How to Host a Citadel Forged with Fire Server (2026 Guide)

To host a Citadel: Forged with Fire server, download the free dedicated server with SteamCMD (app 489650), start it once so it writes its config, then set your world in Game.ini: server name, password, PvP or PvE, player limit and the gain multipliers. Open the connection port and the query port on UDP, add an admin password, and friends find the server in the in game list or through Steam favorites.

Is Citadel still worth hosting in 2026?

Honest answer first. Citadel came out of Early Access in 2019 and Blue Isle Studios has not added meaningful content in years. The official server list is thin, and most people who still play it do so on private or clan servers. That is exactly why a server of your own makes sense: nobody else is going to keep a world running for your group, and the game itself still works. Spell combat, taming, brooms, dragons and castle building have no direct replacement, so a small group can get months out of one world.

What it is not: a game with a busy public scene where strangers will fill your server. Plan for your own group.

What do you need to run the server?

Citadel is an Unreal Engine game with a big map, and the server holds every structure in memory. A server that felt fine in week one can be tight by week six once three clans have walled off their hills. Disk use is modest, a few gigabytes for the server files plus the save.

The dedicated server does not need a copy of the game. Every player does: Citadel on Steam is app 487120.

How do I install the dedicated server?

1. Install SteamCMD.
2. Download the server anonymously:

steamcmd +force_install_dir ./citadel-server +login anonymous +app_update 489650 validate +quit

3. Start the server once (CitadelServer.exe on Windows, the launch script on Linux), wait until it finishes loading, then stop it. This first run creates the Saved/Config folder and a default Game.ini.
4. Edit Game.ini with the server stopped, then start it again.

Always stop the server before you touch Game.ini. The server writes its config back when it shuts down, so edits made while it runs can disappear.

What goes in Game.ini?

Game.ini sits under Citadel/Saved/Config/ in a folder named for the platform (WindowsServer on Windows). Three sections matter.

[UWorks]
ConnectionPort=7777
QueryPort=27015

[/Script/Citadel.SocialManager]
Password=YourAdminPassword

[/Script/Citadel.CitadelGameInstance]
WorldCreationSettings=(ServerName="Ignus",Password="",ServerType=PVE,PlayerLimit=20,ExperienceMultiplier=2.000000,ResourceCollectionMultiplier=2.000000,StructureDecayMultiplier=2.000000,bThronesDecay=true)

The WorldCreationSettings line holds the world rules. The useful keys:

Keep the whole line on one line with the commas intact. A missing bracket or quote is the classic reason a server ignores every setting and starts with defaults.

A note on ServerName: Citadel is fussy here. Long names and names with symbols are a common reason a server starts but never shows up in the list. Something like IgnusPvE is safe.

What ports does a Citadel server use?

Forward both on your router to the PC running the server and allow them through the firewall. If you have never done it, our port forwarding guide covers the router side. A server that runs but is invisible to everyone outside your house is nearly always a port problem.

How do I become admin?

The Password line under [/Script/Citadel.SocialManager] is the admin password, separate from the join password. In game, open chat and type:

/admin_login YourAdminPassword

After that you can kick, ban, teleport, set the time and spawn items. The full list, with syntax, is in our Citadel admin commands guide.

How do players join?

1. Launch Citadel: Forged with Fire and click Join Game.
2. Search the server list for your server's name.
3. Select it, enter the password if there is one and click Join.
4. Make a new character or continue the one you have on that server.

If the server does not appear, add it to Steam favorites: in Steam open View, Game Servers, Favorites, click the plus button and enter the IP with the query port. Then launch Citadel and look again. More fixes are in Citadel server not showing up.

Keeping the server healthy

• Update after patches. When the game client updates, run the SteamCMD line again and restart, or players get a version mismatch.
• Back up before sieges and big changes. Copy the Saved folder before you raise structure damage or try a new multiplier set. Our backup guide covers the habit.
• Watch memory. If the server stutters in the evenings, it is usually short on RAM rather than CPU.

The easy option: host it with GamezServers

A home server means a PC left on, ports forwarded and someone around to restart it. Our Citadel: Forged with Fire server hosting installs the dedicated server for you and gives it its own address, so nobody forwards anything. The admin password is set in the control panel, Auto Update keeps the server on the current Steam build, and Game.ini is open in the file manager or over SFTP. One click backups cover the castle before a siege weekend, and your clan can split the monthly bill so each player pays a share.

FAQ

Is the Citadel dedicated server free?

Yes. The dedicated server is a free SteamCMD download (app 489650) with anonymous login. Players still need their own copy of the game.

How do I make a PvE Citadel server?

Set ServerType=PVE inside the WorldCreationSettings line in Game.ini, then restart with the server stopped during the edit.

How many players can a Citadel server hold?

You choose it with PlayerLimit. Private worlds rarely go above 20 to 40, and memory is the real limit as castles go up.

Why did my Game.ini changes reset?

You edited the file while the server was running, and it wrote its own copy back on shutdown. Stop the server, edit, then start it.

Can I play Citadel on a server with console players?

No. The dedicated server is for the PC version on Steam.