How to Set Up a Squad Dedicated Server

Squad is a large-scale tactical shooter, and a self-hosted server lets your community run the map layers, rules, and admin team you want. Squad servers are heavier than most Source games, so this guide covers both the setup and the hardware you'll need.

Requirements

• A capable VPS: Ubuntu 22.04, at least 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM. Squad's 100-player battles are demanding; a small box will stutter. Fast single-thread performance matters.
• SteamCMD: the Squad dedicated server is App ID 403240, installed anonymously.
• Ports: UDP 7787 and 7788 (game), UDP 27165 and 27166 (query), TCP 21114 (RCON, optional).

Step 1: User and dependencies

sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" squad
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 lib32stdc++6 steamcmd

Step 2: Install Squad with SteamCMD

sudo su - squad
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/squad/server +login anonymous +app_update 403240 validate +quit

This is a large download (tens of gigabytes) — Squad ships a lot of map content. Make sure your plan has the disk space; NVMe storage makes map loads much faster.

Step 3: Open the firewall

sudo ufw allow 7787:7788/udp
sudo ufw allow 27165:27166/udp
sudo ufw allow 21114/tcp
sudo ufw reload

Open the same ranges in your provider's network firewall.

Step 4: Configure the server

Squad's configs live in /home/squad/server/SquadGame/ServerConfig/. The key files:

• Server.cfg — server name, max players, password.
• LayerRotation.cfg — the map/layer rotation.
• Admins.cfg — admin groups and Steam IDs.
• Rcon.cfg — RCON password and port.

Edit Server.cfg:

ServerName="My Nxeon Squad Server"
MaxPlayers=80
ServerPassword=""

Add yourself as admin in Admins.cfg:

Group=Admin:CanKick,CanBan,CanChangeMap,CanControlServer
Admin=76561198000000000:Admin

Set your rotation in LayerRotation.cfg, one layer per line, e.g. AlBasrah_AAS_v1.

Step 5: Start the server

cd /home/squad/server
./SquadServer.sh Port=7787 QueryPort=27165 RCONPORT=21114 \
  FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80 FIXEDMAXTICKRATE=50

Step 6: Run it under systemd

Create /etc/systemd/system/squad.service:

[Unit]
Description=Squad Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=squad
WorkingDirectory=/home/squad/server
ExecStart=/home/squad/server/SquadServer.sh Port=7787 QueryPort=27165 RCONPORT=21114 FIXEDMAXPLAYERS=80 FIXEDMAXTICKRATE=50
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=15

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now squad
sudo journalctl -u squad -f

Because Squad servers benefit from a clean restart between long sessions, schedule a nightly restart with the pattern in automate game server restarts with systemd and cron.

Getting listed and licensed

To run a public, community-licensed server you'll need to register with the Squad server hosting program; unlicensed servers are capped in player slots. Check the official Squad server documentation for current licensing steps before advertising a full-size server.

Hardware reality check

Squad is one of the heavier games you can host. Plan for 8 GB RAM minimum, strong single-thread CPU, and NVMe storage. Read Game Server Specs Explained: CPU, RAM and Bandwidth and compare with lighter titles like our Team Fortress 2 dedicated server guide to see the difference in requirements.

Understanding the layer system

Squad maps ship as "layers" — a specific map plus mode and time of day. Your LayerRotation.cfg lists them one per line:

Sumari_AAS_v1
GooseBay_RAAS_v1
Yehorivka_RAAS_v1
Narva_Invasion_v1

AAS and RAAS are the standard objective modes; Invasion is attack/defend; Skirmish is small-scale. Mixing modes keeps a server fresh — the server advances to the next layer after each match, or admins set it live via RCON.

RCON administration

Enable RCON in Rcon.cfg with a password and port, then connect with any Source-compatible RCON tool to change layers, kick, or ban without being in-game:

Password="change-this-strong-password"
Port=21114

Community tools like SquadJS connect over RCON to add stats, Discord integration, and automated admin actions.

Troubleshooting

• Server not listing: check the query port (UDP 27165) and that the community license is valid.
• Long load times: Squad's large maps benefit hugely from NVMe storage.
• Players rubber-banding: usually CPU saturation — reduce the player cap or move to a faster core, and watch server FPS in the console.

FAQ

What App ID is the Squad dedicated server?

App ID 403240, installed anonymously through SteamCMD with +app_update 403240 validate.

How much RAM does a Squad server need?

Budget at least 8 GB for a full-size server; 100-player battles with rich maps are memory- and CPU-hungry. Smaller player caps run on less.

Why is my player count limited?

Public servers need a community license through the official program. Without it, slots are restricted. Register before running a full 100-player server.

How do I add admins?

Edit Admins.cfg with a Group= line defining permissions and an Admin=<steamid64>:<group> line for each admin, then restart.

Squad needs real hardware — Nxeon's NVMe game server VPS plans give you the cores, RAM, and disk speed a milsim server demands, with full root access.