Enshrouded Dedicated Server Hosting 2026

Enshrouded — the survival action RPG from Keen Games — supports up to 16 players on a dedicated server. Unlike many survival games, Enshrouded was built with dedicated server support from early access, which means the setup is relatively clean and the performance is solid.

This guide covers everything you need: hardware requirements, full config reference, port setup, backup strategy, troubleshooting, and how to pick the right hosting provider.

Enshrouded Server Requirements

Enshrouded is moderately resource-intensive. The game scales well up to 16 players but needs adequate RAM for world data:

Players	Recommended RAM	CPU Notes
1–4	4 GB	Light load
5–8	6 GB	Moderate
9–16	8–12 GB	Full server

The world simulation in Enshrouded is voxel-based, which means world modifications (building, digging) accumulate in the save file. Long-running servers will see larger save files over time — plan storage accordingly (2–5 GB per 100 hours of active play).

CPU: Enshrouded is mostly single-threaded for simulation. A CPU with strong single-core performance matters more than core count. Any modern server-grade CPU (Xeon, Ryzen Pro, EPYC) handles it fine.

Bandwidth: Low compared to most games. A 16-player server uses roughly 2–5 Mbps under normal load. 100 Mbps uplink is more than enough.

Enshrouded Server Configuration

The main config file is enshrouded_server.json, located in the server's root directory:

{
  "name": "My Enshrouded Server",
  "password": "",
  "saveDirectory": "./savegame",
  "logDirectory": "./logs",
  "ip": "0.0.0.0",
  "queryPort": 15637,
  "slotCount": 16,
  "gamePort": 15636
}

Key fields explained:

• name — server name shown in the in-game browser
• password — leave empty for public access, set a string for private
• saveDirectory — relative or absolute path to the world save folder
• slotCount — maximum concurrent players (1–16)
• gamePort — main game connection port (UDP)
• queryPort — used by the server browser (UDP)

Advanced Config Options

Additional settings available in newer versions of the dedicated server:

{
  "name": "My Enshrouded Server",
  "password": "",
  "saveDirectory": "./savegame",
  "logDirectory": "./logs",
  "ip": "0.0.0.0",
  "queryPort": 15637,
  "slotCount": 16,
  "gamePort": 15636,
  "serverOwnerSteamId": "YOUR_STEAM_ID_64",
  "enableGameplayPause": true,
  "randomizeDayNightCycle": false
}

• serverOwnerSteamId — your 64-bit Steam ID; grants admin rights in-game
• enableGameplayPause — pauses the world when no players are online (saves CPU)
• randomizeDayNightCycle — true to start each server session with a random time of day

Ports to Open

For Enshrouded to be joinable from outside your network, open these UDP ports:

Port	Purpose
15636	Game port (player connections)
15637	Query port (server browser)

Both must be UDP, not TCP. The game won't appear in the server browser and direct-connect may fail if the query port is blocked.

Installing the Enshrouded Dedicated Server

Via SteamCMD (Linux/Windows)

# Install or update
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

# Start the server
./enshrouded_server

The app ID for the Enshrouded dedicated server is 2278520.

On Windows, the binary is enshrouded_server.exe. On Linux, use ./enshrouded_server (ensure the execute bit is set: chmod +x enshrouded_server).

Keeping the Server Updated

Enshrouded receives regular patches. To update:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

Run this while the server is stopped. Most hosting panels (including Renzom's) handle this automatically when Keen Games pushes a new build.

World Saves and Backups

Enshrouded saves the world state in the savegame directory. Key notes:

• Save files grow over time as the world is modified — a heavily built server may accumulate several GB over weeks
• Auto-save interval is configurable; the server saves to disk roughly every 15 minutes by default
• Manual backups: copy the entire savegame folder while the server is stopped, or use a hosting panel with scheduled backups
• Restoring from backup: stop the server, replace the savegame folder, restart

For active servers, daily automated backups with at least 7-day retention are recommended. World corruption (rare but possible after a crash) is otherwise unrecoverable.

Performance Considerations

Enshrouded dedicated servers generally perform well. Things that increase CPU/RAM load:

• More players online simultaneously — each player adds simulation load
• Dense construction areas — thousands of voxel changes require more memory
• Shroud zone exploration — the game generates new world data as players explore
• Mods (if applicable) — third-party mods vary widely in overhead

For a 16-player server with active builders, 12 GB RAM gives comfortable headroom. For a casual group of 4–6, 6 GB is sufficient.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Server doesn't appear in the server browser

• Confirm both ports (15636 and 15637 UDP) are open in your firewall and router
• Make sure the server has finished starting (can take 60–90 seconds on first launch)
• Try direct-connect via IP:port before assuming it's the browser that's broken

Players get "connection failed" or time out

• Check that the server's public IP matches the one bound in the config (use "ip": "0.0.0.0" to bind all interfaces)
• Verify the server process is actually running and not crashed silently — check logs in the logs directory

Server crashes on startup

• Ensure you have enough free RAM (add a few GB above the minimum for the OS overhead)
• Validate the enshrouded_server.json — invalid JSON (trailing comma, missing bracket) will cause a silent crash
• Re-run steamcmd with validate to repair corrupt installation files

World save corruption after crash

• Stop the server, restore from the most recent backup
• If no backup exists, look for .tmp or .bak files in the savegame directory — Enshrouded sometimes creates these before overwriting the main save

High latency for players in different regions

• Server location matters: EU players on a NA server will see 100–150 ms added latency
• Choose a hosting region closest to the majority of your player group

Choosing a Hosting Provider for Enshrouded

When comparing providers, the main criteria:

Criterion	What to look for
Server location	EU, NA, or Asia — closest to your players
RAM	Minimum 6 GB for a typical group; 8–12 GB for full 16-player
DDoS protection	Game servers are frequently targeted; look for volumetric + layer-7 mitigation
Control panel	One-click installs, file browser, live console — saves hours
Backup policy	Automated daily backups, ideally with retention
Update handling	Automatic Steam updates mean less downtime after patches

Renzom Enshrouded Hosting

Renzom offers Enshrouded servers from €10.60/month on EU hardware in Falkenstein, Germany (Hetzner datacenter).

What's included:

• Simple enshrouded_server.json editing directly in the control panel
• Full file access for save backups and manual restoration
• Automatic game updates when Keen Games patches the server binary
• DDoS mitigation via Hetzner's EU backbone
• Subdomain included (e.g., yourname.renzom.com)

Configure your Enshrouded server →

FAQ

How many players can an Enshrouded dedicated server support? The current maximum is 16 concurrent players per server. This limit is set by Keen Games and enforced server-side; it cannot be bypassed via config.

Can I run an Enshrouded server on a home PC? Yes, but your home internet upload speed and router port-forwarding setup become the bottleneck. For a permanent server that's always online, a VPS or dedicated game server is more practical.

How often does Enshrouded need server updates? Keen Games releases patches roughly every 2–4 weeks during active development. The server binary must be updated to match the game client version, otherwise clients can't connect. Hosting providers with auto-update support handle this automatically.

Is the Enshrouded dedicated server free to run? The server software itself is free to download via Steam. You pay for the hardware (VPS or dedicated server) and any hosting service fees.

What happens to the world when no players are online? With enableGameplayPause: true, the world simulation pauses when empty, saving CPU. Without it, the server continues simulating (crops grow, structures may decay depending on settings).

Summary

Enshrouded is one of the cleaner dedicated server experiences in the survival genre. The configuration is straightforward, performance is solid, and 16-player support is built-in. Start with 6–8 GB RAM for a standard group and upgrade if you're filling all 16 slots with active builders. Keep backups, auto-update enabled, and both UDP ports open — that covers the vast majority of setup issues.

Start your Enshrouded server on Renzom →