There’s no shortage of things to do when it comes to Valheim. The developers take it to the next level as you can even play with your friends in multiplayer sessions.
Valheim is a survival RPG game, and you need to survive in an unknown environment that can be very punishing. Multiplayer lobbies extend the gameplay, and the best part is you can host your own survival world!
1. Multiplayer in Valheim
Valheim multiplayer focuses on Player Vs. Environment (PvE) gameplay factors, but you can definitely engage in Player Vs. Players (PvP) too!
With Multiplayer, you can join the world generated by someone else or invite others to join your unique Valheim world.
The skills that you picked up or the stuff you have in your inventory will carry over to the world you are joining, so you don’t have to worry about starting from scratch.
2. How to Join a Multiplayer Game in Valheim?
To join a multiplayer or Co-Op game in Valheim, just head down to the server browser and join the session hosted by one of your steam friends.
- At the menu after character selection, go to ‘Join Game.’
- Select from the server browser. Either join in one of the games hosted by your friends or look up a community server.
- Be sure to keep the password to the server handy.
Joining other servers is fun, but most of the time, I get lucky with my current world and want my buddies to hop in. Valheim makes hosting your own quick multiplayer sessions relatively easy.
3. Hosting your Own Local Multiplayer Server in Valheim
If you want to start up a quick online session in Valheim so a couple of your friends can grind in your world, then setting up a local Valheim server is the best option.
To host a local multiplayer session in Valheim, Create a new world or pick an existing one. Simply click on ‘Start Server’ and enter a password.
Voila! Now your friends can search up for your server and join in. Even though hosting a multiplayer valheim game this way is quite easier, it will start to lag as the number of players increases since your rig will be handling Valheim and the server at the same time. It’s best to go dedicated when you wish to expand!
4. What’s a Dedicated Server in Valheim?
A dedicated server is a specific PC to run a multiplayer Valheim Server only. You and your friends would need to join this dedicated server to play in.
This would not only remove the heavy load from your gaming rig, but you can keep the dedicated running even if you want to log off from your own gaming session.
5. How to Setup a Dedicated Server in Valheim?
Setting up a dedicated server in Valheim needs the official ‘Valheim Dedicated Server Tool’ and a PC on which the server will run. Follow the steps to get your dedicated server.
- Install Steam on the PC that’s going to host the server.
- Search up and install ‘Valheim Dedicated Search’ under tools in Steam.
- Add the world/s you want to use in your server. Worlds are located at: [CODE] C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds[/CODE]. Copy them from the source PC to the same location in the server PC. Skip this if your server PC and gaming PC are the same.
- It’s time to edit the server startup script, which is located at : [CODE] C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Valheim Dedicated Server[/CODE] and is called start_headless_server.
- The file should have:
start valheim_server -nographics -batchmode -name X1 -port 2456 -world X2 -password X3 -public 1- Add your server name in place of the X1, the world name in place of X2 and the password you want in place of X3. You can’t have the same world name and server name, and also, your password can not contain the world or server names.
- Set -public as 1 if you want your server to show up as a community server or 0 if you don’t.
- For more command information, refer the official guide.
- Pro Tip: Back up your “start_headless_server” script because it gets wiped with game updates.
- You need to open connections in your router to allow 2456-2458 TCP/ UDP on the PC running the dedicated server. This is done so that people outside your network can connect to your server. Use this guide if you don’t know how to open the ports.
- Start the server by simply running the server start script by double-clicking on it. You’ll get two windows; one with the server logs and the other that allows you to close the server by pressing any key.
- You’re all set, and friends can join in your server either by the community server list (If you set it to be public) or by using your server’s IP. If your server is private, players will have to add your server manually from View > Servers.
- The IP address would be your external IP with “:2457” at the end. Example: [CODE]xxx.xxx.x:2457[/CODE].
Dedicated servers are really great as they can be kept 24/7. If you already have an extra PC lying around your own home or a server set up, then you can add the valheim dedicated server on top of it. The downside is that you have to keep one extra machine up and running. There are alternate options available to have dedicated server hosting without using a different PC: VPS!
6. What’s a VPS, and Can it Run Valheim?
A VPS stands for a Virtual Private Server (VPS) and is just a virtual machine that is sold as a service. Think of it as a PC on the cloud, and you pay for it as you use it. A VPS can be used to host your dedicated Valheim server, and you don’t have to worry about running an extra PC at your home.
VPS is the way to go for remote server hosting, and as long as you find an affordable one, you don’t have to worry about anything else. Just setup Valheim on the VPS once, and you’re solid.
7. VPS Valheim Offerings: What’s Available?
Even though you can get a VPS and configure it from scratch, there are pre-bundled VPS with Valheim as well! These come installed with the right tools and are ready to deploy.
- GTXGaming: Enterprise processing power at a consumer-level price, this is the go-to VPS if you need a plethora of features.
- mtxserv: Offers AMD Ryzen 7 – 3800X and Valheim servers with utpto 10 Players. The major plus point I like is that the servers are located across the globe. So, you can get the one closest to you.
- Zap Hosting: With ten-player slots and more if you select Valheim Plus, Zap provides Valheim VPSs for cheap.
- Faded Servers: Faded Servers are more geared towards people living in Australia and Singapore as they have major server locations focused in that region. Competitive pricing is something I like about this as they will price match you.
All these options are plentiful and work out of the box, but I like doing stuff from scratch and want total control over my own server. Hetzner for instance provides cheap VPS in Europe that can be used for a range of stuff including Valheim servers.
8. Can you Host Valheim on a VPS from Scratch?
Valheim can be installed and hosted on any popular VPS offerings, including DigitalOcean, AWS, Azure etc. Just set up the dedicated server and port rules, and you’re golden!
User /u/mrzerobandwidth compiled a great guide and script to do all the heavy lifting for you when setting up a VPS from scratch.
That’s it! Now you can be the friend that comes in with a clutch for having an ever-ready Valheim server.
9. About Valheim
Developed by Iron Gate AB, Valheim is an online open-world Survival craft co-op game. Here, players will control dead Vikings and fight Odin’s ancient enemies and monsters.
In order to enter paradise, players will have to please Odin and prove their worth to the allfather.
The journey will not be easy as at every step, the danger of supernatural entities will loom. Players will have to venture out, explore various landforms, craft, and get stronger.
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