This guide walks you through setting up your Hytale dedicated server on Legion Hosting, including the required first-time authentication step, basic server configuration, and how players connect to your server.
Prerequisites
- An active Hytale server with Legion Hosting
- Your GPanel credentials from the welcome email (check your spam folder if not found)
- Hytale installed on your PC
- Your server's IP address and port from GPanel (log in at gpanel.legionhosting.net)
Step 1 — Log In to GPanel and Start the Server
- Open your browser and go to https://gpanel.legionhosting.net.
- Enter the Email and Password from your welcome email and click Login.
- Click your Hytale server from the server list to open it.
- On the Console tab, the status indicator will show Offline. Click the Start button.
- Wait for the server to download and install any required files. The first start can take 2 to 5 minutes while Hytale server files are set up.
- Watch the console output. The server will eventually pause and display an authentication prompt with a URL and a device code. Do not close or restart the server at this point.
Step 2 — Authenticate Your Server
Hytale requires server authentication on first startup. The server will not accept player connections until you complete this step.
- In the GPanel console, look for a message containing a URL and a device code. It will look similar to:
To authenticate, visit: https://auth.hytale.com/device Enter the code: XXXX-XXXX - Open the authentication URL in your web browser on any device (PC, phone, tablet).
- Log in with your Hytale account (the account you use to play the game).
- Enter the device code displayed in the console when prompted.
- Confirm the authentication. The browser will show a success message.
- Return to GPanel and watch the console. Within a few seconds, the server should continue its startup process and the status will change to Running.
Step 3 — Find Your Connection Details
- In GPanel, click the Console tab (or the server overview area).
- Note the IP Address and Port displayed near the top of the page.
- The format is
IP:Port, for example192.0.2.10:25565. You will share these details with anyone who wants to join your server.
For a detailed walkthrough on locating your connection details, see How to Find Your Server IP and Port.
Step 4 — Basic Server Configuration
Hytale dedicated servers expose key settings through the GPanel Startup tab. These variables control the most common server options without requiring manual file editing.
Using Startup Variables
- In GPanel, click the Startup tab.
- You will see a list of configurable variables. Edit any value and click Save or press Enter.
- After making changes, restart the server from the Console tab for the new settings to take effect.
Common Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| Server Name | The name shown in the server browser and to connecting players | My Legion Server |
| Max Players | Maximum number of players allowed online at once | 16 |
| Server Password | Requires players to enter a password to join. Leave blank for a public server. | MySecret123 |
Editing Configuration Files
For advanced settings not available in the Startup tab, you can edit the server configuration files directly through the GPanel file manager.
- Click the Files tab in GPanel.
- Browse to the server's root directory and look for configuration files (these may vary as Hytale updates).
- Click a file to open it in the built-in text editor. Make your changes and click Save Content.
- Stop and restart the server for the changes to take effect.
For bulk file transfers or large uploads, connect via SFTP instead of the browser file manager. See How to Upload Files via SFTP for instructions.
Step 5 — Connect to Your Hytale Server
- Launch Hytale on your PC.
- From the main menu, navigate to the Multiplayer or Server Browser option.
- Select Direct Connect (or the equivalent option to join by IP).
- Enter your server's
IP:Portfrom Step 3 — for example,192.0.2.10:25565. - If you set a server password in Step 4, enter it when prompted.
- Click Connect. You should load into the server world within a few seconds.
Verification
After connecting, confirm everything is working:
- Your character should load into the game world successfully.
- Check the GPanel Console tab — you should see a log entry indicating your player joined the server.
- Ask a friend to connect using the same IP and port to verify external connectivity.
- The server status should remain Running with no errors in the console output.
Troubleshooting
Server does not start or gets stuck during startup
- Check the console output for error messages. On first install, the server may take several minutes to download required files.
- If the server is waiting for authentication, complete the device login described in Step 2.
- If errors persist after authentication, try reinstalling the server from the Settings tab in GPanel (this will delete server data — back up important files first).
Authentication code expired or failed
- The device code is only valid for a limited time. If it expires, restart the server to generate a new code.
- Make sure you are logging in with a valid Hytale account that owns the game.
- Try using a different browser or clearing your browser cache if the authentication page does not load.
Cannot connect to the server
- Confirm the server status shows Running in GPanel. If it shows Offline or Starting, wait for it to fully start.
- Double-check the IP address and port — make sure you include the port number after the colon.
- Ensure the server completed the authentication step successfully before trying to connect.
- If the server was just started, wait 1-2 minutes for it to fully initialize before attempting to connect.
- See How to Find Your Server IP and Port for help locating the correct connection details.
Settings changes are not applying
- Startup variable changes require a full server restart. Use the Restart button on the Console tab after saving.
- If editing config files directly, make sure the server is stopped before saving changes. Some games overwrite config files on shutdown, which can undo your edits.
Server crashes or goes offline unexpectedly
- Check the console output for error messages or crash logs before the server went offline.
- Hytale is in early access — crashes may occur due to game bugs. Try restarting the server.
- If crashes happen repeatedly, copy the error messages and open a support ticket so our team can investigate.
Need Help?
If you run into an issue not covered above, open a support ticket and include:
- Your server name from GPanel
- A description of the problem and when it started
- Any error messages from the GPanel console (copy and paste the relevant lines)