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The Forest Server Hosting
Survive the island and what lives on it with your group while the AI copilot keeps the world running.
What do you need for The Forest server hosting?
A dedicated server for The Forest needs 4–6 GB of RAM, Endnight's free The Forest Dedicated Server tool (a Windows program), ports 8766, 27015 and 27016 open, a Server.cfg that is only written after the first launch, and a Steam login token so player saves stick. Or rent one: GameTeam's The Forest server hosting is billed per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, with no per-slot pricing (the game is built for 8 players), and the AI copilot edits the config and reads the log for you. Looking for the sequel? That's Sons of the Forest server hosting.
Run your The Forest server by just asking.
The Forest's server is an older Windows tool with a plain-text config, a five-slot save system and one setting that quietly wipes your world. Tell the copilot what you want; it edits Server.cfg, restarts, and reads the log when the morning after goes wrong.
Binge It, Then Pause
Weekly billing suits a game played intensely for a few weeks.
Config That Appears Later — Handled
The server writes its config on first run; the copilot edits it once it exists.
Same Server, Next Game
Switch the server when the group leaves the island.
The Forest with friends
A survival horror game: crash-land on a peninsula, build to survive the nights, and slowly discover that you are not alone there. Building is physical and the cannibals are patient, and a group turns the island from terror into territory.
The Forest server RAM requirements
4-6 GB.
| Your server | Starting RAM | From (Budget, weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 players, a fresh peninsula | 4 GB | $1.96 / week |
| 4–6 players, a couple of bases | 5 GB | $2.45 / week |
| 8 players, big forts and traps | 6 GB | $2.94 / week |
The Forest is one of the lighter survival servers: the original game came out in 2018 and its server is sized for eight players. Big fortresses and heavy enemy activity are what push it toward 6 GB, and RAM changes in one click from the panel. Player limit: 8 is the supported session size.
How to set up a The Forest server on GameTeam
Pick RAM and a location
4 GB is enough for a small group. Choose the location closest to your players; we run 25+ across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, and the server is live within seconds of payment.
Set up the peninsula
Ask the copilot for a server name, password, difficulty and save slot, or edit Server.cfg in the file manager. Set initType to Continue once the world exists, and add your Steam login token to serverSteamAccount.
Join with your group
In The Forest choose Multiplayer, then Join, and find your server by name in the dedicated server list. Enter the password and you are in.
Good to know before you start
The server writes its config on first run, so the file to edit appears only after the first start.
The Forest server settings explained
Everything lives in Server.cfg: one setting per line, the name, a space, then the value, with // lines as comments. Most lines also have a launch parameter (-serverplayers 8, -treeregrowmode), and a launch parameter wins over the file. The settings that matter most:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
serverName | Name shown in the dedicated server list. |
serverPlayers | Maximum players. Default 8. |
serverPassword | Join password. Blank lets anyone in. |
serverPasswordAdmin | Password that unlocks the admin chat commands. |
serverSteamAccount | Your Steam game server login token, made for app ID 242760. Leave it blank and the server runs anonymous, and it may not save player progress. |
serverAutoSaveInterval | Minutes between autosaves. Default and minimum: 15. |
difficulty | Peaceful, Normal or Hard. |
initType | New (the default) starts a fresh world. Switch to Continue after the first start, or every restart starts over. |
slot | Save slot, 1 to 5. |
veganMode / vegetarianMode | No enemies at all, or no enemies during the day. |
treeRegrowMode | Regrows 10% of cut trees when players sleep. |
allowBuildingDestruction | Whether players and enemies can break buildings. On by default. |
allowCheat | Lets clients use the game's built-in developer console. |
enableVAC | Valve Anti-Cheat on the server. Off by default. |
targetFpsIdle / targetFpsActive | Server frame rate with nobody on (5) and with players on (60). |
The Forest server commands
Set serverPasswordAdmin, join with that admin password, then press Enter to open multiplayer chat and type the command. The copilot can change the matching Server.cfg lines from the panel instead.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/help | Lists the commands the server knows. |
/save <1-5> | Saves to that slot right away. It overwrites whatever is there, so check the number. |
/kick <Steam ID> | Removes a player from the server. |
/ban <Steam ID> | Bans a player. |
/treeregrowmode on|off | Turns tree regrowth on or off while the server runs. |
/allowbuildingdestruction on|off | Makes buildings breakable or indestructible. |
/allowenemiescreative on|off | Allows enemies in a creative game. |
/shutdown | Stops the server. Run /save first. |
Can I add mods to a The Forest server?
The Forest has no official dedicated-server mod support.
The Forest server ports
At home you forward all three, TCP and UDP. On GameTeam nothing needs forwarding; the panel shows your server's address and ports. To add it to Steam favorites, use the query port after the IP.
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
The Forest server hosting FAQ
How much RAM does a The Forest server need?
Plan on 4–6 GB. Four gigabytes runs a small group comfortably; a full lobby of eight with large forts sits nearer 6 GB. It is a light server next to most modern survival games, and you can change RAM in one click if you guessed low.
How many players can a The Forest dedicated server hold?
8, set with serverPlayers. That is the session size the game is built for. GameTeam never charges per slot, so you pay for RAM whether three or eight of you play.
Why rent a The Forest dedicated server instead of hosting from the game?
A game hosted from the Multiplayer menu ends when the host quits. A dedicated server keeps the peninsula up all week, so anyone can drop in, and it doesn't need a Windows PC left on, three forwarded ports and a config file that does not exist until the first launch.
Why do players lose their inventory on a dedicated server?
Usually the server has no Steam login token and runs anonymous, and without one it does not reliably save player progress. Create a token at Steam's game server account page with app ID 242760 (the game, not the server tool), put it in serverSteamAccount and restart. The copilot can add it if you paste the token. Keep it private.
Can I use a The Forest server on PS4?
Endnight's dedicated server tool is for the PC (Steam) version, and on PS4 online play runs through PS Plus with up to 4 players. A rented The Forest server is for the Steam game.
Can I move my existing save to the server?
Yes. Stop the server, upload your multiplayer save into the server's save folder, set slot to the slot you used and initType to Continue, then start it. Keep your local copy until you have checked the base in game.
Can I add mods to a The Forest server?
There is no official mod support for dedicated servers. Shape the game with the built-in options instead: vegan and vegetarian mode, tree regrowth, indestructible buildings, realistic player damage for PvP, and difficulty.
How much does The Forest server rental 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 and 6 GB is $2.94 a week. Rent it for a week, cancel when the group has seen the ending, or switch the same server to another game.
Is The Forest the same as Sons of the Forest?
No. The Forest (full release 2018) is the original; Sons of the Forest is the sequel, out of early access since February 2024, with its own server tool, ports and config. For the sequel, see Sons of the Forest server hosting.
Run it yourself — or let the copilot.
Same server, any game.
Keep the peninsula running between sessions.
Deploy a server, tell the copilot your rules, and send the group your server name.
Deploy your The Forest server