Discord’s Game Servers feature lets you transform your Server Boosts into dedicated game servers for popular titles, creating seamless multiplayer gaming experiences for your community.
What this article covers:
Note: The Game Servers feature is currently an experiment and only available to select servers.
What is the Game Servers Feature?
Discord’s Game Servers feature lets server owners create hosted game servers for popular titles, giving their community a dedicated space to game together. This feature makes it simple for communities to set up, manage, and join custom game servers tailored to their preferences.
Note: While Game Servers can be set up and accessed through a Discord server, anyone with the game server’s IP address can join directly from the game, even if they’re not in the Discord server.
How to Use Server Boosts to Enable Game Servers as a Server Owner/Admin
Important: Game servers can’t be disabled within 7 days of creation.
The server owner or admin can use any available applied Server Boosts to unlock Game Servers.
1. With the correct server selected, navigate to the Server Boosts tab in the upper-left corner. Only server admins and owners can view this tab.
Example of Server Boosts tab in a server
2. In the upper-right, you’ll see how many Server Boosts are available and recent activity of Server Boosts. If you have enough Server Boosts available, you can enable this perk right away.
Example of Available Server Boosts
3. To apply Boosts to Game Servers, hover over the perk and press Create Game Server. A window will appear where you can configure your game server!
Create Game Server option
4. From here, you can select which game you want for your server. You can also see the minimum Server Boost cost for each game.
5. After selecting your game of choice, you can choose the following customizations for your game server setup:
- Game server name: Pick a name that will help members identify this game server. If you plan to make multiple game servers for the same game, this will help distinguish them from each other.
- Location: Pick a location to host your game server. Tip: locations closer to your players will have lower latency during gameplay.
-
Plan: Select the plan that works best for your desired gaming needs. Game Server plans are available in three tiers across all supported games:
- Starter: Entry-level option, best for small groups or lightweight setups
- Pro: Mid-tier plan with more resources for mods or larger player counts
- Ultimate: Highest-tier plan with the most power and flexibility
Tip: The Boost cost and server specs (like RAM and player slots, storage, and vCPUs) vary depending on the game and plan you choose.
6. Select Enable Game Server to confirm your setup and create the game server.
Game server setup settings
7. You’ll then see a confirmation message letting you know your game server has been set up!
Confirmation that your game server has been created
What to Know Before Joining Game Servers
Game servers accessed through Discord are hosted by third-party providers and aren’t moderated by Discord. Without Discord's standard safety features, you should take extra precautions to protect yourself in these external spaces.
Before You Join: Avoid joining servers hosted by people you don’t know and trust in real life or from well-known groups you trust. Be selective—these servers may have different safety features from those you’re used to on Discord, so your choice of which servers to join becomes your primary safety measure.
Protect Your Privacy: Refrain from sharing personal information like your real name, location, age, school, or contact details on game servers. Be especially cautious of anyone who tries to move conversations to other platforms, offers unexpected gifts or special treatment, or asks you to keep interactions secret. These are red flags for potentially harmful behavior that can escalate quickly in unmoderated spaces.
Use Available Safety Tools: Consider enabling any safety features the server offers like chat filters, allowlist controls, and moderation plugins. When creating your own server, use allowlist controls to limit access to known friends, enable moderation tools, and establish clear behavioral expectations from the start. Remember that these tools may differ from what you're used to with Discord's built-in protections.
Trust Your Instincts: If someone makes you uncomfortable, leave immediately. Your safety is more important than game progress, maintaining friendships, or avoiding awkwardness. It's never your fault if someone acts inappropriately toward you. Report concerning behavior happening in the game server to the server admin if you trust them, or use the game host's reporting system (like Shockbyte's support form). If you see behavior that violates our Terms of Service or Community Guidelines happening on Discord, please report it directly to us.
Stay Alert: These servers exist outside Discord's safety ecosystem, meaning the automatic detection systems and rapid response teams you might expect aren't available. Maintain strong boundaries, be skeptical of unusual requests, and prioritize your wellbeing over gameplay.
How to Join a Game Server
Once created, game servers will appear in the new Game Servers tab at the top of your server. This tab becomes visible to all members after the first game server is set up.
1. Navigate to the server you want to join the game server for and press on Game Servers.
Game Servers tab
2. Select Join Game Server for the game server you’re wanting to join.
Join Game Server button
3. Follow the steps listed in the instructions pop-up to join the Game Server!
Instructional steps on how to join a Game Server
How to Connect to Game Servers by Game
Palworld
1. Launch Palworld.
2. Choose Join Multiplayer Game.
3. Enter the IP:Port of the server.
4. Select Connect.
Rust
1. Press F1 to open the in-game console.
2. Type client.connect <IP:Port> and press Enter.
Enshrouded
1. In Steam: go to View → Game Servers → Favorites.
2. Select the + Add a Server button and enter the IP:Query Port.
3. The server will appear in Steam → Favorites and will show up in-game.
7 Days to Die
1. Launch the game and select Join a Game from the main menu.
2. Press Connect to IP.
3. Enter the IP before the colon, and the port after.
Terraria
1. Launch Terraria, select the Multiplayer option, then select the Join via IP option.
2. From the character selection screen, either select a character you have previously made or make a new character.
3. Enter your Server's IP address (this is the part before the colon) and your Server's Port (this is the part after the colon). (Example: 000.00.00.000:0000)
4. Press Accept (or the Enter Key) to connect to your server.
Valheim
1. Launch Valheim and select Start Game in the main menu.
2. Select the character you want to join your server on. If you haven't made one yet, you'll need to do this before continuing.
3. After selecting or creating your character, press Start.
4. Change to the Join Game tab, and then press the Add Server button.
5. Paste your server IP into the box that pops up, and press the Connect button.
6. After a brief moment, you will be prompted for your server password. You will need to get this password from your Discord Server Admin. Paste your server password into the box, then press Enter.
Counter Strike 2
Tip: Currently, the recommended method for joining your Counter Strike 2 server is using the Steam favorites list.
1. In the Steam client, navigate to View > Game Servers.
2. Select Favorites, then press the + button.
3. Enter your server's IP & port then press OK.
4. Select your server, then press Connect.
Hytale
1. Open Hytale.
2. Select on Servers.
3. Press on Add Server.
4. Paste your server IP address, enter a server name and press Add Server.
5. Double click your server in the list to join.
Stardew Valley
Tip: You can learn more about connecting to Stardew Valley by checking out this guide by ShockByte.
1. Open Stardew Valley.
2. Select the CO-OP button.
3. Select Join LAN Game.
4. Enter your Server IP and Port then click OK.
How to Modify a Game Server as a Server Owner/Admin
Tip: To modify or make changes to a Game Server’s settings, you will need Administrator permissions in that server.
1. Navigate to the server that has the game server you want to modify and press on Game Servers.
Game Servers tab
2. Select View Game Panel to open the Game Server’s options. The Game Panel is your control center for advanced game server management. This includes adjusting game configurations and customizing various server settings beyond what's available on Discord.
3. You'll be redirected to a web browser where you'll need to log into Discord and authorize Shockbyte to sign into their app. Each game server has its own independent Game Panel with settings specific to that game server. You can learn more about navigating the Game Panel from Shockbyte’s website.
Important: For any questions about Game Panel features, settings, or technical issues within the panel itself, please use the Contact Us button within the Game Panel to reach Shockbyte's specialized support team.
Game Server panel
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What happens to my game server if I no longer have the Server Boosts to maintain it?
A: If you do not apply the necessary Server Boosts to maintain the server, the Game Server will be deleted after 3 days.
Q: Do I need extra Boosts to unlock Game Servers for my server?
A: Game Servers are a separate feature from your server’s Boost level. Boosts used to level up your server do not count toward unlocking Game Servers. To enable Game Servers, you’ll need to apply Boosts specifically toward creating a game server. Once a game server is created, the Game Servers tab will appear in your server.
Q: How many Boosts does it cost to create a Game Server?
A: The number of Boosts required depends on the game and plan you choose. The least expensive option starts at 3 Boosts, with certain games and higher-tier plans requiring more. All Boosts allocated go directly toward that game server, there’s no extra Boost cost just to unlock the feature.
Q: How many Game Servers can be created in one Discord server?
A: You can have a maximum of 10 Game Servers per Discord server.
Q: What does the current game server’s status mean?
Server Status of a Game Server
A: Depending on the state of the server, you may see a variety of different Server Statuses. Here are all of the available Server Statuses:
- Online: Server is online and available to join.
- Offline: Admin manually stopped the server.
- Sleeping: Server is in hibernation (≥7 days of no activity).
- Starting: Server is in the process of coming online or restarting. This can take a few minutes.
- Startup Failed: Configuration is required. An admin of the server must visit the Game Panel to change the configuration.
- Missing Stock: Server location is out of capacity. An admin of the server must select a new location in the Game Panel to resolve.
- Unavailable: Other error. An admin of the server can visit the Game Panel for more information.
- Unknown Error: An admin of the server will need to reach out to Shockbyte support to resolve this issue.
- Deleted: Server is in the process of being deleted. Once deleted, it will disappear from view.
Q: I need help with my Game Server that I created, who can I reach out to?
A: If you’re an admin of the server, you can reach out to Shockbyte directly through one of the following ways:
For Game Server issues:
1. Go to the Game Servers tab in your Discord server
2. Press 3 dots [] next to your game server
3. Select Get Support to be directed to the appropriate support channel
Get Support option
For Game Panel issues:
1. Navigate to Game Servers tab > View Game Panel
2. Press Get Support from the left sidebar within the panel
Get Support option
Important: Discord Support can help with updating your game server information within the app and other in-app functions, but extensive, technical inquiries must be forwarded to Shockbyte Support.
Q: How can I disable my game server?
A: As a server admin or owner, head to the Server Boosts tab > View Game Servers and then press Disable Perk under the specific game server you want to disable.