server free to run?

The game and server software are free; you only pay for the VPS to host it. Because it's so light, a small, affordable plan is enough.

Unturned barely taxes a small box — a perfect match for an affordable VPS. Browse game server hosting to launch one.