How to host a Hytale server
Self-hosting a Hytale server is free and takes under an hour, most of which is router settings. This is the full path: download, configure, open the network, invite.
What you need
- The server software from the official source — details and cautions on the server jar page.
- Access to your router's admin page (usually 192.168.x.1 — it's printed on the router).
- A machine that stays on while people play — for always-on worlds, read dedicated servers or rented hosting instead of leaving your PC on 24/7.
Setup
- Create a folder for the server somewhere with space — the world grows.
- Run the server once and let it generate its config and world. First boot takes longer than you expect — let it finish, because interrupting it can leave half-generated files.
- Connect locally using the local address on the server machine. Fix any problem that exists at this stage before touching the router — see server failed to boot if it won't start.
- Edit the config: world name, player limit, rules. Restart for changes to apply.
Port forwarding — the step that decides everything
Until the router forwards the server's port to your machine, you can connect and nobody else can. On your router's admin page:
- Find your server machine's local IP (the network settings on that machine show it).
- In the router, create a port-forwarding rule: the server's port — read it from the server console, don't assume — to that local IP. The protocol must be UDP, not TCP (the commonly cited default is 5520 UDP; friend-hosted worlds show their per-session port in the Online Play settings).
- Save, restart the server, and check the console for binding errors.
UPnP shortcut: if your router supports UPnP, enabling it (in the router's admin page) lets Hytale open the port itself — no manual rule. For friend-hosted worlds, enable UPnP, then regenerate the share code; the new code includes the mapped port.
The firewall, in one paragraph
The machine's firewall must allow the server program inbound, on the same port. Windows asks on first run — allow it on Private and Public networks. Missed the prompt? The full fix, including third-party antivirus, is on the firewall error page.
Inviting players
- Find your public IP (search "what is my IP" on the server machine).
- Give players the address: your public IP, plus the port if it's non-default.
- Home IPs change on router restarts — a free dynamic-DNS hostname stops you re-sending a new address every week.
- Have one friend outside your network connect before you announce anything. If they can't: failed to connect checklist.
Ongoing ownership
- Update after game patches — mismatched versions refuse connections.
- Back up the world folder regularly; it's the only copy.
- Watch the console for errors rather than waiting for player reports.
Playing on the same network (LAN)
If everyone is in the same house, half this page evaporates: port forwarding exists so outside traffic can reach your machine, and LAN players are already inside. Connect using the server machine's local address, allow the server through the machine's firewall once, and you're running. Router configuration only enters the picture the first time someone joins from outside — which is also the moment to re-read the port-forwarding section above rather than debugging the LAN setup that already works.
The five mistakes first-time hosts make
- Announcing before testing. Ten players waiting while you debug port forwarding in front of an audience. Have one friend connect first, always.
- No static local IP. The forwarding rule silently dies after the server machine's address changes on reboot — the "it worked yesterday" bug.
- Hosting on Wi-Fi. Wireless drops translate directly into players rubber-banding. A cable is the cheapest server upgrade there is.
- No backups until the first corruption. The world folder is irreplaceable and copying it takes seconds. Schedule it.
- Skipping the version check during patch week. The game updated, the server didn't, and everyone's troubleshooting a connection error that's actually a version error — the checklist's check three.
Full server-management context: the server guide.