How to Host a ReSkate Server (skate. Multiplayer): 2026 Guide

ReSkate turned skate. into a game you can play on your own server. It is a free, open-source (GPL-3.0) fan project with three parts: a launcher that pins the skate. build it supports, a runtime that adds the multiplayer features and loads mods, and a dedicated server that runs on its own, with no copy of the game on the machine. Version 1.0 landed on 2 October 2026, and new releases have shipped every few days since.

This guide covers the dedicated server end to end: what it needs, how to start it on Windows or Linux, the Steam token that now decides whether anyone can find it, and how players get in. Everything here comes from the server's own README files in the ReSkate repository (github.com/Dingo-Shenanigans/ReSkate).

Self-host or rent: what actually differs

The server is light and free, so the question is not cost. It is whether you want to keep a machine on, keep a token valid and keep an eye on updates.

• Self-hosting needs a Windows PC or a 64-bit Linux machine that stays on while people skate. Steam's relay network carries the traffic, so a home connection works without opening ports. You make and paste the Steam token yourself.
• A hosted server runs in a datacentre around the clock. With ReSkate server hosting at Connect, the Steam token is created for you when the server is built, and the name, password and listing are fields on a Server Settings tab.

Either way, the steps below are what happens under the hood, and they are worth knowing.

What every player needs

The server does not need the game, but every player does:

1. skate. from Steam. It is free-to-play on PC (Steam app 3354750).
2. The ReSkate launcher, which starts skate. with the ReSkate runtime loaded. The launcher pins the skate. build ReSkate supports, so players do not have to manage game versions by hand.
3. The same ReSkate release as the server. This is the rule behind most "cannot join" reports, and it is covered below.

Step 1: get the server

Server builds are published on the GitHub releases page of the ReSkate repository, for Windows and for Linux.

On Windows, unzip the server folder and run ReSkateServer.exe. Keep the folder together: steam_api64.dll, steamclient64.dll, tier0_s64.dll and vstdlib_s64.dll are how the server talks to Steam, and world-layers.json lets it set world layers such as time of day for everyone.

On Linux, the server is a native x86_64 binary called ReSkateServer. What the machine needs, from the Linux README and the Pterodactyl egg README:

• 64-bit Linux with glibc 2.38 or newer and OpenSSL 3 (Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13 and later fit).
• curl and tar. The server uses curl to read the ReSkate team's global ban list and to download its own updates, and tar to unpack them. Without curl it says so in its log, enforces only its own bans and stays on its version.
• The Steam libraries libsteam_api.so and steamclient.so next to the binary. The release bundles them; if yours does not, run the setup-linux-server-libs.sh script that ships beside the binary.

mkdir -p ~/reskate-server && cd ~/reskate-server
# unpack the Linux server release here, then:
./setup-linux-server-libs.sh   # only if the Steam .so files are missing
./ReSkateServer

If the Steam library is missing, the server exits with a message telling you to put libsteam_api.so next to it. For a long-running server, the repository ships a systemd unit (contrib/reskate-server.service); the server writes its own ReSkateServer.log beside the binary.

Step 2: first run and the settings file

The first start writes ReSkateServer.json next to the server with every setting at its default. Stop the server, set at least the name, and start it again:

{
  "server": {
    "name": "Sunday Session [EU]",
    "password": "",
    "max_players": 16,
    "listed": true,
    "steam_token": ""
  }
}

The name is what players search for in the browser: 1 to 64 letters, numbers and spaces, plus - _ / [ ] ( ). Leave password empty for a public server. max_players accepts 1 to 249.

One rule to learn early: do not edit ReSkateServer.json while the server is running. It writes its settings back whenever an admin changes one, so a hand edit can be overwritten. Stop it, edit, start. Every key, from votes to map rotation, is explained in ReSkate server settings explained.

Step 3: the Steam token (do not skip this)

Without a Steam game server login token, the server signs in to Steam anonymously and gets a new Steam ID, and so a new join code, every time it starts. That used to be fine. It no longer is: the ReSkate server browser now lists only servers that have a token. A server without one is hidden, and players can reach it only with its join code.

To make one:

1. Sign in at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers.
2. Enter App ID 3354750 and a memo you will recognise, and create the token.
3. Paste it into server.steam_token, then restart.

Each running server needs its own token. Keep it private: anyone with it can sign in as your server. With a token set, the server keeps the same Steam ID between restarts, prints it at startup, and its join code stops changing. The full troubleshooting path is in ReSkate server not showing in the browser.

Step 4: make yourself an admin

With the server running, type this in its console window, using your own SteamID64:

role 76561198000000000 admin

Roles live in data/roles.json beside the server, which the first start writes with five roles: player, vip, moderator, admin and muted. roles lists who has what. Admins can run server commands in game with a / in chat, such as /map Isle of Grom or /kick.

Step 5: how players join

In skate. with the ReSkate launcher, players open Multiplayer > Servers and search for your server's name. The other way in is the join code the server prints in its console when it starts; the status command shows the name, map, player count and code again at any time. With "listed": false the server stays out of the browser on purpose, and the code is the only way in.

Ports. Players connect through Steam's relay network, so nothing needs forwarding. If you do open UDP 27015 and 27016 (the port and query_port settings), the browser also shows the server's ping and players join a little faster.

Step 6: updates and version matching

Players and the server must run the same ReSkate release. The launcher updates players; the server keeps itself current on its own. It checks GitHub when it starts and every half hour after that, and installs a newer release as soon as nobody is on, keeping ReSkateServer.json, the Mods folder and the logs. Type update in the console to check and install straight away (anyone on is told to rejoin). "auto_update": false, or starting with --no-update, turns this off, which mostly means you have signed up to do it by hand.

So when a friend cannot join right after a release, the usual fix is one command: update.

Or let us run it

If you would rather not keep a PC on or babysit tokens, ReSkate server hosting at Connect runs the same Linux server from the ReSkate GitHub releases. Every server gets its own Steam token when it is built, so it is listed in Multiplayer > Servers from the first boot, and it keeps itself on the latest ReSkate release. Name, password, browser listing and token sit on the dashboard's Server Settings tab, the Files tab and SFTP reach ReSkateServer.json and the Mods folder, and plans are priced by player slots, from $3.99/month for 16 players. Getting started with your ReSkate server picks up from there, and custom maps and park mods is the next thing most crews set up.

ReSkate is a community project. Connect Hosting is not affiliated with Electronic Arts, Full Circle or the ReSkate team. skate. is a trademark of Electronic Arts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to own skate. to run a ReSkate server?

No. The dedicated server needs no game files on the machine. Each player needs their own free Steam copy of skate. and the ReSkate launcher.

Can I run the server on the same PC I play on?

The server runs on its own and does not need the game, so yes, as long as the PC stays on while others are skating. It is a separate program from your game.

Why can't anyone see my server in the browser?

Most likely it has no Steam game server login token. The ReSkate browser now lists only servers with one. Make a token for App ID 3354750 at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers, put it in server.steam_token and restart.

How many players can a ReSkate server hold?

max_players accepts 1 to 249. Players with a reserved slot can join beyond that cap.

Do I need to port forward?

No. Players connect through Steam's relay network. Opening UDP 27015 and 27016 is optional and gives the browser a ping reading and slightly faster joins.