An Insurgency: Sandstorm dedicated server is how you run your own co-op or PvP match, with your own map cycle, bot count, mods and admins. The server is a free Steam tool (app 581330) for Windows or Linux. It wants 4–8 GB of RAM, opens UDP ports 27102 and 27131, and is configured through a launch line, Game.ini and a few text files. This guide walks through the setup, then co-op bots, mods from mod.io, admin access and the errors you’ll actually see.
Can you host a private server in Insurgency: Sandstorm?
Yes. Community servers, private ones included, run the separate Insurgency: Sandstorm Dedicated Server tool rather than a listen server hosted from someone’s game. You install the tool through SteamCMD, configure it and leave it running, on your own PC, a spare machine or a rented host. Xbox and PlayStation players can’t run the server tool; it’s Windows and Linux software.
Insurgency: Sandstorm dedicated server requirements
- RAM: 4–8 GB for the server. Co-op with lots of bots costs more than PvP at the same player count, and the cost shows up as CPU load before RAM.
- CPU: fast single-core speed matters more than core count. Bots are simulated on the server, so a bot-heavy co-op game costs more than PvP at the same player count.
- OS: 64-bit Windows (
InsurgencyServer.exe) or 64-bit Linux (InsurgencyServer-Linux-Shipping). - Network: a stable upload, and two ports you can forward. Host close to your players. A squad in Asia on a US server feels every millisecond of ping.
- Same PC as the game? The game client alone wants 8 GB of RAM and a 40 GB install. Running both on one machine works for a small co-op group, not for a public server. That’s the point where most squads move to Insurgency: Sandstorm server hosting instead.
Player counts: PvP is built for up to 14v14, so 28 slots. Co-op is usually 8–12 players plus bots.
How to make an Insurgency: Sandstorm server
Install the server with SteamCMD, run it once so it creates its folders, create the config files it doesn’t make on its own, then start it with a launch line that names the map, scenario and ports. The whole server setup takes about half an hour the first time. Every step below works on Windows and Linux; only the folder names change.
Step 1: download and install the server files
steamcmd +force_install_dir "C:\sandstorm-server" +login anonymous +app_update 581330 validate +quitThe download is free and anonymous. The same command updates the server after every game patch, and an outdated server is the first thing to check when players suddenly can’t join.
Step 2: run it once, then create the config folders
Start InsurgencyServer.exe once and close it. The settings files belong in Insurgency\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\ (LinuxServer on Linux), and the admin, map cycle and mod lists belong in Insurgency\Config\Server\. A fresh install doesn’t always create these, so make the folders and files yourself if they’re missing:
Insurgency\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Game.ini
Insurgency\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Engine.ini
Insurgency\Config\Server\Admins.txt
Insurgency\Config\Server\MapCycle.txt
Insurgency\Config\Server\Mods.txtStep 3: the launch line
Sandstorm takes its basics from the command line: map, scenario, player cap and password go after the map name, joined with ?; everything else is a - parameter. A PvP example:
InsurgencyServer.exe Oilfield?Scenario=Scenario_Refinery_Push_Security?MaxPlayers=28 -Port=27102 -QueryPort=27131 -log -hostname="My Sandstorm Server"A private co-op server for a squad, with admins and a map cycle:
InsurgencyServer.exe Farmhouse?Scenario=Scenario_Farmhouse_Checkpoint_Security?MaxPlayers=8?password=squadonly -Port=27102 -QueryPort=27131 -log -hostname="Squad Co-op" -AdminList=Admins -MapCycle=MapCycleThe launch parameters you’ll use most:
| Parameter | What it does |
|---|---|
Map?Scenario=… |
Starting map and scenario. The scenario sets the mode: _Checkpoint_ is co-op, while _Push_ and the other versus scenarios are PvP |
?MaxPlayers= |
Player cap |
?password= |
Makes the server private |
?Game=CheckpointHardcore |
Picks a mode variant, here hardcore co-op |
-Port= / -QueryPort= |
Game port (27102) and query port (27131) |
-hostname= |
The name in the server browser |
-AdminList=Admins |
Loads Admins.txt |
-MapCycle=MapCycle |
Loads MapCycle.txt |
-mutators= |
Comma-separated mutators, for example -mutators="NoRestrictedArea,ScaleBotAmount" |
-Mods / -ModList=Mods.txt |
Turns on mod.io mods from the list (see below) |
-Rcon -RconPassword= -RconListenPort= |
Turns on RCON for remote server commands |
-GSLTToken=, -GameStats -GameStatsToken= |
Steam login token and stats, needed for XP on your server |
-log |
Shows the live server log |
On Windows, save the full line in a start.bat next to InsurgencyServer.exe so you don’t retype it.
Step 4: open the ports
| Port | Protocol | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 27102 | UDP | Game traffic (-Port) |
| 27131 | UDP | Server browser queries (-QueryPort) |
| 27015 (your choice) | TCP | RCON, only if you enable it (-RconListenPort) |
Forward them on your router to the server PC and allow them in the firewall. Running a second server? Give it its own game, query and RCON ports.
Co-op server setup: bots and Checkpoint
Checkpoint is Sandstorm’s co-op (often written coop) mode, and a co-op server is a server whose map cycle holds only Checkpoint scenarios. Start on a _Checkpoint_ scenario, list only Checkpoint scenarios in MapCycle.txt, and the server stays co-op against bots. Start on anything else and it runs PvP, the most common “my co-op server is PvP” mistake.
Scenario_Farmhouse_Checkpoint_Security
Scenario_Farmhouse_Checkpoint_Insurgents
Scenario_Town_Checkpoint_Security
(Scenario="Scenario_Hideout_Checkpoint_Security",Lighting="Day",Mode="Checkpoint")Each line is a scenario name, or a bracketed entry when you want to set the lighting or mode. Bot numbers live in Game.ini:
[/Script/Insurgency.INSCoopMode]
MinimumEnemies=8
MaximumEnemies=24
FriendlyBotQuota=4
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=8Enemy count scales between the minimum and maximum with the number of players. FriendlyBotQuota fills your own side with bots. For PvP with bots, bBots=True and BotQuota= go under [/Script/Insurgency.INSMultiplayerMode]. The cost of all those bots lands on the CPU: if a big co-op game feels laggy while the RAM is fine, lower MaximumEnemies before anything else.
Server config file: Game.ini and Engine.ini settings
Game.ini holds the game rules, and Engine.ini holds network settings like tick rate. Edit them with the server stopped. Sections and key names have to be exact; a typo is ignored silently.
| Section | Typical keys |
|---|---|
[/Script/Insurgency.INSMultiplayerMode] |
bMapVoting, bUseMapCycle, RoundLimit, bAllowFriendlyFire, bBots, BotQuota |
[/Script/Insurgency.INSCoopMode] |
MinimumEnemies, MaximumEnemies, FriendlyBotQuota, AIDifficulty |
[/Script/Insurgency.INSGameMode] |
bKillFeed, TeamKillLimit, bDeadSay |
[/Script/Engine.GameSession] |
MaxPlayers |
[Rcon] |
bEnabled, Password, ListenPort (an alternative to the -Rcon launch parameters) |
Engine.ini [/Script/OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver] |
NetServerMaxTickRate (internet players), LanServerMaxTickRate (LAN players) |
Admins and server commands
Put one Steam64 ID per line in Insurgency\Config\Server\Admins.txt and start the server with -AdminList=Admins. Those players get admin rights in game. For remote control, turn on RCON (-Rcon -RconPassword=… -RconListenPort=…) and connect with an RCON client. Tools like SISSM (Simple Insurgency Sandstorm Server Manager) and Sandstorm Admin Wrapper are two community tools: SISSM is a watchdog that runs next to the server and handles automatic restarts, greetings and server rules, and SAW is a browser front-end for configuring the server and administering it over RCON.
Insurgency: Sandstorm server mods and custom maps
Mods and custom maps come from mod.io. You add the mod IDs to Mods.txt, start the server with -Mods, and players download the mods when they join. Custom maps then go in the map cycle like any other scenario.
- Find each mod’s ID on its mod.io page and put one per line in
Insurgency\Config\Server\Mods.txt. (-CmdModList="id1,id2"on the launch line does the same thing.) - Add
-Mods -ModList=Mods.txtto the launch line, plus-mutators=for any mod that is a mutator. - Add the custom map’s scenarios to
MapCycle.txt, for example(Scenario="Scenario_TORO_Checkpoint_Security",Lighting="Day",Mode="Checkpoint"). - Let the server sign in to mod.io. Older guides put an
AccessTokeninEngine.ini; since update 1.20 (February 2026) servers sign in to a mod.io account with a one-time code sent by email (-SecurityCode=), and the old token does nothing. Use a separate mod.io account for the server, not the one you play on. - Start with
-ModDownloadTravelTo=Map?Scenario=…if your first map is a mod map. The server starts on a stock map, downloads the mods, then travels there.
Community mod packs like ISMC (Insurgency: Sandstorm Mod Collection) follow the same steps with more mutators, and each pack’s mod.io page has its own install guide.
Getting XP on your server: GSLT and game stats
To let players earn XP on a community server, it needs a Steam Game Server Login Token and a game stats token. Create the GSLT at Steam’s game server account page using Insurgency: Sandstorm’s app ID, 581320; your Steam account must own the game. Then add -GSLTToken=… and -GameStats -GameStatsToken=… to the launch line. Keep both tokens private: Steam’s page warns not to share them, and a token that goes unused for a long time expires.
Common Insurgency: Sandstorm server issues and fixes
| Problem | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Server not showing up, or the server browser not working for your server | Query port 27131 not forwarded, or the server is still starting | Forward the query port, wait for the log to settle, search the exact hostname |
| You can’t see your own server | Your router doesn’t support NAT loopback | Ask a friend outside your network to check, or test from another connection |
| Co-op server starts in PvP | Start scenario or map cycle isn’t Checkpoint | Use a _Checkpoint_ scenario and a Checkpoint-only MapCycle.txt |
| Stuck on “preparing server” / black screen when joining | The client is still downloading the server’s mods, or the server is on a different build | Give mods time on first join; update the server after every patch |
| Connection to server timed out / lost connection | Game port blocked, or the server froze under load | Check UDP 27102, then check the log and CPU load |
| Mods not downloading on the server | The server isn’t signed in to mod.io (old AccessToken method) |
Sign in with the email security code; check the mod IDs in Mods.txt |
| Mutator shows as invalid | The first map loaded before the mods finished downloading | Start on a stock map with -ModDownloadTravelTo= |
| Server lag in co-op | Too many bots for the CPU | Lower MaximumEnemies; update the server (update 1.22 fixed high CPU use on community servers, even when idle) |
| Players kicked: anti-cheat, “client integrity violation”, “authentication timed out” or “Steam authentication failed” | Client-side: Easy Anti-Cheat or Steam can’t verify that player’s game | The player verifies their game files and restarts Steam; it’s rarely the server |
| Server down after a game update | Old server build | Re-run app_update 581330 validate |
If every server in the browser is missing, not just yours, the problem is on the game’s side, and the official Insurgency: Sandstorm Discord and Steam news are where outages get announced.
Skip the setup: rent a Sandstorm server
Self-hosting Sandstorm means a launch line that grows with every feature, folders you have to create yourself, a mod.io login and two forwarded ports. If you’d rather just play with your squad, Insurgency: Sandstorm server hosting on GameTeam is ready in minutes. You pay per GB of RAM ($0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly), so a 6 GB co-op server is $2.94 a week. Slots are unlimited, so a full 28-player PvP night costs the same as an 8-player co-op run. The built-in AI copilot handles the INI and text files. Tell it “make this a hardcore Checkpoint co-op server for 8, with 24 max enemies, and add mod 94277 to the map cycle” and it writes Game.ini, MapCycle.txt and Mods.txt, restarts the server and checks that it came back up. If a co-op night starts stuttering, ask “why is the server lagging?” and it checks the log.
FAQ
How do I create my own Insurgency: Sandstorm server?
Install the dedicated server (app 581330) with SteamCMD, create Game.ini, Admins.txt and MapCycle.txt, then start InsurgencyServer.exe with a map, scenario, ports and hostname on the launch line. Forward UDP 27102 and 27131 so others can join.
Can you play Insurgency: Sandstorm co-op on a dedicated server?
Yes. Use Checkpoint scenarios only, set the bot counts under [/Script/Insurgency.INSCoopMode], and add a ?password= if it’s just for your squad.
Does the Sandstorm dedicated server run on Linux?
Yes. The same SteamCMD app installs a Linux build, and LinuxGSM supports it as inssserver.
How do I make a private server on Xbox or PS?
You can’t run the server on a console. The server tool is for Windows and Linux PCs.
Why can’t I download mods on Insurgency: Sandstorm?
On a server, it’s almost always the mod.io sign-in: since update 1.20 the server signs in with an emailed code, not the old token. As a player, mods download when you join a modded server, so a stalled download usually means the server is mid-update.
How do I find a game server’s IP address?
For a server on your own PC, it’s your public IP plus the game port, 27102 by default. On a hosted server, the control panel shows both.
Is Insurgency: Sandstorm still worth hosting in 2026?
The game is still getting updates (1.22 landed in October 2026, with a community-server CPU fix), and a private co-op server is the easiest way to play with your squad on your own rules.