Arma 3 Server: Requirements and Tutorial

If you host Arma 3 on a dedicated server, you’ll have the best possible basis for a shared online adventure with your friends. Due to the comparatively high hardware requirements, renting external resources is recommended. You can then easily install and set up the Arma 3 server via SteamCMD.

The first version of the military simulation Arma 3 was released on September 12, 2013. The main content of the computer game by Bohemia Interactive is a military conflict set in the near future, and the developers place the focus on managing the crisis in multiplayer mode. We clarify the requirements for your own Arma 3 server and also provide detailed instructions for installation and setup.

To host a multiplayer server in Arma 3, you have two options: Either you run the multiplayer instance on your own device or you host an Arma 3 server on rented hardware resources with a provider of your choice.

The advantages of hosting on your own machine are obvious ⁠— you don’t have to rent additional hardware and you have the maximum access to your server. However, a look at the disadvantages makes it clear why an Arma 3 dedicated server in a remote data center is the better choice:

For one, home Internet access is rarely enough to provide a smooth and stable gaming experience for multiple players. Secondly, only absolute top PCs provide the necessary computing power (especially if you want to participate in the game yourself). Another argument in favor of third-party hosting is the fact that the server is available around the clock, which would only be the case with hosting on your own PC if you don’t turn off your device.

Hosting an Arma 3 dedicated server is taxing on the underlying hardware. The rule of thumb is that the more players are active at the same time and the more mods you want to use for your server, the more resources you need to plan for. For a simple co-op adventure, you can get away with a leaner hardware setup than for a multiplayer server where 16 or more players are in action together or against each other.

In the official Arma 3 Wiki, Bohemian Studios lists the following minimum requirements:

• CPU (processor): 2.4 gigahertz (dual core)
• RAM (working memory): 2 gigabytes
• Hard disk space: 32 gigabyte HDD

In the same place, the development team recommends the following hardware for all Arma 3 server scenarios that are intended to go beyond hosting a simple co-op adventure:

• CPU (processor): 3.5 gigahertz (quad-core)
• RAM (working memory): 4 gigabytes
• Hard drive storage: 32 gigabyte SSD

However, the performance for running the Arma 3 dedicated server software isn’t the only thing you need to consider when it comes to the hardware for your server. The operating system of your choice also requires resources that should be planned for from the start. For Windows Server 2019, for example, the following additional requirements need to be covered:

• 1.4 GHz processor (64-bit)
• 512 MB or 2 GB memory (without or with graphical user interface)
• 32 or 36 GB hard disk space (without or with graphical user interface)

You can rent server hardware for hosting your own online adventure from various providers. However, choosing the right provider is not that easy ⁠— especially since every provider usually has several hosting packages in their portfolio. Different infrastructure approaches have to be taken into account, as well as different performance and cost spectrums. At IONOS, for example, you can choose between the following three server models, each with different plans:

• vServer: IONOS vServer (also Virtual Private Server, VPS) gives you access to virtualized resources. You share the hardware with other customers (without any performance loss). Billing is monthly at a fixed price.
• Cloud Server: IONOS cloud servers are also based on virtualized resources. However, they only pay for the performance actually required, as billing is on a per-minute basis.
• Dedicated Server: You can get hardware reserved for you with high single-core power in the dedicated server package from IONOS.

You don’t necessarily have to choose a IONOS plan with a high performance volume, especially if you’re just starting out on your hosting adventure. In terms of server type, the cloud server model is recommended for starting out. You only pay for the server when you are actively using the hardware ⁠— you can scale up the resources at any time if you need to!

The cheapest plan with suitable computing power: Cloud Server L.

You won’t go wrong with a starter plan, thanks to the easy scalability of each plan. You can still opt for a more powerful plan right from the start if you already know that you need more CPU, RAM and so on. If you want your server to be online permanently, it also makes sense to choose a different server model.

We have summarized five possible options in the following table and assigned the most suitable IONOS server plan to each.

Once you have access to your own hosting environment, you can put your plan into action and set up Arma 3 as a dedicated server. The easiest way to install the software is via the Steam command line SteamCMD. In the following tutorial, we will go through the individual steps for IONOS customers (vServer, Cloud Server, Dedicated Server). Windows Server 2019 is used as the operating system.

When configuring the connection for the first time, a security notice will pop up - continue by clicking “Connect”. Specify the credentials for your Arma 3 server by clicking “More options” and “Use another account”. If you haven’t changed the credentials for your IONOS server yet, you can find the automatically generated startup data in the server data overview in the Cloud Panel - under “Users” and “Initial Password”.

After that, enter your password and — when logging in to the server for the first time - the Steam Guard code that you receive on your linked email address.

Optionally, in the next step you can specify in which directory the Arma 3 server should be installed. For example, for the path C:\arma-3-server the appropriate command is:

Finally, combine the “app_update” command with the Steam app ID of the Arma 3 dedicated server software (233780) to download the application via SteamCMD:

If the installation was completed successfully, log out of the Steam servers with the command “quit”.

You need a basic configuration for your Arma 3 server. To do this, either manually create a configuration file named server.cfg and add the desired parameters using the Server command list in the official Arma 3 Wiki.

Or you can use the web-based Arma 3 Server Config Generator to create the desired server configuration. Once you have all the settings, click on “Generate” to create the appropriate server.cfg.

Also go to the created shortcut with right click and open the “Properties” menu. Now expand the “Target” line in the “Shortcut” tab with the following addition: