Farming Simulator 22 dedicated server: how to set it up

To set up a Farming Simulator 22 dedicated server, you use the dedicatedServer.exe program that ships with the PC version of the game, in its install folder; there’s no separate download. You need a 64-bit Windows PC, an FS22 license just for the server (yours can’t host and play at the same time), a username and password in dedicatedServer.xml, and port 10823 forwarded on your router. As of October 2026, the game is on its latest version (1.14), the server is managed through a web page on port 8080, and, according to GIANTS, it supports up to 16 players on PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Here’s how to do it step by step.

What a dedicated server gives you in FS22

In a regular game, the host has to stay online: if they quit, the farm stops for everyone. A dedicated server keeps the game running even when nobody’s around, so everyone can join whenever they want. GIANTS sums it up like this: a PC host can have up to 16 players, a console host up to 6, and a dedicated server, whether rented or self-hosted, up to 16 «regardless of the players’ systems.»

You can run it on your own PC, on a spare computer, on a Windows VPS, or on a rented game server, which comes with the web page ready to go. GIANTS doesn’t publish server requirements; hosting guides ask for at least four cores at 2.4 GHz, around 4 GB of RAM, and the disk space the game takes, which you can check in how big Farming Simulator 22 is. With lots of mods or big maps, plan for quite a bit more.

FS22 dedicated server key facts

Step 1: get a license for the server

According to GIANTS support, Farming Simulator licenses are single-user, and a key used on two systems at once in multiplayer gets temporarily blocked. The server counts as one more player, so if you also want to play, you need two copies of FS22, and you’ll have to buy any DLC you want on the server a second time. You’ll find editions and DLC in Farming Simulator 22 price.

There are three ways to get that second copy, and they don’t work the same:

• Digital version from the GIANTS store: the best option: a key by email, a download without Steam or Epic, and it’s what many hosting providers ask for.
• Steam: dedicatedServer.exe is also in the game folder, but Steam has to stay open on the account that owns the license, and that account can’t play on another PC. Some hosting providers don’t accept it.
• Epic Games: it works with the trick in step 4; that account can’t play at the same time either.

Step 2: install FS22 on the server machine

1. With your GIANTS key, go to the downloads page of their store (eshop.giants-software.com), enter the key, and download the Windows version.
2. Run Setup.exe and complete the install. The default folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Farming Simulator 2022. On Steam it’s steamapps\common\Farming Simulator 22, and on Epic, C:\Program Files\Epic Games\FarmingSimulator22.
3. Launch the game once and enter the key to activate it. On a VPS with no graphics card, you’ll get a video error along the lines of «Could not init 3D system»: decline it and the game will close, but the license is already activated. The server doesn’t need a GPU.

Step 3: username and password in dedicatedServer.xml

Next to dedicatedServer.exe you’ll find dedicatedServer.xml. Open it in a plain text editor (with the server closed, so it doesn’t get overwritten) and look for the <initial_admin> block:

• <username>: the username for the web admin page.
• <passphrase>: its password. Set your own: anyone who gets into that page controls the entire server.

This login is only for the web page; the in-game passwords are set in step 5.

Step 4: start the server and open the web page

1. Run dedicatedServer.exe as administrator. A console window opens: don’t close it, because the web page and the server shut down with it.
2. In a browser on the same machine, open http://127.0.0.1:8080. From another PC on your network, use the server’s local IP instead of 127.0.0.1.
3. Log in with the username and passphrase from step 3.

If your copy is from Epic Games

In your Epic library, open Manage for FS22, turn on launch options, and enter -server. Launch the game from Epic (it will open in dedicated server mode) and then run dedicatedServer.exe. In this case, the web page can change settings and stop the server, but not start it: if you do it the other way around, Epic may block the server from launching.

Step 5: set up the game

On the web page’s home screen, you define the farm. Settings can only be changed while the server is stopped.

Click Save, then Start. To change something: Stop, make your changes, Save, and Start.

Using a savegame you already have

Your saves are in Documents\My Games\FarmingSimulator2022, in savegame1, savegame2, etc. folders. To upload one from the web page’s savegames section, zip the contents of that folder with careerSavegame.xml at the root. Before that, put the same mods and DLC it uses on the server.

Step 6: mods and DLC on the server

1. In the web page’s Mods tab, add ModHub mods or upload your own as .zip files, without unzipping them, just like in how to install mods in Farming Simulator 22.
2. With the server stopped, check them on the home screen to activate them, and save.
3. Start the server.

Since version 1.12, the web page helps quite a bit: it automatically activates the mods another mod depends on, warns you if one is missing, highlights mods that aren’t from ModHub, rotates log files and lets you watch them live, and adds a server performance graph.

What each player needs

• The same content as the server: GIANTS is clear on this: anyone who doesn’t have the same DLC and mods installed can’t join.
• ModHub mods: when joining, the game flags the missing ones and lets you download them.
• Outside mods: each player installs them manually, in the exact same version.
• Consoles: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series players can only join servers running mods from the console ModHub. A script mod or an outside mod locks them out. See the breakdown by platform in FS22 console versions and mods.

Step 7: open the ports

• Game port, 10823: forward it on your router to the server’s local IP and allow it in Windows Firewall, over TCP and UDP. GIANTS support also lists UDP 10823, 10824, and 10825; if someone can’t get in, open those too. If your router supports UPnP, the web page option can do it for you.
• Web page, 8080: don’t open it to the internet. If you want to manage it remotely, allow it only for your own IP or use remote desktop.

With CGNAT (no public IP of your own), nobody can reach you from outside: ask your ISP for a public IP or use a VPS or a rented server.

How your friends join

1. Everyone needs FS22 on the same version as the server (1.14, the latest).
2. Multiplayer, Join Game, and search for the server by name. If it doesn’t show up, check the filters, including the crossplay one.
3. Download any missing mods, enter the password, and join.

Once inside, the admin logs in from the pause menu with the admin password. Keep in mind that text chat can only be typed on PC; console players can read it but can’t reply.

Common errors

• The server doesn’t show up: check port 10823, the list filters, and that the server and players are on the same version.
• I can’t log in to the web page: check the username and passphrase in dedicatedServer.xml and make sure the dedicatedServer.exe console is still open.
• On Epic, the server won’t start: launch the game with -server first, then dedicatedServer.exe.
• Stuck loading or won’t start with mods: GIANTS support says mods are the most common cause. Check the log on the web page, remove the last mods you added, and add them back one at a time.
• A player’s game crashes when joining: have them run their log.txt (in Documents\My Games\FarmingSimulator2022) through Holyfix, our free log analyzer, which detects the game from the file and points to the mod that’s failing.

More Farming Simulator 22 guides: how to install mods, best mods for PC and console, PC requirements, and, if you’re thinking about upgrading, Farming Simulator 25 vs 22.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Farming Simulator 22 dedicated server cost?

The program comes with the game, but the server needs its own copy of FS22 (plus its DLC) if you also want to play. On top of that, electricity if it runs on your PC, or whatever the VPS or rented server costs.

Can I host and play with the same key?

No. GIANTS says each player needs their own key and temporarily blocks keys used on two systems at once in multiplayer.

Can I use the Steam or Epic version for the server?

Yes, with limits: on Steam, the client has to stay open on the account that owns the license; on Epic, you have to launch with -server. The digital version from the GIANTS store causes the fewest problems.

How many players does it support?

Up to 16 on a dedicated server, whatever their platform. Games hosted on a console are capped at 6.

Can PS4, PS5, and Xbox players join?

Yes, with crossplay turned on in the server, and only if it uses mods available on the console ModHub. A script mod or an outside mod locks them out.