Set up an Arma Reforger dedicated server from scratch

An Arma Reforger dedicated server is a copy of the game that runs on its own, with nobody playing on it, so the world stays up when you log off. You can order one ready to start, or install the server files yourself. Either way the steps are the same: set a name and two passwords, pick a scenario, start it, and tell players how to find it.

Installing it on your own machine? Jump to By hand.

In the ArthOS panel

1. Open the Arma Reforger page, choose your region and build, and finish the order. The server is built for you with its settings file already in place.
2. Open the server and go to the Config Editor tab. The settings are grouped; the ones below are under Server.
3. Set the settings below and press Save.

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The settings that matter

• Server name (1): what players see in the server browser, up to 100 characters. See change the server name.
• Join password (2): type one if only your friends should join. Leave it empty and anyone who finds the server can join. To hide the server from the browser as well, turn off Show in the server browser. See set a server password.
• Admin password (3): lets you take admin rights in game with #login. You need it only if you want admin commands. A random one is made when the server is built, so set one you can remember. It cannot contain spaces.
• Scenario (4): the mission or game mode the server runs, for example Conflict: Everon. Only one runs at a time. See scenario IDs.
• Maximum players: 1 to 128.
• Crossplay with consoles: Bohemia’s default is off. A new Loafhosts server starts with it on, so check it is on if Xbox or PlayStation players should join.

The ports and the public address are set by the panel every time the server starts, so you cannot change them here.

4. Go to the Console tab and press Start (1).
5. Watch the log. The server is ready when it prints Entered online game state. Now give players the address.

1

By hand

This outline follows Bohemia’s own documentation for a Linux machine.

1. Install SteamCMD and download the stable server (app 1874900; the experimental server is 1890870). Set the install folder first, or the files land in SteamCMD’s own folder:

force_install_dir /home/<user>/armaR
login anonymous
app_update 1874900 validate
quit

2. Create a config.json next to the server. This is the smallest useful one:

{
  "game": {
    "name": "My Reforger server",
    "password": "",
    "passwordAdmin": "changeme",
    "scenarioId": "{ECC61978EDCC2B5A}Missions/23_Campaign.conf",
    "maxPlayers": 32,
    "visible": true,
    "crossPlatform": true
  }
}

3. Start the server from its folder with the config and a profile folder, and cap its frame rate. Bohemia heavily recommends -maxFPS with a value from 60 to 120, because otherwise the server can try to use every resource it has:

./ArmaReforgerServer -config ./config.json -profile ./profile -maxFPS 60

4. Open UDP port 2001 to the internet. This is the game port. The query port 17777 and the remote console port 19999 are optional.
5. Keep fastValidation set to true under gameProperties on a public server.

A server started from inside the game runs on the host’s own game and is PC only. A dedicated server, by hand or ordered, has no player on it and works for every platform.

Get players in

Players search for your server name in the server browser, or use the browser’s IP Connect option with your address and port. Console players need crossPlatform turned on. The steps are in how to connect to an Arma Reforger server.

If it does not work

• The server stops right after Start. The log names the problem; see reading the server logs. If you edited config.json by hand and it no longer parses, the panel refuses to start and names the line and column. Fix that line in Files, then start again.
• It never appears in the browser. Check visible is on, then wait for the log to print Entered online game state. before searching.
• Players outside your network cannot connect. Port 2001 is UDP, and on a machine at home it must be forwarded on your router. This does not apply to a server from Loafhosts.
• You cannot log in as admin. In game chat, type #login and then your admin password. A password with a space will not work.

Sources: Bohemia wiki: Server Hosting, Bohemia wiki: Server Config, Bohemia wiki: Server Management, reforger.armaplatform.com: Update september 3 2026

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