Dedicated Server

When to Use

Reach for this skill when you are building a dedicated server in Godot 4.3+ — a headless build whose only job is to run the authoritative simulation while every player connects as a client. The reason to invest in this architecture is trust: when a single server owns the world state, no client can fabricate hits, teleport, or rewrite the score, because clients only ever propose actions and receive results. That same central authority keeps everyone's view of the match consistent (no host-migration headaches, no "it was a hit on my screen" disputes) and lets you scale match capacity on hardware you control instead of on whatever machine a player happens to host on.

Concretely, use it when you need: low, predictable latency under load; deterministic simulation for replay/anti-cheat; or the ability to run many matches across cloud instances or containers that have no GPU, display, or audio device.

Prerequisites

• Godot 4.3 or later. The headless export ("Export As Dedicated Server") and the dedicated_server feature tag are only dependable from 4.2/4.3 onward. Avoid Godot versions below 4.3 and their deprecated APIs.
• Server export template installed. Download it via the Godot editor's Template Manager so the "Export As Dedicated Server" option is available.
• For C# projects: .NET SDK installed locally for building; decide whether the export will bundle the runtime or rely on a system-installed dotnet.
• Familiarity with ENet multiplayer. See the multiplayer-basics skill for ENet setup, RPCs, and the authority model that underpins everything here.

Procedure

Work through the sections below in order — they build on each other: boot detection → architecture → lobby → match flow → config → deployment.

1. Create the Headless Export Preset

A dedicated server runs with no display, GPU, or audio device. Godot supports this in two complementary ways:

--headless Flag (for quick local testing)

Pass --headless on the command line to suppress the display and audio drivers at runtime:

./my_game.x86_64 --headless

This works on any exported binary, which makes it handy for quick local testing. What it does not do is shrink the binary — the rendering code is still compiled in, just unused.

Server Export Preset (for production deployment)

For a real deployment you want the server export template, which strips rendering and audio code out of the binary entirely — smaller download, fewer native library dependencies, and no chance of accidentally touching GPU code paths.

1. Open Project → Export.
2. Add a Linux/X11 preset and name it Linux Server so it is obvious which preset is the server.
3. Under Options → Binary, enable Export As Dedicated Server (Godot 4.2+). This selects the server template that omits rendering and audio and sets the dedicated_server feature tag automatically.
4. Under Resources, use the Exclude list to strip client-only assets (shaders, high-res textures, music, voice-over) from the server PCK. The server never draws or plays them, so shipping them only bloats the image and slows startup.
5. For C# projects, set the .NET Runtime option to Bundled or System. Bundled ships the runtime inside the export so the host needs nothing pre-installed — generally the easier choice for reproducible container builds; pick System only when you deliberately manage the dotnet runtime on the host.

Feature tag summary:

2. Write the Boot Autoload (Server/Client Detection)

The autoload below is the canonical "decide who I am, then configure accordingly" entry point. Detection order matters: dedicated_server first (reliable, baked into the binary), headless driver second (a fallback for forced-headless desktop runs).

# boot.gd — autoload, runs before any scene loads.
extends Node


func _ready() -> void:
    if _is_dedicated_server():
        _configure_headless()
        ServerBootstrap.start()   # your server-side autoload entry point
    else:
        ClientBootstrap.start()   # your client-side autoload entry point


## True when this process should act as the authoritative server.
func _is_dedicated_server() -> bool:
    # `dedicated_server` is compiled into the server export template, so it is the most
    # reliable signal and stays true even if someone forgets the CLI flags. The headless
    # display-driver check is a fallback for the common case of running a *normal* export
    # with `--headless` during local testing.
    return OS.has_feature("dedicated_server") or DisplayServer.get_name() == "headless"


func _configure_headless() -> void:
    # Stop the renderer from doing per-frame work. The engine keeps ticking — _process and
    # _physics_process still fire — but nothing is drawn, so the server wastes no CPU/GPU
    # cycles on an invisible window.
    RenderingServer.set_render_loop_enabled(false)

    # Under the real headless driver there is no window at all, so the calls below would be
    # meaningless (and the headless driver already ignores input). Only touch the window
    # when one actually exists — a desktop export forced into headless-like behaviour with
    # `--headless`.
    if DisplayServer.get_name() != "headless":
        DisplayServer.window_set_mode(DisplayServer.WINDOW_MODE_MINIMIZED)
        DisplayServer.window_set_flag(DisplayServer.WINDOW_FLAG_BORDERLESS, true)
        DisplayServer.window_set_flag(DisplayServer.WINDOW_FLAG_NO_FOCUS, true)

C# equivalent:

// Boot.cs — autoload, runs before any scene loads.
using Godot;

public partial class Boot : Node
{
    public override void _Ready()
    {
        if (IsDedicatedServer())
        {
            ConfigureHeadless();
            ServerBootstrap.Start();   // your server-side entry point
        }
        else
        {
            ClientBootstrap.Start();   // your client-side entry point
        }
    }

    private static bool IsDedicatedServer()
        => OS.HasFeature("dedicated_server") || DisplayServer.GetName() == "headless";

    private static void ConfigureHeadless()
    {
        RenderingServer.SetRenderLoopEnabled(false);

        if (DisplayServer.GetName() != "headless")
        {
            DisplayServer.WindowSetMode(DisplayServer.WindowMode.Minimized);
            DisplayServer.WindowSetFlag(DisplayServer.WindowFlags.Borderless, true);
            DisplayServer.WindowSetFlag(DisplayServer.WindowFlags.NoFocus, true);
        }
    }
}

API note: earlier drafts of this pattern set WINDOW_FLAG_NO_MOUSE / WINDOW_FLAG_NO_INPUT, which do not exist in Godot 4 and would throw at runtime. They are intentionally omitted — the headless driver receives no input in the first place, and on a real window the borderless/no-focus flags are what you actually want.

3. Build the Server Game Loop

On a headless server, _process and _physics_process still run — the engine ticks normally, it just draws nothing. Put authoritative logic in _physics_process because it runs at a fixed tick rate (set by Engine.physics_ticks_per_second), so the same sequence of inputs produces the same simulation regardless of how loaded the server is. That determinism is what makes replays, lag compensation, and server-authoritative anti-cheat possible.

# server_main.gd — add as autoload named ServerMain.
extends Node

## Physics ticks per second; mirrors Project Settings → Physics → Common → Physics Ticks
## Per Second and can be overridden with --tick-rate at launch. Clamped to at least 1
## because a non-positive rate would stall the physics loop entirely.
@export var tick_rate: int = 60:
    set(value):
        tick_rate = maxi(value, 1)
        Engine.physics_ticks_per_second = tick_rate

## Physics ticks between client snapshots. At 60 Hz, a value of 3 sends ~20 snapshots per
## second — smooth enough for client interpolation while keeping bandwidth low.
@export var snapshot_interval: int = 3:
    set(value):
        snapshot_interval = maxi(value, 1)

## Monotonic tick counter; also used to timestamp and throttle snapshots.
var server_tick: int = 0

## Highest snapshot tick a client has applied, so stale packets can be dropped.
var _last_applied_tick: int = 0

## Authoritative per-player state. Shape: { peer_id (int): position (Vector2) }.
var _player_state: Dictionary = {}


func _ready() -> void:
    if not multiplayer.is_server():
        process_mode = PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED
        return

    Engine.physics_ticks_per_second = tick_rate
    multiplayer.peer_connected.connect(_on_peer_connected)
    multiplayer.peer_disconnected.connect(_on_peer_disconnected)
    print("[Server] Started — %d Hz, snapshot every %d ticks" % [tick_rate, snapshot_interval])


func _physics_process(_delta: float) -> void:
    server_tick += 1
    _tick_game_logic()


func _on_peer_connected(peer_id: int) -> void:
    _player_state[peer_id] = Vector2.ZERO


func _on_peer_disconnected(peer_id: int) -> void:
    _player_state.erase(peer_id)


func _tick_game_logic() -> void:
    if _player_state.is_empty():
        return

    _advance_world_state()

    if server_tick % snapshot_interval == 0:
        _broadcast_snapshot()


func _advance_world_state() -> void:
    const STEP := Vector2(1.0, 0.0)
    for peer_id: int in _player_state:
        _player_state[peer_id] += STEP


func _broadcast_snapshot() -> void:
    _receive_snapshot.rpc(server_tick, _player_state)


@rpc("authority", "unreliable_ordered")
func _receive_snapshot(tick: int, state: Dictionary) -> void:
    if tick <= _last_applied_tick:
        return
    _last_applied_tick = tick
    _player_state = state.duplicate()

4. Separate Server-Only and Client-Only Logic

Split your scene so server-only systems (physics, AI, scoring) and client-only systems (camera, HUD, audio) live in separate branches, then remove the branch a given peer does not need. Freeing (rather than just disabling) reclaims memory and makes it impossible for those nodes to receive input, RPCs, or process callbacks by accident.

# world.gd
extends Node

@onready var server_systems: Node = $ServerSystems   # physics, AI, scoring
@onready var client_systems: Node = $ClientSystems   # camera, HUD, audio


func _ready() -> void:
    if Engine.is_editor_hint():
        return

    var is_server := multiplayer.is_server()
    var keep: Node = server_systems if is_server else client_systems
    var discard: Node = client_systems if is_server else server_systems

    keep.process_mode = PROCESS_MODE_INHERIT

    if is_instance_valid(discard):
        discard.queue_free()

5. Guard Side-Effect Scripts for Three Environments

Guard scripts that have side effects so they behave correctly in the editor, the server, and the client. Binding a socket is exactly the kind of operation that fails in the real world (port already in use, blocked by a firewall, server not yet up):

# net_bootstrap.gd — autoload that establishes the multiplayer peer.
extends Node


func _ready() -> void:
    if Engine.is_editor_hint():
        return

    if multiplayer.is_server():
        _server_init()
    else:
        _client_init()


func _server_init() -> void:
    var peer := ENetMultiplayerPeer.new()
    var err := peer.create_server(ServerConfig.port, ServerConfig.max_players)
    if err != OK:
        push_error("[Server] Could not bind UDP %d: %s" % [ServerConfig.port, error_string(err)])
        get_tree().quit(1)
        return

    multiplayer.multiplayer_peer = peer
    multiplayer.peer_connected.connect(_on_peer_connected)
    multiplayer.peer_disconnected.connect(_on_peer_disconnected)
    print("[Server] Listening on UDP %d (max %d clients)" % [ServerConfig.port, ServerConfig.max_players])


func _client_init() -> void:
    var peer := ENetMultiplayerPeer.new()
    var err := peer.create_client("127.0.0.1", ServerConfig.port)
    if err != OK:
        push_error("[Client] Could not create client peer: %s" % error_string(err))
        return

    multiplayer.multiplayer_peer = peer
    multiplayer.connected_to_server.connect(_on_connected)
    multiplayer.connection_failed.connect(_on_connection_failed)
    print("[Client] Connecting to 127.0.0.1:%d…" % ServerConfig.port)


func _on_peer_connected(peer_id: int) -> void:
    print("[Server] Peer %d connected" % peer_id)


func _on_peer_disconnected(peer_id: int) -> void:
    print("[Server] Peer %d disconnected" % peer_id)


func _on_connected() -> void:
    print("[Client] Connected to server")


func _on_connection_failed() -> void:
    push_error("[Client] Connection failed — is the server running?")
    multiplayer.multiplayer_peer = null

6. Implement the Lobby System

Model the lobby as a per-player state dictionary keyed by peer_id, held authoritatively on the server; clients never mutate it directly, they receive updates via RPC. Enforce a --max-players cap before accepting a peer (otherwise a full match can be overrun), and use a ready-toggle RPC so every player must explicitly confirm before the match starts. Store a small PlayerData record per peer (name, ready flag, character selection) rather than loose fields, so the shape stays self-documenting.

Load references/lobby-management.md when implementing the lobby. It contains the full GDScript and C# lobby implementation: player_list dict, max-players cap enforcement, ready-toggle RPC, and the broadcast-update pattern.

7. Implement the Match Flow State Machine

Drive the match lifecycle — lobby → countdown → in-game → results → back to lobby — with an explicit state machine. A single enum plus a match/switch makes the legal transitions obvious and keeps "what happens next" in one place. The server owns current_state and is the only thing that changes it; clients merely receive state-change RPCs and update their UI. Send state changes reliably so no client is left stuck in a stale screen, and reset per-round flags (like ready states) on the return to LOBBY so the next round requires fresh confirmation.

Load references/match-flow.md when implementing match flow. It contains the full state machine with countdown/results timers and GDScript + C# implementations. The timers accumulate _physics_process delta rather than using Timer nodes.

8. Add Server Configuration

Read runtime settings from OS.get_cmdline_args() — --port, --max-players, --tick-rate, --log-level — so one binary can serve many configurations without a rebuild. Critical ordering rule: set Engine.physics_ticks_per_second before the first physics frame (i.e., in an autoload's _ready, ahead of any gameplay autoload), because changing the tick rate mid-simulation would make timing discontinuous. The reference helper layers three sources with a deliberate precedence — config file → environment variables → CLI args, each overriding the last.

Load references/server-config.md when implementing configuration. It contains the GDScript and C# argument-parsing helper that reads all four flags safely at startup, plus the config-file and environment-variable layering.

9. Deploy the Server

The standard production layout is a Linux VPS (or container host) running the headless export under a process supervisor. A Dockerfile bundles the server binary, its PCK, and — for C# — the .NET runtime, giving you a reproducible image you can run anywhere. A systemd unit then supervises the process: Restart=on-failure brings it back after a crash, journald captures stdout/stderr for inspection, and resource limits keep one match from starving the host. Prefer a multi-stage Docker build so the final image carries only the runtime, not the build tooling. Open the UDP game port in the host firewall before your first connection test — a silently-dropped UDP handshake is a common and confusing first failure.

Load references/deployment.md when deploying. It contains the Dockerfile, the Linux VPS setup steps, the systemd unit file, and log-inspection commands.

Pitfalls

• Do not branch critical server logic on OS.has_feature("headless") alone. headless is a runtime flag set only when --headless is passed on the command line; it is not baked into the binary. A server binary launched without that flag (a misconfigured systemd unit, a teammate testing locally) would silently fall through to client code. Prefer OS.has_feature("dedicated_server"), which the server export template compiles into the binary itself, so it is true no matter how the process is launched.

• Do not drive critical game timing with Timer nodes on the server. Timer is coupled to the scene tree and the frame loop, so it pauses when the tree pauses, drifts with frame-rate hitches, and fires on a schedule you cannot reproduce deterministically. For authoritative timing, accumulate delta inside _physics_process, which runs at a fixed tick rate independent of rendering.

• Do not use nonexistent window flags. WINDOW_FLAG_NO_MOUSE and WINDOW_FLAG_NO_INPUT do not exist in Godot 4 and would throw at runtime. The headless driver receives no input in the first place; on a real window, use WINDOW_FLAG_BORDERLESS and WINDOW_FLAG_NO_FOCUS.

• Do not put simulation logic in _process. On a headless server with the render loop disabled, its cadence is undefined. Use _physics_process for all authoritative logic.

• Do not forget the Engine.is_editor_hint() guard. Running socket setup inside the editor would try to bind ports in the editor process itself. Place the guard at the top of every _ready() that has side effects (socket binding, signal wiring, global mutation).

• Do not change Engine.physics_ticks_per_second mid-simulation. Set it in an autoload's _ready before any gameplay autoload runs, or timing becomes discontinuous.

• Do not send snapshots every tick. Throttle them (e.g., every 3 ticks at 60 Hz ≈ 20 snapshots/second) and use unreliable transfer mode with a tick number so clients can drop stale packets.

• Do not let clients mutate lobby state directly. The server owns the player_list dictionary; clients receive updates via RPC. If a client could declare the match started, it could start one early or skip the countdown.

• Do not forget to reset ready states on return to LOBBY. Each new round requires fresh confirmation from every player.

• Do not ship client-only assets in the server PCK. Shaders, high-res textures, music, and voice-over bloat the image and slow startup. Use the export preset's Exclude list.

• Do not forget to open the UDP game port in the VPS firewall. A silently-dropped UDP handshake is a common and confusing first failure.

Verification

Run through this checklist to confirm the dedicated server is correctly configured:

• Export preset uses the server export template (the dedicated_server feature is set automatically)
• Client-only assets (shaders, audio, high-res textures) are excluded from the server PCK
• Boot script branches on OS.has_feature("dedicated_server") (with DisplayServer.get_name() == "headless" as a fallback), not on OS.has_feature("headless") alone
• RenderingServer.set_render_loop_enabled(false) is called on the server so no render work happens
• Window mode/flags are only adjusted when a real window exists (correctly skipped under the headless display driver); no nonexistent flags like WINDOW_FLAG_NO_MOUSE are used
• Server-only nodes are freed (or set to PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED) on clients, and client-only nodes are freed/disabled on the server
• Engine.is_editor_hint() guard sits at the top of every _ready() that has side effects (socket binding, signal wiring, global mutation)
• ServerConfig parses --port, --max-players, --tick-rate before any gameplay autoload's _ready(), and Engine.physics_ticks_per_second is set before the first physics frame
• Config-file loading falls back gracefully (defaults retained) when server.cfg does not exist
• Settings are layered config file → environment variables → CLI args, in that precedence order
• LobbyManager.player_list size is checked against max_players before a new peer is accepted
• A peer that arrives to a full lobby is kicked via RPC before its connection is closed
• Ready states are reset when MatchState returns to LOBBY, so players re-confirm each round
• MatchManager/ServerMain run their tick logic only on the server (process disabled on clients)
• Countdown and results timers accumulate _physics_process delta rather than using Timer nodes (no scene-tree coupling, deterministic)
• Snapshots are throttled (sent every N ticks, not every tick) and use an unreliable transfer mode with a tick number so clients can drop stale packets
• Dockerfile copies both the binary and the .pck file, and (for C#) includes the matching .NET runtime
• The UDP game port is opened in the VPS firewall before the first connection test
• The systemd unit sets Restart=on-failure so the server recovers from crashes automatically
• Logs are routed to the systemd journal and inspectable with journalctl -u my-game-server -f
• For C# servers, the matching .NET runtime is bundled in the export or installed on the host, so the binary actually starts

Related Skills

• multiplayer-basics — ENet setup, RPCs, and the authority model that underpins everything here.
• multiplayer-sync — State synchronization and interpolation (the client side of the snapshot loop above).
• network-security — DDoS mitigation, encryption, and authentication for hardening a public-facing server.