Halo: Custom Edition server hosting for custom maps
Run the multiplayer-only Halo: Custom Edition with the custom maps your community plays. haloceded.exe hosts up to 16 players, SAPP adds admin tools and Lua, and players with Chimera or HAC2 download missing maps when they join.
- Dedicated server haloceded.exe on version 1.0.10
- Custom maps built with the Halo Editing Kit
- Map downloads for players with Chimera or HAC2
- SAPP for admins, map votes and Lua
- Players
- Up to 16 (sv_maxplayers)
- PortSet the server port with -port. The client port, set with -cport, defaults to 2303.
- 2302 UDP
- Version
- 1.0.10
- Maps
- Custom .map files built with the HEK
- Client toolsCommunity client mods that download missing maps when a player joins a server.
- Chimera · HAC2
- Admin tools
- SAPP (community)
Options
- Custom maps
- SAPP
- Lua
- Chimera
- HAC2
- CTF
- Slayer
Game facts from the community c20 Halo wiki and SAPP guides, checked in October 2026.
- DDoS protection
- 20 game server locations
Halo: Custom Edition plans are being prepared
Tell us your player count, the maps you run and your SAPP scripts, and our team will reply with the options. Or open a ticket and we will let you know when the plans are online.
How big should a Halo: Custom Edition server be?
The server is light and capped at 16 players. A big custom map collection needs disk space, and Lua scripts add some CPU load.
Find your size
| Feature |
Small game
Up to 8 players
|
Recommended Full server
Up to 16 players
|
Map collection
16 players, many maps and Lua
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM)Memory for the current map, the game type and every connected player. | 1 GB | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Disk spaceCustom maps take the most space; keep room for new maps and SAPP logs. | 5 GB | 10 GB | 15 GB |
| Map poolEach custom map is a .map file in the server’s maps folder; players fetch missing ones through Chimera or HAC2. | A few custom maps | A rotation of custom maps | Large collection with Lua |
| Typical use | Friends on favourite maps | A public custom map server | Events, votes and scripted modes |
-
Small game
Up to 8 players
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the current map, the game type and every connected player.
- 1 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 1
- Disk spaceCustom maps take the most space; keep room for new maps and SAPP logs.
- 5 GB
- Map poolEach custom map is a .map file in the server’s maps folder; players fetch missing ones through Chimera or HAC2.
- A few custom maps
- Typical use
- Friends on favourite maps
-
Recommended
Full server
Up to 16 players
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the current map, the game type and every connected player.
- 1 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 1
- Disk spaceCustom maps take the most space; keep room for new maps and SAPP logs.
- 10 GB
- Map poolEach custom map is a .map file in the server’s maps folder; players fetch missing ones through Chimera or HAC2.
- A rotation of custom maps
- Typical use
- A public custom map server
-
Map collection
16 players, many maps and Lua
- Memory (RAM)Memory for the current map, the game type and every connected player.
- 2 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 2
- Disk spaceCustom maps take the most space; keep room for new maps and SAPP logs.
- 15 GB
- Map poolEach custom map is a .map file in the server’s maps folder; players fetch missing ones through Chimera or HAC2.
- Large collection with Lua
- Typical use
- Events, votes and scripted modes
There are no official server hardware figures. The dedicated server is a small Windows program that also runs under Wine on Linux; disk space grows with your map collection.
Custom maps, client tools and SAPP
Custom Edition exists for community content: maps from the Halo Editing Kit, tools that deliver them and scripts that change the rules.
HEK maps
Community maps are built with the Halo Editing Kit and shipped as .map files. Put them in the server’s maps folder and add them to your map cycle.
Chimera and HAC2
Players with one of these community client mods download a missing map automatically when they join. Current Chimera does not work together with HAC2.
Maps that need scripts
Some maps need Lua through SAPP or the OpenSauce extension. Read a map’s notes before you add it to the rotation.
SAPP
The community server extension adds admin levels, kick and ban commands, map votes and anti-cheat checks, loaded from the last line of init.txt.
Message of the day
Custom Edition can greet players with a message of the day from motd.txt, set with sv_motd.
Classic game types
Slayer, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Oddball and Race work on custom maps that support them.
Set up your Custom Edition server
Four steps from an empty server to your favourite custom map.
-
Pick a size
Up to 16 players fit on one server; plan more disk space for a large map collection.
-
Pick a location
Choose the one closest to your players from our 20 game server locations.
-
Add maps and init.txt
Copy your .map files to the maps folder, set sv_name and sv_password in init.txt and load SAPP on the last line.
-
Invite your players
Ask players to install Chimera or HAC2 so missing maps download when they join.
Other game servers you might like
Frequently asked questions
How many players can join a Custom Edition server?
Up to 16. Set sv_maxplayers between 1 and 16; 16 is the default.
Which port does the server use?
2302 over UDP by default, set with -port. The client port, set with -cport, defaults to 2303. Give each server on one address its own port.
How do I add custom maps?
Copy the .map files into the server’s maps folder and add them with their game types to your map cycle, for example in SAPP’s mapcycle.txt.
How do players get the maps?
Players with the community client mod Chimera or HAC2 download a missing map automatically when they join. Without one of them, they have to install the map by hand first.
Why does a map not work on my server?
Some maps need Lua scripts through SAPP or the OpenSauce extension, and current Chimera builds do not load OpenSauce maps. Check the map’s notes for what it needs.
What is the difference between Halo PC and Custom Edition?
Custom Edition is a separate, multiplayer-only release made for custom maps, with its own server program haloceded.exe. Halo PC servers run haloded.exe with the original maps, and the two do not share servers.
What is SAPP?
SAPP is a community server extension for Halo PC and Custom Edition with admin levels, kick and ban commands, map votes, anti-cheat checks and Lua scripting. It is no longer developed, but it is still widely used and its files are mirrored on GitHub.
How do I set a welcome message?
Custom Edition shows a message of the day from motd.txt; point sv_motd at the file in init.txt.
Can the server run on Linux?
The dedicated server is a Windows program, and community guides run it on Linux under Wine with a small start script.
Ready to host your favourite custom maps?
Tell us your players, maps and scripts, and we will help you pick the right Custom Edition server.