How to make a Hytale server

A Hytale dedicated server is one Java program and the game's asset archive. This guide follows what we did to run the Hytale 0.7.7 server on our own Linux machine on 14 November 2026. Facts come from the server itself and the official Hytale Server Manual. If you'd rather not run it yourself, hosts that rent Hytale servers are at the end.

1. What you need

Java 25. The server is HytaleServer.jar. We used the eclipse-temurin:25-jdk image.
At least 4 GB of memory, on x64 or arm64 (the official manual). View distance drives memory use most: the manual recommends capping it at 12 chunks (384 blocks).
A glibc-based Linux (glibc 2.28 or newer) rather than Alpine: the server's newer network transport needs glibc. Windows works too; the download has a start.bat.
A Hytale account that owns the game, to authenticate the server.

Our 0.7.7 test server booted in about 12 seconds and used about 2.4 GB of memory with -Xmx4G on a fresh world with nobody online. Players exploring in different directions need more.

2. Download the server

Hytale ships the server as one game.zip (about 1.6 GB). The official hytale-downloader command-line tool fetches it. On first use it prints a link to approve in a browser with your Hytale account, then keeps its login for later runs. The zip holds:

Server/HytaleServer.jar: the server;
Assets.zip (about 3.9 GB): the game's assets, which the server reads;
start.sh and start.bat: the launch scripts.

3. Start it

Unpack the zip and run the start script. From the Server folder it runs:

java -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets ../Assets.zip --backup --backup-dir backups --backup-frequency 30

Java options such as the heap size go in a jvm.options file next to start.sh, for example -Xmx4G.
The first start writes config.json, permissions.json, bans.json, auth.key and the universe/, mods/ and logs/ folders.
Every launch option the jar takes, with its default, is in the launch options table.
On Linux the server may warn that the UDP receive buffer is small and suggest raising net.core.rmem_max. It boots anyway; raise it for busy servers.

4. Authenticate the server

A fresh server can't take players until it's logged in. Its console says:

No server tokens configured. Use /auth login to authenticate.

Type auth login device in the server console on a headless machine (or auth login browser on one with a browser), open the link it prints and approve it with an account that owns Hytale. auth status shows the result. All /auth subcommands are on the commands page. The --auth-mode launch option takes authenticated (the default), offline or insecure.

5. Open the port

The server listens on 0.0.0.0:5520 and speaks QUIC over UDP. Forward UDP port 5520 on your router or firewall; no TCP port is needed. In Docker, publish it as UDP: -p 5520:5520/udp. To use another port, start the server with --bind 0.0.0.0:<port>. The manual says SRV records aren't supported yet, so players type the port if it isn't 5520.

6. The settings that matter

Stop the server, edit config.json next to the jar, and start it again. The ones most servers change (every key is in the config reference):

ServerName and MOTD.
Password: empty means anyone can join.
MaxPlayers: 100 by default.
MaxViewRadius: 32 chunks by default. The manual recommends 12 to keep memory in check.
Per world (PvP, fall damage, NPC spawning, day length): universe/worlds/<name>/config.json, in the world config table.

7. Make yourself an operator

In the server console, run op add <your name or UUID>. It puts you in the hytale:Admin permission group. The server's code refuses /op self on a dedicated server unless self-op is allowed. Who can use each command, and the groups that grant them, is on the commands page.

8. Updates and backups

Client and server versions must match exactly (the manual), so update the server as soon as Hytale updates. The server can check for updates itself (the Update keys). It exits with code 8 when it needs a restart to apply an update, so run it under something that restarts it on that code.
start.sh turns on backups every 30 minutes into backups/; the Backup keys and the --backup-* options change that.
What each update changed in items, mobs and commands: Hytale updates.

Rent a Hytale server instead

Hosts that sell Hytale servers, with the cheapest plan their own Hytale page showed when we checked (November 2026). Prices change often, and first-month discounts are marked. "Partner" and "verified" labels are each host's own claim. Links go out through this site so we can count clicks; nothing identifies you.

Host	From (checked November 2026)	RAM	US locations	Notes
Nodecraft	$11.92/mo (Lite, sleeps when empty); $19.98/mo Pro, always on	4 GB on Lite	Seattle, San Jose, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Washington DC, Boston	24-hour trial and 7-day refund. Hytale world and player management tools, CurseForge installs. Says it is a verified hosting provider.
Host Havoc	$15.00/mo	4 GB	New York, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle	72-hour refund, no trial. CurseForge mod installer and config editor.
Apex Hosting	$14.99/mo (25% off the first month)	4, 6 or 8 GB; 16 GB on its EX plan	Not named on the page (it has a ping test)	Says it is an official Hytale launch and development partner. DDoS protection, automatic backups, FTP access.
Nitrado	$12.99 per 30 days	4, 6 or 8 GB; custom 4–72 GB	Not named on the page (a location picker)	Says it is an official Hytale launch and development partner. Subscription or prepaid, 3 to 365 days. Automated backups.
Shockbyte	$12.50/mo	5 GB; 8 GB at $19.99, 9 GB+ custom	Not named on the page ("global locations")	72-hour self-serve refund. Mod support, DDoS protection, automatic backups. Says it is "official Hytale launch verified".
Indifferent Broccoli	$9.99/mo	3 GB (below the official 4 GB minimum); 6 GB at $18.99	San Jose, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Washington DC	2-day free trial without a card, 7-day refund. No CPU or RAM caps.

Most US cities: Nodecraft (10) and Host Havoc (7) name theirs; Apex, Nitrado and Shockbyte don't on their Hytale pages.
To try first: Nodecraft has a 24-hour trial and Indifferent Broccoli a 2-day one without a card.
Memory: 4 GB is the official minimum. Plans below it (3 GB) suit a few friends at most, with a low view distance.