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Squad Server Hosting
Fight large-scale combined-arms battles with your squad while the AI copilot holds the server.
What does Squad server hosting need?
Squad server hosting needs 8–12 GB of RAM for full-size layers, the free Squad Dedicated Server (Steam app 403240, anonymous SteamCMD login), UDP ports 7787 and 27165 open, and a Server.cfg, Admins.cfg and layer rotation in SquadGame/ServerConfig. Host a Squad server on your own box, or rent one that is set up. With GameTeam you pay per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, never per slot (Squad itself tops out at 100 players, 50 vs 50), and the AI copilot writes the config files when you describe the server you want.
Run your Squad server by just asking.
Squad's server is a folder of .cfg files — rotation, admins, RCON, messages — and one wrong line is enough to empty a seeded server. Describe the change to the copilot and it picks the file, restarts at a sensible moment and reads the log back to you.
Layers, Admins, Rotation — Set
Rotation mode, voting and the admin list written by the copilot from what you tell it.
Mod Update Locked Joins? Told.
The copilot reads the log and says which mod no longer matches the server.
Full-Match Slots
Unlimited players — a hundred-player match costs the same per GB as a squad practice.
Squad with friends
A tactical shooter about teamwork at scale: infantry, vehicles, logistics and command on huge maps, where a squad that communicates beats one that shoots better. Full matches are long, deliberate and deeply rewarding for an organized group.
Squad server RAM requirements
8-12 GB for full-size layers.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| Clan practice or a small seeded server | 8 GB | $3.92 / week |
| Full 80–100 player matches on stock layers | 10 GB | $4.90 / week |
| Full matches on big modded layers | 12 GB | $5.88 / week |
Squad's memory grows with layer size, vehicles and mods, more than with player count on its own. Start there and adjust: a one-click RAM change in the panel leaves your configs and mods where they are. Player limit: 80-100, which is the standard competitive size.
How to set up a Squad server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
10 GB is a comfortable start for full matches. Choose the location closest to your community from 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific — Squad punishes high ping.
Name it, add admins, set the rotation
Tell the copilot the server name, your admins' Steam IDs and how the rotation should work, or edit Server.cfg, Admins.cfg and LayerRotation.cfg in the file manager.
Seed it and play
Your server shows under Custom Servers in Squad's server browser by name. Get a few people on to seed it, and the queue does the rest.
Good to know before you start
Layer rotation, admin lists and Workshop mods are all configured in files before opening the server, so the rotation and admins have to be in place before the first match.
The most common problem
A mod updating while the server is running causes joining players to mismatch until the server is restarted with the same version of that mod.
Squad server settings explained
Every file sits in SquadGame/ServerConfig/: Server.cfg for the server itself, Admins.cfg for admins, LayerRotation.cfg or LevelRotation.cfg for what plays next, Rcon.cfg, MOTD.cfg, ServerMessages.cfg, Bans.cfg and License.cfg. Lines starting with // are comments. The settings owners change most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
ServerName | The name in the server browser, in quotes. |
MaxPlayers | Player cap. The default file ships with 100, the full 50 vs 50 size. |
NumReservedSlots | Slots held back for admins and members with the reserve permission. |
PublicQueueLimit | How many regular players can wait in the queue (25 by default). |
ShouldAdvertise | Whether the server shows in the server browser. |
MapRotationMode | LayerList or LevelList follow the rotation file in order; add _Randomized to shuffle. |
RandomizeAtStart | Shuffles the rotation when the server starts. |
UseVoteLayer / UseVoteLevel / UseVoteFactions | End-of-round votes for the next layer or map, and faction votes on generic layers. |
AllowTeamChanges / NumPlayersDiffForTeamChanges | Whether players can swap teams, and how unbalanced the teams may get first (3 by default). |
TKAutoKickEnabled / AutoTKBanNumberTKs | Automatic kick and temporary ban for team killers. Required on licensed servers. |
VehicleClaimingDisabled | Turns off vehicle claiming, so any squad can take any vehicle. |
Admins.cfg | Group=Admin:kick,ban,changemap defines a group; Admin=<SteamID>:Admin puts a player in it. Other permissions include reserve, cameraman and immune. |
Rcon.cfg | Port (21114) and Password. Leave the password empty and RCON stays off. |
Squad server commands
Admins type these in the in-game console, and the same commands work over RCON. Get player IDs from ListPlayers first. Or have the copilot send them for you from the panel.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
ListPlayers | Everyone on the server with their IDs, squads and teams. |
ListSquads | Every squad on both teams and who leads it. |
ShowCurrentMap / ShowNextMap | The layer being played and the one coming next. |
ShowServerInfo | Player count and the public and reserved queue sizes. |
AdminBroadcast <message> | A message to the whole server. |
AdminWarn "<id>" <message> | A warning that only that player sees. |
AdminKick "<id>" <reason> | Removes a player. They can rejoin. |
AdminBan "<id>" <length> <reason> | Bans a player for a set length, with a reason. |
AdminForceTeamChange "<id>" | Moves a player to the other team. |
AdminDemoteCommander "<id>" | Removes a player from the commander role. |
AdminDemoRec / AdminDemoStop | Starts and stops a server-side demo recording (RCON too since 10.6). |
Can I add mods to a Squad server?
Yes, through the Steam Workshop. Workshop mods are installed in SquadGame/Plugins/Mods on the server, and players need the same mods from the Workshop to join.
Squad mods are Workshop items that live in SquadGame/Plugins/Mods; the server doesn't download them by itself, so they are fetched with SteamCMD or uploaded. After a big Squad update a mod can need rebuilding by its author before it loads again, and the symptom is an endless loading screen. Offworld also asks modded licensed servers to run only mods that work on both Linux and Windows.
Squad server ports
Without the query port the server can still run, but it won't appear in the browser. Nothing to forward on GameTeam: look up the server's actual address and ports in the panel, as 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
- ✓ 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
Squad server hosting FAQ
How do I host a Squad server?
Install the Squad Dedicated Server (Steam app 403240) with SteamCMD, edit the files in SquadGame/ServerConfig, open UDP 7787 and 27165, and start SquadGameServer. Or rent a Squad server: on GameTeam it is up in minutes, and you tell the copilot the name, admins and rotation instead of editing the files by hand.
What are the Squad server hosting requirements?
Plan for 8–12 GB of RAM, a fast CPU, a 64-bit Windows or Linux machine and a connection that can carry 100 players. You also need the game and query ports reachable from the internet. On GameTeam the hardware is Ryzen 9 7950X with NVMe storage, so you pick RAM and a location and the rest is done.
How much does it cost to rent a Squad server?
Squad hosting is billed per GB of RAM: $0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly. A 10 GB server for full matches is $4.90 a week; 12 GB is $5.88 a week. There is no slot limit from us, and the AI copilot comes with every plan. Weekly billing suits event servers, and cheap Squad server hosting here means paying for RAM, not for 100 seats.
Is a Squad server licensed?
Licensing is Offworld's own program, applied for through their server license portal. Licensed servers are listed in the main browser tab; unlicensed ones appear under Custom Servers and can run passwords and their own rules. A license needs an Offworld Hosting Partner or approved self-hosted hardware (virtual machines and VPS are not accepted), 10 or more admins, no password and regular restarts. Talk to us before you apply.
How many players can a Squad server hold?
Up to 100, the 50 vs 50 size Squad is built for, set with MaxPlayers. Squad sets that ceiling; we don't bill by the slot, so a full server and a 20-player practice cost the same per GB.
Can I make a private Squad server?
Yes, on an unlicensed server: admins with the private permission can password-protect it, and ShouldAdvertise=false keeps it out of the browser. That suits clan training and events. Licensed servers have to stay public.
Can I add mods to my Squad server?
Yes, from the Steam Workshop. Mods go in SquadGame/Plugins/Mods and players need the same Workshop items. If players get stuck loading after a Squad update, a mod usually needs rebuilding for the new version — the copilot reads the log and tells you which one.
How do I update my Squad server?
Stop and start it from the GameTeam panel and it updates to the latest Squad build, so it matches the version your players run after a patch.
Same server, any game.
Fifty a side. One server. Yours.
Deploy a Squad server, tell the copilot your admins and rotation, and start seeding.
Deploy your Squad server