How to Set Up an Avorion Dedicated Server

Avorion’s mix of RTS, sandbox, and ship-building elements makes it a massive draw for multiplayer communities[cite: 1]. To run these procedurally generated galaxies smoothly—and let your friends play while you’re offline—you’ll need a dedicated server[cite: 1]. Here is exactly how to get yours up and running.

SteamCMD Installation

Setting up starts with SteamCMD, Valve’s command-line tool for installing dedicated servers[cite: 1].

Download the SteamCMD zip and extract it somewhere accessible, like a desktop folder named steamcmd[cite: 1]. Next, create a separate folder for your server data with no spaces in the name, such as AvorionServer[cite: 1]. Open SteamCMD.exe, and when prompted, log in by entering login anonymous[cite: 1].

Downloading the Server Files

Now you need to tell Steam where to place the files. Copy the path to your AvorionServer folder and run force_install_dir followed by that path[cite: 1].

Install the server by running app_update 565060 validate (565060 is the specific App ID for the Avorion dedicated server)[cite: 1]. Wait for the “Success!” message[cite: 1]. Do not delete SteamCMD after this; you will need it again whenever the server needs an update[cite: 1].

Building the Server

Once installed, your AvorionServer folder will contain bin and data folders, various BAT and DLL files, and a readme document[cite: 1]. If Windows Defender triggers a security prompt during this process, simply click Allow[cite: 1].

To build the server environment, launch launcher.bat[cite: 1]. A dedicated setup window will appear asking for your session details before the server actually goes live[cite: 1].

Configuring Settings

In the setup window, look for the Path field and paste your AvorionServer folder path into it[cite: 1].

The server name defaults to Admin’s Server, but you can change it to whatever you want players to see on the browser list, alongside a custom description[cite: 1]. Because every galaxy is procedurally generated, you control the overarching rules, meaning you can adjust difficulty and collision damage directly from this menu[cite: 1].

Click Start to begin hosting. You’ll see a Server Online message indicating the server is ready with empty slots for incoming players[cite: 1].

Connecting to the Server

Players can join via the in-game browser or by connecting directly using your IP and port[cite: 1]. The default listening port is 27000[cite: 1]. If you are hosting on your home PC, friends on the same local network can just use your local IP[cite: 1]. Friends outside your network will need you to forward port 27000 on your home router[cite: 1]. (If you use a commercial server host, you get to skip the port forwarding step entirely[cite: 1]).

Linux Installation

If you’re on Linux, the SteamCMD process is largely identical: use login anonymous, force_install_dir (with a space-free path), and app_update 565060 validate[cite: 1]. To start the server, execute server.sh instead of the Windows batch file[cite: 1]. Note that Linux stores your galaxy save files under ~/.avorion/galaxies/ rather than the Windows AppData folder[cite: 1].

Hosting and Management

To tweak settings while the server is running on Windows, navigate to your hidden AppData folder, then go to Roaming > Avorion > Galaxies[cite: 1]. Look for the dedicated-server folder and open Server.ini[cite: 1]. This is where you configure granular rules like damage settings, or restrict access by adding usernames to whitelist.txt for private servers[cite: 1].

How much RAM do you actually need?

Avorion requires a 64-bit system with an absolute bare minimum of 4 GB of RAM, though 6 GB is the recommended baseline[cite: 1]. A small private server can run comfortably on that 6 GB[cite: 1]. However, if you run a massive galaxy where player-built stations remain simulated and active while players are offline, you will need significantly more memory than a fresh save file requires[cite: 1].

The Multiplayer Experience & Player Caps

Dedicated servers allow your community to drop in and out independently, letting the galaxy evolve even when the host is asleep[cite: 1].

By default, the server.ini file caps the server at 20 players[cite: 1]. However, this is just a default configuration, not a hard software limit. You can increase or decrease this cap at any time. Just remember that every active player loads new procedurally generated sectors into memory, so raising the player limit means you’ll need to scale up your server’s RAM to keep performance stable.

Uploading Saves and Mods

If you want to move an existing save, copy the entire galaxy folder located under AppData > Roaming > Avorion > Galaxies[cite: 1]. For AleForge servers, you can upload this directly via the panel[cite: 1]. Workshop mods are managed in the modconfig.lua file inside your specific galaxy folder[cite: 1].

Keeping the Server Online

Running a server on your personal rig means the galaxy goes offline the second your PC sleeps or shuts down[cite: 1]. If you want a 24/7 persistent galaxy without leaving your hardware running, look into commercial hosting[cite: 1].

When comparing hosts, look for features like NVMe storage, adequate RAM allocations, easy control panel access, DDoS protection, and automated backups[cite: 1]. Hosted solutions like AleForge handle the hardware and network routing for you, while keeping backups every 12 hours on a 5-day retention cycle[cite: 1].