RuneScape Dragonwilds Dedicated Server Setup Guide
Host a RuneScape: Dragonwilds 24/7 dedicated server: official SteamCMD App ID 4019830 setup, DedicatedServer.ini keys, UDP 7777, and RAM requirements.
The Dragonwilds dedicated server (free, App ID 4019830) installs by anonymous SteamCMD. Set OwnerId in DedicatedServer.ini (required), forward UDP 7777. It holds 6 players and needs 2 GB RAM plus 1 GB per player, requiring 8 GB full.
A hosted world in Dragonwilds caps at 4 players and disappears when the host logs off. A dedicated server is the only way to keep a world online 24/7, and on version 1.0 it supports up to 6 players with crossplay from PC and consoles.
1. The One Thing That Trips Everyone Up
There are two App IDs, and you need the smaller-numbered-looking one for the server.
| App ID | What it is |
|---|---|
| 1374490 | The game client. This is what you buy and play. |
| 4019830 | The dedicated server tool. Free, installed separately, runs headless. |
Installing 1374490 on your server machine does nothing useful. You need 4019830.
No Steam account is required. The server tool installs with an anonymous SteamCMD login:
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\DragonwildsServer +login anonymous +app_update 4019830 validate +quit
On Linux, the equivalent is:
./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /path/to/dragonwilds +login anonymous +app_update 4019830 validate +quit
If the anonymous download is refused for any reason, log in with a Steam account that owns the game instead.
2. Hardware: Sizing It Correctly
The RAM formula is the one most people get wrong: roughly 2 GB baseline plus 1 GB per connected player.
| Players | RAM to allocate |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 4 GB |
| 4 (full hosted-world equivalent) | 6 GB |
| 6 (full server) | 8 GB |
| Component | Minimum | Full 6-player |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Modern quad-core | 6+ cores, high single-thread clock |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB or more |
| Storage | 15 GB free | 30+ GB SSD or NVMe |
| OS | 64-bit Windows 10/11 or 64-bit Linux | Same |
| Network | Stable broadband | Broadband with a static IP |
One Linux-specific trap: a host CPU that does not expose SSE4.2 will fail to launch with an illegal-instruction crash. AVX is not required. If your VPS dies immediately on start, check this before anything else.
3. DedicatedServer.ini: The Only Keys That Exist
Stop the server before editing this file. The running process also writes its own values into it, and editing live can lose those.
| Platform | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | RSDragonwilds\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\DedicatedServer.ini |
| Linux (current builds) | RSDragonwilds\Saved\Config\LinuxServer\DedicatedServer.ini |
Path casing differs between Jagex’s own pages. The older documented Linux path is Config\Linux, but on a current install use LinuxServer - if the Linux directory is empty, that is why.
A minimal working file:
[/Script/Dominion.DedicatedServerSettings]
OwnerId=YOUR_PLAYER_ID_HERE
ServerName=My Dragonwilds Server
DefaultWorldName=My World
AdminPassword=AdminPassword
WorldPassword=
| Key | Required | What it does |
|---|---|---|
OwnerId | Yes | Your Player ID from the game’s settings screen. The server will not start without it. |
ServerName | Yes | The name in the public list, independent of the world name. Max 16 characters. |
DefaultWorldName | Yes | The world name players search for. Case-sensitive. Max 16 characters. |
AdminPassword | Yes | Anyone entering this under Pause → Settings → Server Management becomes an admin until changed. |
WorldPassword | No | Optional join password. Leave empty for an open world. |
There is no player-cap key and no multiplier section. Some guides online show a MaxPlayers line, a QueryPort, or a [GameplayModifiers] block with HarvestMultiplier and XPMultiplier. None of those are read by this server. Adding them does nothing, and worse, presenting them as tuning knobs sends you looking for a difficulty setting the game does not have. The player cap is fixed at 6.
Do not invent extra keys or overwrite generated lines. The running server writes values such as ServerGuid and admin history into this file itself. Leave those alone.
4. Port Forwarding: One Port, Not Two
The server listens on UDP 7777 by default. That is the only port you need. A second instance on the same machine uses 7778, and so on.
| Port | Protocol | Required |
|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Yes |
| 7778+ | UDP | Only for additional instances |
There is no separate query port to forward. If a server shows in the browser and nobody can connect, port forwarding failed somewhere in the path.
Router: create a UDP port-forward rule from 7777 to your server’s local IP address. Host firewall: allow inbound UDP 7777.
On Windows, from an elevated PowerShell:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Dragonwilds Server" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 7777 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow
Every router between you and your ISP has to allow the forward, and some ISPs block port forwarding altogether - in that case you need your ISP to enable it or an admin tool.
5. Launching
Jagex recommends -log and -NewConsole so you can actually read what the server is doing.
Windows
.\RSDragonwilds.exe -log -NewConsole -Port=7777
Linux
./RSDragonwildsServer.sh -log -NewConsole -Port=7777
On Linux the script launches RSDragonwilds/Binaries/Linux/RSDragonwildsServer-Linux-Shipping.
A watchdog wrapper that restarts the process is a reasonable addition. A loop that restarts it every 30 seconds regardless of why it stopped is not - that will hide a version mismatch by crash-looping your server after every patch.
6. Updating, and Why Servers Disappear
An out-of-date server does not error. It simply stops appearing in the browser. This is the single most common “my server vanished” report, and it is almost always a version mismatch rather than a network problem.
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\DragonwildsServer +login anonymous +app_update 4019830 validate +quit
Update right after each patch, and expect to do it on launch day when the patch lands for everyone at once.
7. Server Types and Mods
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Vanilla (Secure) | No mods allowed. Flagged in the server browser so players know it is unmodified. |
| Moddable | Allows server-side pak mods and customized server rules. |
Mods are server-side pak mods only. There is no Steam Workshop support, and UE4SS is a client-side tool. If you are following a guide promising Workshop mod syncing, it is describing a different game.
8. Common Failure Modes
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|
| Nothing installs | You used App ID 1374490 instead of 4019830 |
| Server never starts | Missing OwnerId in DedicatedServer.ini |
| In the list, nobody can join | Port forwarding failed, or the ISP is blocking it |
| Vanished after a patch | Server build no longer matches the client build |
| Immediate crash on Linux VPS | Host CPU lacks SSE4.2 |
Linux config directory is empty | Use LinuxServer - the older path name is stale |
| Settings you changed have no effect | You edited keys the server does not read |
9. Who This Is Actually For
If your group is four or fewer and you all play at the same time, you do not need a dedicated server. A hosted world handles that, and it avoids all of the above.
A dedicated server earns its cost when either of these is true: your group is five or six, or your group’s schedule does not overlap. The persistent world is the actual feature - shared progression that survives everyone logging off.
FAQ
What App ID do I use to download the RuneScape: Dragonwilds dedicated server?
Use App ID 4019830 for the dedicated server tool. App ID 1374490 is the game client and is not what you install on a server. The dedicated server downloads with an anonymous login, so you do not need Steam credentials.
Why does my Dragonwilds server not appear in the server list?
Two causes cover almost every case. First, the server will not start at all without an OwnerId in DedicatedServer.ini. Second, if it started and then vanished after a patch, the server build no longer matches your client build - a version mismatch removes it from the browser silently rather than showing an error.
How many players can a Dragonwilds dedicated server hold?
Up to 6. A hosted world supports 4 players, so a dedicated server is only necessary if your group is larger than four or you want the world to persist without a host online.
Can console players join a PC-hosted dedicated server?
Yes for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, which join by connecting to the host's public IP and port. Consoles cannot host their own servers - a console player can only get a persistent world by joining a dedicated server hosted on PC. Nintendo Switch 2 joined the 1.0 launch lineup alongside the other storefronts, so it is a confirmed crossplay platform, but 1.0.0.4 temporarily paused crossplay for it until the patch finished processing on that storefront.
How do I back up a Dragonwilds server world?
World saves live under RSDragonwilds/Saved/Savegames on the server. Stop the server before copying rather than copying a live save, and keep the backup off the machine that runs it so a filesystem failure does not take both at once.