Enshrouded Dedicated Server Setup Guide (SteamCMD, Windows & Linux)

A dedicated server lets your Enshrouded world stay online 24/7 without keeping a gaming PC running — and the server software itself is completely free. You do not need to own the game on the hosting account. This guide walks through the full setup.

What do you need before starting?

Requirement	Details
Disk space	~8.3 GB for the server, plus save data
Platform	Windows application — Linux hosts run it under Proton/Wine (see below)
Steam account	None — anonymous login works; the account need not own Enshrouded
Open port	UDP 15637 by default, reachable from the internet
Players	Up to 16 (hard ceiling — the slot setting will not accept more)

How do you install the server on Windows?

1. Download SteamCMD and extract it
2. Run:

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\enshrouded-server ^
+login anonymous ^
+app_update 2278520 validate ^
+quit

3. Start enshrouded_server.exe inside the install folder
4. Forward UDP 15637 on your router and allow it through the firewall

Your save data lives in ./savegame (relative to the server executable) and logs in ./logs.

What is the Linux trap you should know about?

The Enshrouded server is a Windows-only application. If you run the plain command above on Linux, SteamCMD downloads ~100 MB of Steam shared libraries, reports Success! App '2278520' fully installed — and leaves you with no server at all. No executable, no game data. It looks exactly like a successful install.

The fix: force the Windows depot explicitly, then run the server under Proton or Wine:

steamcmd +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows ^
+force_install_dir /opt/enshrouded-server ^
+login anonymous ^
+app_update 2278520 validate ^
+quit

This yields the real ~8.3 GB server.

How do you verify the install worked?

A complete install contains:

• enshrouded_server.exe (~22 MB)
• enshrouded_server.kfc + kfc_resources (game data index)
• 32 .dat content containers (~260–300 MB each)
• Steam integration DLLs and a _CommonRedist folder

If your folder is missing the exe or the 32 .dat files, the download did not complete — re-run with the platform flag above.

How do you configure the server?

The first launch generates a config file in the server directory (enshrouded_server.json). Edit it to set the server name, join password, max players, world rules and difficulty. The server exposes dozens of settings — including admin/user groups with kick/ban permissions — covered in our server settings reference.

How do players join?

Friends join through the in-game server browser by name, or directly by address if you share your IP. With 1.0 crossplay, PS5 players can join too — keep the crossplay option enabled in the config. See our crossplay guide for how friends find each other across platforms.

What are common problems?

• “Fully installed” but no exe on Linux: missing @sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows (above)
• Server not visible in the browser: UDP 15637 not forwarded or blocked by firewall
• SteamCMD permission error as root: SteamCMD refuses to install as root — run it as an unprivileged user
• Friends cannot join after a patch: server and clients must be on the same game version — re-run app_update 2278520 validate

Frequently asked questions

Is the dedicated server free? Yes — app 2278520 downloads anonymously at no cost.

Can I run the server and play on the same PC? You can, but a separate machine (or a rented host — see our hosting comparison) gives better performance and uptime.

How many players can join? 16, hard-capped by the server software.

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Sources: SteamCMD official documentation, dedicated-server reference data (app ID, ports, file layout, platform behavior). Last verified 2026-10-18 for v1.0.