How to Host a The Isle Server

This guide shows you how to host your own The Isle server — either with NolimitHost (recommended, everything is handled for you) or as a dedicated server on your own Windows machine using SteamCMD. By the final step, your server will be live, discoverable in the browser, and ready for players.

Method 1 — Host with NolimitHost (Recommended)

Hosting an Isle server with NolimitHost is the easiest option because everything you need is in one place.

1. Purchase a plan — Order a The Isle server plan from NolimitHost. Your server starts installing automatically once the order is placed.
2. Open the Game Panel — Log in to the NolimitHost Game Panel at https://panel.nolimithost.cc/ and select your server. You'll be brought to the Console, where you can start and stop your server and see its live output.
3. Configure common settings — In the left sidebar, click Startup (or Server Options). Here you can set the Server Name (how it appears in the browser), set up RCON, lock the server with a whitelist, toggle global chat, and more. After changing a setting, restart the server to apply it.
4. Advanced configuration — For deeper options (admins, mutations, migration settings, allowed classes), edit Game.ini via File Manager at TheIsle/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini. See the Configure Your Server guide for details.
5. Join and play — Once configured, find your server in the in-game browser and connect. See the How to Connect guide.

Method 2 — Dedicated Server with SteamCMD

If you want to run the server on your own Windows machine, follow the steps below. You'll need SteamCMD, the game's app ID (412680), and ports 7777-7778 forwarded.

Install SteamCMD

1. Visit the Valve Developer Community SteamCMD page and download the Windows version.
2. Extract the .zip and run steamcmd.exe. Wait while SteamCMD installs its files.

Install the Isle Server

1. In SteamCMD, type login anonymous and press Enter to log in without a password.
2. Type force_install_dir followed by your desired server location (avoid the C: drive if possible).
3. Type app_update 412680 -beta evrima and press Enter. This installs the latest Evrima build of The Isle. 412680 is the app ID for The Isle.
4. Wait for the download to finish, then type quit to exit SteamCMD safely.

Forward Ports and Open the Firewall

Your server needs ports 7777-7778 (TCP and UDP) reachable from the internet:

• Port forwarding — Log in to your router and add a port mapping for TCP/UDP 7777-7778, pointing at your PC's IPv4 address. Search "how to port forward using [your router name]" if you're unsure.
• Windows Firewall — Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security > Inbound Rules > New Rule > Port. Create a TCP rule and a UDP rule for ports 7777-7778, allowing the connection.

Configure the Server

From your server's root folder, open TheIsle/Saved/Config/WindowsServer and edit the config files (such as Game.ini) to set your server name, admins, and other options. If the folder doesn't exist yet, fully boot up the server once so it generates. Every server on your network needs its own unique port.