# Portal Knights server hosting for your crew > Host a Portal Knights dedicated server for your four-player crew: an always-on world, user groups with passwords and rights, and your own islands. Plan yours. Keep your Portal Knights world open so your friends can build and explore without waiting for the host. The official dedicated server takes four players and controls access with user groups and passwords. - Official Portal Knights dedicated server - Four players in the same world - Admin, user and guest groups with passwords - Bring your own world from the game See plans Find your size Players Up to 4 per world\ Port 16365 UDP\ Config server\_config.json\ User groups Each group has its own password and rights to log in, kick players and change the world. Admins, users and guests\ Universe size Small, Normal or Large\ Server Windows, ships with the game Options - User groups - Passwords - Universe size - World import - Several servers Game facts from the developer’s dedicated server guide on the Portal Knights Steam forum and the Steam store page, checked in October 2026. - DDoS protection - 20 game server locations ## Portal Knights plans are being prepared Tell us whether you bring a world and how many servers you need, and our team will reply with the options. Or open a ticket and we will let you know when the plans are online. [Contact sales](https://hyperdc.com/contact-us) [Open a ticket](https://hyperdc.com/support/new-ticket) ## How much does a Portal Knights server need? A Portal Knights world holds four players, so the size of your universe matters more than the player count. | Feature | **Duo** Up to 2 players | Recommended **Full world** Up to 4 players | **Two worlds** Two servers, each with its own config | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. | 2 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | | CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. | 1–2 | 2 | 3–4 | | Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. | 10 GB | 10 GB | 15 GB | | Universe sizeuniverseSize in server\_config.json: Small, Normal or Large. Larger universes hold more islands. | Small or Normal | Normal or Large | Per server | | Typical use | Two friends on a new world | A full crew of four | Two groups or two worlds | - ### Duo Up to 2 players Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. 2 GB\ CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. 1–2\ Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. 10 GB\ Universe sizeuniverseSize in server\_config.json: Small, Normal or Large. Larger universes hold more islands. Small or Normal\ Typical use Two friends on a new world - Recommended ### Full world Up to 4 players Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. 2 GB\ CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. 2\ Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. 10 GB\ Universe sizeuniverseSize in server\_config.json: Small, Normal or Large. Larger universes hold more islands. Normal or Large\ Typical use A full crew of four - ### Two worlds Two servers, each with its own config Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. 4 GB\ CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. 3–4\ Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. 15 GB\ Universe sizeuniverseSize in server\_config.json: Small, Normal or Large. Larger universes hold more islands. Per server\ Typical use Two groups or two worlds Keen Games publishes no server hardware figures; these starting points are our estimate for a four-player world. ## Access, worlds and settings Everything is set in server\_config.json, which the server creates at its first start. ### User groups Admins, users and guests each get a password and rights: may log in, may kick players, may change the world. ### Bring your world Copy your world from the game’s save folder into the server’s savedata folder. ### Universe size Choose Small, Normal or Large for new worlds with universeSize. ### Several servers Start the server with -config and -log to run more than one world, each with its own port and save folder. ### Your own backups The server does not sync with Steam Cloud, so keep copies of the save folder yourself. ## Set up your Portal Knights server Four steps to an island that is always there. 1. ### Decide on your world Start a new universe or bring the world you already play, and pick a size from the table above. 2. ### Pick a location Choose the one closest to your players from our 20 game server locations. 3. ### Set groups and passwords In server\_config.json, give the server a name and set passwords and rights for admins, users and guests. 4. ### Share address and password Give your friends the server’s IPv4 address and the password of their user group. ## Other game servers you might like [See every game](https://hyperdc.com/game-server-hosting) [See all sandbox servers](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/sandbox-game-servers) ### Terraria Vanilla or tModLoader worlds for up to 255 players. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/terraria) ### Core Keeper An underground world for up to 8 players, from every PC store. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/core-keeper) ### Minecraft Java and Bedrock worlds with plugins, modpacks or crossplay. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/minecraft) ### Starbound A shared co-op universe with Workshop mods and admin tools. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/starbound) ### Staxel A shared farming village with Workshop mods and admin tools. [Learn more](https://hyperdc.com/game-servers/staxel) ## Frequently asked questions Still have a question? Send us a message and our team will reply by email. [Contact us](https://hyperdc.com/contact-us) [Open a ticket](https://hyperdc.com/support/new-ticket) ### How many players can join a Portal Knights server? Four. The dedicated server lets four players play in the same world, the same as online co-op in the game. ### Which port does the server use? UDP 16365 by default, set with port in server\_config.json. Players connect with the server’s IPv4 address. ### Where does the server come from? The developers ship it with the game: dedicated\_server.zip in the game’s installation folder. It contains pk\_dedicated\_server.exe, which creates its config, log and save folder at the first start. ### Can I bring my existing world? Yes. Copy the world files from the game’s save folder into the server’s savedata folder. Only the world is stored on the server; characters stay with the players. ### How do I control who can join? With the admins, users and guests groups in server\_config.json. Each group has a password and settings for logging in, kicking players and changing the world. ### Which settings does server\_config.json hold? The server name, IPv4 address, port and save folder, the universe size (Small, Normal or Large), whether the console window is hidden, and the three user groups. Save the file as ASCII or UTF-8. ### Can I run more than one world? Yes. Start each server with its own config and log file using -config and -log, and give each config its own port and save folder. ### Is the world backed up by Steam Cloud? No. The server is not connected to Steam Cloud, so copy its save folder to a safe place regularly. ### What should I do after a game update? Install the new dedicated\_server.zip from the updated game and keep your save folder and server\_config.json, so the server stays on the same version as the players. ## Ready to open your portal? Tell us about your world and your crew, and we will help you pick the right Portal Knights server. See plans [Contact sales](https://hyperdc.com/contact-us) --- Source: \ Updated: 2026-10-09