How to Set Up an Assetto Corsa Server With Content Manager (Windows and Linux)

iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

Prefer not to run the server on your own PC? Godlike.Host offers hosted Assetto Corsa servers with free DDoS protection and up to three free backups a day.

The reliable way to set up an Assetto Corsa server with Content Manager is to use Content Manager to build and pack the configuration, then run that configuration with the Assetto Corsa dedicated-server files. For a public server, forward TCP and UDP port 9600 and TCP port 8081 to the host computer, allow the server executable through the firewall, and install every car and track named by the configuration.

This guide covers a quick Windows setup in Content Manager, a portable dedicated-folder installation, and a Linux/SteamCMD workflow. It also explains the files Content Manager creates, public networking, AssettoServer, Steam authentication, AI traffic, and the causes of the common invalid-server error.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Assetto Corsa NEW Ultimate Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code]	$55.88	Buy on Amazon
2		Assetto Corsa NEW Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]	$19.99	Buy on Amazon
3		Assetto Corsa Competizione Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]	$39.99	Buy on Amazon
4		Assetto Corsa EVO Early Access Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]	$39.99	Buy on Amazon
5		Assetto Corsa Rally - Early Access Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]	$29.99	Buy on Amazon

What you need before creating the server

Assetto Corsa’s dedicated server is a separate set of files from the game client. Install the PC version of Assetto Corsa through Steam first. The dedicated-server application is Steam app 302550, and the Steam account used to obtain it must own Assetto Corsa app 244210.

• A Steam installation of Assetto Corsa and an account that owns the game.
• SteamCMD or another way to obtain the dedicated-server files.
• Content Manager for editing and packing the server preset.
• Copies of every car, track, and skin referenced by the server.
• A Windows or Linux machine that can remain available while people play.
• Router access for port forwarding if players will connect from outside your home network.

The dedicated-server download does not include cars or tracks by default. A server can start successfully and still reject connections when one of the configured cars, tracks, skins, or entry-list records is absent or inconsistent.

#1 Best Overall

Assetto Corsa NEW Ultimate Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

• Assetto Corsa features an advanced DirectX 11 graphics engine that recreates an immersive environment, dynamic lighthing and realistic materials and surfaces.
• Extremely detailed with single player and multiplayer options, exclusive licensed cars reproduced with the best accuracy possible, thanks to the official cooperation of Car Manufacturers.
• ASSETTO CORSA has been developed at the KUNOS Simulazioni R&D office, located just inside the international racing circuit of Vallelunga, allowing the team to develop the game with the cooperation of real world racing drivers and racing teams.

$55.88

Buy on Amazon

Choose how the server will run

Content Manager supports two practical arrangements. Running the server inside Content Manager is the quickest route to a first session because the editor, preset, and Run control are in one interface. A dedicated folder is more portable: you can copy it to another machine, launch it without opening Content Manager, and keep it as a continuously running instance. The folder approach is normally the better foundation for a long-lived or heavily customized server.

Content Manager creates and packs the configuration; it does not remove the requirement for dedicated-server files or matching content.

Obtain the dedicated-server files

Windows: install through SteamCMD

Install SteamCMD on the Windows machine that will host the server, then use it to download or validate app 302550. Keep the resulting server directory separate from your personal game settings if you want a portable deployment. The exact SteamCMD installation path is up to you; what matters is that the downloaded directory contains the stock server executable and its configuration files.

Linux: install and validate the server

The documented Linux example uses Ubuntu 20.04 or newer, or Debian 11 or newer, with at least 4 GB of free disk space. After installing SteamCMD, update the dedicated server with:

+app_update 302550 validate

Copy the cars and tracks you intend to use into the server directory after the update. Edit the configuration files described below, then launch the executable from that directory with:

./acServer

The Linux workflow is intentionally text based: SteamCMD supplies the server files, and you maintain the preset through server_cfg.ini and entry_list.ini. You can still use Content Manager on a Windows installation to create a preset, pack it, and then transfer the extracted files to the Linux server.

Create the first preset in Content Manager

Content Manager is the easiest way to assemble a valid first configuration. Open the server editor and work through these controls:

1. Open the Server tab.
2. Select a server slot, such as SERVER_00.
3. Enter the server name that players should see.
4. Choose the track and add the cars that will be available.
5. Configure practice, qualifying, race, and any other sessions exposed by the editor.
6. Set the number of entry slots and assign the cars and skins to those slots.
7. Save the preset before closing the editor.

Use the same car models, track layout, and skins that you will install in the server’s content directories. A preset is not a content installer: it records what the server should load, but the actual files must exist on the host.

Rank #2

Assetto Corsa NEW Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

• Assetto Corsa features an advanced DirectX 11 graphics engine that recreates an immersive environment, dynamic lighthing and realistic materials and surfaces.
• Extremely detailed with single player and multiplayer options, exclusive licensed cars reproduced with the best accuracy possible, thanks to the official cooperation of Car Manufacturers.
• ASSETTO CORSA has been developed at the KUNOS Simulazioni R&D office, located just inside the international racing circuit of Vallelunga, allowing the team to develop the game with the cooperation of real world racing drivers and racing teams.

$19.99

Buy on Amazon

Set entry slots deliberately

Each available slot becomes an entry in entry_list.ini. If you create more slots than the installed content supports, players may see an empty or unusable entry. For a private test, start with one or two known-good cars and a single track; add combinations only after that baseline joins successfully.

Pack the preset for a dedicated folder

After saving the preset, use Content Manager’s packing function to turn the editor configuration into files you can extract into a server root:

1. Open the saved server preset.
2. Click Pack.
3. Choose Windows as the target.
4. When following the AssettoServer workflow, leave Include executable unchecked.
5. Leave Pack into single exe-file unchecked as well.
6. Save the archive and extract its contents into the dedicated server root.

Leaving the executable options unchecked keeps the packed configuration separate from the server binary. That makes it possible to update or replace the executable without rebuilding the preset, and it matches the documented AssettoServer arrangement.

Install AssettoServer when you need its extensions

AssettoServer is optional. The stock dedicated server is sufficient for a basic lobby, while AssettoServer provides a common base for additional configuration and Content Shaders Patch-related options.

On Windows, locate the Assetto Corsa server directory. A common Steam path is:

C:Steamsteamappscommonassettocorsaserver

1. Place AssettoServer.exe beside the stock acServer.exe.
2. Rename the original acServer.exe to a backup name so it can be restored.
3. Rename AssettoServer.exe to acServer.exe.

Keep the backup until the replacement has launched and accepted a local connection. The rename makes launch scripts and presets that expect acServer.exe use AssettoServer without changing every reference.

Install every car, track, and skin named by the preset

Copy selected cars into content/cars and selected tracks into content/tracks below the server root. If an entry references a skin, make sure that skin is present in the corresponding car directory as well. The directory names must match the identifiers written in the configuration; a visually similar folder name is not enough.

Compare the packed preset with the server’s content tree before inviting anyone. This catches the most common non-network failure: the server process starts, but a client cannot join because a configured asset is missing or differs from the client’s version.

Rank #3

Assetto Corsa Competizione Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

• Assetto Corsa Competizione is designed to faithfully recreate the performance and the driving experience of real Blancpain GT Series cars through a sophisticated mathematical model that accurately replicates tyre grip, aerodynamic impact, engine parameters, suspensions and electronics systems that determine vehicle balance, as well as the influence of mechanical damage on the car's drivability.
• Unreal Engine 4 guarantees photorealistic rendering and an accurate representation of scenarios, car materials and weather conditions. Thanks to the multi-channel audio sampling of real GT cars, the game conveys captivating and immersive acoustic surroundings and realistic environmental effects.
• Even the secondary details are faithfully reproduced to make you feel the thrill of being in the cockpit of a real racing car. Doors, windshield wipers, headlights, racing lights, racing equipment and control devices such as ABS, traction control, engine ignition and ECU mapping, are all under the driver’s management to assure the best performance and offer the player total control of the car.
• Thanks to Laserscan technology, every official circuit is recreated with the utmost accuracy: all curbs and details perfectly fit their real counterparts to grant a gaming experience as faithful to reality as possible.
• A well-structured ranking system will evaluate individual performance and driving behaviour to reward the most virtuous drivers and promote fair play in online competitions. The matchmaking function makes sure that you can compete with opponents of similar skill level and easily find online races to join, while the leaderboards will allow you to compare single-lap performance with virtual pilots from around the world with the same car, circuit and weather conditions.

$39.99

Buy on Amazon

Use a controlled first test

For the first launch, use one official or already verified track and one installed car. Once a client can join, add modded combinations one at a time. If a later addition breaks joining, the last changed model, skin, track, or entry-list line is the first place to look.

Understand the two core configuration files

server_cfg.ini

server_cfg.ini defines the server-wide behavior. Among other settings, it contains the visible server name, selected cars, track, client limit, lobby registration, and the UDP port. Content Manager writes these values when it packs the preset, and you can edit them directly for a dedicated-folder or Linux installation.

When changing the UDP port manually, make the corresponding router and firewall changes. A port value in the file does not open that port on the network by itself.

entry_list.ini

entry_list.ini contains one [CAR_N] block for each slot. A block records the car model, skin, and driver fields, along with any entry-specific values. The number and identifiers in this file must agree with the installed cars and the slots created in Content Manager.

If the server launches but a slot is unavailable, compare the relevant [CAR_N] block with the car and skin directories, then repack or edit the preset so both representations describe the same content.

Forward the ports and open the firewall

For an Internet-accessible server, create router rules that point to the host computer:

• Forward TCP and UDP 9600.
• Forward TCP 8081.

The router’s exact menu names and screens depend on the manufacturer and Internet provider. Select the host machine as the destination and preserve the protocol distinction: port 9600 needs both protocols, while 8081 needs TCP. On the host operating system, allow the server executable through the firewall for the same network profiles used by the machine.

Do the forwarding before judging the server’s public status. A local launch proves only that the executable and local files work; it does not prove that unsolicited traffic can reach the host from outside the LAN.

Rank #4

Assetto Corsa EVO Early Access Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

• As with its predecessor, Assetto Corsa EVO will include cars from different classes spanning across years of motoring history. From road cars, classics, hypercars, and race cars. The most iconic representation of the automotive and motorsport world. Each vehicle is reproduced through Kunos in-house physics and graphic engine simulating mechanical, electronic, and aerodynamic performance, combined with the fidelity of the circuits created using Laserscan technology
• In Early Access 1 you will be able to experience a range of vehicles, tracks and game modes that will evolve on the road to our full 1.0 launch.

$39.99

Buy on Amazon

Launch and verify locally

1. Start the server executable in the dedicated folder, or open the saved preset in Content Manager and click Run.
2. Wait for the process to finish loading the track, cars, and entry list.
3. In Content Manager, open Drive → Online → LAN.
4. Refresh the list until the server appears.
5. Join from the same machine or another computer on the local network before testing an outside connection.

A local appearance confirms that the preset can be read and that the basic content is available. It does not validate public port forwarding; test that separately from a remote network or with a remote player.

Make the server public and invite remote players

After the local test, confirm the forwarding and firewall rules, then allow the server to register in the lobby through the setting in server_cfg.ini. Use the externally generated invite or lobby link for people outside your network. A link containing a local IP address is useful only to players on the same LAN and will not substitute for public forwarding.

If a remote player still cannot connect, check the server’s actual LAN address in the router rule, verify that the server process is running on that machine, and confirm that the firewall exception applies to the executable you launched. Recheck the rule after changing from the stock executable to AssettoServer, because an operating system may treat the renamed or replaced binary as a different program.

Add Steam authentication only after the basic server works

The default Assetto Corsa server implementation does not use the Steam API to verify that a connected player is the account they claim to be. AssettoServer can add Steam authentication, but it introduces client-version requirements.

For Steam authentication, clients need Content Shaders Patch 0.1.75 or newer and Content Manager 0.8.2297.38573 or newer. Enable the feature in extra_cfg.yml, then document those minimum versions in the server instructions so a player is not rejected for an avoidable compatibility reason.

Do not troubleshoot authentication while the ordinary server cannot be joined. First establish a working local and public connection with authentication off, then enable it and test again with a client that meets both version requirements.

Configure advanced AssettoServer and AI options

AssettoServer-specific options are placed in extra_cfg.yml and csp_extra_options.ini. Keep these files with the packed preset in the dedicated server root so a move or backup retains the behavior. If an option has no visible effect, confirm that the server is actually running the renamed AssettoServer binary rather than the stock executable.

AI traffic requirements

AI traffic requires an AI spline in the map’s ai/ folder and EnableAi: true. The entry list accepts AI values of auto, fixed, and none. A track without the required spline cannot provide AI traffic merely because the setting is enabled.

Best Value

Assetto Corsa Rally - Early Access Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

• The Monte Carlo Rally is famous for unpredictable weather, featuring snow, ice, and dry asphalt. It tests drivers' skills and adaptability, making it one of the most challenging rallies in the world.
• This iconic location is being delivered as two fully laser-scanned stages, Col de Turini and Sisteron including fully dynamic weather conditions.

$29.99

Buy on Amazon

Introduce AI after human joining works. This isolates map-spline or entry-list problems from networking and ordinary content mismatches.

Troubleshoot the common failures

“ERROR, INVALID SERVER, CHECK YOUR PORT FORWARDING SETTINGS”

Start with the two forwarded port rules and the firewall exception. Confirm that the server is running on the computer selected as the router destination, that the protocol selection is correct, and that the host firewall allows the executable. If you changed the server port in server_cfg.ini, update the network rules to match that new value.

The server appears locally but not publicly

• Verify that the public-facing router rule points to the host’s current LAN address.
• Confirm that both protocols are enabled for the gameplay port and TCP is enabled for the HTTP-related port.
• Check that the server executable is allowed through the operating-system firewall.
• Make sure lobby registration is enabled in server_cfg.ini.
• Ask a player outside the LAN to use the external invite or lobby link, not a local-IP link.

The process launches, but nobody can join

Compare the server’s content/cars and content/tracks directories with the preset and with entry_list.ini. Look for a missing model, track layout, skin, or a spelling mismatch in a folder identifier. Repack the preset after correcting the Content Manager selection, or make the same correction in the dedicated files.

One car or slot is missing

Inspect the corresponding [CAR_N] block. Confirm its model and skin exist on the server, then check the client limit and the number of slots created in the preset. A slot that references an unavailable asset cannot be made usable by changing the port settings.

Steam authentication rejects otherwise valid players

Check that the server feature is enabled in extra_cfg.yml and that every affected client meets both minimum versions: CSP 0.1.75+ and Content Manager 0.8.2297.38573+. Disable authentication temporarily to separate an authentication problem from a basic content or network problem.

AI does not appear

Verify the map contains an AI spline in its ai/ directory, confirm EnableAi: true, and inspect the entry-list AI value. Use none when a slot should remain human-only, auto for automatic behavior, or fixed when the entry must use a fixed AI assignment.

Windows and Linux operating checklists

Windows with Content Manager

• Install the game and obtain the dedicated-server files.
• Create and save the preset in the Server tab.
• Pack it for Windows with both executable options unchecked for AssettoServer.
• Extract the files, copy content, and run from Content Manager or the server folder.
• Forward the required ports and allow the executable through the firewall.
• Verify the server under Drive → Online → LAN before sharing an external invite.

Windows dedicated folder

• Keep the packed configuration, content folders, executable, and optional AssettoServer files together.
• Back up the stock executable before replacing it with AssettoServer.
• Launch the folder directly for an always-on instance, while retaining Content Manager for future preset edits.
• Record changes to server_cfg.ini, entry_list.ini, extra_cfg.yml, and csp_extra_options.ini.

Linux with SteamCMD

• Use Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11+ and allow at least 4 GB of free disk space for the documented example.
• Run SteamCMD with +app_update 302550 validate.
• Copy every required car and track into the server content directories.
• Edit server_cfg.ini and entry_list.ini.
• Forward the required ports and configure the Linux host firewall.
• Launch with ./acServer and test from a client.

Maintain a repeatable server

Keep a copy of the packed preset and the four configuration files alongside a list of installed content. When you add a car or track, update the content directory and the corresponding preset or entry-list record together. When you replace the executable, retain the previous binary until the new one has passed a local join test.

For every change, use the same sequence: launch locally, refresh the LAN list, join with a known-good client, and only then ask remote players to test. This separates configuration and content errors from router and firewall errors and makes rollback straightforward.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Assetto Corsa NEW Ultimate Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

$55.88

Bestseller No. 2

Assetto Corsa NEW Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

$19.99

Bestseller No. 3

Assetto Corsa Competizione Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

$39.99

Bestseller No. 4

Assetto Corsa EVO Early Access Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

$39.99

Bestseller No. 5

Assetto Corsa Rally - Early Access Standard - PC Steam [Online Game Code]

$29.99

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.