Unturned Plugins: RocketMod, LDM and OpenMod Explained

Is RocketMod still supported?

The honest picture has three parts:

• Original Rocket: the maintainers ended work on 20 December 2019 and released the source under the MIT license. Plugins written for it still exist.
• LDM: SDG forked Rocket to keep it working with the game. The official docs describe it as preserving plugin compatibility and fixing legacy issues such as multithreading exceptions and teleportation exploits. Its GitHub repository showed commits as recently as October 2025 when checked, and the dedicated server bundles the latest build.
• OpenMod: a separate plugin framework for .NET with Unturned as its officially supported game. Its latest tagged release at the time of checking was 3.8.5 (May 2024), with repository activity continuing into March 2026.

So "RocketMod is dead" is half true: nobody is developing new Rocket features, but the fork that ships with the game is maintained, and the plugin ecosystem built on it still works for most servers. A less obvious risk is individual plugins: many are no longer updated by their authors, so check each one rather than the framework.

RocketMod (LDM) vs OpenMod: which should you use?

Practical rule: pick the framework your must-have plugins were written for. If they exist for both, OpenMod's tooling (versioned packages, one-line installs, built-in permission roles) is more convenient. If you already run Rocket plugins, there is no need to migrate; OpenMod can run alongside them.

How to install Rocket (LDM) plugins

1. Check Rocket is installed

   Look for a Rocket.Unturned folder in the game's Modules directory. If it is missing, copy it there from the game's Extras directory and restart the server.

2. Download the plugin

   Plugin zips usually contain a Libraries folder and a Plugins folder. If you get a single .dll, it is the plugin itself.

3. Copy the files

   Put the Libraries contents in Rocket/Libraries and the Plugins contents in Rocket/Plugins (inside your server folder). SFTP or your host's file manager both work.

4. Restart and read the log

   Restart and check the console for the plugin loading cleanly. Rocket writes Rocket/Logs/Rocket.log, which is what plugin authors ask for when you report a problem.

How to install OpenMod and OpenMod plugins

The recommended route is the RocketMod installer plugin: put it in Rocket/Plugins, restart, then run /openmod install and follow the prompts. The manual route is to copy the OpenMod.Unturned folder into the game's Modules folder and start the server. The first start takes longer because OpenMod downloads its core components.

Once running, install plugins from the console or from chat:

openmod install PackageId
openmod install [email protected]
openmod reload
openmod remove PackageId

Alternatively copy a plugin's .dll and its libraries into openmod/plugins and run openmod reload. Remove a manually installed plugin by deleting its .dll. Plugin packages are found on the OpenMod plugins page or by searching NuGet for "openmod-plugin".

Plugin permissions basics

Rocket keeps groups in Permissions.config.xml in the server's Rocket folder. Each group has an Id, a list of member SteamID64s and a list of permitted commands, each optionally with a cooldown in seconds:

<Group>
    <Id>admin</Id>
    <Members>
        <Member>76561198031234567</Member>
    </Members>
    <Permissions>
        <Permission Cooldown="0">v</Permission>
        <Permission Cooldown="300">heal</Permission>
    </Permissions>
</Group>

After editing, run rocket reload permissions. An error on reload usually means broken XML, typically a missing closing tag.

OpenMod uses roles. Edit openmod.roles.yaml (changes apply instantly) or use commands. A permission has the form PluginId:Permission:

om p add role megavip PluginId:commands.home
om r add player PlayerName megavip
om p add player PlayerName PluginId:commands.home

• Prefix Rocket permissions with RocketMod: when managing them through OpenMod.
• A wildcard like PluginId:teleport.* grants a permission and its children. Granting PluginId:teleport alone does not grant the children.
• Prefix a permission with ! to remove it even if a role would inherit it.
• Run help commandname to see which permission a command needs.

How to find safe Unturned plugins

A plugin is compiled code that runs inside your server process with the same access as the server itself. Treat every .dll the way you would treat any program you were about to run.

• Prefer plugins from the OpenMod plugin list, NuGet, or established author or marketplace sites with a public history, support channel and changelog. Avoid anonymous files in chat servers.
• Check that the plugin states which Unturned version it was updated for. A plugin untouched since several game updates ago is the likeliest to throw errors.
• Prefer open source where possible, so someone else has read the code.
• Install one plugin at a time on a copy of your server first, read the console on startup, and keep a backup of the server folder.
• Read the Unturned server hosting rules before selling anything. Servers may not sell access to vanilla premium content, and the Monetization option (Unspecified, None, NonGameplay, Monetized) must be accurate if you set it. Item or vehicle kits that give a gameplay advantage are Monetized.

Hosting with ChicagoServers? The Unturned server hosting page lists what is included, such as a one-click mod installer, free server backups and SFTP file access. The same questions apply to whatever you install.

Frequently asked questions