Icarus private server: installation and setup on VPS/dedicated server

To run a stable Icarus server for 10-20 players, you will need a VPS or a dedicated server with at least 6-8 GB RAM, 4 vCPU (or equivalent), and an NVMe disk of 100 GB or more, ensuring comfortable gameplay and fast loading.

Why Create Your Own Icarus Server? Advantages and Opportunities of Private Hosting

Icarus is a cooperative PvE survival game where players explore a dangerous alien planet, gather resources, build shelters, and complete missions. While the game offers the option to join public sessions, creating your own Icarus server unlocks a range of significant advantages that fundamentally change the gaming experience, especially for regular teams and communities.

Full Control Over Gameplay

When you rent Icarus hosting, you become the sole owner of your world. This means you can:

• Customize game rules: Change difficulty, resource spawn rates, enemy damage, progression speed, and many other parameters to adapt the gameplay to your preferences or unique challenges.
• Choose who plays: Create private sessions exclusively for friends or a limited circle of players, excluding unwanted guests and ensuring a safe, friendly atmosphere.
• Manage progress: Save the world, roll back changes in case of errors or cheating, and launch the server only when it's convenient for your team.
• Experiment with mods: Icarus, like many other survival games, is actively supported by the modding community. An Icarus dedicated server allows you to install modifications that add new items, mechanics, biomes, or improve quality of life, significantly enhancing replayability.

Optimal Performance and Stability

Public servers often suffer from overloads, high latency (ping), and instability, especially during peak hours. By using a VPS or dedicated server for Icarus, you get:

• Guaranteed resources: Your server will run on dedicated or virtualized resources (CPU, RAM, disk) that are not shared with hundreds of other players. This ensures stable frame rates, fast loading, and minimal lag.
• Low ping: Placing the server in a data center geographically close to you and your friends significantly reduces latency, making the gameplay more responsive and enjoyable. Valebyte.com offers locations in various regions, allowing you to choose the optimal option.
• High reliability: A professional hosting provider, such as Valebyte, ensures uninterrupted server operation, data backup, and 24/7 technical support, minimizing downtime.

Furthermore, your own server allows you to be independent of developers' decisions to shut down or change official servers, preserving your Icarus world for as long as you wish.

What System Requirements Are Needed for an Icarus Dedicated Server?

For stable and comfortable operation of an Icarus dedicated server, it's important to choose the right hardware configuration. Icarus, based on the Unreal Engine 4, is quite resource-intensive, especially concerning CPU performance and RAM. Requirements can vary significantly depending on the number of concurrent players and the quantity of installed modifications.

Minimum and Recommended CPU Specifications

CPU performance is one of the key factors for game servers. Icarus, like many other games, relies heavily on single-core CPU performance to process game logic, physics, and world synchronization.

• Minimum requirements: For a server with 2-4 players, a processor with a clock speed of 3.0 GHz or higher is needed, preferably with 2-4 physical or virtual cores. Older generations of Intel Xeon (e.g., E3-12xx v5/v6) or basic AMD Ryzen might suffice but could struggle under peak loads.
• Recommended requirements: For 5-10 players or more, and to ensure smooth operation with mods, a processor with a high clock speed (3.5 GHz and above) and good IPC (instructions per cycle) is recommended. Modern Intel Xeon E-series, AMD Ryzen 3000/5000 series, or recent generation Intel Core i5/i7 are ideal. 4-6 cores will be optimal. The higher the core frequency, the better the Icarus server will perform.

It's worth noting that for game servers, single-core performance is often more critical than the total number of cores, if the latter exceeds the game's needs.

Optimal RAM Capacity

RAM is critically important for loading the game world, player data, objects, and all active processes.

• Minimum requirements: For a small server (2-4 players), a minimum of 6 GB RAM is needed, but 8 GB is a safer minimum for stable operation. This will allow the operating system and the Icarus server to run without constant disk access (swapping), which slows down performance.
• Recommended requirements: For 5-10 players and active mod usage, 12-16 GB RAM is recommended. If you plan to host more than 10-15 players or use many resource-intensive mods, 24-32 GB RAM will provide maximum performance and future headroom.

Using DDR4 or DDR5 RAM with high frequency can also slightly improve performance, but capacity is a more crucial factor.

Disk Subsystem and Network Requirements

Disk speed affects the loading time of the world, saves, and the operating system.

• Disk: Using an NVMe SSD is highly recommended. It provides significantly higher read/write speeds compared to SATA SSDs or HDDs, which is critical for fast loading of the Icarus world and preventing "freezes" when saving or loading new chunks. The minimum capacity is 100 GB for server files and saves. For multiple worlds or active logging, 150-200 GB might be required.
• Network: A stable and high-speed internet connection is essential for uninterrupted server operation. A minimum bandwidth of 100 Mbps is required, but for an Icarus dedicated server with a large number of players or active data exchange, a 1 Gbps port is recommended. Low latency (ping) to the game server is also important, so choose a data center located closer to the main players.

Valebyte.com offers VPS and dedicated servers with NVMe disks and 1 Gbps ports, which is ideal for Icarus hosting.

Choosing an Operating System and Preparing Your VPS/Dedicated Server

Before proceeding with the installation, you need to decide on the operating system and perform basic preparation of your server. Icarus, like many modern games, is designed to run on Windows, which simplifies the deployment process.

Windows Server or Linux? Choosing the Right OS

The official Icarus server is designed to run on the Windows operating system. While it's theoretically possible to try running it via Wine on Linux, this is not recommended due to potential issues with stability, performance, and compatibility.

• Windows Server: This is the most recommended option. It provides native compatibility with Icarus server files, easy installation, and configuration via the familiar graphical interface (RDP). Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022 versions will be optimal. Keep in mind that Windows Server requires a license, but many hosting providers, including Valebyte, offer it for rent along with the server. You can learn more about Windows licensing and hosting in our article: Dedicated Server on Windows in 2026: Hosting, RDS Licenses, and Prices.
• Linux: If you have experience with Linux and prefer this OS, you can attempt to run the Icarus server via SteamCMD using Proton/Wine. However, this may require significant effort in setup, debugging, and optimization, and stability is not guaranteed. For most users, Windows Server will be a much simpler and more reliable choice for Icarus hosting.

For this article, we will assume the use of Windows Server.

Initial Setup and Security Measures

After gaining access to your VPS or dedicated server (usually via RDP for Windows), follow these steps:

1. System Update: Ensure your operating system is fully updated. Open "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Windows Update" and install all available updates. This is critically important for security and stability.
2. Install .NET Framework: Icarus and SteamCMD may require specific versions of .NET Framework. Ensure that current versions are installed (usually .NET Framework 4.8 or higher).
3. Create a separate user: It is recommended to create a separate user with limited privileges to run server applications. This enhances security by preventing unauthorized access to system files in case of server process compromise.

   
   net user IcarusServerUser Passw0rd! /add
   net localgroup Users IcarusServerUser /delete
   net localgroup "Remote Desktop Users" IcarusServerUser /add
           

   (Replace Passw0rd! with a strong password)
4. Configure Windows Firewall: By default, Windows Firewall blocks most incoming connections. You will need to open the ports required for the Icarus server to function. We will cover this in more detail in a separate section.
5. Install basic software: You may need to install WinRAR or 7-Zip for working with archives, as well as any text editor (e.g., Notepad++) that is more convenient than the standard Notepad for editing configuration files.

These steps will lay a solid foundation for the installation and stable operation of your Icarus dedicated server.

Step-by-Step Installation of Icarus Dedicated Server via SteamCMD

The installation of Icarus server files is done via SteamCMD — a Steam console client designed for downloading and updating dedicated game servers. This method ensures you always have the latest version of the game.

Installing SteamCMD on Windows

First, you need to download and install SteamCMD on your server.

1. Create a folder for SteamCMD: Create a new folder, for example, C:\SteamCMD.
2. Download SteamCMD: Go to the official SteamCMD page (or simply search for "SteamCMD download" on Google) and download the archive. Extract the contents of the archive (the steamcmd.exe file) into the created folder C:\SteamCMD.
3. Launch SteamCMD: Open Command Prompt (cmd) or PowerShell and navigate to the SteamCMD folder:

   
   cd C:\SteamCMD
           

   Run steamcmd.exe. On its first launch, SteamCMD will update itself and install necessary components. This may take some time. Once completed, you will see the Steam> prompt.

Downloading Icarus Server Files

Now that SteamCMD is ready, you can download the Icarus server files.

1. Specify the server installation directory: This is important to prevent server files from mixing with SteamCMD files. Create a separate folder, for example, C:\IcarusServer. In SteamCMD, use the force_install_dir command:

   
   force_install_dir C:\IcarusServer
           

2. Log in anonymously: Most Steam dedicated servers do not require authentication with a specific account for download. Use the login anonymous command:

   
   login anonymous
           

   You should see a message indicating a successful login.
3. Download the Icarus server: Now use the app_update command with the Icarus Dedicated Server application ID (which is 2089300). Add validate to ensure file integrity after download.

   
   app_update 2089300 validate
           

   The download process may take a significant amount of time depending on your internet connection speed and the game size (Icarus is quite large, ~70-100 GB). Wait for the download to complete.
4. Exit SteamCMD: After the download is complete, type quit:

   
   quit
           

Congratulations! Your Icarus dedicated server files are now in the C:\IcarusServer folder. You can also use SteamCMD to update the server in the future by simply repeating steps 2-4.

Launching and Basic Configuration of the Icarus Server

After successfully installing the Icarus server files, you need to perform its first launch and configure the basic parameters. Icarus uses several configuration files located in different places, which can sometimes cause confusion. The server is launched using an executable file with specific command-line arguments.

First Launch and Configuration File Generation

For the first launch of the Icarus server, you will need to create a batch file (.bat) or use a PowerShell script. This will allow you to conveniently launch the server with the desired parameters.

1. Navigate to the executable file folder: The main Icarus server executable is located at C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Binaries\Win64\IcarusServer-Win64-Shipping.exe.
2. Create a launch file: In the C:\IcarusServer folder, create a new text file and name it, for example, start_server.bat. Open it for editing.
3. Add launch commands: To the start_server.bat file, add the following line:

   
   @echo off
   cd C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Binaries\Win64
   IcarusServer-Win64-Shipping.exe -log -Port=7777 -QueryPort=27015 -BeaconPort=7778 -SteamAuthPort=8766 -SteamQueryPort=27016 -EpicApp=Icarus -EpicPortal
   pause
           

   • -log: Enables server logging, which is useful for debugging.
   • -Port=7777: Sets the main game port.
   • -QueryPort=27015: Port for Steam queries.
   • -BeaconPort=7778: Additional port.
   • -SteamAuthPort=8766: Port for Steam authentication.
   • -SteamQueryPort=27016: Additional port for Steam queries.
   • -EpicApp=Icarus -EpicPortal: Necessary parameters for the Icarus server to function correctly.
   • pause: Will keep the console window open after the server shuts down, allowing you to read error logs.
4. Launch start_server.bat: Double-click the file. The server will begin loading. On its first launch, it will create the necessary configuration files and save folders. This may take several minutes. After messages appear in the logs indicating the server is ready to accept connections, you can close it by pressing Ctrl+C in the console window.

Configuring Basic Server Parameters (ServerName, Password, MaxPlayers)

Icarus configuration files are located in C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\. The main ones are:

• ServerSettings.ini: Core server settings such as name, password, maximum number of players.
• Game.ini: Advanced game settings affecting gameplay.
• GameUserSettings.ini: User interface settings and some graphical parameters, usually not requiring changes for a dedicated server.

Editing ServerSettings.ini

Open the file C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\ServerSettings.ini in a text editor. If it doesn't exist, run the server once, and it will be created.

[ServerSettings]
ServerName=My Awesome Icarus Server Valebyte
ServerPassword=MySuperSecret
MaxPlayers=10
ServerDescription=Private server for friends. Welcome!
AdminPassword=SuperAdminPassword
ServerFPSLimit=30
bAllowPvP=False
bAllowFriendlyFire=False
bAllowBuildOutsideTerritory=True
bAllowPublicServer=False ; Set to True if you want the server to appear in the public list
        

• ServerName: The name that will appear in the server list.
• ServerPassword: Password for joining the server. Leave empty if you don't want to set a password.
• MaxPlayers: Maximum number of players. It is recommended not to exceed 10-15 for comfortable gameplay if you don't have a very powerful Icarus dedicated server.
• AdminPassword: Administrator password that can be used to execute in-game commands.
• bAllowPublicServer: If True, your server will be visible in the public server list. If False (recommended for private servers), it can only be joined via direct IP address.

Editing Game.ini

This file allows for more fine-grained gameplay customization. For example, changing multipliers for experience, resource gathering, etc.

[/Script/Icarus.IcarusServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=1.0 ; Experience multiplier
HarvestMultiplier=1.0 ; Resource gathering multiplier
DamageMultiplier=1.0 ; Damage multiplier
DurabilityMultiplier=1.0 ; Item durability multiplier
CraftingSpeedMultiplier=1.0 ; Crafting speed multiplier
        

You can change these values, for example, set XPMultiplier=2.0 for faster leveling. For more detailed gameplay customization, including mission parameters, you can refer to the official Icarus documentation or the community. After making changes, save the files and restart the Icarus server for them to take effect. Many principles of game server setup are similar; for instance, Palworld server installation also requires working with configuration files and SteamCMD.

Port Management, Firewall, and DDoS Protection for Your Icarus Server

Proper network configuration and security are key aspects for any game server. Your Icarus server must be accessible to players while also being protected from unwanted attacks.

Opening Necessary Ports in the Firewall

For players to connect to your Icarus dedicated server, you need to open specific ports in the Windows Firewall. Icarus uses several UDP ports for various purposes:

• 7777 UDP: Main game port.
• 7778 UDP: Additional game port / Beacon port.
• 27015 UDP: Port for Steam queries (Steam Query Port).
• 8766 UDP: Port for Steam authentication (Steam Auth Port).
• 27016 UDP: Additional Steam Query Port.

To open these ports in Windows Firewall, you can use the graphical interface ("Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security") or the command line (PowerShell).

Opening Ports via PowerShell:

Launch PowerShell as an administrator and execute the following commands:

# Open main game port 7777 UDP
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Icarus Server Game Port" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 7777

# Open additional port 7778 UDP
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Icarus Server Beacon Port" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 7778

# Open Steam Query Port 27015 UDP
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Icarus Server Steam Query Port" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 27015

# Open Steam Auth Port 8766 UDP
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Icarus Server Steam Auth Port" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 8766

# Open additional Steam Query Port 27016 UDP
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Icarus Server Steam Query Port 2" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 27016
        

These commands will create rules allowing inbound UDP connections on the specified ports. After executing the commands, it is recommended to restart the Icarus server.

Fundamentals of DDoS Attack Protection

Game servers, especially popular ones, often become targets for DDoS attacks aimed at overloading the network channel or server resources. This leads to latency, packet loss, and complete server disconnection. Valebyte.com offers built-in DDoS protection at the data center level, which is the most effective way to combat such threats.

• Hardware-level protection from the provider: This is the first and most crucial line of defense. Valebyte.com uses specialized hardware and software to filter malicious traffic before it reaches your server. Such protection automatically detects and neutralizes most DDoS attacks, ensuring uninterrupted operation of your Icarus hosting.
• Windows Firewall configuration: In addition to opening the necessary ports, ensure that all other ports are closed to external connections. This minimizes the attack surface.
• Use strong passwords: Make sure your AdminPassword and ServerPassword are complex and unique.
• Regular updates: Keep your operating system and Icarus server files up to date. Updates often include security fixes.
• Resource monitoring: Monitor CPU, RAM, and network traffic usage on the server. Unusual spikes may indicate attack attempts or performance issues.

Beyond Icarus, DDoS protection principles apply to other game servers as well, for example, when setting up a Valheim server.

Modifications (Mods) and Advanced Icarus Server Settings

The ability to install modifications is one of the key advantages of owning an Icarus dedicated server. Mods can significantly enhance the gaming experience, add new mechanics, items, or improve existing aspects of the game. Furthermore, it's important to know how to optimize server performance and ensure data integrity.

Installing and Managing Mods

In Icarus, there are several ways to install mods, but the most common is using the Steam Workshop and manual file installation.

1. Mods from Steam Workshop:
   • Subscribe to the desired mods in the Icarus Steam Workshop using the Steam account you use for the game.
   • Launch the Icarus client on your computer for the mods to download.
   • Icarus mods often require manual installation on the server. After downloading mods via Steam, find their files in the game's installation folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Icarus\Icarus\Content\Paks). Mod files typically have a .pak extension.
   • Copy these .pak files to the corresponding folder on your Icarus server: C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Content\Paks\Mods (if the Mods folder does not exist, create it).
   • Some mods may require additional files or changes to configuration files (Game.ini, ServerSettings.ini). Always carefully read the installation instructions provided by the mod author.
2. Manual mod installation:
   • Some mods may be distributed directly through third-party websites (e.g., Nexus Mods).
   • Download the mod archive and extract it.
   • Copy the mod files (usually .pak files) to the C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Content\Paks\Mods folder on your server.
   • Follow any additional instructions provided by the mod author regarding configuration changes or load order.

After installing mods, restart the Icarus server. Ensure that all players connecting to the server have the same versions of the mods installed, otherwise they will not be able to connect or will encounter errors.

Performance Optimization and Backups

Even on powerful hardware, an active Icarus server with many players and mods may require optimization.

• Server FPS Limit: The ServerFPSLimit parameter in ServerSettings.ini (default 30) helps reduce CPU load, especially if the server doesn't need a higher refresh rate. For most scenarios, 30 FPS is sufficient.
• Regular Restarts: Periodically restarting the server (e.g., every 24 hours) helps clear RAM, address potential memory leaks, and prevent error accumulation.
• Resource Monitoring: Use Windows Task Manager or other monitoring tools to track CPU and RAM consumption. If resources are consistently at their limit, it might be time to upgrade the server configuration or reduce the number of players/mods.
• Backups: This is the most important precaution. Regularly create backups of the C:\IcarusServer\Icarus\Saved folder. This folder contains all world saves, settings, and player data.
  • Manual Copying: Simply copy the Saved folder to another location on the server or to an external drive.
  • Automated Backups: Use Windows Task Scheduler to create archives of the Saved folder at a set frequency (e.g., daily). Valebyte.com also offers backup services for dedicated servers, providing an additional layer of protection for your data.

For deeper optimization, you can also explore Unreal Engine 4 and Icarus launch parameters, but this is a more advanced topic requiring in-depth knowledge.

Choosing Optimal Icarus Hosting: VPS or Dedicated Server?

The choice between a VPS (Virtual Private Server) and a dedicated server for Icarus hosting depends on many factors: the number of players, budget, future plans, and performance requirements. Valebyte.com offers various plans to meet any needs.

Comparative Table of Configurations for Different Player Counts

To simplify your choice, we have prepared a table with recommended configurations for an Icarus server depending on the estimated number of players. The prices indicated are approximate for Valebyte.com offers and may vary.

Number of Players	CPU (vCPU/Cores)	RAM (GB)	Disk (Type/Capacity)	Server Type (Valebyte)	Approximate Monthly Cost
2-4 players	2-4 vCPU @ 3.0+ GHz	6-8 GB	NVMe 100 GB	VPS Standard	From $15 - $25
5-10 players	4-6 vCPU @ 3.5+ GHz	8-12 GB	NVMe 150 GB	VPS Pro / Dedicated Lite	From $30 - $60
10-20 players	6-8 vCPU @ 3.8+ GHz	12-16 GB	NVMe 200 GB	Dedicated Standard	From $70 - $120
20+ players / Mods	8+ vCPU/Cores @ 4.0+ GHz	16-32 GB	NVMe 300+ GB	Dedicated Pro	From $120+

Valebyte.com Recommendations

When choosing hosting for your Icarus dedicated server, pay attention to the following key aspects that Valebyte.com strives to provide:

• CPU Performance: Icarus is very sensitive to processor clock speed. Choose plans with modern processors (Intel Xeon E-series, AMD Ryzen) and high single-core performance. For a large number of players, it's better to opt for a dedicated server, where you get full cores rather than virtual ones.
• NVMe SSD: This is not just a recommendation; it's a necessity. NVMe disks significantly speed up world loading and prevent delays when saving data, which is critically important for survival games. All Valebyte.com VPS and dedicated servers use NVMe.
• Sufficient RAM: It's better to get a bit more memory than seems necessary. This will ensure stability and headroom for future game updates or mod installations.
• High-speed Network Connection: All our servers are equipped with 1 Gbps ports, guaranteeing low ping and high bandwidth for your game server.
• DDoS Protection: Valebyte.com provides basic DDoS protection on all servers, with advanced options available for dedicated servers. This ensures continuous operation of your Icarus server even under attack.
• Geographical Location: Choose a data center located closest to the majority of your players to minimize latency. Valebyte.com offers locations in key regions.

If you plan to host a server for a large audience or actively use resource-intensive mods, a dedicated server will be the optimal solution. It will provide you with maximum performance, stability, and full control over hardware resources. For small groups of friends or testing, a powerful VPS will be an excellent starting option. If you are looking for a more comprehensive managed solution, consider our offers for dedicated servers for business with managed hosting, which can include services for setting up and maintaining your game server.

Conclusion

Creating and configuring an Icarus server on a VPS or dedicated server is a process that requires attention to detail but provides unparalleled control and quality of the gaming experience. The right hardware choice, with an emphasis on CPU performance and NVMe disks, along with careful configuration and DDoS protection, guarantees a stable and enjoyable game for you and your friends. Valebyte.com offers reliable Icarus hosting solutions capable of meeting the needs of both small groups and large gaming communities.