Venice Unleashed server hosting
Battlefield 3 on your own terms: your rotation, your mods, your rules
Host a Venice Unleashed server for Battlefield 3: 64 player Conquest, your own map rotation, Lua mods like fun-bots that players download on join, and RCON.
Staying longer? Subscribe and get 50% off your first month
- DDoS protected
- 24/7 support
- Live the moment you pay
- Split the billUp to 10 friends, own cards
- Custom plansAny RAM up to 32 GB
- Prepaid or monthly3 days to 1 year
- Live in 60 secondsNo setup, no waiting
- Cancel any timeNo contracts, ever
Pick your Venice Unleashed plan
Every plan is live the moment you pay. Upgrade or cancel from your dashboard any time.
Starter
4 GBThen $9.99/mo. $0.33 a day.
- 4 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Standard
8 GBThen $19.99/mo. $0.67 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $6.02 each/mo
- 8 GB RAM
- 2 vCPU cores
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
Pro
12 GBThen $29.99/mo. $1.00 a day.
Splitting with 3 friends? $8.52 each/mo
- 12 GB RAM
- 3 vCPU cores
- DDoS protection included
- 24/7 support
What comes set up on a Venice Unleashed server
Every map in rotation
Edit MapList.txt to run Metro Conquest 64, Karkand Rush or a Gun Master night across the base game and DLC maps.
Mods download on join
Server side Lua mods live in Admin/Mods, and the VU client pulls them automatically, so players install nothing extra.
30, 60 or 120 Hz
Set the server frequency in the panel. Higher tick rates feel crisper for infantry fights and cost more CPU.
RCON for Procon
Set an RCON password and port in the panel and manage players, bans and maps with Procon or the live console.
A look inside Venice Unleashed
Real screenshots from the game. Click any of them to see it full size.
How much RAM does a Venice Unleashed server need?
Find the row that sounds like your group and we will point you at the right plan.
| Your server | RAM | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Small server for friends, bots or scrims | 4 GB | Starter$9.99/mo |
| Full 64 player Conquest with a few mods | 8 GB | Standard$19.99/mo |
| Heavy mod stack or a 120 Hz server | 12 GB | Pro$29.99/mo |
This is the panel. Click around.
This is the Venice Unleashed panel you get. Click any button, or type a command.
Venice Unleashed Server
play.gamezservers.com:7777
[12:00:00] Starting Venice Unleashed server
[12:00:03] Loading world
[12:00:06] Server started on port 7777
[12:00:09] Ready for players. Try a button.
Power
How to join your Venice Unleashed server
- 1
Own Battlefield 3 on your EA account, install it and launch it once.
- 2
Install the Venice Unleashed client, log in or create a VU account, link your EA account and create a soldier.
- 3
Click Servers at the top of the VU main menu and wait a few seconds for the list to load.
- 4
Find your server by name and double click it, or select it and click Join.
- 5
Enter the password from your panel if the server has one. Mods download on their own.
Common problems
The server needs two things from your VU account: a server key from the key management page on veniceunleashed.net, uploaded as server.key in vu/instance, and a token from the Activate BF3 shortcut pasted into the panel.
If the server suddenly stops starting after months of running fine, the EA token has expired. Run Activate BF3 again on your PC and paste the new token.
A grayed out server with a red outline in the browser means the player's VU client does not match. Let VU update itself, then try again.
Mods sitting in Admin/Mods do nothing until their folder name is listed in ModList.txt, one per line, followed by a restart.
Server not responding
Make sure the server is online. Servers sleep after 4 days with nobody playing, and anyone with access can start them again from the dashboard in one click.
Use the server address
Do not use localhost, 127.0.0.1 or your own IP from a home hosting guide. Copy the exact address of the server.
No port forwarding or firewall changes
Opening ports on your router is only for hosting a server at home, so there is nothing to change to join this one. If Windows asks whether to let the game through the firewall, choose Allow.
Modding your Venice Unleashed server
VU mods are written in Lua and loaded by the server, then sent to every player who joins. Most are shared on the VU community forums and GitHub, and you add them in Admin/Mods plus ModList.txt.
Venice Unleashed server hosting, explained
Venice Unleashed is a community platform that brings custom servers and modding back to Battlefield 3. It is a fan project, not made by EA or DICE, and it runs on your own BF3 install with a free VU account. On a VU server you get the Battlefield 3 you remember: Conquest 64 on Caspian Border, Rush on Damavand Peak, jets over Firestorm, and the Close Quarters and Armored Kill maps for anyone who has the DLC.
People run VU servers because official BF3 servers no longer give admins this much control. Communities keep a 24/7 Metro server going, clans host scrims at 60 or 120 Hz, and small groups fill empty slots with fun-bots so a few friends can still play full size maps. Others build whole new modes in Lua, from realism overhauls like RealityMod to brand new game modes.
In the panel you set the server name, password, max players (64 by default), server frequency, RCON password and port, whether the server shows in the VU browser, and terrain options. The map rotation lives in Admin/MapList.txt, server variables in Startup.txt and mods in ModList.txt, all editable in the file manager or over SFTP. The server also needs your VU server key and an EA token from the Activate BF3 shortcut.
The VU docs list a bare minimum of about 1 GB of RAM, but a real server with players, vehicles and mods needs more. A small server for friends, bots or scrims fits on 4 GB. A full 64 player Conquest server with a few mods is safer on 8 GB, and heavy mod stacks or 120 Hz servers should take 12 GB.
Venice Unleashed server guides
Venice Unleashed6 min readHow to Add Bots to a Venice Unleashed Server (fun-bots Guide)
Add AI bots to a Venice Unleashed BF3 server with fun-bots: install it in Admin/Mods, list it in ModList.txt, grant F12 permissions and pick a spawn mode.
ReadVenice Unleashed6 min readHow to Host a Venice Unleashed Server for Battlefield 3 (2026)
Host a Venice Unleashed BF3 server: get a server.key, activate BF3 with an EA token, set Startup.txt and MapList.txt, open UDP 25200 and 7948.
ReadVenice Unleashed6 min readVenice Unleashed Server Not Starting? Token, Key and Mod Fixes
VU server won't start or players can't join? Renew the expired EA token, check server.key, fix ModList.txt and update clients. Step by step fixes.
ReadIncluded on every plan
- Always on DDoS protection
- 24/7 support from real people
- Low ping game hardware
- Live the moment you pay
- Your own address and port
- Live console with full access
- One click game actions
- One click backups
- Upgrade or cancel any time
Common questions
Do players need Battlefield 3 to join a VU server?
Yes. Every player needs Battlefield 3 on their EA account, the VU client and a free VU account linked to EA. VU is a community project and is not endorsed by EA or DICE.
How many players can a Venice Unleashed server hold?
Our default is 64, the size of BF3's large Conquest, and you can change Maximum Player Count in the panel. Player and spectator slots share the total.
How do I install mods on a VU server?
Upload each mod into its own folder under Admin/Mods, so its mod.json sits inside that folder, then add the folder name to ModList.txt and restart. Players download the mod automatically when they join.
How do I change the map rotation?
Edit Admin/MapList.txt in the file manager. Each line is a map ID, a game mode ID and a round count, for example MP_Subway ConquestLarge0 1.
Can I run a 120 Hz server?
Yes. Pick 60 or 120 for Server Frequency in the panel and restart. Higher tick rates use more CPU, so a bigger plan helps on a full server.
Where do I get a VU server key?
Log in on veniceunleashed.net and open the key management page to generate one. Each server needs its own key, which you upload as server.key with the file manager.
Can I add bots to my server?
Yes, with the fun-bots mod. It fills empty slots with AI soldiers that move, shoot and use vehicles, and it has plenty of settings for difficulty and numbers.
How do I manage the server with Procon?
Set an RCON password and port in the panel, restart, then connect Procon to your server's IP on that port with the password.
Can friends join an unlisted server?
Yes. In the VU console, connect takes the server GUID from your server key plus the password, for example connect yourguid yourpassword.
Is GamezServers affiliated with Venice Unleashed?
No. You rent and control your own dedicated Venice Unleashed server. GamezServers is not affiliated with the game's developer or publisher.
Can my friends and I split the cost?
Yes. At checkout choose "Me and my friends" and up to 10 people each pay their own share with their own card, on any plan length, from 3 days to a year. It is not a payment plan: nobody pays in parts over time, each friend simply pays their own share. You pay yours, send each friend their link, and the server starts straight away. Each share includes a $1 payment fee.
Can I build a custom plan?
Yes. Every game has a Build your own page: pick any amount of RAM up to 32 GB, any length from 3 days to 1 year, prepaid or a subscription, plus your server type and settings. A custom size costs 15% more per GB than the standard plans next to it.
Can I pay once instead of a subscription?
Yes. Pick Prepaid and pay once for 3 days, 30 days, 6 months or a year. Nothing renews: when the time is up the server pauses and keeps its world for 14 days. Add time or switch to a subscription from your panel any time. Short rentals cost more per day, since every server is set up from scratch.
How fast is setup, really?
Your server starts building the moment Stripe confirms payment. Most are online in under a minute, and the address and login appear on your dashboard automatically.
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Battlefield 3 on your own terms: your rotation, your mods, your rules
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GamezServers is not affiliated with Venice Unleashed team. Venice Unleashed and its art are trademarks of their respective owners.