How to Make a Hytale Server: Step-by-Step Guide

Here is how to make a Hytale server: install Java 25, copy the Server folder and Assets.zip from your Hytale launcher (or fetch them with the official Hytale Downloader), start it with java -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip, sign it in with /auth login device and open UDP port 5520. Hypixel Studios asks for at least 4 GB of RAM for the server.

Below are the exact steps from the official Hytale Server Manual, the files you will edit, how much RAM to give it, mods, updates and what to check when friends cannot join. Hytale has been in early access since January 13, 2026 and still updates often, so we note where things can change.

What you need before you start

If you only want two or three friends in your world while you are playing, you may not need a dedicated server at all. Hytale's Online Play option (Esc, then Online Play, then Allow Other Players to Join) opens your singleplayer world and gives you a share code. The catch: the world closes when you quit. If friends want to build while you sleep, you need a dedicated server that stays on, which is the same reason people run a Minecraft server 24/7.

How to make a Hytale server on your PC, step by step

Step 1: Install Java 25

Download Java 25 from Adoptium, install it and check the version in a terminal:

java --version

The output should start with openjdk 25. If you see 21 or 17, an older Java comes first in your PATH.

Step 2: Get the Hytale server files

The manual lists three ways. Pick the one that fits:

The launcher folder is %appdata%\Hytale\install\release\package\game\latest on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/Hytale/install/release/package/game/latest on macOS and $XDG_DATA_HOME/Hytale/install/release/package/game/latest on Linux. For a server you keep, use the downloader: ./hytale-downloader -print-version shows the current game version without downloading anything. The downloader and bootstrap also create start.sh and start.bat, which the built-in updater needs.

Step 3: Start the server for the first time

Put Assets.zip next to the Server folder, open a terminal inside Server and run:

java -Xmx4G -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets ../Assets.zip

-Xmx4G caps the memory Java may use; raise it if your machine has room. The AOT cache file ships with the server and shortens boot time. If you use start.sh or start.bat instead, write memory flags in a jvm.options file beside the script, one per line (for example -Xms2G and -Xmx4G). Those scripts also turn on automatic backups every 30 minutes.

Step 4: Sign the server in with your Hytale account

A new server cannot accept players until it is authenticated. In the server console type:

/auth login device

The console prints a link (https://accounts.hytale.com/device) and a code like ABCD-1234. Open the link in any browser, enter the code and approve it within 15 minutes (900 seconds). The console then shows Authentication successful! Mode: OAUTH_DEVICE. Two more commands worth knowing:

• /auth status shows whether the server is signed in.
• /auth persistence Encrypted stores the credentials encrypted on disk instead of only in memory, so you do not repeat the login after every restart.

A signed-in server refreshes its tokens on its own while it stays online; Hypixel only asks you to log in again if it has been offline longer than the 30-day refresh window. One game license can authenticate up to 500 servers.

Step 5: Open UDP port 5520

Hytale talks over QUIC, which runs on UDP. Forwarding TCP does nothing. On your router, forward UDP 5520 to your PC's local IP; the router screens look the same as in our port forwarding guide, only the protocol and number change. Then allow it through the firewall:

# Windows (PowerShell as administrator)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Hytale Server" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 5520 -Action Allow

# Linux with ufw
sudo ufw allow 5520/udp

To use another port, start the server with --bind 0.0.0.0:3500 and forward that one. If your internet provider puts you behind CGNAT (several homes sharing one public IP), port forwarding cannot work at all and you need a public IP or a hosted server.

Hytale server files you will edit

After the first start, the server folder looks like this:

The world config.json holds switches such as "IsPvpEnabled": false and "IsFallDamageEnabled": true. One rule from the manual saves headaches: config files are read at startup and rewritten when someone changes things in game, so stop the server before you edit them by hand, or your changes get overwritten.

How much RAM a Hytale server needs

Hypixel's floor is 4 GB. Above that, usage depends on how people play, and the manual names two drivers:

• RAM grows with the loaded world area: a long view distance and players exploring in different directions.
• CPU grows with players and entities (NPCs and mobs).

View distance is the big one. Hypixel recommends capping it at 12 chunks (384 blocks), which is already roughly what 24 chunks would be in Minecraft, so a Hytale server uses more memory than a Minecraft server at default settings. Hytale caps saved view distance at 32 chunks. If the server's CPU climbs while players are simply walking around, Java is probably short on memory and busy collecting garbage: raise -Xmx or lower the view distance. For a small group of friends, 4 to 6 GB is a sensible start; public servers and mods need more.

Adding mods to your Hytale server

Download mods as .jar or .zip (from CurseForge, for example), stop the server, drop them into mods/ and start it again. Hypixel's modding strategy is server-side first: players should be able to join a modded server without downloading the mods themselves. During early access mods often break after a game update, so back up universe/ before adding or updating any of them.

Keeping your server updated

Client and server must run the exact same protocol version. When Hytale updates and players' launchers update, an old server refuses them until you update it too. The server has a built-in updater:

• /update check looks for a new version, /update download stages it and /update apply --confirm backs up files and restarts through the wrapper script.
• In config.json, setting "AutoApplyMode": "WhenEmpty" under Update applies staged updates when nobody is online.

The updater only works with the layout the downloader or bootstrap creates (Assets.zip and start.sh above the Server folder). If you copied files by hand, run /update setup once to write the scripts.

Friends can't join? Check these first

Friends join from Servers in the main menu with your public IP and port, for example 203.0.113.10:5520. Domain names with SRV records are not supported yet, so the port stays in the address.

How to make a Hytale server on TheGameHosting

If the steps above sound like a weekend project, the hosted route is shorter. Our Hytale server hosting page lists what runs on it:

1. Open Pricing and pick a plan with 4 GB of RAM or more (Hytale's minimum on our list).
2. Pay; the server is ready in about 60 seconds. If it is set to another game, switch it to Hytale with Game Changer.
3. In Console, start the server. If it shows a device code, sign it in exactly as in step 4.
4. In Files (or over sFTP), add mods to mods/ and edit the JSON files with the server stopped. Startup holds the launch settings, so there are no Java commands to type.
5. Share the address and port shown in the panel. The server already has a public IP: nothing to forward on your router.

Still deciding? Our comparison of hosting on your PC or online is written for Minecraft, but the trade-offs (PC left on, router, home IP shared with players) are the same for Hytale.

Skip the setup: run Hytale on TheGameHosting

Making a Hytale server yourself is a good way to learn, but it ties the world to your PC, your router and your home IP. A TheGameHosting server runs on AMD 9950X/7950X3D CPUs with DDR5 RAM and NVMe storage in Dallas or Amsterdam, with DDoS protection, unlimited slots, panel backups and 24/7 support. Hytale starts on the 4 GB plan at $3.69 USD/month, and the same plan can move to Minecraft or another game later with Game Changer. Compare sizes on our plans and pricing page and use code FULL2026 at checkout for 15% off for life.

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Hosting for these games

• Hytale server hostingFrom 4 GB · $3.69 USD/month
• Minecraft Java hostingSame plan, switch with Game Changer