Set up How to Start a Hytale Server (Windows, macOS, Linux & Dedicated Server Guide)

How to Start a Hytale Server​

Windows, macOS, Linux & Dedicated Server Guide​

Starting your own Hytale server is easier than you might think.
This guide walks you through the setup for all major systems, plus a dedicated server setup.

Even if you have never hosted a server before, you can follow this step by step.

Official documentation:
Hytale Server Manual

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Table of Contents​

1. System Requirements
2. Where to Get the Server Files
3. Windows Setup
4. macOS Setup
5. Linux Setup
6. Dedicated Server (Ubuntu / Debian)
7. Basic Security Tips

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System Requirements​

Minimum requirements:

• 4 GB RAM
• 64-bit system
• Java 25 installed
• UDP port 5520 open

Download Java (Adoptium):
[Adoptium]

Check installation:

java --version

You should see something like:

openjdk 25.x.x

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Where to Get the Server Files​

You have two options.

Option 1: Copy files from the Hytale launcher​

Windows:

%appdata%\Hytale\install\release\package\game\latest

Linux:

$XDG_DATA_HOME/Hytale/install/release/package/game/latest

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Hytale/install/release/package/game/latest

Copy these files:

• HytaleServer.jar
• Assets.zip

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Windows Server Setup​

1. Install Java (Adoptium)​

Download:
[Adoptium]

Install Java 25 and verify:

java --version

2. Create server folder​

Open PowerShell:

mkdir C:\HytaleServer
cd C:\HytaleServer

Copy:

• HytaleServer.jar
• Assets.zip

3. Start the server​

java -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip

Authenticate:

/auth login device

4. Open firewall port​

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Hytale Server" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 5520 -Action Allow

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macOS Server Setup​

1. Install Java (Adoptium)​

Download Java 25:
[Adoptium]

Verify:

java --version

2. Create server folder​

mkdir ~/HytaleServer
cd ~/HytaleServer

Copy server files and start:

java -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip

Authenticate:

/auth login device

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Linux Server Setup​

1. Install Java 25 (Adoptium)​

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y wget apt-transport-https gpg
wget -qO - https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/api/gpg/key/public | gpg --dearmor > /usr/share/keyrings/adoptium.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/adoptium.gpg] https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/deb $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/adoptium.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install temurin-25-jre -y

Verify:

java --version

2. Create server folder​

mkdir ~/hytale-server
cd ~/hytale-server

3. Start the server​

java -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip

Open firewall:

sudo ufw allow 5520/udp

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Dedicated Server Setup (Ubuntu / Debian)​

For production servers, it is strongly recommended to run Hytale inside a `screen` session so it keeps running after you disconnect from SSH.

Recommended specs:

• 2–4 CPU cores
• 4–8 GB RAM
• SSD or NVMe storage

1. Connect via SSH​

ssh root@your-server-ip

2. Update system​

apt update && apt upgrade -y

3. Install Java 25 (Adoptium)​

apt install -y wget apt-transport-https gpg
wget -qO - https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/api/gpg/key/public | gpg --dearmor > /usr/share/keyrings/adoptium.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/adoptium.gpg] https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/deb $(lsb_release -cs) main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/adoptium.list
apt update
apt install temurin-25-jre -y

Verify:

java --version

4. Create server user​

adduser hytale
su - hytale
mkdir ~/hytale-server
cd ~/hytale-server

Upload:

• HytaleServer.jar
• Assets.zip

5. Install and use screen​

Install screen:

sudo apt install screen -y

Start a screen session:

screen -S hytale

You are now inside the screen session.

6. Start the server​

cd ~/hytale-server
java -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip

Authenticate:

/auth login device

Detach from screen​

Press:

CTRL + A, then D

The server will continue running in the background.

Reattach later​

screen -r hytale

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Basic Security Tips​

• Never run the server as root
• Only open UDP port 5520
• Enable automatic backups
• Keep the server updated
• Use strong admin credentials

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Read next

• Start script generator: systemd, start.sh or start.bat plus firewall commands
• Server can't connect? 6 things to check
• How much RAM a Hytale server needs
• Locking down your Hytale server
• Backing up a Hytale world
• Hytale server commands for admins
• How to play Hytale with friends