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Core Keeper Server Hosting
Dig into the dark, build a base and face the giants below with friends while the AI copilot keeps the lights on.
What do you need to run a Core Keeper dedicated server?
A Core Keeper dedicated server needs only 2–4 GB of RAM, the free Core Keeper Dedicated Server tool (Steam app 1963720), a machine that stays on, and a ServerConfig.json with your world, mode and player cap. Friends join with the Game ID it prints, so a Steam group needs no port forwarding. With GameTeam's Core Keeper server hosting you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, slots are unlimited (Core Keeper itself is built for up to 8 players), and the AI copilot handles the config, your uploaded world and the log when an update breaks something.
Run your Core Keeper server by just asking.
Core Keeper's server is simple until it isn't: a world slot pointing at the wrong file, a mod left over from the last patch, a Game ID nobody can find. Ask the copilot and it fixes the file, reads the log or digs out the ID for you.
Always-On Base
The caverns you dug are there tomorrow, whoever logs in first.
No JSON, Ever
Seed, name, password, settings — say it and the copilot writes it.
Cheap to Keep
Core Keeper needs very little; keeping the server for months costs less than a takeaway.
Core Keeper with friends
A cozy underground sandbox: mine outward from a single room, farm, cook, fish and slowly turn the caverns into a home. Bosses wait in the deep, and a group makes the digging faster and the base a lot more ambitious.
Core Keeper server RAM requirements
2-4 GB. The world is compact and memory use stays flat compared with 3D survival titles.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 players, a fresh or mid-game world | 2 GB | $0.98 / week |
| 5–8 players, big automated bases, or mods | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
Core Keeper is one of the lightest servers we host: the world is 2D and memory stays fairly flat as it grows. 2 GB is enough for a small group; go to 4 GB for a full 8-player server or a modded world, and change it in one click if you ever need to. Player limit: the game is built for 1–8 players. The server sets its own cap with maxNumberPlayers; GameTeam never charges per slot.
How to set up a Core Keeper server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
2 GB is plenty to start. Choose the location nearest most of your group; there are 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Set up the world
Tell the copilot the world name, mode (Normal, Hard, Casual or Creative) and seed, or edit ServerConfig.json in the file manager. Bringing your own world? Upload the .world.gzip and point world at its slot number.
Share how to join
Friends choose Join Game in Core Keeper and paste the Game ID from GameID.txt (ask the copilot to read it out). If your server runs in direct-connect mode, they enter its IP, port and password instead.
Good to know before you start
The world is generated on first start from the configured seed, so the seed is worth choosing deliberately rather than accepting the default.
Core Keeper server settings explained
The server reads ServerConfig.json from its DedicatedServer data folder, and the same options exist as launch arguments (the full list ships in ARGUMENTS.txt). Stop the server before you edit the file, and keep the JSON valid. The keys worth knowing:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
world | Which world slot to load. Slot 3 is the file 3.world.gzip; a slot with no file becomes a new world. |
worldName | The server and world name. |
worldSeed | Seed for a new world. Leave it empty for a random one. It only matters the first time a slot is generated. |
worldMode | 0 Normal, 1 Hard, 2 Creative, 4 Casual. Creative and non-Creative worlds can't be converted into each other. |
maxNumberPlayers | How many players can be connected at once. Core Keeper is designed for up to 8. |
gameId | Pins the Game ID so it never changes. Letters and numbers only, 15 to 28 characters. |
-port / -ip / -password | Launch arguments only. Setting -port switches the server to direct connect, joined by IP, port and password (up to 28 characters). |
-allowonlyplatform | Direct connect only: limit joins to one store (1 Steam, 2 Epic, 3 Microsoft, 4 GOG). |
-season | Forces a seasonal event such as Halloween or Christmas instead of following the real date. |
-activatecontent | Switches on newer content in a world made before update 1.1. It can't be turned off again, so back up first. |
Can I add mods to a Core Keeper server?
Yes. Core Keeper has official mod support through Pugstorm's Mod SDK, and mods are shared on mod.io. Server-side mods go in CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods, and every player needs the same set.
Core Keeper server ports
Most Steam groups never touch a port. On GameTeam the panel shows the server's address and port if you do use direct connect, and there is nothing to forward.
Pay per GB of RAM. Never per slot.
You pay for memory, not seats, and billing can be weekly, so you are never locked into a month the group might not play. Change RAM in one click, or switch the same server to another game. The AI copilot is included on every plan.
- ✓ AI copilot included on every plan
- ✓ Unlimited player slots — we never charge per slot
- ✓ Ryzen 9 7950X · NVMe storage
- ✓ DDoS protection included
- ✓ Switch to another game anytime
- ✓ 25 GB NVMe storage · 160 Gbps DDoS protection
- ✓ AI copilot included on every plan
- ✓ Unlimited player slots — we never charge per slot
- ✓ Ryzen 9 7950X · Unlimited NVMe storage
- ✓ 480 Gbps DDoS protection
- ✓ Switch to another game anytime
- ✓ Dedicated threads
- ✓ Automatic backups
- ✓ Priority support
Hardware & network
Locations
What server owners say
"Honestly didn't expect much from an 'AI manager', but it's how I run my server now. I'll type something like 'why did the server crash last night' and it actually reads the logs and tells me."
Verified review
"I'd been on two other hosts before this. What sold me was the AI manager catching a memory leak in one of my mods and naming the exact one — something I'd been chasing for weeks."
Verified review
"I'm not very technical and setting up servers always stressed me out. Now I just ask the assistant to fix a config, and it either walks me through it or does it for me."
Verified review
Core Keeper server hosting FAQ
What does a Core Keeper server host do that hosting from the game doesn't?
When you host from the game, the cave closes when you quit and your PC carries the whole world. A Core Keeper server host runs the dedicated server for you around the clock, so crops keep growing, friends can drop in without you, and nobody's gaming PC has to stay on. That is the point of Core Keeper dedicated server hosting: the world belongs to the group, not to one person's schedule.
How much does a Core Keeper server cost?
You pay per GB of RAM. A 2 GB Core Keeper server is $0.98 a week on Budget and 4 GB is $1.96 a week; billed monthly it is $1.99/GB. Every slot and the AI copilot come with the plan, and the first 72 hours are money-back.
Is the Core Keeper dedicated server free?
The software is. It comes with the game as a separate entry in the Tools section of your Steam library, and on Linux it downloads through SteamCMD (app 1963720, plus the Steamworks redistributable, app 1007). What you pay for is a machine that stays on. Our Core Keeper dedicated server guide covers running it yourself.
How many players can join a Core Keeper server?
Core Keeper is built for 1–8 players, so 8 is the realistic maximum for a group. The server's own cap is maxNumberPlayers. GameTeam never charges per slot.
Why can't my friends find the server by its Game ID?
It comes up a lot on Reddit and the Steam forums, and the cause is usually one of three things: the ID was copied wrong, it changed (pin it with gameId), or the server runs in direct-connect mode, where the Game ID isn't used and players join by IP, port and password. Ask the copilot to read GameID.txt and check which mode the server is in.
Can Epic, GOG and Microsoft Store players join?
Yes, since patch 1.1.2.3 in August 2025, but only through direct connect: start the server with -port and players on any PC store join with the IP, port and password. In Game ID mode, it is Steam players only.
Can PS5, Xbox or Switch players join a Core Keeper dedicated server?
No. Pugstorm's patch notes say Core Keeper does not support crossplay between PC and consoles; the crossplay setting only covers PC players on different stores.
Can I move my world from my PC to the server?
Yes. Your local worlds are in AppData\LocalLow\Pugstorm\Core Keeper\Steam\<your ID>\worlds (AppData is hidden). Upload the .world.gzip unchanged, don't unzip it, and set world to the number in its file name. Or upload it and tell the copilot to load it.
Can I add mods to a Core Keeper server?
Yes. Core Keeper has official mod support, with mods on mod.io. Server-side mods go in CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods, and everyone who joins needs the same mods. Pugstorm says that still holds when Steam, Epic, GOG and Microsoft Store players share a server. Leave out client-only mods.
What happens when Core Keeper updates?
Players on the new version can't join a server on the old one, and mods built for the old version can stop the server from starting. Ask the copilot to back up the world and update the server; if it still won't start, it reads CoreKeeperServerLog.txt and tells you which mod or setting is to blame.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
The caves stay lit when you log off.
Deploy a small server, tell the copilot what world you want, and send the group the Game ID.
Deploy your Core Keeper server