How to Set Up an Enshrouded Dedicated Server (SteamCMD, JSON, Ports, Updates)
SteamCMD app 2278520, every key in enshrouded_server.json, UDP 15636 and 15637 on IPv4, how players join by name and role password, and the update routine that keeps the server on the players’ build — from Keen’s own articles.
September 28, 20268 min read
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Enshrouded 1.0 launches on Steam on 15 October 2026 (Keen), and the dedicated server is how a group keeps one Embervale running when the person who hosted it logs off. It is a separate, free Steam app, it is configured by one JSON file, and it has a habit that catches almost every new host: it stops accepting players the moment the game patches and the server does not. This guide covers the install, every documented key in enshrouded_server.json, the two UDP ports, how players find the server, and the update routine that keeps it on the players' build.
Everything below is from Keen Games' own dedicated-server articles, FAQ and Steam news posts. Where a detail comes from a single third-party source it is marked as such.
What you need before you start
A Windows machine, per Keen. Keen's dedicated-server article says: "For now, only Windows is supported. Linux support is planned for later." The server executable is enshrouded_server.exe, and Steam lists app 2278520, "Enshrouded Dedicated Server", as a Windows-only tool.
RAM. Keen's FAQ: about 4.4 GB idle, plus roughly 100 MB per connected player, and the server "should not use more than 6 GB". The full sizing in how much RAM an Enshrouded server needs.
Disk. Keen says the server files are around 13 GB uncompressed and recommends 30 GB free.
Two UDP ports open and forwarded, on IPv4. Keen's FAQ says the server does not work over IPv6.
No copy of the game on the server. The tool installs with an anonymous SteamCMD login.
Run the same line to update. Steam's data for the app shows a single public branch, so there is no separate 1.0 or beta branch to opt into; the build you get is whatever Keen last pushed to that branch.
Step 2: run it once, then edit the JSON
Keen's article says enshrouded_server.json is generated next to the executable on first launch. Start the server once, stop it, and open the file. Keen's example carries these keys:
Key
Default
What it does
name
—
The name shown in the in-game server browser. This is what players search for
saveDirectory
./savegame
Where the world is written
logDirectory
./logs
Where enshrouded_server.log goes
ip
0.0.0.0
Bind address; leave it
queryPort
15637
UDP. The port Steam's server browser queries
slotCount
—
1 to 16
voiceChatMode
Proximity
Proximity or Global
enableVoiceChat
—
On or off
enableTextChat
—
On or off
gameSettingsPreset
Default
Default, Relaxed, Hard, Survival or Custom
userGroups
—
The roles: name, password and permission flags per group
Two notes. Keen's example omits a gamePort key — the game manages its game port (15636 UDP by default, per Keen's FAQ and the community server images) outside this file, so forward that port rather than adding the key. And the old top-level password key is, in Keen's words, "no longer used" — passwords now live inside userGroups. If you leave a legacy password in place, the game synthesises a default group with Friend permissions from it. The groups, their flags and the presets are covered in Enshrouded server roles explained.
Step 3: open the ports
Two UDP ports, both inbound, both on IPv4:
15636/udp — the game port.
15637/udp — the query port. Keen's FAQ names this one explicitly and adds that Steam's own required ports must be reachable too.
Forward both on the router and allow both through the Windows firewall. If you change either in the JSON, change the forwarding to match. Keen's FAQ is explicit that IPv6 is not supported.
Step 4: start it and read the log
Run enshrouded_server.exe. Keen's FAQ gives the line that means the server is actually up, in logs/enshrouded_server.log:
[Session] 'HostOnline' (up)!
followed by the transition from Lobby to Host_Online and a [server] Load deserialization took … line. Until HostOnline appears the server is still loading. Previous logs are moved into logs/backup.
Step 5: join
Players open the in-game server browser, search for the server name from the JSON, and enter the password of the role they are joining as. The name is the route in, and the password decides whether they arrive as an admin, a friend or a guest. Keen creates randomised passwords by default, so a fresh server is not open — you have to read the passwords out of the file, or set your own, before anyone can join.
Players' games update automatically through Steam. The server does not. Keen's hotfix notes say which side each patch touches: Hotfix #12 (6 June 2024) said "Dedicated server hosts will need to update the version as well", while Hotfix #37 (21 April 2026) said the hotfix "updates clients only. Dedicated servers don't require an update." Version-matched patches are the norm; client-only ones are the exception, and Keen tells you which is which in the changelog.
So the routine after every patch is:
Stop the server — and know that stopping writes no extra save: the newest autosave (the game writes one every 10 minutes) is the world you are about to copy.
Copy savegame somewhere safe.
Re-run the SteamCMD line from Step 1.
Start, and wait for HostOnline.
A hosted server that updates from Steam on every restart turns this into "restart after the patch". A community-maintained server image warns that an update can briefly need up to twice the game's size in free disk while Steam stages the new files — a reason for Keen's 30 GB recommendation.
Step 7: saves and backups
The world lives in savegame. Keen's FAQ says a world is 1 to 100 MB and character progress is stored on each player's own machine, not in the world; the server autosaves on its own — every 10 minutes on the current build (Keen's older material said five). So a copy of savegame is a copy of the world and nothing more. Take one before every update and before handing an admin password to anyone new. Moving an existing world in is covered in move an Enshrouded world to a dedicated server.
Or let us run it
If Steps 1 to 6 are more evenings than you wanted, Enshrouded server hosting at Connect runs the official dedicated server on our Linux fleet, pulls the current build from Steam on every restart, and puts the JSON's name, slots, preset, chat and roles on a Server Settings tab in the dashboard (every field explained), applied on the next start. Plans are Ember (6 GB, 8 slots), Flame (8 GB) and Inferno (12 GB) — Flame and Inferno carry the game's full 16-player cap — in US East, Dallas, London, Frankfurt, Helsinki and Sydney. Getting started with your Enshrouded server picks up from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to own Enshrouded to run a dedicated server?
No. The dedicated server is a separate Steam app (2278520) that installs with +login anonymous. You need the game on your own PC to play.
Which ports does an Enshrouded dedicated server use?
Two UDP ports: 15636 for the game and 15637 for queries, both on IPv4. Keen's FAQ says IPv6 is not supported.
How many players can join?
Up to 16, set by slotCount. Keen's FAQ sizes the server at about 4.4 GB idle plus 100 MB per player, under 6 GB in total.
Does the server run on Linux?
Keen's article says only Windows is supported for now, with Linux "planned for later". The executable is enshrouded_server.exe.
Do I have to update the server after every game patch?
Usually. Keen's changelogs say when a patch needs a server update (Hotfix #12 did) and when it is client-only (Hotfix #37 was). If the server is not on the players' build, they cannot join.
Can console players join my server?
Not today. Keen's own dedicated-server pages describe the Steam version of the game and name no other platform, so an Enshrouded dedicated server is a PC (Steam) server. If Keen changes that, we will update this guide.