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Pavlov VR Server Hosting
Run the VR shooter your community plays every week while the AI copilot keeps the server live.
What do you need to host a Pavlov VR server?
A Pavlov VR server needs a Linux machine (there are no Windows server binaries), the dedicated server from SteamCMD (app 622970), 4–6 GB of RAM, UDP ports 7777 and 8177 open, your own server key from Vankrupt, and a Game.ini with your name, player cap and map rotation. Or pick Pavlov VR server hosting that handles the Linux part: GameTeam charges per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, never per slot, and the AI copilot adds mod.io maps, moderators and your key when you ask.
Run your Pavlov VR server by just asking.
Running Pavlov yourself means a Linux box, a key you generate on your headset and a Game.ini where every map is a UGC number. Tell the copilot what your group wants to play tonight. It edits the file, restarts the server and reads the log to check it registered.
Maps by ID
mod.io maps and modes listed by the copilot and pulled on start.
Priced by RAM, Not Headsets
The plan is per GB, so another player in the lobby never changes the bill.
VR to Flat, Same Server
The server switches games when the group does.
Pavlov VR with friends
The definitive VR shooter: realistic weapon handling with your actual hands, and modes from search-and-destroy to zombies to community-made anything. Custom maps and game modes are the heart of it, and a regular server becomes the place your group meets in VR.
Pavlov VR server RAM requirements
4-6 GB.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 players on stock maps | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
| 10–24 players with mod.io maps in rotation | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
| Heavy custom modes or big detailed maps | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
The Pavlov wiki names running out of memory as a common cause of server crashes, and large mod.io maps and custom game modes such as zombies need more than a vanilla server. Pavlov is also mostly single-threaded, so the fast Ryzen 9 7950X cores matter as much as the RAM. Change RAM in one click from the panel; your Game.ini stays as it is. Player limit: up to 50 on PC by the game's own limit, though the Pavlov wiki recommends 24 or fewer. Quest (Shack) servers cap at 24.
How to set up a Pavlov VR server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
4 GB covers a regular group on stock maps. Pick the location closest to your players; we have 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Add your key and maps
Generate a server code on your headset (Settings › General), turn it into your key at api-key.vankrupt.net, and give it to the copilot with the maps you want. Or edit Game.ini in the file manager yourself.
Meet up in VR
Find the server by its ServerName in Pavlov's server browser. If you set a PIN with Password, players enter it to join.
Good to know before you start
Custom maps are pulled from mod.io by ID and listed in the map rotation before players can vote for them.
Pavlov VR server settings explained
Everything sits under [/Script/Pavlov.DedicatedServer] in Pavlov/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini. The lists of moderators, banned and whitelisted players are separate text files in Pavlov/Saved/Config. These are the keys server owners change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
ServerName | The name in the server list, about 35 characters at most. A strict profanity filter can hide a server whose name contains a flagged word, even inside another word. |
MaxPlayers | Player cap. PC servers can technically take 50; the wiki recommends 24 or fewer. |
ApiKey | Your Vankrupt server key. Without it the server can't register in the server list. One key can cover several servers. |
Password | A numeric PIN players enter to join. Leave the line out for a public server. |
MapRotation | One line per map: MapRotation=(MapId="UGC2773760", GameMode="TDM"). mod.io maps are "UGC" plus the resource ID; stock maps use their name, like datacenter or sand. |
AdditionalMods | Extra mod.io mods, also as UGC IDs. Add as many lines as you need. |
bSecured | Turns on Valve Anti-Cheat. |
bCustomServer | Turns on extra modding tools. Needed for bans to be written to blacklist.txt. |
bWhitelist | Only players in whitelist.txt can join. |
bCompetitive | Competitive mode for Search and Destroy: dead teammates can't watch the match, which stops ghosting. |
LimitedAmmoType | 0 unlimited, 1 limited generic ammo boxes, 2 one box per weapon, 3 custom (set by the map), plus 4 and 5 special variants. |
TimeLimit | Time limit for each map, for DM and TDM-type modes only. |
AFKTimeLimit | Seconds before an idle player is kicked. 0 turns it off. |
RefreshListTime | How often the server rereads the ban, whitelist and mod files. |
TickRate | Server tick rate, default 90. Changing it breaks some modes, so the wiki says to leave it. |
Pavlov VR server commands
Pavlov game modes are set per map with a short code in MapRotation. A map that runs its own custom mode, like zombies or battle royale, overrides whatever code you pick. The copilot knows these codes, so you can just name the mode.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
TDM / DM | Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch. |
SND | Search and Destroy. Pair with bCompetitive=true for competitive play. |
GUN / OITC | Gun Game and One in the Chamber. |
KOTH | King of the Hill. |
TTT / TTTclassic | Trouble in Terrorist Town, or the classic innocent, traitor and detective version. |
ZWV | Zombie wave survival. |
TANKTDM / WW2GUN | WW2 Team Deathmatch and WW2 Gun Game. |
HIDE / INFECTION | The Hidden, and Hidden infection. |
PUSH / PH | Push, and Prop Hunt. |
-PORT=<port> | Launch option for a second server: it uses this port and the one 400 above it. |
-COMPETITIVE=1 | Launch option that starts the server in competitive mode without touching Game.ini. |
RconSettings.txt | Password= and Port=9100 turn on remote admin over RCON. Use a different port for each server. |
Can I add mods to a Pavlov VR server?
Yes, through mod.io. Custom maps go into the rotation by their UGC ID in Game.ini, and extra mods are listed the same way with AdditionalMods.
Pavlov moved custom maps from the Steam Workshop to mod.io, so older rotations full of Workshop IDs have to be redone with UGC IDs. Find the map on mod.io, take its resource ID and put "UGC" in front of it. Moderators go in mods.txt by SteamID64 and get an admin menu inside the game menu.
Pavlov VR server ports
At home both UDP ports need forwarding, and your router needs NAT loopback to join your own server. On GameTeam there is nothing to forward: the panel shows your server's exact address and port, which may differ from these defaults.
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
Pavlov VR server hosting FAQ
How do I host a Pavlov VR server?
Do it yourself on a Linux machine: install SteamCMD, download the server with app_update 622970 -beta default, refresh steamclient.so, write Game.ini with your server key and rotation, and open UDP 7777 and 8177. Or rent one: on GameTeam you pick RAM and a location, the Linux side is done for you, and the copilot fills in Game.ini from a plain-English request.
Can I host a Pavlov server on Windows?
Not directly. Pavlov has no Windows server binaries, so the server only runs on Linux, or in a Linux virtual machine on a Windows PC, which makes the setup more complex. A hosted server skips the problem entirely.
How do I get a Pavlov server key?
In Pavlov on your headset, open Settings, then General, and press Generate Server Code. You get a 6-character code that is valid for 15 minutes. Enter it with your player ID at api-key.vankrupt.net to get the key, then put it in Game.ini. Each player has one key at a time, and generating a new one cancels the old one, so keep it private.
Why doesn't my Pavlov server show up in the server list?
Usually one of three things: no valid server key in Game.ini (required since December 2024), ports 7777 and 8177 closed on a home connection, or a ServerName caught by the profanity filter. The filter is strict and can flag a word hidden inside another word. The copilot reads Game.ini and the log and tells you which one it is.
How many players can a Pavlov VR server have?
Up to 50 on PC; that ceiling is Pavlov's, not ours, and the Pavlov wiki recommends 24 or fewer for the best experience. Quest (Shack) servers are capped at 24. GameTeam never charges per slot, so set whatever your group and maps can handle.
How do I add custom maps to a Pavlov server?
Find the map on mod.io, take its resource ID from the page and add a MapRotation line with "UGC" in front of the number, plus a game mode. For example, Gravity is UGC2773760. When a match ends, the server loads the next map in the rotation. On GameTeam you can just tell the copilot the map names.
How do I make someone a moderator on my Pavlov server?
Add their SteamID64 to mods.txt in Pavlov/Saved/Config. Moderators get the admin menu in the in-game menu. Bans go to blacklist.txt (with bCustomServer=true) and, if you turn on bWhitelist, only players in whitelist.txt can join.
How much does Pavlov VR server hosting cost?
You pay per GB of RAM: $0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly. A 4 GB server is $1.96 a week ($7.96 billed monthly); 6 GB for a bigger lobby with mod.io maps is $2.94 a week. Every slot and the AI copilot are included.
Does this work for Pavlov Shack on Quest?
Shack is a separate version of Pavlov with its own server branch, its own map handling and a 24-player cap. This page covers Pavlov on PC. If your group plays Shack, contact our support before you order.
How do I update my Pavlov server?
On GameTeam, stop the server and start it again from the panel and it updates itself to the latest version, so it keeps matching the game on your players' headsets. Your Game.ini, moderator list and bans stay in place.
Same server, any game.
Your group's Pavlov server, live before you put the headset on.
Deploy it, hand the copilot your key and your maps, and meet up in VR.
Deploy your Pavlov VR server