A Mordhau dedicated server is the only way to run your own Mordhau match. There’s no “host game” button for a private server in the game, so every community, duel, Horde or friends-only server runs the free MORDHAU Dedicated Server tool (Steam app 629800) on Windows or Linux. You need 4–6 GB of RAM, four open ports (7777, 7778, 15000 and 27015), and a few lines in Game.ini. This guide covers the full setup, then admin, mods, commands and the errors people actually hit.
What you need: Mordhau server requirements
Plan on 4–6 GB of free RAM, a CPU with strong single-core speed, and an upload that can feed your player count at the tick rate you choose. Mordhau’s server is lighter on memory than survival games, but it is tick-rate bound: more players and a higher tick rate cost CPU together, and the cost grows fast.
- RAM: 4 GB for duels and small private matches; 6 GB for a full 64-player Frontline or Invasion server with mods.
- OS: 64-bit Windows (
MordhauServer.exe) or 64-bit Linux (MordhauServer.sh). Both builds come from the same Steam app. - Players: the game is built for up to 64. The Mordhau wiki warns that going higher than 64 slots causes engine performance problems.
- Same PC as your game? Possible, but the client wants 8 GB of RAM on its own, and the server’s default ports clash with the client’s (see below).
- Platforms: there is no server tool on the Epic Games Store, but a server set up this way accepts both Steam and Epic players. Console players can’t host private servers.
How to make a Mordhau server
There are three ways to install the server files: through Steam if you own the game, through SteamCMD on any Windows machine, or through LinuxGSM or SteamCMD on Linux. All three end with the same folders, the same Game.ini and the same ports. Pick Steam for a quick private server on your own PC, and SteamCMD or LinuxGSM for a machine that stays on.
Option A: Windows through Steam (easiest)
- In your Steam library, tick Tools in the filter, search for MORDHAU Dedicated Server and install it.
- Right-click it, open Properties, and put this in Launch options:
FFA_Contraband -log -Port=7779 -RconPort=7780 -QueryPort=27018 -BeaconPort=15002The map comes first and becomes the default map. The ports are moved off the defaults because the game client uses the same ones.
- Launch it once so it creates its config files, then shut it down.
- Use Manage → Browse local files to find
Mordhau\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Game.ini, and carry on with the config.
Option B: Windows through SteamCMD
- Make two folders, one for SteamCMD and one for the server, and extract
steamcmd.exeinto the first. - Create
update.batnext to it, replacingPATHwith your server folder:@echo off start "" steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir "PATH" +app_update 629800 validate +quitRun it to install, and run it again whenever Mordhau patches. The server doesn’t update itself.
- Start the server with a shortcut to
MordhauServer.exethat has-logon the end, so you can watch the console.
Option C: Linux with LinuxGSM or SteamCMD
The same app_update 629800 download works on Linux and installs MordhauServer.sh. LinuxGSM wraps it for you (mhserver), with install, update, start, stop and monitor commands. Its default start line is a good template for any Linux setup:
Mordhau FFA_ThePit -MultiHome=0.0.0.0 -Port=7777 -BeaconPort=15000 -QueryPort=27015 -GameIni=/path/to/Game.ini -logOn Linux the config folder is Mordhau/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. Don’t want to keep a machine on at all? Mordhau server hosting skips the install entirely.
Mordhau dedicated server ports
A Mordhau server uses four ports. All of them must be open in the firewall and, on a home connection, forwarded on your router. Each server instance on the same machine needs its own unique set, and you change them with launch parameters.
| Port | Default | Protocol | Launch parameter | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server port | 7777 | TCP/UDP | -Port= |
Game traffic (required) |
| RCON port | 7778 | TCP | -RconPort= |
RCON tools and bots |
| Beacon port | 15000 | TCP/UDP | -BeaconPort= |
Reserving a slot as a player connects |
| Query port | 27015 | TCP/UDP | -QueryPort= |
The server browser asking for your server’s details |
The game client uses these same defaults. If the server and your game run on one PC, change all four (as in the Steam launch options above), or the second one to start will fail.
Mordhau server config: Game.ini and Engine.ini
Two files hold every setting: Game.ini for the name, slots, password, admins, map rotation and mods, and Engine.ini for the tick rate and default map. Edit them only while the server is shut down. A running server writes its in-memory copy back on shutdown, and that is why edits “don’t save.”
| Install | Config folder |
|---|---|
| Windows (Steam) | …\steamapps\common\Mordhau Dedicated Server\Mordhau\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\ |
| Windows (WindowsGSM) | <WindowsGSM>\servers\1\serverfiles\steamapps\Mordhau\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\ |
| Linux (LinuxGSM) | ~/serverfiles/Mordhau/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ |
Name, slots and password
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameSession]
ServerName=My Mordhau Server
MaxSlots=24
ServerPassword=friends-only
bAdvertiseServerViaSteam=True
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=24Set MaxSlots and MaxPlayers to the same number. ServerPassword is all it takes to make a private server for friends. A friends-only duel server can be 2 to 8 slots; a battle server tops out at 64.
Map rotation and default map
Add one MapRotation= line per map, under the game mode section:
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameMode]
MapRotation=FFA_Cortile
MapRotation=SKM_Grad
MapRotation=FL_Camp
MapRotation=HRD_TaigaThe prefix sets the mode: FFA_ deathmatch, TDM_ team deathmatch, SKM_ skirmish, FL_ Frontline, INV_ Invasion, HRD_ Horde, and _64 variants for maps without the smaller bounds. To change the default map, put its name first on the launch line. That’s easier than ServerDefaultMap in Engine.ini, which needs the full path (/Game/Mordhau/Maps/…).
Duel servers: the ranked duel maps (DU_Truce, DU_Arena, DU_Highlands) can be played as free-for-all with MapGameModeOverrides. They only have spawn points for two players, though, so for more than a 1v1 you add a server actor mod that overrides the spawn points.
Game-mode settings
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameMode]
PlayerRespawnTime=15.000000
DamageFactor=1.000000
TeamDamageFactor=1.000000
AutoKickOnTeamKillAmount=999Times are in seconds. The same keys can be set per mode under each mode’s own section, for example Frontline at [/Game/Mordhau/Blueprints/GameModes/Battle/BP_FrontlineGameMode.BP_FrontlineGameMode_C].
Tick rate (Engine.ini)
[/Script/OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver]
NetServerMaxTickRate=120
LanServerMaxTickRate=60
[IpDrv.TcpNetDriver]
NetServerMaxTickRate=120
LanServerMaxTickRate=60Set it under both headings. A higher tick rate plus more players costs CPU fast, so check the result in game with m.ShowServerStats 1. Watch the average and maximum, not the minimum, which always jumps around.
Discord webhooks
Mordhau can post admin actions, punishments, lag reports and the chat feed to a Discord channel. Put the webhook URL in quotes:
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameSession]
AdminActionWebhookURL="https://discord.com/api/webhooks/..."
ChatFeedWebhookURL="https://discord.com/api/webhooks/..."How to add mods to a Mordhau server
Mordhau mods and custom maps come from mod.io. Find the mod’s Resource ID in the mod.io sidebar, add a Mods= line for it, and the server downloads it on start. Custom maps work the same way: install the mod, then add the map name the author gives to your rotation.
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameSession]
Mods=1234567
Mods=2345678Some mods, often server-side ones that change rules, add events or fix spawn points, ask you to load them as a server actor as well:
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameMode]
SpawnServerActorsOnMapLoad=/Path/To/ServerActorThemed community servers like Star Wars lightsaber servers, RP servers or gun servers are built from the same pieces: mod.io mods plus a matching map rotation. If you want vanilla players only, bDisableClientMods=True under MordhauGameMode blocks client-side mods.
How to become admin on a Mordhau server
Mordhau identifies admins by PlayFab ID, not Steam ID. Get yours in game: open the console with the ` key and run PlayerList, or CopyID 1 to copy your own (you are always session ID 1). Then add it to Game.ini and restart:
[/Script/Mordhau.MordhauGameSession]
Admins=YOURPLAYFABIDThe alternative is AdminPassword= plus AdminLogin <password> in the console each time you join. Be careful with it: anyone with that password can add more admins, and so can every admin.
Mordhau server commands
Admin commands go in the in-game console. RCON clients use a similar set over the RCON port, and admin chat commands start with /.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
Kick <PlayfabID/SessionID> <reason> |
Removes a player (they can rejoin) |
Ban <PlayfabID/SessionID> <duration> <reason> / Unban |
Bans or unbans a player; BanList shows active bans |
Mute / Unmute |
Chat mute with a duration |
AddAdmin / RemoveAdmin / AdminList |
Manage admins live |
ChangeLevel <map> |
Switch map now (an invalid name can disconnect players) |
AddBots <n> / AddBotsTeam <team> <n> |
Add bots; team 0 is Red, 1 is Blue |
ToggleDamage, ToggleStamina, Slomo <value> |
Training and event tools |
m.ShowServerStats 1 |
Shows the server’s min/avg/max tick rate |
/asay, /announce, /achat |
Admin chat messages, pop-ups and admin-only chat |
Over RCON you also get maplist, addmap / removemap (with an option to save the change to Game.ini), playerlist, scoreboard, info, stats, extendmatchduration, say and shutdown. Mordhau speaks the Source RCON protocol, so most Source RCON tools work. Set RconPassword and RconPort under MordhauGameSession first.
Bots, Horde and playing with friends only
Can you play Mordhau without other people? Yes: the game has offline practice against AI and the co-op Horde mode. On your own server, AddBots fills the empty slots, and a password plus a short rotation of Horde maps (HRD_Grad, HRD_Taiga, HRD_ThePit…) makes a friends-only co-op server.
How to join your own server
Once the ports are forwarded, other players find you in the server browser by name. On the PC running the server, the browser often won’t show it, so connect directly from the console: open 127.0.0.1:7779 (your server port), or open 127.0.0.1:7779?ServerPassword=yourpassword for a private one. Players on your LAN can use the server PC’s local IP the same way.
Common Mordhau server problems and fixes
| Problem | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Server not showing up in the browser | Query or beacon port not forwarded, or bAdvertiseServerViaSteam off |
Forward 27015 and 15000 (or your custom ports); set it to True |
| Server browser empty, for every server | The browser or the game’s backend is having a moment | Restart the game; if no server shows up at all, it’s not your server |
| “Failed to connect” to your own server | Server and client fighting over the default ports on one PC | Move the server to other ports, then connect with open 127.0.0.1:<port> |
| “Failed to connect to backend server” | The game can’t reach Mordhau’s online services. That’s a client or backend issue, not your server | Check whether other servers work; wait it out if Mordhau’s services are down |
| Wrong password | Typo, or the password was changed while the server was running and got overwritten | Stop the server, set ServerPassword, start it again |
| “Server is full, retrying” / waiting for a server | The slot limit is reached | Raise MaxSlots and MaxPlayers together, to the same value |
| Can’t connect after a game update | Server on an old build | Re-run app_update 629800 validate and restart |
| Mod map won’t load | Map name or path wrong, or the mod isn’t in Mods= |
Use the name from the mod.io page; check the log after start |
| Rubber-banding with a full server | Tick rate and player count too high for the CPU | Lower NetServerMaxTickRate or slots, and watch m.ShowServerStats 1 |
| Settings change back on their own | File edited while running | Edit only with the server shut down |
To check a server from outside, quakestat -a2s IP:PORT on Linux queries it the same way the browser does.
Skip the setup: rent a Mordhau server
Running your own means a PC that stays on, four forwarded ports, two .ini files you can only edit with the server off, and a manual update after every patch. If you’d rather just fight, Mordhau 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 battle server is $2.94 a week. Slots are unlimited on our side; the real ceiling is Mordhau’s own 64. The built-in AI copilot handles Game.ini. Tell it “rotate FL_Camp, SKM_Grad and HRD_Taiga, password the server for tonight and add my PlayFab ID as admin” and it writes the right sections, restarts the server and confirms it came back up. Give it a mod.io ID and it adds the mod, or ask “why won’t my server start?” and it reads the log for you.
FAQ
How do I create my own private Mordhau server?
Install the MORDHAU Dedicated Server (app 629800) through Steam or SteamCMD, start it once, set ServerName and ServerPassword in Game.ini, forward the four ports and start it again. Friends find it by name in the browser and enter the password.
What’s the Mordhau dedicated server app ID?
629800 for the server. The game itself is 629760. Download the server anonymously with +login anonymous +app_update 629800 validate.
What are the Mordhau server default ports?
7777 (game), 7778 (RCON), 15000 (beacon) and 27015 (query). Change them with -Port, -RconPort, -BeaconPort and -QueryPort.
Can I run a Mordhau dedicated server on Linux?
Yes. The same Steam app includes a Linux build (MordhauServer.sh), and LinuxGSM supports it as mhserver.
Can I host a Mordhau server on Epic Games or console?
There’s no server tool on the Epic store and no console hosting, but a server installed through Steam or SteamCMD accepts both Steam and Epic players.
Can I run a LAN-only Mordhau server?
Yes. Skip the port forwarding and join with open <LAN IP>:<port> from the console. LanServerMaxTickRate in Engine.ini sets the tick rate for LAN connections.
How much RAM does a Mordhau server need?
4–6 GB. More slots, a higher tick rate and big mod maps push it toward the top of that range, and CPU becomes the limit before RAM does.