How do I become an admin on my Sanctuary Island server?

Enter your SteamID64 as AdminIDs= in Game.ini. Add a separate AdminIDs= line for each additional admin.

Which ports does a Sanctuary Island server need?

The usual ports are 7777 (UDP) for Unreal Engine game traffic and 27015 (UDP) for Steam queries. Your server's startup output shows which ports it actually uses.

Sanctuary Island: Set Up a Server on Your VPS

Learn how to install the Sanctuary Island dedicated server on your Windows VPS with SteamCMD, configure it, and become an admin → Find out more

10 November 20263 min read0 Views0 helpful

Introduction

Host a Sanctuary Island server on your own VPS with ZapX. You have full control over the system and can set up the official Sanctuary Island dedicated server yourself. This guide explains what you need, how to install the server with SteamCMD, and how to configure it.

Info

Sanctuary Island is not (yet) included in the Game Server Installer. You'll need to install the server manually, as described in this guide.

Sanctuary Island: Set Up a Server on Your VPS

Requirements

Requirement	Sanctuary Island
Operating system	Windows
Server files	Sanctuary Island dedicated server, SteamCMD app ID `1377020`
Steam account	Not required; you can download the files using `anonymous`
Free disk space	About 1 GB for the server files, plus space for saved games
Access	Remote Desktop

Info

The dedicated server is only available for Windows. If your VPS runs Linux, install a Windows Server template via Settings > Reinstallation. This deletes all data on your VPS. Learn more in Server Reinstallation.

Install Sanctuary Island

Connect to your VPS using Remote Desktop.
Download SteamCMD from Valve and extract it, for example, to C:\steamcmd\.
Open PowerShell and download the server:

Code

C:\steamcmd\steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\GameServers\sanctuaryisland +login anonymous +app_update 1377020 validate +quit

Start the server with C:\GameServers\sanctuaryisland\SanctuaryIslandServer.exe.

If your VPS is missing a runtime environment, you can find the installers in the _CommonRedist or Engine\Extras\Redist folder in the server directory.

Configuration

Settings are stored in SanctuaryIsland\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Game.ini. The developer provides the commented template _Game.ini in the same folder, with all available options. Copy the lines you want into the section [/Game/SanctuaryIsland/Blueprints/DefaultGameInstance.DefaultGameInstance_C] in your Game.ini, and remove the semicolon at the beginning of each line. Stop the server before editing the file.

Setting	Description
`PublicConnections`	Maximum number of players (template: `50`)
`ServerPassword`	Password required to join
`ServerDiscord`	Invite code for your Discord server
`LogoutTime`	Time until logout (template: `30`)
`AdminIDs`	An admin's SteamID64, one line per admin
`PvE`, `FriendlyFire`	PvE mode and friendly fire
`MaxAICountTotal`, `MaxAICountPerPlayer`	Number of AI animals on the island

Tip

To make yourself an admin, enter your SteamID64 as AdminIDs=. To add more admins, simply add another AdminIDs= line for each one.

The SanctuaryIsland\Saved\Config\ folder also contains the _MessageOfTheDay.txt template for a message of the day.

Start the server and enable autostart

Start the server with SanctuaryIslandServer.exe. To have it start automatically after your VPS restarts, create a task in Task Scheduler with the trigger At startup that runs SanctuaryIslandServer.exe from the server directory. To see the server output in a console window, add the -log parameter.

Connect to the server

Players can find your server in the in-game server list. If you set a ServerPassword, they'll need it to join. You can find your VPS IP address in the Overview section of the ZapX dashboard.

Ports and firewall

Port	Protocol	Use
7777	UDP	Game (Unreal Engine default)
27015	UDP	Steam query (`GameServerQueryPort` in the included configuration)

You can see which ports your server actually uses in its output when it starts. Allow them through the Windows Firewall. Learn more in Manage Windows Defender Firewall rules. If you use your VPS's Network Firewall in the ZapX dashboard, open the ports there too.

Update the server

Updates are not installed automatically. Stop the server and run the same SteamCMD command you used to install it. The dedicated server was last updated in November 2023.

Backups

Before updating, back up the SanctuaryIsland\Saved folder, which contains the configuration and saved games. Stop the server first.

Your entire VPS is also backed up automatically every day. With an active ZapX Pass, you can restore these backups yourself and create your own. Learn more in Daily backups, restoring data, and restricted actions.

More information

The developer does not provide separate server documentation. The _Game.ini template in the server directory is the best overview of all settings. Find game news on the Sanctuary Island Steam page.

Conclusion

Your Sanctuary Island server is now running on your VPS. If something isn't working as expected, see Sanctuary Island: Common Issues. If you have questions or need help, our support team is here for you every day! 🙂

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No. Sanctuary Island is not (yet) included in the Game Server Installer. Install the dedicated server manually with SteamCMD using app ID 1377020. You don't need a Steam account.

No. The dedicated server is only available for Windows. On a Linux VPS, first install a Windows Server template via Settings > Reinstallation. This deletes all data.

In SanctuaryIsland\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Game.ini. The commented _Game.ini template in the same folder lists all options, including PublicConnections, ServerPassword, and AdminIDs.

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