How to Run a Game Server on a VPS

Hosting your own game server gives you full control over settings, mods, and who can join. This guide covers running a Minecraft server on a VPS (Minecraft Java Edition) - and the same principles apply to other games like Valheim, Terraria, or CS2.

Prerequisites

• A cloud server with at least 2 vCPUs and 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended for modded Minecraft, or a dedicated server for a big community) - see how to choose a plan
• Ubuntu 22.04 with SSH access
• Port 25565 open in your firewall (for Minecraft)

Setting Up a Minecraft Java Edition Server

Step 1: Install Java

Minecraft Java Edition requires Java 21:

apt update
apt install openjdk-21-jre-headless -y
java -version

Step 2: Create a Dedicated User

Run the server as a non-root user for security:

adduser minecraft
su - minecraft

Step 3: Download the Minecraft Server

Visit https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server and copy the download link for the latest .jar file, then:

mkdir ~/minecraft-server && cd ~/minecraft-server
wget https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/LATEST_VERSION/server.jar -O server.jar

Step 4: Accept the EULA

Run the server once to generate config files:

java -Xmx2G -Xms1G -jar server.jar nogui

Accept the Minecraft End User License Agreement:

echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

Step 5: Configure the Server

Edit server.properties to customise your server:

nano server.properties

Key settings:

server-port=25565
max-players=10
difficulty=normal
gamemode=survival
level-name=world
online-mode=true
view-distance=10

Step 6: Open the Firewall

Back as root:

ufw allow 25565/tcp

Step 7: Start the Server

java -Xmx2G -Xms1G -jar server.jar nogui

For a server with 4 GB of RAM, use:

java -Xmx3G -Xms2G -jar server.jar nogui

Step 8: Keep the Server Running (Screen or systemd)

Using Screen (simplest):

apt install screen -y
screen -S minecraft
java -Xmx3G -Xms2G -jar server.jar nogui
# Detach: Ctrl+A then D
# Reattach: screen -r minecraft

Using systemd (recommended for auto-start on boot):

Create a service file as root:

nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service

[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=minecraft
WorkingDirectory=/home/minecraft/minecraft-server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xmx3G -Xms2G -jar server.jar nogui
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start:

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable minecraft
systemctl start minecraft

Step 9: Connect to Your Server

Open Minecraft, go to Multiplayer → Add Server, and enter your server's IP address:

YOUR_SERVER_IP:25565

Tips for Other Games

Most games follow a similar pattern: install dependencies → download server files → configure → open firewall port → run.

Questions? Email us at [email protected] - we reply in under 2 hours, 7 days a week.