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How to set up an Unturned server

2 min readUpdated Nov 5, 2026

Set up an Unturned dedicated server: get a Steam login token, buy the Unturned plan, paste the token, start it and join. Then change the map, the player limit and add Workshop mods.

An Unturned dedicated server keeps your map, bases and loot running 24/7, whether or not you are online. ESN installs the Unturned dedicated server from Steam for you and keeps it updated on restart.

The Unturned plan #

PlanRAMCPUDiskPrice
Unturned2 GB100%8 GB$1.99/month

Black Friday: $0.50 for the first month until December 1, 2026, then $1.99/month. See Black Friday hosting deals.

How much RAM an Unturned server needs #

Unturned's server is light. 2 GB is plenty for vanilla maps with a group of friends. Bigger custom maps, lots of Workshop content and full servers use more, so add mods a few at a time and watch the memory graph on the server page.

Set it up #

  1. Get a Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT): sign in at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers, enter app ID 304930 (Unturned) and create the token. Steam only issues tokens to accounts that are not limited.
  2. Sign in to the panel's plans page, choose Buy on the Unturned plan and pay on Stripe. The server is created and the game installs by itself.
  3. Before you press Start, open the Startup tab and paste your token into the GSLT setting. Set the server name and, for a private server, a password.
  4. Press Start and watch the Console until the server finishes loading the map.
  5. Join from the game with the IP and port shown on your server's page.

Join the server #

In Unturned choose Play, then Servers, then the Connect tab. Enter the IP and port from your server's page in the panel and the password if you set one. Your server also uses the next port up, which ESN sets for you.

Change the map, mode and player limit #

After the first start, open Files and go to Servers/Unturned/Server/. Commands.dat holds one setting per line, for example:

  • Map PEI (or Washington, Russia, Yukon and other maps you have installed)
  • MaxPlayers 16
  • Mode Normal (Easy, Normal or Hard) and Perspective Both
  • Owner 7656119XXXXXXXXXX: your SteamID64, to make yourself the owner with admin rights

Stop the server, edit, save and start it again. More gameplay settings are in Config.json in the same folder.

Add Workshop maps and mods #

Open Servers/Unturned/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and put the Workshop file IDs in the File_IDs list, for example [2136497468, 1234567890]. Restart: the server downloads them, and players download them when they join. For a Workshop map, also set its name with Map in Commands.dat.

Keep it smooth #

  • If the server stops with a token error, the GSLT is missing, wrong, or was reset on Steam. Make a new one and paste it in Startup.
  • Each token works for one server at a time. Use a different token for each server.
  • Keep a copy of the Servers folder before big changes. See backups.

FAQ #

Do I need a GSLT for an Unturned server? #

Yes. Unturned servers need a Steam Game Server Login Token for app 304930. Create one on Steam's game server account page and paste it into the GSLT setting in Startup.

How much RAM does an Unturned server need? #

ESN's Unturned plan has 2 GB, which is plenty for vanilla maps with friends. Big custom maps and lots of Workshop content use more.

How do I make myself admin on my Unturned server? #

Add a line Owner followed by your SteamID64 to Commands.dat in Servers/Unturned/Server, then restart.

How do I add Workshop mods to an Unturned server? #

Put the Workshop file IDs in File_IDs in WorkshopDownloadConfig.json and restart. The server downloads them itself.

Why can't I connect to my Unturned server? #

Check the Console says the map loaded, that you used the IP and port from the panel, and that the GSLT is valid.

Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Systems Discord. Last updated November 5, 2026.