ETS2 dedicated server: how to set one up step by step

To set up an ETS2 dedicated server you need three things: the free Euro Truck Simulator 2 Dedicated Server tool that SCS Software publishes on Steam (app ID 1948160), two files exported from your game (server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat) and, if you want it listed in the Convoy browser, ports 27015 and 27016 open on TCP and UDP. As of October 2026, it keeps your Convoy session running 24/7 even when nobody is online, supports up to 8 players and runs on Windows and Linux, and the machine running it doesn’t need to own the game. Here’s how to do it step by step, based on SCS’s official documentation.

What a dedicated server adds over a regular Convoy session

In a regular Convoy session, one player hosts, and when they leave, the session closes for everyone. The dedicated server, which SCS released on December 8, 2022, is a separate program with no graphical interface that keeps the session up at all times. If you’re new to Convoy, start with our Euro Truck Simulator 2 online guide.

It’s worth it if your group plays at different times and wants to jump in without waiting for a host. You can run it on your own PC while you play, on a spare old computer, on a VPS or on a rented game server. SCS doesn’t publish hardware requirements, and the download is a little over 1 GB.

ETS2 dedicated server at a glance

Step 1: download the server

If you own ETS2 on Steam, this is the easy route:

1. Open your Steam library and use the filter at the top to show Tools.
2. Find Euro Truck Simulator 2 Dedicated Server and install it like any game.

If the server will run on a machine without Steam or on an account that doesn’t own the game (a Linux VPS, for example), use SteamCMD, Valve’s command-line Steam client. You don’t need your own account: anonymous login works.

1. Install SteamCMD following Valve’s documentation.
2. Run steamcmd +force_install_dir /path/ets2-server +login anonymous +app_update 1948160 validate +quit, replacing the path with the folder you want.
3. To update, run the same command again. SteamCMD doesn’t update the server on its own, so do it yourself after every game patch.

Step 2: first launch and server_config.sii

Start the server from Steam or with its executable: on Windows it’s bin\win_x64\eurotrucks2_server.exe inside the install folder; on Linux, use the included server_launch.sh script. On the first run it creates its data folder with a default server_config.sii and complains that the server packages are missing. That’s expected: you’ll create them in step 3.

By default, that folder is the same one the game uses: Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Windows and ~/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Linux. To use a different one, launch the server with -homedir "path" on Windows or set XDG_DATA_HOME on Linux.

Main server_config.sii settings

Open it in a plain text editor, change only the values and restart the server after every edit.

The same file holds the ports and the server_logon_token, covered below. friends_only and show_server have no effect on a dedicated server.

Moderators: moderator_list

You can’t promote anyone while the server is running. Moderators go in moderator_list by Steam ID (the 17-digit number from their Steam profile): first the count, moderator_list: 2, then one line per person, moderator_list[0]: and moderator_list[1]:, each followed by their number. They’re promoted automatically when they join. In chat they can use /set_time HH:MM (time of day), /set_rain_factor from 0 to 1 (rain) and /help.

Step 3: export the server packages from the game

The server doesn’t load mods or DLC itself: everything it needs to know about the map goes into two files your game generates.

1. Close the game and open config.cfg in Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2. Change uset g_console "0" to uset g_console "1". If you’ve never used the console, our ETS2 cheats and console guide covers it in more detail.
2. Launch ETS2 and load the profile with the map DLC and mods you want on the server, active and in the right order. If you’re unsure about the order, see our mod load order guide.
3. Once you’re in the game, press ~ (the key left of 1) to open the console and type export_server_packages.
4. The game saves server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat to Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2.
5. If the server runs on the same PC and you haven’t changed its folder, they’re already in place. If it runs on another machine, copy both files into the server’s data folder, where you’ll see server_config.sii and server.log.txt.
6. Start the server. The console shows the session’s search ID: write it down.

Whenever you change mods or buy a new map DLC you want on the server, export again and replace both files together.

Mods and DLC: what each player needs

• DLC: the server doesn’t need any DLC. Players can join without them, but they can’t drive in map areas they don’t own.
• Mods: every player needs the mods the server requires, up to 70 per session. When joining, the game shows a window comparing their mods with the server’s and won’t let them confirm until everything matches.
• Steam Workshop: missing Workshop mods can be subscribed to from that window without leaving the game; anything else has to be downloaded manually, from its official source and in the same version. See how to install ETS2 mods.
• Map mods: if you export with ProMods or another map mod, everyone needs it installed the same way as the host.

Step 4: open the ports

The server doesn’t do NAT punching: to show up in the browser it needs a public IP and forwarded ports. There are two kinds:

• Virtual (connection_virtual_port 100 and query_virtual_port 101): they live inside Steam, in the 100–200 range, and don’t need forwarding.
• Physical (connection_dedicated_port 27015 and query_dedicated_port 27016): Steam uses them to list the server. Forward them on your router to the server machine, on TCP and UDP, and allow them in the firewall.

For LAN play, the query port must be between 27015 and 27020. If you run two servers on one machine, each needs its own ports and its own token. And if you can’t open ports (for example, because your ISP uses CGNAT), your friends can still join by searching for the server’s search ID.

Step 5: a token for a permanent ID

Without a token, the server signs in to Steam with an anonymous account and its search ID changes on every restart. To make it permanent:

1. Go to Steam’s game server management page, steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers, with an account that owns ETS2.
2. Create a token using the game’s app ID, 227300, not the server’s (1948160).
3. Paste it in quotes into server_logon_token and restart the server.

Treat the token like a password and don’t share it.

How your friends join

1. Everyone must be on the same game version as the server.
2. From the main menu, they open Convoy and go to the session browser.
3. They search for the session by its exact name or, better, by the search ID. SCS says the Convoy list shows sessions from your region, so the search ID is the most reliable option if someone plays from another country.
4. They sync any mods the session requires, confirm and, if there’s a password, enter it.

Updates and common errors

• Nobody can join after a game patch: update the server (manually, with SteamCMD), re-export the server packages from the updated game and restart.
• The server isn’t in the list: check that ports 27015 and 27016 are forwarded on TCP and UDP and that you have a public IP. In the meantime, use the search ID.
• It shuts down with «[MP] Steam disconnected» and «reason – 33»: Steam lost its connection, either because the internet dropped or the machine went to sleep. Disable sleep on the server PC.
• On Linux it fails with «SteamAPI_Init() failed»: launch it with server_launch.sh or link SteamCMD’s steamclient.so into ~/.steam/sdk64/.
• A player’s game crashes when joining with mods: have them run their game.log.txt through Holyfix, our log analyzer, which tells you which mod is failing. More fixes in ETS2 mods not working.
• Anything else: check server.log.txt and server.crash.txt in the server folder. To shut it down cleanly, press Ctrl + C.

More Euro Truck Simulator 2 guides: ETS2 online with Convoy and TruckersMP, how to install mods, mod load order and map DLC list.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an ETS2 dedicated server cost?

The tool is free. If you run it on your PC or a spare computer, you only pay for electricity; on a VPS or rented game server, you pay whatever that service costs.

Do I need to own the game to run the server?

Not on the server machine: SteamCMD downloads it anonymously. But someone who owns ETS2 has to export the server packages, and creating the token requires an account that owns the game.

Can I have more than 8 players?

The official limit SCS gives for max_players is 8. Some hosting companies offer more slots, but that’s not a setup SCS documents.

Why isn’t my server showing up in the Convoy browser?

It’s almost always the ports: the server doesn’t do NAT punching and needs a public IP with 27015 and 27016 open on TCP and UDP. In the meantime, search for it by its search ID.

Can I use ProMods on a dedicated server?

Yes. Export the server packages with ProMods active along with the DLC it needs. Every player will need ProMods installed in the same version.