Frequently asked questions

We're in a closed beta right now, so we're letting people in a group at a time. That way we can keep things running smoothly and give everyone a hand getting set up. Join the waitlist with your email and we'll let you know as soon as a spot opens up for you.

Not really, but we'll be straight with you: the first setup is a little hands-on. You'll spend around half an hour getting your computer ready by following our step-by-step guide. You don't need any server or Linux experience going in, just a willingness to follow along. Once it's set up, everything is point-and-click from your dashboard.

Yes, it's free while we're in beta. No credit card, no trial that quietly turns into a bill. Later on we'll add paid plans, but we'll tell you well ahead of time and it'll cost less than renting a server.

ARK is a heavy game to host, so this isn't a job for an ancient netbook. You'll want a reasonably modern laptop or desktop with plenty of memory, since ARK servers are hungry and more RAM goes a long way. The bigger your group, the more power it helps to have. Other games we add down the road will be lighter, but ARK sets the bar for now.

Yep, a wired connection is the way to go. Plug your server computer into your router with an ethernet cable instead of running it on WiFi. It keeps your server steady and your friends' games smooth, and it's a one-time plug-in. We don't support WiFi for the server, so it's worth running that cable before you start.

Yes. Your friends can join no matter how your home internet is set up. There is nothing to change on your router and no need to call your internet provider.

Right now it's ARK: Survival Ascended and ARK: Survival Evolved. Next on our list are Palworld, Valheim, and Minecraft (both Java and Bedrock). Beyond those, there's a long list of games we can support over time, so even if yours isn't here yet, there's a good chance it can be added later.

Once your server is up, you share its connection details with your friends and they join it from inside the game, the same way they would hop on any other server.

Yes. Server Reforged only manages the game services on the computer you choose. We're not scanning your home network, poking at your other devices, or touching anything outside the game server itself. Your computer stays in your home the whole time, and you can stop and remove everything whenever you want.

Of course. It's your computer and your hardware. You can shut things down or remove Server Reforged anytime, no questions asked.