Revision - dedicated server hosting - Windrose Wiki

Windrose supports dedicated servers at the April 14, 2026 Early Access launch. The official Discord FAQ says the dedicated server build ships as a free Steam tool, and the official server guide explains both the simple install flow and the manual SteamCMD route. For groups that want a persistent world online even when the usual host is away, dedicated hosting is the intended setup.

Official Status

Topic	Current Verified Answer
Dedicated servers at launch	Yes. Officially supported from day one
Official multiplayer cap	Up to 8 players, per the live Steam store page and the FAQ repost from the Discord
Performance recommendation	The official dedicated server guide recommends up to 4 players for smoother performance
Self-hosting	Supported through the official server build and guide
Rented hosts	Supported, but provider slot counts should not be treated as higher official gameplay limits

That split between 8 supported players and 4 recommended players matters. Windrose is officially sold as an up-to-8-player co-op game, but the official server configuration guide is more conservative when it talks about smooth real-world performance.

How You Actually Get the Server Files

Install the Windrose dedicated server tool from Steam Tools, or use SteamCMD if you want a manual server box workflow.
Copy the server files to a location outside the main game folder if you are using the bundled server files from the client install.
Edit the JSON configuration files only while the server is shut down.
Keep the dedicated server version matched to the current game client version after every patch or hotfix.

The official guide also documents a SteamCMD install path. The command sequence is: force_install_dir to your chosen folder, login anonymous, app_update 4129620 validate, then quit.

Core Files and Settings

File	What It Controls
ServerDescription.json	Invite code, password protection, server name, selected world, max players, and socket address settings
WorldDescription.json	World name, world preset, and custom difficulty or co-op parameters for that world
R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\Default\RocksDB\...\Worlds	The actual dedicated server world folders

The most important linkage is WorldIslandId in ServerDescription.json. It must match the exact world folder ID you want the server to load.

Self-Hosting Versus Renting

Approach	Best For	Tradeoff
Self-hosting	Small groups, home labs, and players comfortable with config files	Cheaper long term, but you handle file updates, networking, backups, and troubleshooting yourself
Rented hosting	Friend groups that want the fastest path to a persistent world	Easier uptime and backups, but you still inherit Early Access quirks and should not trust host marketing over the official cap

The official guide stays focused on self-hosting, and that is the safest source to trust. Provider control panels can be convenient, but the authoritative setup information still comes from Kraken Express.

Networking and Connection Notes

The official guide says ports are dynamically assigned through NAT punch-through rather than fixed port forwarding rules.
Your router should support UPnP if you are self-hosting.
If clients fail to connect, the official troubleshooting notes recommend disabling proxy or VPN software temporarily.
Version mismatch between the client and server is one of the first things to check after patches.

Platform and Host Notes

Environment	Current Official Guidance
Windows	Primary documented path. This is the baseline setup in the official guide
Linux or headless	Supported only as an experimental Wine path in the official guide, not as the mainline setup
Proxmox	Official guide recommends using CPU type host because generic virtual CPU profiles can cause launch failures or instability

What the Official Guide Does Not Offer

Kraken Express has published a real setup guide, but not a real admin-command handbook. Current launch-week coverage of admin commands consistently circles back to the same answer: the live build is a JSON-and-hosting workflow, not a mature console-command server-management workflow. If you are looking for rust-style admin powers, assume they are limited or undocumented until the developers publish otherwise.

Good Habits for Live Worlds

Back up your world before moving it, renaming folders, or updating the server build.
Keep one note with your world folder ID, invite code, password, and preset details so you can rebuild quickly after a bad patch or host move.
Do not rename world folders. The official guide warns that the world database depends on those IDs.
If performance matters more than maximum population, follow the guide's smoother-play recommendation and keep the world closer to 4 active players.

Launch-Week Connectivity and Known Limitations

The April 14, 2026 Early Access launch stressed Kraken Express's live services, and the pain points around dedicated server hosting are worth calling out separately from the broader multiplayer connectivity story. Self-hosted and rented servers remained technically functional, but two specific issues affected hosts during the launch window.

Access Token Generation Cooldown (Fixed in Hotfix 0.10.0.1.6)

Dedicated server hosts reported that access token generation was gated by a cooldown timer that compounded with the launch-window backend load. When the cooldown expired mid-session or during a restart, servers could temporarily refuse new joins until the next regeneration window.

Hotfix 0.10.0.1.6 disabled the access token generation cooldown for dedicated servers entirely. Hosts who ran into token-related failures in the first three days should no longer see them after updating the dedicated server build to match the patch. If the issue persists, the most common remaining cause is a client/server version mismatch, which the same hotfix also surfaces through an explicit UI error.

Port Forwarding Is Not a Standard Option

Hosts coming from other survival games have flagged a setup limitation with the launch build: the current dedicated server path does not offer a standard way to connect clients through a specific forwarded port. The official server settings schema does expose a P2pProxyAddress socket field, but the official guide describes the networking layer as NAT punch-through with dynamically assigned ports rather than a fixed, user-chosen forwarded port.

That design works well for most home-hosted groups with UPnP-capable routers, but it removes a knob that hosts with restrictive firewalls or traffic-shaping policies rely on elsewhere. This was called out in launch-week coverage (GosuGamers) as a concrete area where Kraken Express has room to expand dedicated-server tooling. The studio has said more connectivity fixes are in testing, but no timeline has been published for opt-in fixed-port hosting.

Until that lands, self-hosted groups behind strict NAT should verify UPnP is enabled on the router, temporarily disable VPN or proxy software when testing connectivity (per the official troubleshooting notes), and keep the dedicated server build matched to the current game client version after every patch.

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