V Rising Dedicated Server on a VPS (2026): Wine, SteamCMD, Ports

If you want to play V Rising with friends long-term, the host opening a "private game" usually only solves tonight's problem: when the host goes offline, the world stops too; after a version update, whoever upgrades first may be temporarily locked out. Putting a dedicated server on a VPS keeps the world running continuously, and lets you manage admins, saves, update windows and backups separately.

This article uses Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, SteamCMD, Wine and systemd as an example to deploy the current PC 1.1.x dedicated server. Let's state the limitation up front: Stunlock Studios' official dedicated server documentation explicitly says that currently only a Windows server is available. So the Linux approach below relies on the Wine compatibility layer and is not an official native Linux release. If you want the least hassle, choose a Windows VPS or a game hosting panel; if you want to control costs, backups and operational details, use the approach in this article.

First confirm the version, App ID and default ports

As of August 2026, the official repository lists the current PC version as 1.1.x, and the default branch is the current server. SteamCMD downloads the dedicated server using App ID 1829350, while the running game uses the game client's App ID; do not mix the two in update commands.

The official 1.1.x documentation currently gives these port examples:

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Open to the public internet
27015	UDP	Game traffic `Port`	Yes
27016	UDP	Steam list queries `QueryPort`	Open if you want to appear in the list
25575	TCP	RCON	Not opened directly, disabled by default

Many older tutorials still use 9876/9877. The ports themselves can be changed, but ServerHostSettings.json, UFW and the cloud provider's security group must all stay consistent. This article uses the official current example 27015/27016 UDP throughout.

How to choose VPS specs

The V Rising server is not forgiving on single-core performance or memory, and Wine adds another layer of resource usage. Below are safer starting values when buying a VPS, not official performance guarantees:

Scenario	Suggested starting point	Disk	Notes
2–4 players vanilla PvE	4 high-performance vCPUs, 8GB RAM	50GB NVMe	Suitable for a fixed small group
5–10 players long-term world	4–6 high-performance vCPUs, 12–16GB RAM	80GB NVMe	Leaves headroom for Wine, saves and backups
10+ players or high-rate PvP	6–8 high-performance cores, 16GB+ RAM	100GB+ NVMe	Stress test before deciding the player cap

Don't just look at the "8 cores" label. Game servers are more sensitive to poor single-core performance, CPU steal and disk latency jitter. The data center should be as close as possible to the main players; if your friends are all in mainland China, first read VPS specs and network route selection for game servers, then decide whether to buy in the US West Coast, Japan or another region.

Linux, Windows VPS or Pterodactyl

Approach	Pros	Cost	Who it suits
Windows VPS	Matches the official server environment	Licensing and memory costs are usually higher	Those who don't want to deal with Wine compatibility
Ubuntu + Wine	Controllable system overhead, transparent scripts and backups	Must verify Wine compatibility after game updates	Single-server admins familiar with SSH
Pterodactyl	Web panel, multiple instances, convenient permissions and quotas	Still need to maintain Panel, Wings and Eggs	Multiple games, multiple admins

If the same machine will also run Minecraft, Rust or Valheim, you can refer directly to Pterodactyl game server panel deployment. If you only run one V Rising server, SteamCMD + systemd makes it easier to see logs, configuration and save locations.

Prepare Ubuntu, Wine and a dedicated user

First update the system and install the components needed by SteamCMD and the Wine runtime:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates tar lib32gcc-s1 lib32stdc++6 \
  wine xvfb ufw jq
command -v wine
wine --version

Create a service account that cannot log in directly with a password, and a fixed directory:

sudo adduser --system --group --home /home/vrising --shell /bin/bash vrising
sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /opt/steamcmd
sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /opt/vrising-server
sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /srv/vrising/wine
sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings
sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /srv/vrising/persistent/logs
sudo install -d -m 750 -o root -g vrising /var/backups/vrising

Do not run the game as root. A dedicated user prevents the Wine prefix, server files and saves from being taken over by root, and also narrows the privilege scope if the service is exploited.

Initialize a dedicated Wine prefix:

sudo -u vrising env WINEPREFIX=/srv/vrising/wine \
  xvfb-run -a wineboot -u

xvfb-run provides a virtual display environment, avoiding the Wine error of being unable to connect to a display on a headless VPS. Wine's first initialization is slower than daily startups, so wait for the command to exit before continuing.

Install SteamCMD

Switch to the service account and download Valve's Linux version of SteamCMD:

sudo -iu vrising
cd /opt/steamcmd
curl -fsSL https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz \
  -o steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
tar -xzf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
./steamcmd.sh +quit

SteamCMD itself uses the Linux version; only when actually downloading the server do you force the Windows platform. This way you don't need to run a separate Windows SteamCMD inside Wine.

Download the V Rising dedicated server

Run the following command:

/opt/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh \
  +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows \
  +force_install_dir /opt/vrising-server \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 1829350 validate \
  +quit

After installation, check the key files and build record:

test -f /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer.exe
grep -n 'buildid' /opt/vrising-server/steamapps/appmanifest_1829350.acf
du -sh /opt/vrising-server
exit

If app_update reports that the platform is not supported, first confirm that @sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows is placed before the login and update commands. Do not switch to an integration pack of unknown origin, and do not copy an old installation directory from someone else's server.

Configure ServerHostSettings.json

The official recommendation is not to modify the default configuration in the installation directory directly, because SteamCMD updates may overwrite it. Put the custom file in the directory specified by -persistentDataPath:

sudo -u vrising nano /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json

First write an easy-to-verify PvE configuration:

{
  "Name": "My V Rising 1.1 Server",
  "Description": "Private PvE server on VPS",
  "Port": 27015,
  "QueryPort": 27016,
  "MaxConnectedUsers": 10,
  "MaxConnectedAdmins": 2,
  "ServerFps": 30,
  "LowerFPSWhenEmpty": true,
  "LowerFPSWhenEmptyValue": 5,
  "Password": "REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_PLAYER_PASSWORD",
  "Secure": true,
  "ListOnEOS": true,
  "ListOnSteam": true,
  "GameSettingsPreset": "StandardPvE",
  "GameDifficultyPreset": "Difficulty_Normal",
  "SaveName": "world1",
  "AutoSaveCount": 50,
  "AutoSaveInterval": 120,
  "ResetDaysInterval": 0,
  "Rcon": {
    "Enabled": false,
    "Port": 25575,
    "BindAddress": "127.0.0.1"
  }
}

Validate the JSON first, then start the service:

jq empty /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json
sudo chown vrising:vrising /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json
sudo chmod 640 /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json

Do not reuse the player password for SSH, the panel or RCON. You can generate one with openssl rand -base64 24. Public servers should keep Secure: true; even if you only play with fixed friends, setting a player password is recommended.

Don't copy game rules wholesale from old tutorials

ServerGameSettings.json controls resource multipliers, day/night length, castle limits, PvP and difficulty. For a new server, first get it running with the StandardPvE or StandardPvP preset, and don't paste a complete JSON from two years ago right away.

When you need fine-tuning, copy the default file from the current installation package to the persistent directory:

sudo -u vrising cp \
  /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json \
  /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json
sudo -u vrising nano /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json
jq empty /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json

Change only a few fields at a time, and check the logs after starting. If you want to use fully custom game rules, confirm that GameSettingsPreset will not overwrite it; especially when migrating old saves, do not mix new presets with old world configurations.

First foreground start

Run it once in the foreground first; missing Wine libraries, JSON errors and save path issues will all show up directly:

sudo -u vrising env \
  WINEPREFIX=/srv/vrising/wine \
  WINEDEBUG=-all \
  xvfb-run -a wine /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer.exe \
  -persistentDataPath 'Z:\srv\vrising\persistent' \
  -logFile 'Z:\srv\vrising\persistent\logs\VRisingServer.log'

The first world creation may take several minutes. Open another SSH window to observe the logs and ports:

tail -f /srv/vrising/persistent/logs/VRisingServer.log
sudo ss -lunp | grep -E ':27015|:27016'

After you see the server successfully connect to the platform, the world finish loading and the ports listening, stop it normally with Ctrl+C. Confirm the data has appeared:

sudo -u vrising find /srv/vrising/persistent -maxdepth 4 -type f | sort | head -n 120
sudo du -sh /srv/vrising/persistent

If Wine exits immediately after starting, first remove WINEDEBUG=-all and run it again; don't just stare at systemd's brief status.

Run it persistently with systemd

Create the service unit:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/vrising.service

Write:

[Unit]
Description=V Rising Dedicated Server via Wine
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=vrising
Group=vrising
WorkingDirectory=/opt/vrising-server
Environment=WINEPREFIX=/srv/vrising/wine
Environment=WINEDEBUG=-all
ExecStart=/usr/bin/xvfb-run -a /usr/bin/wine /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer.exe -persistentDataPath Z:\\srv\\vrising\\persistent -logFile Z:\\srv\\vrising\\persistent\\logs\\VRisingServer.log
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=20
KillSignal=SIGINT
TimeoutStopSec=180
LimitNOFILE=65535
NoNewPrivileges=true
PrivateTmp=true

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Load and start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now vrising
sudo systemctl status vrising --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u vrising -n 200 --no-pager
tail -n 200 /srv/vrising/persistent/logs/VRisingServer.log

The official recommendation is to restart the server regularly; in daily operation you can schedule restarts during the maintenance window with the fewest players. If systemd shows active (running) but the logs have not finished loading the world, it still doesn't count as a successful launch.

Only open the UDP ports you need

First allow the current SSH port, then open the game ports:

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp comment 'V Rising game'
sudo ufw allow 27016/udp comment 'V Rising query'
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status numbered

The cloud provider's security group must also add the same UDP inbound rules. Only allowing in UFW while forgetting the security group, or writing UDP as TCP by mistake, are common causes of "the service is running but the outside world can't get in". You can check layer by layer with the ports, firewall and security group troubleshooting checklist.

RCON uses TCP. It is disabled by default in this article; if you really need it, set a strong password and keep BindAddress: 127.0.0.1, and access it through an SSH tunnel:

ssh -L 25575:127.0.0.1:25575 your-user@VPS_IP

Do not run ufw allow 25575/tcp to expose RCON to the whole internet.

Add admins

Write the admins' Steam IDs one per line into the persistent directory:

sudo -u vrising nano /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/adminlist.txt

No restart is needed after the change. Admins enable the console in the game settings, press ~ to open it, then run:

adminauth

The admin commands currently listed officially include kick, banuser, bancharacter, banned and unban. Ban operations update banlist.txt in the same Settings directory. Do not write nicknames or in-game character names for Steam IDs.

Backups must be done before updates

Autosave is not an off-site backup. The official documentation explicitly recommends backing up frequently and backing up saves before patching. The safest approach is to stop the server first so the last disk write finishes, then archive the persistent directory:

sudo systemctl stop vrising
sudo tar -C /srv/vrising -czf \
  /var/backups/vrising/vrising-$(date +%F-%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  persistent
sudo systemctl start vrising
sudo find /var/backups/vrising -type f -name 'vrising-*.tar.gz' \
  -mtime +14 -delete

At minimum, sync the backup to another machine or object storage. If the VPS is accidentally deleted, the /var/backups on the same disk disappears with it.

When restoring, do not overwrite a running world:

sudo systemctl stop vrising
sudo mv /srv/vrising/persistent /srv/vrising/persistent.before-restore
sudo tar -C /srv/vrising -xzf /var/backups/vrising/vrising-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
sudo chown -R vrising:vrising /srv/vrising/persistent
sudo systemctl start vrising

The persistent version directory for current 1.1.x PC saves is Saves/v4. When migrating from a local private world, copy the entire corresponding world directory and keep the original copy first, then point SaveName to the migrated directory name.

Safe updates: stop the server, back up, then run SteamCMD

Create an update script:

sudo nano /usr/local/sbin/update-vrising

Write:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

systemctl stop vrising
tar -C /srv/vrising -czf \
  /var/backups/vrising/vrising-preupdate-$(date +%F-%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  persistent

sudo -u vrising /opt/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh \
  +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows \
  +force_install_dir /opt/vrising-server \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 1829350 validate \
  +quit

systemctl start vrising
systemctl --no-pager --full status vrising

Grant permissions and run it manually:

sudo chmod 750 /usr/local/sbin/update-vrising
sudo /usr/local/sbin/update-vrising

Do not update directly while players are online, and do not judge only by the script's exit code. After updating, confirm the logs finish loading the world and have a client actually join once. Wine is an extra compatibility layer, so after major game version updates you should keep the old server directory and pre-update saves, so you have room to roll back if compatibility issues appear.

If you can't connect, check in this order

Not found in the server list

Confirm that ListOnEOS or ListOnSteam is enabled, that both 27015 and 27016 are UDP, and that UFW and the cloud security group both allow them. A new server may take a few minutes to appear in the list; when troubleshooting, first test VPS_IP:27015 with the in-game direct connect feature.

Direct connect also times out

First run on the server:

sudo systemctl status vrising --no-pager
sudo ss -lunp | grep -E ':27015|:27016'
sudo ufw status numbered
tail -n 250 /srv/vrising/persistent/logs/VRisingServer.log

If no port is listening, the problem is in the service or configuration; if local listening is normal but the external network times out, focus on the security group, protocol and public IP; if you can see the handshake but it disconnects quickly, then check the client and server versions.

After an update, players report a version mismatch

The server and all clients must be on compatible versions. Stop the service, run app_update 1829350 validate again, check the build ID of appmanifest_1829350.acf, and confirm the client is not stuck on an old branch. Do not delete your only save to "fix the version".

The service exits immediately after changing the JSON

First run:

jq empty /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json
jq empty /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json
sudo journalctl -u vrising -n 250 --no-pager

If the second file has not been created yet, only check the Host configuration. An extra comma in the JSON, full-width Chinese quotation marks, or fields copied wholesale from an old version can all cause startup failure.

systemd shows it started too fast or is restarting in a loop

First look at the full logs, then run it manually in the foreground. If you see display or Wine prefix permission errors, check whether xvfb-run is installed and whether WINEPREFIX belongs to the vrising user:

sudo chown -R vrising:vrising /srv/vrising/wine /srv/vrising/persistent
sudo systemctl reset-failed vrising
sudo systemctl restart vrising

For general Unit file issues, continue with systemd service startup failure troubleshooting.

Final checklist before launch

The server comes from SteamCMD App ID 1829350, not a third-party integration pack.
You have explicitly accepted the maintenance cost of "the official release only provides a Windows server, and Linux relies on Wine".
ServerHostSettings.json, UFW and the security group use the same UDP ports.
RCON is disabled by default; when enabled, bind only to localhost and use a separate strong password.
adminlist.txt contains Steam IDs, one per line.
The backup includes the entire persistent directory, with a copy kept on another machine or object storage.
Stop the server and back up before updating; after updating, check the logs and actually join the server.

If your group only has 2–4 players, 4 high-performance vCPUs and 8GB RAM can serve as a testing starting point; for a long-term server or as the player count grows, scale up based on Wine process peaks, save growth and actual latency. Get vanilla, default multipliers, ports and backups working first, then add mods or high-multiplier configurations; troubleshooting will save you a lot of time.

Port

Protocol

Purpose

Open to the public internet

27015

UDP

Game traffic Port

Yes

27016

UDP

Steam list queries QueryPort

Open if you want to appear in the list

25575

TCP

RCON

Not opened directly, disabled by default

Scenario

Suggested starting point

Disk

Notes

2–4 players vanilla PvE

4 high-performance vCPUs, 8GB RAM

50GB NVMe

Suitable for a fixed small group

5–10 players long-term world

4–6 high-performance vCPUs, 12–16GB RAM

80GB NVMe

Leaves headroom for Wine, saves and backups

10+ players or high-rate PvP

6–8 high-performance cores, 16GB+ RAM

100GB+ NVMe

Stress test before deciding the player cap

Approach

Pros

Cost

Who it suits

Windows VPS

Matches the official server environment

Licensing and memory costs are usually higher

Those who don't want to deal with Wine compatibility

Ubuntu + Wine

Controllable system overhead, transparent scripts and backups

Must verify Wine compatibility after game updates

Single-server admins familiar with SSH

Pterodactyl

Web panel, multiple instances, convenient permissions and quotas

Still need to maintain Panel, Wings and Eggs

Multiple games, multiple admins

sudo adduser --system --group --home /home/vrising --shell /bin/bash vrising sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /opt/steamcmd sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /opt/vrising-server sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /srv/vrising/wine sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings sudo install -d -o vrising -g vrising /srv/vrising/persistent/logs sudo install -d -m 750 -o root -g vrising /var/backups/vrising

{ "Name": "My V Rising 1.1 Server", "Description": "Private PvE server on VPS", "Port": 27015, "QueryPort": 27016, "MaxConnectedUsers": 10, "MaxConnectedAdmins": 2, "ServerFps": 30, "LowerFPSWhenEmpty": true, "LowerFPSWhenEmptyValue": 5, "Password": "REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_PLAYER_PASSWORD", "Secure": true, "ListOnEOS": true, "ListOnSteam": true, "GameSettingsPreset": "StandardPvE", "GameDifficultyPreset": "Difficulty_Normal", "SaveName": "world1", "AutoSaveCount": 50, "AutoSaveInterval": 120, "ResetDaysInterval": 0, "Rcon": { "Enabled": false, "Port": 25575, "BindAddress": "127.0.0.1" } }

jq empty /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json sudo chown vrising:vrising /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json sudo chmod 640 /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerHostSettings.json

sudo -u vrising cp \ /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json \ /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json sudo -u vrising nano /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json jq empty /srv/vrising/persistent/Settings/ServerGameSettings.json

sudo -u vrising env \ WINEPREFIX=/srv/vrising/wine \ WINEDEBUG=-all \ xvfb-run -a wine /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer.exe \ -persistentDataPath 'Z:\srv\vrising\persistent' \ -logFile 'Z:\srv\vrising\persistent\logs\VRisingServer.log'

[Unit] Description=V Rising Dedicated Server via Wine Wants=network-online.target After=network-online.target [Service] Type=simple User=vrising Group=vrising WorkingDirectory=/opt/vrising-server Environment=WINEPREFIX=/srv/vrising/wine Environment=WINEDEBUG=-all ExecStart=/usr/bin/xvfb-run -a /usr/bin/wine /opt/vrising-server/VRisingServer.exe -persistentDataPath Z:\\srv\\vrising\\persistent -logFile Z:\\srv\\vrising\\persistent\\logs\\VRisingServer.log Restart=on-failure RestartSec=20 KillSignal=SIGINT TimeoutStopSec=180 LimitNOFILE=65535 NoNewPrivileges=true PrivateTmp=true [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl enable --now vrising sudo systemctl status vrising --no-pager sudo journalctl -u vrising -n 200 --no-pager tail -n 200 /srv/vrising/persistent/logs/VRisingServer.log

sudo systemctl stop vrising sudo tar -C /srv/vrising -czf \ /var/backups/vrising/vrising-$(date +%F-%H%M%S).tar.gz \ persistent sudo systemctl start vrising sudo find /var/backups/vrising -type f -name 'vrising-*.tar.gz' \ -mtime +14 -delete

sudo systemctl stop vrising sudo mv /srv/vrising/persistent /srv/vrising/persistent.before-restore sudo tar -C /srv/vrising -xzf /var/backups/vrising/vrising-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.tar.gz sudo chown -R vrising:vrising /srv/vrising/persistent sudo systemctl start vrising

#!/usr/bin/env bash set -euo pipefail systemctl stop vrising tar -C /srv/vrising -czf \ /var/backups/vrising/vrising-preupdate-$(date +%F-%H%M%S).tar.gz \ persistent sudo -u vrising /opt/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh \ +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows \ +force_install_dir /opt/vrising-server \ +login anonymous \ +app_update 1829350 validate \ +quit systemctl start vrising systemctl --no-pager --full status vrising

First confirm the version, App ID and default ports

How to choose VPS specs

Linux, Windows VPS or Pterodactyl

Prepare Ubuntu, Wine and a dedicated user

Install SteamCMD

Download the V Rising dedicated server

Configure ServerHostSettings.json

Don't copy game rules wholesale from old tutorials

First foreground start

Run it persistently with systemd

Only open the UDP ports you need

Add admins

Backups must be done before updates

Safe updates: stop the server, back up, then run SteamCMD

If you can't connect, check in this order

Not found in the server list

Direct connect also times out

After an update, players report a version mismatch

The service exits immediately after changing the JSON

systemd shows it started too fast or is restarting in a loop

Final checklist before launch

Loading…

First confirm the version, App ID and default ports

How to choose VPS specs

Linux, Windows VPS or Pterodactyl

Prepare Ubuntu, Wine and a dedicated user

Install SteamCMD

Download the V Rising dedicated server

Configure ServerHostSettings.json

Don't copy game rules wholesale from old tutorials

First foreground start

Run it persistently with systemd

Only open the UDP ports you need

Add admins

Backups must be done before updates

Safe updates: stop the server, back up, then run SteamCMD

If you can't connect, check in this order

Not found in the server list

Direct connect also times out

After an update, players report a version mismatch

The service exits immediately after changing the JSON

systemd shows it started too fast or is restarting in a loop

Final checklist before launch