How to Set Up a Valheim Dedicated Server

By Admin · Mar 1, 2026 · Updated Apr 23, 2026 · 22 views · 2 min read

Overview

Valheim is a Viking survival game that supports up to 10 players on a dedicated server. Running your own server gives you persistent worlds and mod support.

Requirements

A Breeze with at least 4 GB RAM
Ubuntu 22.04 or Debian 12
At least 2 CPU cores

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y steamcmd

Step 2: Create a Server User

sudo useradd -r -m -d /opt/valheim valheim

Step 3: Install Valheim Server

sudo -u valheim steamcmd +force_install_dir /opt/valheim/server \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 896660 validate \
  +quit

Step 4: Create a Start Script

sudo -u valheim tee /opt/valheim/start.sh <<'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
export templdpath=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/valheim/server/linux64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export SteamAppId=892970

/opt/valheim/server/valheim_server.x86_64 \
  -name "My Valheim Server" \
  -port 2456 \
  -world "MyWorld" \
  -password "changeme" \
  -public 0

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$templdpath
EOF
chmod +x /opt/valheim/start.sh

Step 5: Create a Systemd Service

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/valheim.service <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=Valheim Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=valheim
WorkingDirectory=/opt/valheim
ExecStart=/opt/valheim/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=15

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now valheim

Step 6: Open Firewall Ports

sudo ufw allow 2456:2458/udp

Connecting

Launch Valheim, go to Join Game, and enter your server's IP address with port 2457. Enter the password you configured.

Server Maintenance

Update: steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 896660 +quit
Backups are in /opt/valheim/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/
Consider daily world backups with a cron job