Valheim Dedicated Server

beginner

Valheim dedicated game server with auto-updates.

Overview

Valheim is a popular survival and sandbox video game inspired by Norse mythology that supports cooperative multiplayer gameplay for up to 10 players. Released in early access by Iron Gate Studio in 2021, Valheim became a massive hit with millions of players exploring its procedurally generated Viking world. The game requires a dedicated server to enable persistent multiplayer worlds where friends can build, explore, and survive together even when the host player is offline. This Docker stack deploys the lloesche/valheim-server container, which provides a complete Valheim dedicated server environment with automatic Steam updates and world persistence. The container handles all the complexities of running a Steam-based game server, including downloading game files, managing world saves, and keeping the server updated with the latest patches. The setup exposes the necessary UDP and TCP ports for Valheim's networking protocol while maintaining isolated storage for configuration and world data. This configuration is ideal for gaming communities, friend groups, and content creators who want to maintain persistent Valheim worlds without requiring a host player to always be online. Server administrators benefit from automated updates, easy backup management through Docker volumes, and the ability to customize server settings through environment variables. The stack is particularly valuable for groups planning long-term Valheim campaigns where world persistence and server reliability are crucial.

Key Features

Automatic Steam client and Valheim game updates without server downtime
Persistent world saves and player progression stored in dedicated Docker volumes
Built-in Steam server browser integration for easy discovery by players
Configurable server visibility settings for private or public server hosting
Support for custom world seeds and server naming through environment variables
Automatic server restart capabilities with world backup protection
Multi-port UDP/TCP networking optimized for Valheim's connection requirements
SYS_NICE capability for improved server performance and process prioritization

Common Use Cases

1Gaming communities hosting persistent Viking survival servers for 24/7 access
2Friend groups maintaining shared Valheim worlds across different time zones
3Content creators running public servers for streaming and video production
4Educational institutions teaching game server administration and Docker concepts
5Homelab enthusiasts providing game hosting services for family and friends
6Gaming cafes or LAN centers offering dedicated Valheim server instances
7Discord communities building collaborative Norse mythology-themed settlements

Prerequisites

Docker host with at least 4GB RAM and 8GB storage for game files and worlds
UDP ports 2456-2458 and TCP port 2456 accessible through firewall
Stable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth for 10 concurrent players
Basic understanding of Valheim gameplay mechanics and server administration
Steam account knowledge for understanding game updates and server browser
Network configuration access for port forwarding if hosting from home network

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  valheim: 
3    image: lloesche/valheim-server:latest
4    container_name: valheim
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    ports: 
7      - "${SERVER_PORT:-2456}:2456/udp"
8      - "${SERVER_PORT:-2456}:2456/tcp"
9      - "2457:2457/udp"
10      - "2458:2458/udp"
11    environment: 
12      - SERVER_NAME=${SERVER_NAME:-My Valheim Server}
13      - WORLD_NAME=${WORLD_NAME:-Dedicated}
14      - SERVER_PASS=${SERVER_PASS:-secret}
15      - SERVER_PUBLIC=${SERVER_PUBLIC:-true}
16    volumes: 
17      - valheim_config:/config
18      - valheim_data:/opt/valheim
19    cap_add: 
20      - SYS_NICE
21    networks: 
22      - valheim-network
23
24volumes: 
25  valheim_config: 
26  valheim_data: 
27
28networks: 
29  valheim-network: 
30    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1# Valheim Server
2SERVER_PORT=2456
3SERVER_NAME=My Valheim Server
4WORLD_NAME=Dedicated
5SERVER_PASS=secret
6SERVER_PUBLIC=true

Usage Notes

1Server at localhost:2456
2Min 5 char password required
3Auto-updates enabled
4World saves in config volume

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  valheim:
5    image: lloesche/valheim-server:latest
6    container_name: valheim
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    ports:
9      - "${SERVER_PORT:-2456}:2456/udp"
10      - "${SERVER_PORT:-2456}:2456/tcp"
11      - "2457:2457/udp"
12      - "2458:2458/udp"
13    environment:
14      - SERVER_NAME=${SERVER_NAME:-My Valheim Server}
15      - WORLD_NAME=${WORLD_NAME:-Dedicated}
16      - SERVER_PASS=${SERVER_PASS:-secret}
17      - SERVER_PUBLIC=${SERVER_PUBLIC:-true}
18    volumes:
19      - valheim_config:/config
20      - valheim_data:/opt/valheim
21    cap_add:
22      - SYS_NICE
23    networks:
24      - valheim-network
25
26volumes:
27  valheim_config:
28  valheim_data:
29
30networks:
31  valheim-network:
32    driver: bridge
33EOF
34
35# 2. Create the .env file
36cat > .env << 'EOF'
37# Valheim Server
38SERVER_PORT=2456
39SERVER_NAME=My Valheim Server
40WORLD_NAME=Dedicated
41SERVER_PASS=secret
42SERVER_PUBLIC=true
43EOF
44
45# 3. Start the services
46docker compose up -d
47
48# 4. View logs
49docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/valheim-server/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Server not appearing in Steam browser: Verify SERVER_PUBLIC is set to true and ports 2456-2458 are properly forwarded
Players cannot connect with 'Failed to connect' error: Check that SERVER_PASS matches exactly what players are entering (minimum 5 characters required)
Container exits with Steam update errors: Ensure sufficient disk space is available and restart container to retry Steam client download
World data lost after container restart: Verify valheim_config and valheim_data volumes are properly mounted and not being recreated
High CPU usage and poor performance: Ensure SYS_NICE capability is enabled and consider increasing Docker host resources
Server crashes during world generation: Increase available memory allocation and ensure WORLD_NAME contains only valid filename characters

Community Notes

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