Black Ops 3 Server Hosting

What an Unranked Dedicated Server Is

Call of Duty: Black Ops III came out on PC in November 2015 with three modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies. Public matches use Treyarch's matchmaking, but the PC version also lets players run their own lobbies. Update 18, released on 14 December 2016, added the Unranked Dedicated Server to the Tools section of the Steam library, together with a Remote Console tool, so that communities could run servers with their favourite custom maps and mods.

Unranked is the key word. These servers run custom games outside public matchmaking, so they are where communities set their own rules, try Workshop maps and keep a regular lobby going. When a group plays from one person's PC instead, the lobby ends when that person leaves and depends on their home upload. A hosted server keeps a steady connection and stays online between sessions.

Renting moves the hardware, the network and the uptime to us, while you keep control of the playlist, the files and who gets in.

How Players Find Your Server

Update 15.1 in September 2016 introduced the Unranked Server Browser, along with a Server Settings menu in Multiplayer Custom Games that controls how a server is shown there. Treyarch then kept refining it.

• Mod name: Updates 15.2 and 17 added the mod name to the server details, so players know what they need before joining.
• Mode name: custom game mode names show in the browser, which helps when you run your own variant.
• Custom maps: a server that loads a custom map automatically loads the usermaps mod and appears in the browser.
• Private servers: a server with Party Privacy set to closed is not shown at all.

A clear server name does a lot of the work. Put the mode or map style in it, so the right players click in and the wrong ones keep scrolling.

Building a Playlist and Server Rules

Your playlist decides which modes and maps the server cycles through, and the game settings decide how each match plays. Edit both in the panel's config file editor and restart the server to apply them. Black Ops III has had official custom game variants since its December 2015 update, including Hardcore and CWL rule sets added in February 2016, so you rarely need to start from a blank page.

1. Back up the current setup with the backup manager.
2. Change one thing at a time: a map list, a time limit or a mode.
3. Restart and watch the web console while the first map loads.
4. Play a round with a friend before you announce the change.

Running Workshop Maps and Mods

Mod support is what keeps Black Ops III busy on PC. The Mod Tools, released as an open beta on 27 September 2016, include the Radiant level editor, APE (the Asset Property Editor), a Mod Tools Launcher and full example maps: the Multiplayer map Combine and the Zombies map The Giant. Creations are shared on the Steam Workshop, and players can use them without installing the tools.

Keep at least one official map in the rotation. If a custom map fails to load after an update, the server still has somewhere to go, and you can fix the broken map without taking the whole lobby down.

Admin Tools, Logs and Private Matches

Most day-to-day admin happens in the control panel. The web console shows the server starting, players joining and maps changing. Treyarch also released a Remote Console tool with the dedicated server for admins who prefer to send commands from their own PC.

Logs are worth switching on. Update 19 lets the server write log files when g_log is enabled, saved under the identities/dedicatedpc/main folder. Download them over SFTP to check who was on the server and what happened in a disputed match. The same update made medals appear on unranked dedicated servers.

For scrims, training and clan nights, keep the server private. A join password stops strangers getting in, and closed Party Privacy keeps the server out of the browser entirely.

Patches, Steam Update and Version Matching

Black Ops III received regular PC updates through 2016, 2017 and 2018. The newest patch notes on the game's Steam announcements page are Update 30, from 30 July 2018, which lists general stability improvements and a security update.

Whenever the game does change, the server has to match it, or players cannot connect. Run Steam Update in the panel, restart the server and join once yourself to confirm it works. If you run a mod, check that the mod still loads after the update before you open the server to everyone.

Slots, Memory and Choosing a Location

Our order form sells Black Ops III servers in one size: 18 slots. That covers full teams for custom games with seats for spectators or players waiting to swap in. Memory comes bundled at 5GB, our own sizing for this server, and larger tiers up to 32GB are on the order form for heavy mods.

Location matters more than raw power in a fast shooter. Run the ping test on this page from the PC you play on, then pick the location that gives most of your lobby a low, steady result. Every location costs the same, so the choice is only about ping.

If your group grows across regions, a second server near the other half of the community is often better than one server that is far from everyone.

Backups and Moving an Existing Server

Your setup is mostly files: the playlist, settings, custom maps and mod folders. The panel's backup manager takes a snapshot whenever you ask, and we keep offsite copies for the last 7 days as a safety net.

Moving from home hosting or another provider is a matter of copying those files. Upload them over SFTP, check the launch settings point at the right mod, restart and join once to confirm everything loads before you share the new server name.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Black Ops III Server

Most offers for this game look alike on paper. These points decide whether the server is still a good fit a few months in.

1. File access for modsCustom maps and mods need FTP or SFTP and a file editor. Without them, Workshop content is hard to run.
2. Patch handlingCheck that you can update the server yourself after a PC patch rather than waiting for a ticket.
3. Memory includedSee how much RAM the base price includes and what a bigger tier costs if you plan to run a large mod.
4. Location and pingA nearby data centre does more for a fast shooter than any CPU figure. Test it before you buy.
5. Backups you can restoreMake sure you can roll back a snapshot yourself and know how many days of offsite copies are kept.
6. Clarity about modesAsk what the server supports for your mode of choice before paying, especially if Zombies matters to you.
7. Terms and feesCompare monthly and longer terms, and look for setup fees or minimum contracts.

Black Ops III Server Glossary

Unranked Dedicated Server

Treyarch's PC server tool for running custom games outside public matchmaking.

Unranked Server Browser

The in-game list where PC players find community servers.

Remote Console

Treyarch's desktop tool for sending commands to a dedicated server.

Mod Tools

Treyarch's PC toolkit for building maps and mods, free for full game owners.

Radiant

The level editor in the Mod Tools.

APE

The Asset Property Editor in the Mod Tools.

usermaps

The default mod that loads automatically when a server runs a custom map.

Playlist

The list of modes and maps your server cycles through.

Party Privacy

A lobby setting; closed keeps the server out of the browser.

Slots

How many players can be on the server at once.

Black Ops III Server Help and Next Steps

Official notes and our own pages for setting up and running the server.

• Update 18 patch notes on SteamThe release of the Unranked Dedicated Server and Remote Console.
• Update 15.1 / Mod Tools Open Beta notesThe Mod Tools, Workshop and Unranked Server Browser.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III on Steam
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with mods, playlists and moving a server.