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The simplest Docker deployment is a persistent Compose service using ghcr.io/ginco-org/hytale-server:latest, publishing Hytale’s default 5520/UDP port and allocating at least 4 GB RAM. You must supply the official Assets.zip and Server files, complete OAuth device authentication on first start, and keep /data on a persistent host volume so credentials, worlds, configuration, logs, and mods survive container replacement.
What you need before creating the container
Hytale’s dedicated server runs on Java 25 and requires at least 4 GB of memory. That is a floor, not a capacity guarantee: CPU and RAM requirements rise with concurrent players, entities, view distance, and mods or large content packs. Hypixel Studios’ current server guidance supports both x64 and arm64 server binaries.
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Minimum deployment checklist
- A Docker Engine installation with the Compose plugin (the
docker composecommand). - Java 25 inside the image or runtime used to launch the server.
- At least 4 GB assigned to the container; reserve additional headroom for the operating system and Docker.
- The official
Assets.zipfile and matchingServerdirectory, obtained with the downloader, from a launcher installation, or through the bootstrap flow. - A host directory that will be mounted at
/data. - Firewall and router access for UDP port 5520 if players connect from outside the host network.
Storage matters
Use fast persistent storage. The image documentation strongly recommends an NVMe SSD. Keep the live world data on storage that remains available after a container is recreated; an anonymous container volume is not an adequate backup strategy.
Which Docker image should you use?
There is no Docker image in the supplied material identified as an official Hypixel Studios distribution. A practical deployment pattern uses the maintained unofficial image ghcr.io/ginco-org/hytale-server:latest. Its README exposes Compose settings for authentication, memory, backups, health checks, mod downloads, and a console pipe.
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Because the image is unofficial, inspect the tag, Dockerfile, update history, and license before using it for a public or production server. Pinning a reviewed release tag instead of floating latest gives you a controlled upgrade point. Hytale’s own server manual remains the authority for server behavior, file names, networking, and authentication semantics.
Compose service
Create a directory for the server and save this as compose.yaml:
services:
hytale:
image: ghcr.io/ginco-org/hytale-server:latest
container_name: hytale-server
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- '5520:5520/udp'
environment:
EULA: 'true'
MEMORY: '4G'
volumes:
- ./data:/dataThe EULA and MEMORY variables are image settings. Increase MEMORY only after observing real usage and leaving room for the host. The port mapping deliberately specifies /udp; adding only a TCP mapping will not make the server reachable.
Obtain and place the Hytale server files
The container needs two matching parts of the official payload: Assets.zip and a Server/ directory containing at least HytaleServer.jar and its runtime files. You can create a package with the official downloader:
./hytale-downloader -download-path game.zipExtract the resulting package, or copy the equivalent files from a launcher installation, into the host directory mounted as ./data. A typical manually provisioned layout is:
./data/
Assets.zip
server/
HytaleServer.jar
...Keep Assets.zip beside the matching server directory. Mixing an asset archive from one release with binaries from another can produce startup or content errors. Do not delete the data directory when replacing the container: it holds more than game files.
What belongs in the persistent directory?
- OAuth and downloader credentials.
- World saves and generated data.
- Server configuration and logs.
- Installed mods and content.
- The asset archive and server binaries used by the current release.
The Hybrowse image records downloader credentials at /data/.hytale-downloader-credentials.json. Authenticated server credentials can also be persisted when configured as documented by the image. Treat the directory as sensitive: back it up and restrict host permissions.
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Start the container and complete device authentication
- From the directory containing
compose.yaml, create the mount point withmkdir -p data. - Place
Assets.zipand the matchingServerfiles indata. - Start the service in the background with
docker compose up -d. - Follow startup output with
docker compose logs -f. - When the container prints a device URL and code, open https://accounts.hytale.com/device in a browser and enter the displayed code.
- Complete the account authorization, then return to the log stream and wait for the server to finish loading.
The first run may display two separate authorization prompts because the image documents distinct downloader and server OAuth clients. Complete each prompt shown by the container rather than assuming the first approval covers both processes.
The official command-line flow is /auth login device. Players cannot connect until the server has authenticated successfully. If the container is recreated without its /data mount, the saved credentials and worlds disappear and authentication will be required again.
Hosting multiple servers or a fleet
Hypixel Studios documents a non-interactive option for managed hosting: pass --session-token and --identity-token, or provide the corresponding environment variables supported by the server. Game sessions expire after one hour and refresh automatically. The provider guide states that OAuth refresh tokens have a 30-day offline time-to-live, so a long-running fleet still needs a plan for reauthorization if a node remains offline beyond that period.
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Publish the correct network port
Hytale binds by default to 0.0.0.0:5520 and uses QUIC over UDP, not TCP. The complete network path is therefore:
| Layer | Required setting |
|---|---|
| Container | 5520:5520/udp in Compose |
| Host firewall | Allow inbound UDP 5520 |
| Router or cloud firewall | Forward or permit UDP 5520 to the Docker host when applicable |
| Client connection | Use the host’s reachable address and UDP port 5520 |
TCP forwarding is not required for normal Hytale game traffic. If local clients work but remote clients cannot join, test the host firewall and router rule before changing the container. A port scanner that checks TCP alone can report the service as closed even when UDP is configured correctly.
ARM64, Apple Silicon, and amd64 hosts
The Hytale server itself supports x64 and arm64. The automatic downloader bundled with the Hybrowse image is currently linux/amd64-only because the official downloader archive does not include a linux/arm64 binary.
| Host architecture | Automatic download in this image | Recommended approach |
|---|---|---|
| Linux amd64/x86-64 | Supported | Use the image’s downloader and persist its credentials in /data. |
| Linux arm64 | Not currently supported | Provision Assets.zip and Server manually, then run the arm64 server. |
| Apple Silicon arm64 | Not currently supported natively by the downloader | Copy files from another machine, or set platform: linux/amd64 and accept emulation overhead. |
To use emulation, add platform: linux/amd64 under the service in Compose. Emulation can reduce performance and complicate troubleshooting, so manual provisioning is preferable when you can obtain the official files elsewhere. Do not infer that downloader architecture support limits the server binary itself; they are separate components.
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Memory, CPU, view distance, and mods
Set the image’s memory limit as a ceiling, then monitor actual container and host usage. The documented 4 GB minimum is appropriate only for a small baseline deployment. More players, entities, view distance, and mods increase both memory and CPU demand.
View distance is especially expensive
Hypixel Studios notes that doubling view distance quadruples the world area loaded and simulated. Increase it gradually while watching CPU utilization, garbage-collection pauses, tick behavior, and resident memory. A lower view distance with stable simulation is usually better than a larger radius that causes stalls.
Practical tuning sequence
- Start with
MEMORY: '4G'and conservative view distance. - Measure idle and peak RAM with
docker stats hytale-server. - Add expected player and entity load, then observe peak usage rather than the idle number.
- Raise the container ceiling only when the host has sufficient spare memory.
- Install mods or large content packs one group at a time and check logs after each change.
No independent benchmark establishes a player count or throughput guarantee for this image. Capacity claims should therefore be treated as deployment-specific measurements, not fixed specifications.
Updates without losing worlds or mods
The official update wrapper checks for updates on a default hourly interval. When it finds a release, it stages new files, exits with code 8, and restarts after replacing server binaries and assets. The wrapper is designed to preserve configuration, saves, and mods.
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server-directory/
Assets.zip
launcher-script
Server/
HytaleServer.jar
...Keep the wrapper’s expected parent layout intact and place that directory on persistent storage. Before an update, make a separate backup of the world and configuration. If a staged update fails, stop the service, restore the previous binary and asset set together, and keep the saved data directory unchanged while investigating the log.
Choosing between automatic and controlled updates
Automatic hourly checks are convenient for a small server, but a community server with scheduled events may prefer a reviewed image tag and a planned maintenance window. In either case, update Assets.zip and the Server directory as a matched pair. Replacing only one side can leave the process with incompatible content. Record the image tag, file version, and backup location whenever you perform an upgrade so a rollback has a known starting point.
Backups, health checks, and operational controls
The image supports optional backups, health checks, mod downloads, and a console pipe. Enable only the features you understand, and verify where each writes files before exposing the server publicly.
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Backup design
- Back up worlds, configuration, credentials, and mod lists on a schedule that matches how much progress you can afford to lose.
- Store backup copies outside the live world directory, preferably on separate storage or a remote target.
- Test a restore by copying a backup into a disposable data directory and starting a separate container.
- Do not rely on a backup that remains inside the same disk or Docker volume as the live world.
Logs and health
Use docker compose logs -f during startup and after updates. A health check can show that the process is alive, but it does not prove that remote UDP traffic, authentication, or a specific world is functioning; combine health status with log review and an actual client connection.
Safe restart and replacement procedure
- Tell players to leave and wait for writes to finish before stopping the service.
- Copy the persistent data directory, including credentials, worlds, configuration, and mods, to separate storage.
- Change the image tag or server files while leaving the host mount at
./data:/data. - Run
docker compose up -dand follow the logs until authentication and world loading complete. - Connect with a test client before announcing the server is available.
Recreating a container is normally safe when the bind mount remains intact. Removing the host directory, changing its ownership so the process cannot read it, or mounting an empty directory at /data makes the new container appear unconfigured.
Troubleshooting common failures
The container exits immediately
- Confirm that
Assets.zipand theServerdirectory are present under the mounteddatapath. - Check that the server files match the asset archive and that the image has permission to read them.
- Review
docker compose logsfor Java, path, or malformed configuration errors. - Verify that the image is running with Java 25; an older runtime is unsupported.
The log keeps requesting authentication
- Make sure the browser flow was completed at the displayed device URL, not merely opened.
- Complete a second prompt if the downloader and server request authorization separately.
- Check that
./data:/datais mounted exactly as shown and that the host directory is writable. - Do not delete credential files while troubleshooting unless you intentionally want to restart the login process.
Players cannot connect from the internet
- Confirm the Compose mapping includes
/udp, not just a TCP mapping. - Allow UDP 5520 through the host firewall and any cloud security group.
- Forward UDP 5520 from the router to the Docker host if the server is behind NAT.
- Check that the client is using the public address, not a private container address.
- Test from a network outside the host’s LAN; hairpin NAT can make an otherwise correct setup appear broken.
Performance degrades as the world grows
- Compare peak rather than idle CPU and RAM usage.
- Reduce view distance before raising resource limits; doubling it quadruples simulated area.
- Temporarily disable newly added mods or content packs to identify an expensive component.
- Move the data directory to fast SSD storage and confirm the host is not swapping.
An ARM64 host cannot download files automatically
This is an image limitation, not proof that the Hytale server cannot run on ARM64. Obtain the official files on an amd64 machine or through a launcher installation, copy them into the ARM64 host’s persistent data directory, and start the server without the automatic downloader. Alternatively, use platform: linux/amd64 with emulation.
The server appears healthy but clients still fail
Separate process health from network health. First verify in the logs that authentication succeeded and that a world finished loading. Then verify the published mapping with docker compose configuration, the host firewall, and any cloud or router rule. Because traffic is QUIC over UDP, a successful TCP test does not validate the game path. Finally, test from a genuinely external network rather than relying only on a client inside the same LAN.
Security and lifecycle checklist
- Replace the floating
latesttag with a reviewed image tag when you need reproducible deployments. - Restrict permissions on the host directory containing OAuth credentials and worlds.
- Expose only UDP 5520 publicly; do not publish Docker’s administrative socket or unrelated container ports.
- Keep Docker, the host operating system, and the image updated, but back up before replacing server binaries or assets.
- Watch logs for repeated authentication, download, or restart failures.
- Document who controls the Hytale account used for the server and how a 30-day offline OAuth refresh-token limit will be handled.
Complete deployment sequence
- Install Docker Engine and Compose on an amd64 or arm64 host.
- Create a server directory and the persistent
datasubdirectory. - Obtain matching official
Assets.zipandServerfiles. - Save the Compose service with the UDP 5520 mapping, EULA acceptance, memory ceiling, and
./data:/datamount. - Start with
docker compose up -d. - Follow logs, complete every OAuth device prompt, and wait for the authenticated server to finish loading.
- Open UDP 5520 in host and router firewalls where needed.
- Connect from a client, then monitor resource usage before adding players, increasing view distance, or installing mods.
- Schedule backups outside the live volume and test restoration.
- For upgrades, let the wrapper stage files or replace the image only after backing up; keep assets, binaries, saves, configuration, and mods aligned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What port does a Hytale Docker server use?
The default is 5520 over QUIC/UDP. Publish 5520:5520/udp, allow UDP 5520 in the host and cloud firewalls, and forward that UDP port on the router when the host is behind NAT. A TCP-only rule is insufficient.
Can Hytale run in Docker on ARM64 or Apple Silicon?
Yes, the Hytale server supports x64 and arm64. The Hybrowse image’s automatic downloader is currently linux/amd64-only. On ARM64, manually copy matching Assets.zip and Server files, or set platform: linux/amd64 and accept emulation overhead.
How much memory does the server need?
Java 25 and at least 4 GB of memory are required. That is a minimum, not a player-capacity promise. Players, entities, view distance, mods, and large content packs can require more CPU and RAM, so monitor peak usage and leave host headroom.
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Why does the first startup show an authorization code?
The server uses OAuth device authentication. Open the device page, enter the displayed code, and complete authorization. The downloader and server may use separate OAuth clients, so two prompts can appear.
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What happens if I recreate the container?
A recreation is safe when the same persistent ./data:/data mount is reused. That directory stores credentials, worlds, configuration, logs, mods, assets, and server files. Without it, the replacement container behaves like a fresh installation.
How should I update the server?
Keep Assets.zip and the matching Server directory together. The official wrapper checks hourly by default, stages updates, exits with code 8, and restarts while preserving configuration, saves, and mods. Back up first and use a reviewed image tag when you need controlled maintenance.
Is the Docker image official?
The practical Compose image described here is maintained but unofficial. Review its tag, Dockerfile, update history, and license. Use Hypixel Studios’ server manual as the authority for authentication, file layout, networking, and server behavior.
How long do server credentials remain valid?
Game sessions expire after one hour and refresh automatically. The provider guide gives OAuth refresh tokens a 30-day offline time-to-live, so a fleet node that stays offline longer may require reauthorization.
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Run the server as a persistent Compose service, keep matching official assets and binaries under /data, authenticate through the device flow, and publish UDP 5520. Start at the 4 GB minimum, monitor real resource use, back up worlds separately, and treat ARM64 downloader support and unofficial image updates as deployment decisions requiring extra care.
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