Space Engineers Server Hosting
Engineer ships, stations and rovers block by block with your crew while the AI copilot keeps the world running.
What do you need to host a Space Engineers dedicated server?
A Space Engineers dedicated server needs 8–12 GB of RAM (Keen's own spec is 6 GB minimum, 10 GB recommended), a fast CPU, the free Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool for Windows (Steam app 298740), UDP port 27016 reachable and a world set up in SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg. Or skip the hardware: GameTeam Space Engineers server hosting is pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, slots are unlimited, and the AI copilot changes world settings, adds Workshop mods and reads the log when sim speed drops.
Run your Space Engineers server by just asking.
Space Engineers keeps its rules in a long XML file and its lag in whichever grid got too big. Ask the copilot instead: it edits the config, adds mods by Workshop ID, reads the log and backs the world up before someone tests a warhead.
World Config, Written
Settings and Workshop mod IDs declared by the copilot; the server pulls them on start.
Lag, Diagnosed
Ask why it is slow and the copilot reads the log and names the cause.
Room for the Whole Crew
Unlimited player slots on a per-GB plan.
Space Engineers with friends
A sandbox about actual engineering: build ships and stations from real functional blocks, wire the power, and watch physics decide whether it flies. A crew can run a base, mine an asteroid belt and build a fleet — and every wreck is a lesson.
Space Engineers server RAM requirements
8-12 GB. Grid and block count is the real driver, and it only goes up on a long-running world.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 engineers, one base and a ship or two | 8 GB | $3.92 / week |
| 5–10 players with stations, ships and rovers | 10 GB | $4.90 / week |
| 10–16 players, big grids or a heavy mod list | 12 GB | $5.88 / week |
A Space Engineers world only gets heavier: every grid, block, asteroid and planet the crew has touched stays in it. Keen's dedicated server spec is 6 GB minimum and 10 GB recommended, and a world that runs fine in week one can want more by month three. Add RAM in one click and nothing in the world changes. Player limit: 8-16. Large player-built grids limit the server long before the slot count does.
How to set up a Space Engineers server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
8 GB suits a small crew. Choose the location nearest most of your players: we have 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Set up the world
Pick survival or creative, inventory and production multipliers, block limits and mods. Tell the copilot, or edit SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg in the file manager. Already have a world? Upload its save folder and keep building.
Invite your crew
Copy the address from the panel. In Space Engineers, open Join Game, press Direct Connect and paste it, or find the server by name on the Servers tab.
Good to know before you start
The world and its mod list are configured together in the world settings, and mods are pulled at start by Workshop ID.
The most common problem
Player-built grids with large block counts slow the whole world, and a single oversized creation can affect everyone on the server.
Space Engineers server settings explained
SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg is an XML file. Server options such as the name, port and admin list sit at the top level; the world's rules sit inside <SessionSettings>. A world that already exists also keeps its own copy of its settings in its save folder, so change rules with the server stopped and check them after the restart. The settings owners change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
ServerName / WorldName | The names shown in the server list. |
ServerPort | The UDP port players connect on (default 27016). |
GroupID | A Steam group ID. When it is set, only members of that Steam group can see the server. |
Administrators / Banned / Reserved | Lists of 64-bit Steam IDs for admins, bans and reserved slots. |
PauseGameWhenEmpty | Pauses the world while nobody is online. |
GameMode | Survival or Creative. |
OnlineMode | Who can join: PUBLIC, FRIENDS, PRIVATE or OFFLINE. |
MaxPlayers | Players at once. Keen recommends 16 for default multiplayer; the -maxPlayers launch argument overrides the file. |
InventorySizeMultiplier / BlocksInventorySizeMultiplier | Capacity of engineer inventories, and of block inventories such as cargo containers. |
AssemblerSpeedMultiplier / RefinerySpeedMultiplier | How fast assemblers build and refineries process ore. |
WelderSpeedMultiplier / GrinderSpeedMultiplier | How fast welding and grinding go. |
AutoSaveInMinutes | How often the world saves itself. |
TotalPCU / BlockLimitsEnabled | The world's performance budget (Total PCU defaults to 100,000) and whether limits apply GLOBALLY, PER_FACTION, PER_PLAYER or not at all. |
MaxGridSize / MaxBlocksPerPlayer | Caps on blocks per ship or station and per player. Not enforced by default. |
MaxFloatingObjects | Loose items and debris allowed before the oldest are deleted (default 56). |
ViewDistance | How far players can see (default 15 km). Lower is lighter on the server. |
EnvironmentHostility | Meteor showers: SAFE, NORMAL, CATACLYSM or CATACLYSM_UNREAL. |
ExperimentalMode | Unlocks experimental features such as Programmable Block scripts and higher player and PCU counts. Players need experimental mode on to join. |
Space Engineers server commands
Most admin work happens in the Admin Screen: press Alt+F10 in game once you are an admin. The server program itself takes these launch arguments. On GameTeam the copilot sets them and restarts the server for you:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
Alt+F10 | Opens the Admin Screen in game: find and remove grids, set trash removal, deal with players. |
-console | Skips the setup dialogs and starts the server straight in console mode. |
-noconsole | Runs without the console window. |
-path <folder> | Loads the config from, and stores every file in, that folder. |
-ignorelastsession | Ignores the last automatic save of the world and uses the values in the config file. |
-maxPlayers <number> | Overrides the player limit in the config. |
-ip <address> / -port <port> | Override the IP address and port stored in the config. |
taskkill /IM SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe | Stops the server cleanly and saves the world. With /f it is killed without saving. |
Can I add mods to a Space Engineers server?
Yes, through Steam Workshop. Mod IDs are added to the world configuration and downloaded by clients on join.
Mods go in the server's mod list as Service:ID, for example Steam: followed by the Workshop ID. They are saved with the world, so the server downloads them when it starts and players get them when they join. Xbox and PlayStation players can only use mods hosted on mod.io.
Space Engineers server ports
Hosted with us, there is no router to configure: the panel lists the address and port your server actually uses, and they may not match the defaults above.
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
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
Space Engineers server hosting FAQ
How much RAM does a Space Engineers server need?
Plan for 8–12 GB. Keen lists 6 GB as the dedicated server minimum and 10 GB as recommended. A small crew on a fresh world is fine on 8 GB; big grids, many players or a long mod list push it to 12 GB. More RAM is one click away on GameTeam, and the world stays as it is.
Is Space Engineers CPU heavy?
Yes. The server simulates physics for every ship, station, rotor and piston in the world, and sim speed drops when the CPU falls behind. Keen's spec asks for a 3.2 GHz CPU at minimum and 4.5 GHz recommended. GameTeam servers run on Ryzen 9 7950X CPUs.
What is an EOS server in Space Engineers?
A dedicated server that uses Epic Online Services networking instead of Steam. EOS servers show up in the multiplayer list on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, which is how crossplay works; Steam servers are PC-only. Players pick which list they browse with the Steam/EOS toggle on the Join Game screen.
Can Xbox and PlayStation players join?
Only on a server running in EOS mode with console compatibility on. That is Keen's rule, and console players can only use mods from mod.io. If your crew mixes PC and console, ask our support before you order so we can confirm the server can run that way.
How do I host a server with custom mods?
Subscribe to the mods on the Steam Workshop, then add them to the server's mod list by ID and restart: the server downloads them and players get them automatically when they join. On GameTeam you can just send the copilot the Workshop links. Back the world up first, because a broken mod can stop it loading.
Can I keep the server private for my crew?
Yes. Set a server password, or a Steam Group ID so only members of that Steam group can see the server at all. Slots are unlimited either way, so Space Engineers private server hosting costs the same per GB as a public server.
What does "lost connection to host/server" mean?
Your game stopped hearing from the server: it restarted or crashed, the network dropped, or on a self-hosted server the port isn't open. Self-hosters also see "host has left the game" when the hosting PC shuts the session down. On GameTeam, ask the copilot why everyone got disconnected and it reads the server log for the cause.
How much does a Space Engineers server rental cost?
To rent one, you pay per GB of RAM: $0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly. An 8 GB server is $3.92 a week; 12 GB is $5.88 a week. Slots are unlimited and the AI copilot is included.
Is there Space Engineers server hosting in the UK or Australia?
The UK, yes: England is one of our European locations. There is no Australian location; for players there, Singapore is the closest of our Asia-Pacific sites. You can move the server to another location later without losing the world.
Do you offer Space Engineers 2 server hosting?
Not yet, because there is nothing to host. Space Engineers 2 is in Early Access as a single-player game, and Keen lists co-op and large-scale multiplayer as coming in later updates. This page is for the original Space Engineers.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Your fleet, still in orbit when you log back in.
Pick the RAM, describe the world rules to the copilot, and the crew can be welding by tonight.
Deploy your Space Engineers server