Arma 3 Server Hosting for missions that run long
Run your Arma 3 server on a KVM VDS in Frankfurt with full root, high-clock cores and multi-Tbps Anti-DDoS. Load the mod set your unit actually uses, and run a headless client beside the server on the same machine.
VDS plans from €32.00EUR per month
Arma 3 is a single-threaded simulation with a lot of AI, so what decides whether a mission holds up is core speed and how much of the AI you can move off the main process. A VDS gives you both: guaranteed high-clock cores, and the room to run a headless client on the same box as the server, which is exactly where Bohemia recommends putting it.
Every VDS is a KVM virtual machine in Frankfurt with full root access, a Linux image of your choice and the same multi-Tbps Anti-DDoS network as the rest of ESAGAMES. You install the dedicated server through SteamCMD and load whatever mod set your unit runs.
Everything your Arma 3 server needs
Arma punishes slow cores and heavy AI. A VDS gives you the clock speed, the RAM headroom for a big mod set, and somewhere to put a headless client.
Clock speed where it counts
Arma's simulation is single-threaded, so a fast core holds a mission together far better than more cores do. Ryzen 9 and Xeon Gold nodes.
Headless client support
Run a headless client on the same VDS to take AI processing off the server process — it needs very low latency to the server, which is why the same machine is ideal.
Any mod set
CBA, ACE, RHS, CUP and whatever else your unit runs. With root you manage keys, load order and the mod folders directly.
Anti-DDoS included
Multi-Tbps Frankfurt filtering in front of your IP, with a dedicated Arma 3 filter on the game ports.
A whole machine
Server, headless client, a TeamSpeak bot and your mission database can all live on the same VDS.
Frankfurt latency
Central-EU routing for a stable ping across the unit.
Built for Arma 3 players, not just servers
Hardware, network and protection tuned for game hosting — hosted in one of Europe's best-connected data centres.
Multi-Tbps Anti-DDoS
Your VDS is filtered through our own 13 Tbps+ Frankfurt network — attacks are absorbed before they reach your server. Learn more →
Instant activation
The VDS is provisioned automatically after checkout, so you can log in and start installing within minutes.
Low EU latency
Frankfurt is the heart of European networking. Players across the EU get a stable, low ping for smooth gameplay.
Full root, your setup
A KVM virtual machine you control completely — SteamCMD, mods, scripts and backups, set up the way you want.
Ryzen 9 and Xeon Gold
VDS plans run on Ryzen 9 9950X, Ryzen 9 7950X or Xeon Gold 6230R processors.
24/7 in-house support
Real people run the network and the VDS platform. We keep the machine online; the game server on it is yours to run.
How to make a Arma 3 server
Four steps from checkout to a live server. You will need a Linux command line — or follow our guide line by line.
Pick a VDS plan
Budget about 1 GB of extra RAM for every 10 additional players on top of the base, and more again for a big mod set.
Install with SteamCMD
Log in over SSH and install the Arma 3 dedicated server, then your mods from the Workshop or your unit's repository.
Configure server.cfg
Set your mission rotation, difficulty, slots and passwords, and allow the game ports in your firewall.
Add a headless client
Start a headless client on the same machine so AI processing comes off the main server loop, then go live.
How much server do you need?
A Arma 3 server runs on one of our VDS plans. Here is which plan fits — the cores, RAM and disk shown are each plan's current specs.
VDS plans from €32.00EUR per month.
VDS 1
6 GB RAM · 4 vCPU · 60 GB disk
Vanilla or a light mod set for a small group.
VDS 2
10 GB RAM · 6 vCPU · 100 GB disk
A modded unit server with a headless client.
VDS 3
16 GB RAM · 10 vCPU · 150 GB disk
Big mod sets, heavy AI and a high player count.
Any Arma 3 server
Milsim, life, co-op or king of the hill.
Arma 3 is a top DDoS target — you're covered
Game servers are the #1 target for DDoS attacks. Every ESAGAMES VDS sits behind our multi-Tbps filtering, engineered to absorb modern botnets like AISURU and keep your Arma 3 server online during raids, rivalries and events.
Arma 3 hosting questions, answered
Do you sell a ready-made Arma 3 game server?
No. For Arma 3 you rent a Virtual Dedicated Server and install the free dedicated server on it with SteamCMD. You get full root and complete control over mods, keys and launch parameters.
How much RAM does an Arma 3 server need?
4 GB is the recommended starting point for a vanilla server, and a sensible rule of thumb is roughly another gigabyte for every 10 extra players. A large mod set raises it further.
Which ports does it use?
2302 for the game by default, with the three ports above it used for the Steam query, the Steam master connection and voice. On a VDS you open whichever range your config uses.
Does CPU or RAM matter more?
CPU, by a distance. Arma's simulation runs on one thread, so a high-clock core is what keeps a mission responsive once there is a lot of AI on the map.
Can I run a headless client?
Yes, and you should. A headless client takes most of the AI processing off the server process, and because it needs very low latency to the server, running it on the same VDS is the ideal arrangement.
Is it DDoS protected?
Always — your VDS sits behind our multi-Tbps Frankfurt filtering, with a dedicated Arma 3 profile on the game ports.
Host other games with ESAGAMES
Helpful Arma 3 guides
You install the server yourself on the VDS — these step-by-step guides walk you through it.
ESAGAMES is an independent hosting provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the publishers or developers of Arma 3. All game names, logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. You must own a legitimate copy of any game you choose to host or play.