Valheim servers: How to play multiplayer with a dedicated server
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While Valheim can be played on your own, it’s just a lot more fun to play with friends — or, sometimes, even total strangers. Many hands make light work, as the old adage goes, so it makes sense to get a bunch of people in your world at the same time. The obvious problem is that it’s not always easy to line up schedules, especially when trying to take down the manybosses of Valheim, which makes setting up a dedicated server much more attractive. That way, you and your friends can jump on at any time since the server will always be running! Here’s how to get it set up.
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How to set up a Valheim dedicated multiplayer server
Once you’ve got your dedicated server running, you can leave it be until the next time Valheim updates! If your server crashes or your computer gets turned off somehow, you can always start the server back up by running the"start_headless_server.bat"file located in the application directory.
How to update a Valheim dedicated multiplayer server
Since Valheim is in Early Access, it’s receiving a lot of updates regularly. When Valheim updates, you’ll need to stop your dedicated server and let Steam update the application files. But it’s not just a matter of closing the command prompt window, as you could end up corrupting your world thanks to abug in Valheim.
Dedicated servers are the best way to run a huge Valheim world that’s easy for everyone to play. That’s because a dedicated server is designed to run all the time and allow people to play when it’s most convenient for them. It’s recommended that you have a decent modern computer to run the dedicated server, as it’ll need a good bit of processing power and memory to process everything Valheim players can do in the game.
If you’re dealing with lots of stuttering or slowdowns while playing, you might want to consider picking up one of thebest gaming PCsto get an upgraded experience.
Grab a friend, or nine
Valheim is an early access survival game that has you living the life of a Viking stuck between Earth and Valhalla. Will you make it to see paradise?
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Nick started with DOS and NES and uses those fond memories of floppy disks and cartridges to fuel his opinions on modern tech. Whether it’s VR, smart home gadgets, or something else that beeps and boops, he’s been writing about it since 2011. Reach him on Twitter or Instagram @Gwanatu
