How to Create and Set Up an Arma Reforger Server

Creating Your Arma Reforger Server

This guide walks you through the entire process of setting up an Arma Reforger server on RespawnHost, from ordering your plan to connecting your first players.

Step 1: Choose Your Plan

Visit the Arma Reforger Server Hosting page and select a plan that matches your needs. Consider the following when choosing:

Factor	Recommendation
1-10 players	Recruit Starter or Infantry Squad
10-30 players	Platoon or Company package
30-60 players	Battalion package
60+ players	General Staff package

Arma Reforger is a CPU-intensive game. If you plan to run heavy mods or large missions with many AI units, choose a plan with more RAM and CPU resources.

Step 2: Select Your Location

RespawnHost offers two data center locations:

• Frankfurt, Germany — Best for European players. Low latency across central and western Europe.
• Salt Lake City, United States — Best for North American players. Covers both US coasts with reasonable latency.

Choose the location closest to the majority of your player base. You cannot change the location after creation without ordering a new server.

Step 3: Initial Server Start

1. Log in to the RespawnHost game panel.
2. Navigate to your Arma Reforger server instance.
3. Click Start to launch the server for the first time.
4. The server will download the latest Arma Reforger server files via SteamCMD.
5. Once the download completes, the server starts and generates a default server.json configuration file.

The initial download may take several minutes depending on network speed. You can monitor progress in the console output.

Step 4: Basic Configuration

Before inviting players, configure your server by editing the server.json file. At minimum, set the following:

{
  "name": "My Arma Reforger Server",
  "password": "",
  "adminPassword": "your-secure-admin-password",
  "maxPlayers": 32,
  "scenarioId": "{ECC61978EDCC2B5A}Missions/23_Campaign.conf"
}

See the Configuration Guide for a complete breakdown of all available settings.

Step 5: Connecting to Your Server

Players can connect to your server using one of these methods:

In-Game Server Browser:

1. Open Arma Reforger.
2. Navigate to Multiplayer.
3. Use the server browser to search for your server name.
4. Double-click to join.

Direct Connect:

1. Open Arma Reforger.
2. Navigate to Multiplayer.
3. Click Direct Connect.
4. Enter your server IP address and port (default: 18574).

You can find your server IP and port in the RespawnHost game panel on the server overview page.

Step 6: Making Your Server Visible

For your server to appear in the public server browser:

• Ensure the server is running and has finished loading.
• Make sure visible is set to true in your server.json.
• Verify that the game port (18574) and Steam query port (18575) are open.
• The server may take up to 5 minutes to appear after a fresh start.

If your server does not appear, check the console for error messages and verify your configuration.

Server Management Basics

The RespawnHost panel provides several tools for managing your server:

• Start / Stop / Restart — Control server state from the panel.
• Console — View real-time server output and send commands.
• File Manager — Edit configuration files and upload custom content.
• Backups — Create and restore server backups.
• Scheduled Tasks — Set up automatic restarts to maintain performance.

It is recommended to schedule daily restarts during off-peak hours to keep the server running smoothly.

Free respawnserver.com Subdomain

Every Arma Reforger server comes with a free subdomain of the form yourname.respawnserver.com. Instead of sharing a raw IP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:18574, you can tell your squad my-clan.respawnserver.com:18574 — memorable, free, instantly live.

1. Open your server dashboard in the RespawnHost panel
2. Go to Overview → Subdomain section
3. Enter your preferred name (only available names turn green)
4. Save — active immediately, no DNS change needed

The DNS record is pointed automatically at the current server IP. If the IP changes, the subdomain updates automatically.

Resources and Fair Use

Every Arma Reforger server at RespawnHost gets:

• Guaranteed RAM per package size (dedicated, not shared)
• Dedicated NVMe SSD storage — fair use, enough for multiple mods + save games
• Fair-use CPU on AMD Ryzen 9 9950X / 7950X — you share cores with other servers but are guaranteed a fair share. Startup and mod loading benefit from burst capacity
• Unlimited player slots — only hardware-bound

Details: Configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the initial server setup take?

The first start downloads the Arma Reforger server files (approximately 10-15 GB). This typically takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on network conditions. Subsequent starts are much faster.

Can I change my server location after creation?

No. The server location is fixed at the time of creation. To switch locations, you would need to back up your configuration, order a new server in the desired location, and restore your files.

Do I need to install Arma Reforger on my own computer?

You do not need to install the game to run the server. The server files are downloaded automatically. However, you need the game installed on your computer to connect and play.

Can I set a server password?

Yes. Set the password field in server.json to restrict access to players who know the password. Leave it empty for a public server.

How do I update my server?

RespawnHost automatically checks for server updates when you start or restart your server. If a game update is available, it will be downloaded before the server starts.

Why does my server not appear in the browser?

Verify that visible is set to true in server.json, check that no errors appear in the console, and wait a few minutes after startup. Server browser caching can delay visibility.

Can I run multiple Arma Reforger servers on one plan?

Each plan supports one Arma Reforger server instance. If you need multiple servers, order additional plans.