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Insurgency: Sandstorm Server Hosting
Fight close and fight smart with your squad while the AI copilot keeps the server up.
What do you need to host an Insurgency: Sandstorm server?
To host an Insurgency: Sandstorm server you need 4–8 GB of RAM, the free Insurgency: Sandstorm Dedicated Server (Steam app 581330), UDP ports 27102 and 27131 open, and a launch line plus Game.ini and MapCycle.txt that say which map, mode and bot count to run. Or rent one that is already built. With GameTeam's Insurgency: Sandstorm server hosting you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, never per slot (the game itself caps PvP at 14v14), and the AI copilot writes the INI and text files when you tell it what you want — a private co-op server for your squad included.
Run your Insurgency: Sandstorm server by just asking.
Sandstorm spreads one server across a launch line, two INI files and three text files, and most broken servers are one of them out of step with the others. Tell the copilot what you want — it edits the right file, restarts, and reads the log to prove it came back the way you asked.
INI, Handled
Map cycle, mutators, bot counts — described once, written and read back by the copilot.
Mods by ID
Tell the copilot the mod.io IDs; it lists them and pulls them on start.
PvP-Size Slots
Unlimited players — a full 28-player match costs the same per GB as an eight-man co-op.
Insurgency: Sandstorm with friends
A tactical shooter where firefights are lethal and short — no health bars, no minimap, just cover and communication. Its co-op mode against AI and its PvP modes both reward a squad that moves together and talks.
Insurgency: Sandstorm server RAM requirements
4-8 GB. Bot-heavy co-op modes cost more than PvP at the same player count.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| Private co-op for 4–8 friends | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
| Full co-op with high bot counts, or 28-player PvP | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
| Big mod packs like ISMC, or PvP with bots on top | 8 GB | $3.92 / week |
Sandstorm is a CPU game before it is a RAM game: a bot-heavy co-op match costs more than PvP at the same player count, and the cost shows up as stutter, not a crash. Treat the table as a first guess: RAM can be raised or lowered from the panel in one click, and the server keeps its files. Player limit: 28 for PvP (14 v 14), 8-12 plus bots for co-op.
How to set up a Insurgency: Sandstorm server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
4 GB covers a private co-op night; 6 GB is a full 28-player PvP server. Choose the location closest to your squad from 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Set the mode, map cycle and bots
Tell the copilot "Checkpoint co-op for 8, password squadonly, hardcore" or edit Game.ini and MapCycle.txt yourself in the file manager. Add your Steam64 ID to Admins.txt to get admin in game.
Join from the server browser
Search the server name in Insurgency: Sandstorm's server browser, enter the password if you set one, and you're in. Mods download on join.
Good to know before you start
The map cycle and mutators are defined in configuration files, and mods are pulled from mod.io by ID at start.
The most common problem
Co-op modes with high bot counts cost far more CPU than the player count suggests, which shows up as tick rate drops rather than as a crash.
Insurgency: Sandstorm server settings explained
Sandstorm takes the start map, scenario, player cap and password on the launch line, joined with ?. The rest lives in Insurgency/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini (WindowsServer on Windows) and in text files under Insurgency/Config/Server/. Section and key names must be exact — a typo is ignored without a warning. The settings owners change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
Map?Scenario=… | Start map and scenario on the launch line. _Checkpoint_ scenarios are co-op; _Push_, Firefight and the other versus scenarios are PvP. |
?MaxPlayers= / ?password= | Player cap and join password. A password is what makes it a private server. |
?Game=CheckpointHardcore | Picks a mode variant — here, hardcore co-op. |
-hostname= | The name players see in the server browser. |
-MapCycle=MapCycle | Loads MapCycle.txt: one scenario per line, or a bracketed entry such as (Scenario="Scenario_Hideout_Checkpoint_Security",Lighting="Day",Mode="Checkpoint"). |
-AdminList=Admins | Loads Admins.txt, one Steam64 ID per line. |
-mutators= | Comma-separated mutators, for example NoRestrictedArea,ScaleBotAmount. |
[/Script/Insurgency.INSCoopMode] | MinimumEnemies, MaximumEnemies and AIDifficulty: how many bots co-op spawns and how hard they fight. |
[/Script/Insurgency.INSMultiplayerMode] | bAllowFriendlyFire, bMapVoting, bUseMapCycle, RoundLimit. |
[/Script/Insurgency.INSGameMode] | bKillFeed and TeamKillLimit, among others. |
[Rcon] | bEnabled, Password, ListenPort — or the -Rcon -RconPassword= -RconListenPort= launch options. |
-GSLTToken= / -GameStats -GameStatsToken= | Steam login token and stats token. Only needed if players should earn XP on your server. |
Insurgency: Sandstorm server commands
These run over RCON (turn it on in [Rcon] or with -Rcon). Use the Steam64 ID from listplayers for kicks and bans. Or skip the RCON client and ask the copilot to run them from the panel.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
listplayers | Lists everyone on the server with their IDs. |
kick "<id>" "<reason>" | Removes a player. They can rejoin. |
banid "<id>" <minutes> "<reason>" | Bans a player for a number of minutes, with a reason. |
unban "<id>" | Lifts a ban. listbans shows current bans. |
say <message> | Broadcasts a chat message to all players. |
travel <Map>?Scenario=<scenario> | Switches to another map and scenario now. |
restartround | Restarts the current round. |
gamemodeproperty <name> [value] | Reads or changes a game mode setting live, such as RoundLimit. |
maps / scenarios | Lists the maps and scenarios the server can load. |
help | Lists the commands this server accepts. |
Can I add mods to a Insurgency: Sandstorm server?
Yes, through mod.io. Mods and custom maps are listed in the server configuration and downloaded by clients.
Put each mod's mod.io ID on its own line in Insurgency/Config/Server/Mods.txt and start with -Mods -ModList=Mods.txt; mods that are mutators also go in -mutators=. Since update 1.20 (February 2026) the server signs in to its own mod.io account with a one-time code sent by email (-SecurityCode=), so use a mod.io account you don't play on. If the first map is a mod map, start on a stock map with -ModDownloadTravelTo= so it downloads first.
Insurgency: Sandstorm server ports
If the query port is blocked, the server runs but never shows up in the browser. A GameTeam server needs no port forwarding; its real address and ports, which can differ from these defaults, are listed in the panel.
Pay per GB of RAM. Never per slot.
You pay for memory, not seats, and the weekly plan lets you start with a single week. 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
Insurgency: Sandstorm server hosting FAQ
How do I host a private server in Insurgency: Sandstorm?
Community servers, private ones included, run on the separate dedicated server tool, not from someone's game. Install it and add ?password= to the launch line, or rent one. On GameTeam, tell the copilot the password and it sets it, so only your squad can join. Private co-op against bots is the most common setup.
Can I run a co-op server against bots?
Yes. Start on a _Checkpoint_ scenario, keep only Checkpoint scenarios in MapCycle.txt, and set the bot numbers under [/Script/Insurgency.INSCoopMode]. If the server starts on a versus scenario such as Push, it runs PvP, which is the classic "my co-op server is PvP" mistake.
How many players can an Insurgency: Sandstorm server hold?
PvP is built for 14v14, so 28 players; co-op usually runs 8–12 players plus bots. That cap comes from the game, not from us — GameTeam never charges per slot, so a full PvP server costs the same per GB as a small co-op group.
How much does Insurgency: Sandstorm server rental cost?
Rental is priced per GB of RAM: $0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly. A 4 GB co-op server is $1.96 a week and a 6 GB PvP server is $2.94 a week, with unlimited slots and the AI copilot included. You can start with a single week, which is enough for a one-off event.
Do players earn XP on a hosted Sandstorm server?
Only if the server runs with a Steam Game Server Login Token and a game stats token (-GSLTToken=, -GameStats -GameStatsToken=). The GSLT is made on Steam's game server page by an account that owns the game, so you create it and give it to the server. Without the tokens the server plays normally, just without XP.
Why do I get "kicked from server: host closed connection"?
Usually the server restarted, crashed or changed build while you were on it, or your game is a different version from the server's. Update the game, then check the server: on GameTeam, ask the copilot "why did the server drop everyone?" and it reads the log. Anti-cheat kicks such as "client integrity violation" are almost always on the player's side — verify game files and restart Steam.
Can I use mods and custom maps?
Yes, from mod.io. Mod IDs go in Mods.txt, the server downloads them, and players download them when they join. Custom maps then go in MapCycle.txt like any stock map. Mod packs like ISMC work the same way with more mutators.
Is Insurgency: Sandstorm still getting updates?
Yes. Update 1.22 landed in October 2026 and fixed high CPU use on community servers, even when idle. Stop and start your GameTeam server from the panel and it updates to the latest build, so it stays on the same version as your players.
Should I host it myself or rent a server?
Self-hosting is free if you have a spare PC, but you forward UDP 27102 and 27131, create folders the install doesn't make, and keep the launch line in step with every update. The dedicated server guide walks through it. A host runs it on Ryzen 9 7950X hardware with DDoS protection, and on GameTeam the copilot handles the files.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Your squad, your rules, your server.
Deploy an Insurgency: Sandstorm server, tell the copilot co-op or PvP, and send the squad the name to search.
Deploy your Insurgency: Sandstorm server