Enshrouded Dedicated Server Requirements: What Changes as Your World Grows
September 29, 2026
An Enshrouded server does not carry the same workload forever. A new world for three friends starts small. A few months later, the same world may have several large bases, more players logging in at the same time and a save that has grown with every build. The hardware that felt comfortable on day one is not always the hardware that fits month three.
That is why Enshrouded dedicated server requirements are worth planning around the world you expect to build, not only the one you are starting. Keen Games publishes clear official guidance, and it is the right place to begin. This guide explains what those numbers mean, how each resource comes under pressure as your world grows, and what to check before you choose or upgrade a hosting plan.
The Official Enshrouded Dedicated Server Requirements
Keen Games bases its recommended server specifications on player count. The official guidance lists two profiles.
| Requirement | 4 to 6 players | 16 players |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 at 3.2 GHz or AMD equivalent, 6 cores / 12 threads | Intel Core i7 at 3.7 GHz or AMD equivalent, 8 cores / 16 threads |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | SSD with at least 30 GB free | SSD with at least 30 GB free |
| Internet | 2 Mbps upload per player | 2 Mbps upload per player |
| Extra saved worlds | About 100 MB each | About 100 MB each |
Two details stand out.
First, the RAM recommendation stays the same at 16 GB for both profiles. The processor is what changes. Moving from a small group to a full server calls for more cores, more threads and a higher clock speed.
Second, the bandwidth recommendation scales directly with players. At 2 Mbps of upload per player, a full 16-player server needs around 32 Mbps of upload, with download capacity to match.
How Hosted Plans Compare to the Official Specs
The official figures describe a complete machine you would build or rent to run the server yourself. That machine also runs an operating system and everything else installed on it.
A hosted plan works differently. The hosting provider runs the underlying machine, and your plan allocates resources to the game server itself. That is why hosted plans are usually described by the memory assigned to the server rather than the total RAM in the machine.
At Empower Servers, our Enshrouded plans include 8GB of RAM with the option to add more, running on Ryzen and Intel i9 processors with NVMe storage. The practical question is not whether a plan matches the official build list line for line. It is whether the server stays responsive for your group at its busiest, and whether you can add resources when it does not.
Stage 1: A New World for a Small Group
A fresh world is the lightest workload an Enshrouded server will ever carry. The save is small, the explored area is limited and only a few players are online.
At this stage, the priorities are simple:
- Location: Host the server close to where most of your players live.
- Access: Set a password and decide who should be able to edit bases.
- Settings: Choose a difficulty preset and write it down.
- Backups: Confirm that backups are running before anyone invests hours in a build.
Most small groups do not hit resource limits in the first few sessions. The mistakes that cause problems later are usually made here: no access controls, no backup routine and no record of the settings the world was started with.
Stage 2: Bases Grow and the Save Gets Heavier
The dedicated server stores world progress. Character progress is stored on each player’s own system, so the world save is where your group’s shared building, terraforming and progression live.
As your group builds, that save gets larger. Keen’s official guidance allows around 100 MB of storage for each additional saved world, and worlds with many large bases sit toward the top of that range. The server also keeps rolling copies of the save, so storage planning should include the backups, not only the current world.
Save size is a planning signal, not a performance score. A larger save means more persistent world data to load and write. The workload during a session still depends on what players are doing and how many of them are active at once.
What to watch:
- Save and backup size after each major building phase
- Free disk space for game updates, which need room to stage
- How long restarts take compared with the early days of the world
The official recommendation of at least 30 GB of free SSD space exists partly for this reason. Updates, backups and world data all need room.
Stage 3: More Players Online at the Same Time
Player count is the main factor Keen uses to size a server, and concurrency is what matters. A community with twenty members may never have more than six online together.
Enshrouded supports a maximum of 16 players per server, set through the server’s slot count. Setting the slot count to match your real peak, rather than the maximum, keeps the server sized to how your group actually plays.
As concurrency grows toward that cap, the processor is where the official specs change most, from 6 cores at 3.2 GHz to 8 cores at 3.7 GHz. That tells you where extra load usually lands first.
Before growing your server toward 16 players:
- Track your real peak, not your total member list.
- Check how the server behaves during your busiest regular session.
- Confirm that your upload bandwidth or hosting network can handle 2 Mbps per player.
- Plan any resource upgrade before a recruitment push, not after complaints start.
Stage 4: A Long-Running World
A world that has been active for months carries more history. There is more persistent data, more update cycles behind it and more to lose if something goes wrong.
At this stage, operations matter as much as hardware:
- Scheduled restarts: Regular restarts, timed outside your busy hours, help keep a long-running server in good shape.
- Update routine: Take a backup before every major game update.
- Storage margin: Keep free space for updates and rolling copies.
- Documented settings: Record your preset and any custom changes so the world can be rebuilt or moved.
Use Roles and Reserved Slots to Protect the World
Enshrouded’s dedicated server includes user groups with their own passwords and permissions. New servers come with three default groups:
- Admin: Full permissions, including kicking and banning players
- Friend: Can edit bases and access inventories, but cannot kick or ban
- Guest: Cannot edit bases or access inventories
The permissions you can set include the ability to kick and ban, access chests and containers, add or remove blocks in bases, and terraform or extend bases.
Groups can also reserve slots. When reserved slots are set, the server shows as full to players in other groups once the open slots are taken. That keeps room for your core players or admins, even on a busy night.
For a growing community, roles do more than protect bases. They reduce the number of people who can change the world, which makes problems easier to trace.
Keep Gameplay Settings Documented
Enshrouded’s server settings include difficulty presets: Default, Relaxed, Hard, Survival and Custom. Custom unlocks individual settings for enemies, player stats, resources, experience, the day and night cycle, weather and survival mechanics.
Changing several settings at once on a live world makes it hard to tell what caused a change in how the server plays. Write down the preset you started with, change one setting at a time and tell your players before you do.
Enshrouded Server Planning at Each Stage
| World stage | What grows | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| New private world | Almost nothing yet | Location, passwords, backups |
| Established group | Save size and base count | Backup size, free storage, restart time |
| Busier community | Concurrent players | CPU headroom, bandwidth, slot count |
| Long-running world | Persistent data and update history | Storage margin, restart schedule, update backups |
Separate Network Problems From Server Load
A player with high ping and a server under heavy load can describe the same symptom: lag. The fixes are different.
If one player is affected, check their connection and distance to the server first. If several players in different places feel the same problem at the same time, look at server activity, recent updates and settings changes.
Location is the part you control. Choose a region close to most of your players using our global game server network, and read our guide on how to choose a game server location if your group is spread across regions.
Protection matters too. Public servers attract unwanted traffic, and our guide to game server hosting with DDoS protection explains what to look for.
Protect Your Progress With Backups
The longer a world runs, the more your group has invested in it. Enshrouded keeps rolling copies of the world save, but an independent backup before any major change is still good practice.
Our Enshrouded plans include 5 backup slots you can restore directly from the control panel, along with a file manager for managing your world files.
Checklist Before You Choose a Plan
- How many players will be online at your busiest regular session?
- Do you plan to grow toward the 16-player cap?
- Where do most of your players live?
- How many worlds do you want to keep?
- Who needs admin, friend or guest access?
- How will you back up the world before updates?
Host Your Enshrouded Server With Empower Servers
At Empower Servers, our Enshrouded server hosting starts at $9.99 per month and includes 8GB of RAM, unmetered NVMe storage, Ryzen and Intel i9 processors, instant setup and DDoS-protected networks backed by a 100% network uptime SLA.
You get a control panel with a live console, file manager and one-click backup restores, plus support from real people 24/7. When your world grows, you can add RAM without starting over, and every plan comes with a 48-hour refund period.
Start with the plan that fits your group today, then scale as your world becomes one worth keeping for the long run.