Hytale Dedicated Server Setup Guide: Java 25, Assets, Ports and First Start

What you need before you start

Hytale's Server Manual lists a short set of requirements. The server runs on any device that meets them, which includes a spare PC, a home server, a rented machine or a hosted game server.

Hosted server or your own machine

The steps below are written for someone running the server themselves. If your server is hosted on ChicagoServers, most of the machine-level work is already done for you. This table shows where the two paths differ.

Both routes end with the same game server, so the rest of the guide still applies: the commands, the files and the version rules are identical.

Get the server files

The manual describes three ways to obtain the server. All of them give you a Server folder containing HytaleServer.jar, plus an Assets.zip archive.

%appdata%\Hytale\install\release\package\game\latest
$XDG_DATA_HOME/Hytale/install/release/package/game/latest
~/Library/Application Support/Hytale/install/release/package/game/latest

The Downloader CLI is the manual's pick for production. Running ./hytale-downloader downloads the latest release, -print-version prints the game version without downloading, -download-path game.zip sets the output file, and -patchline pre-release selects the pre-release channel. Patchlines are explained in the updates guide.

With the bootstrap method, the server extracts its files and then shuts itself down. Start it afterwards with ./start.sh on Unix or start.bat on Windows. On Windows, delete the installer JAR by hand after shutdown, because it cannot delete itself while running. Credentials from the bootstrap session carry over, so the real server starts already authenticated.

The launch command

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

Run java -jar HytaleServer.jar --help once on your own copy. The help output also shows options such as --auth-mode, --backup and --backup-frequency (default 30 minutes). The manual does not explain --auth-mode offline, so leave it alone unless you know what you are doing.

The start.sh and start.bat wrapper scripts, created by the bootstrap flow or by /update setup, launch the server from inside Server/ with --assets ../Assets.zip --backup --backup-dir backups --backup-frequency 30. They also read extra JVM arguments from a jvm.options file if one exists, one argument per line, with # starting a comment. Put -Xmx there rather than editing the script.

Ports, QUIC and firewalls

Hytale uses QUIC, which runs over UDP. That has one practical consequence that catches Minecraft veterans out: forward and allow UDP on the server port, and do not bother with TCP.

sudo ufw allow 5520/udp
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 5520 -j ACCEPT
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Hytale" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 5520 -Action Allow

The manual also lists SRV record support as planned but currently unsupported, so players need the address and port rather than a hostname that resolves through an SRV record. If you change the port with --bind, tell players the new port.

What the server creates on first start

The server reads these files at startup and rewrites them during in-game actions, so edits made while it is running may be overwritten. The config files guide covers a safe editing routine.

First start and authentication

1. Start the server

   Run the launch command or the wrapper script and wait for the console to settle.

2. Authenticate

   Type /auth login device in the server console. The console prints a device page address, accounts.hytale.com/device, and a short code. Open that page in a browser on any device, sign in and enter the code. The code is valid for 900 seconds.

3. Confirm it worked

   The console reports Authentication successful! with Mode: OAUTH_DEVICE. The manual notes that once authenticated, your server can accept player connections.

4. Make a safety copy

   Once the server has written its first config and world, copy config.json and universe/ somewhere safe so you have a clean starting point.

The reasons for authentication, the 500-server limit and what to do when the flow fails are in the Hytale server authentication guide. On a hosted server, type the command into the Console tab and press Send.

Connecting and version matching

Community guides report that players join from the Hytale client's server menu: choose Server, then Add Server (or Direct Connect), and enter the server's IP address and port. Menu labels can shift between builds, so treat that as a pointer rather than gospel.

The part the manual is firm about is version matching. Hytale uses a hash to check that client and server are compatible, and if the hashes do not match exactly the connection is rejected. In plain terms: client and server must be on the exact same protocol version. When a Hytale update lands, update your server promptly and ask players to update their client. The updates and versions guide explains the /update commands and what to check when players cannot join.

Memory and view distance

The manual calls view distance the main driver of RAM use and recommends capping it at 12 chunks (384 blocks). It also notes that Hytale's default of 384 blocks is roughly 24 Minecraft chunks, against Minecraft's 10, and says to expect higher RAM usage with default settings. If your server is running out of memory, lowering view distance is the first lever to try before buying more RAM. The setting lives in config.json and is covered in the config files guide.

Set -Xmx from observation: start from a sensible figure, watch real usage with your normal player count, and adjust. Constant garbage collection that burns CPU suggests the heap is too small.

Running this on ChicagoServers

If you would rather not manage Java, firewalls and updates yourself, Hytale server hosting from ChicagoServers is $15/mo, with instant setup in Chicago facilities, 40Gbps DDoS protection included, SFTP access, 24/7 support, a 7-day money-back guarantee and a free 24-hour trial. You still run /auth login device and manage your config, but the machine side is handled.

Frequently asked questions