The complete guide · 5 min read
Battalion 1944 Server Hosting: The Complete Guide
Everything you need to run a BATTALION: Legacy server well: where the game stands today, choosing a server size, setting up modes and rules, running scrims, and keeping a small community alive.
By Matthew Griffin, Owner, Gaming DeluxePublished · Updated
In this guide
- From Battalion 1944 to BATTALION: Legacy
- Why a Dedicated Server Matters for an Old School Shooter
- Choosing the Right Number of Slots
- Setting Up Modes and Rules
- Running Scrims and Small Tournaments
- Growing a Community Around Your Server
- Hosted Server or Self-Hosting?
- Troubleshooting Common Problems
- What to Compare Before You Rent a Battalion 1944 Server
- Battalion 1944 Server Glossary
- Battalion 1944 Server Help
From Battalion 1944 to BATTALION: Legacy
Battalion 1944 was made by Bulkhead as a return to the WW2 shooters of the early 2000s: bolt action rifles, fast movement and rounds where one good shot matters. It reached its full release on Steam on 23 May 2019 after a long run of seasonal updates.
On 9 August 2022 Bulkhead announced that it had formally ended its relationship with Square Enix and would release the game for free. A week later, on 16 August, BATTALION: Legacy arrived: the revisited and final version of Battalion 1944, free forever, with a working server browser, the new British faction with the Lee Enfield and Webley revolver, a reworked UI and a visual overhaul.
The Steam store page is honest about what that means. Bulkhead has formally ended support and production of the game. There will be no new seasons, but the game is complete, free and playable, and patch 1.1 on 17 August 2022 gave players what they needed to keep it going: the ability to self-host dedicated servers.
Why a Dedicated Server Matters for an Old School Shooter
Without matchmaking seasons or official events, a game like this lives on community servers. Players return to a server because the rules suit them, the admins are fair and there is usually someone to play with. A server that is offline half the time cannot build that.
Running the server on a home PC is possible: the dedicated server is a free SteamCMD install for Windows or Linux. But the machine must stay on, the port must be open on the router, and every player shares your upload. A hosted server avoids all of that and gives you a fixed address, filtered traffic and a fast CPU.
Choosing the Right Number of Slots
Search and Destroy, the game's competitive mode, is 5v5. That makes 10 slots the natural size for a team or a league, and it is our cheapest plan. Public servers running Team Deathmatch or rifles only can be larger.
| Use | Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive 5v5 | 10 Slots | Two full teams |
| Scrim with caster or referee | 12 Slots | Two spare places |
| Small public server | 16 Slots | 8GB RAM included |
| Community server | 24 Slots | For busy evenings |
| Event night | 32 Slots | The largest size on our order form |
Setting Up Modes and Rules
The three modes on the store page cover most servers. Search and Destroy is attack and defend where every life matters, and the first team to win 8 rounds wins the match. Team Deathmatch is the easy drop-in mode for public play. Rifles only strips the loadout back to bolt actions.
Patch 1.1 added a useful rule for historical purists: LimitToNationWeapons. When it is set, each team can only use its own nation's weapons, so Soviet players use Soviet guns and British players use British ones. Combine it with rifles only for a server that feels like a period piece.
- Set the server name and password in the config through the File Manager.
- Choose the mode for the evening and restart the server to apply it.
- Use the ready up start type for private matches, fixed in patch 1.1, so rounds only start when both teams are ready.
- Keep a backup of each rule set you like, so switching between a scrim night and a public night is quick.
Running Scrims and Small Tournaments
- Agree a time and a location with the other team, using the ping test to pick a fair site.
- Set a server password and share it only with both team captains.
- Switch the mode to Search and Destroy and the start type to ready up.
- Restart the server and check the console as players join.
- Play the match, then remove the password if you open the server to the public afterwards.
For a small cup, keep one config per stage in the Backup Manager. That way the final runs with exactly the same settings as the group games, and nobody can argue about a changed rule.
Growing a Community Around Your Server
The fact that BATTALION: Legacy is free is your best recruiting tool. Anyone you invite can download it and join within minutes, with nothing to buy. Fixed evenings help: a regular rifles only night or a weekly 5v5 ladder gives people a reason to come back.
Keep the admin team small and trusted, write the server rules down, and use the log to settle disputes. A server with fair admins and steady performance is what keeps a finished game alive year after year.
Hosted Server or Self-Hosting?
Since patch 1.1, anyone can install the BATTALION: Legacy dedicated server with SteamCMD, using app ID 805140, and run it on Windows or Linux. That is a good option for a quick test at home. For a server the community relies on, a hosted one has clear advantages.
| Question | Self-hosted at home | Hosted with us |
|---|---|---|
| Online when you are offline | Only if your PC stays on | Always |
| Ports | You open UDP 27015 on your router | Already reachable |
| Upload bandwidth | Shared with every player | Data centre connection |
| Attacks | Hit your home connection | Filtered by DDoS protection |
| Backups | Up to you | Offsite backups for 7 days |
Whichever you choose, the game and the server are the same. Configs move between them easily, so many owners test a rule set at home and then upload it to their hosted server.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
| Problem | Check |
|---|---|
| Server not in the browser | Give it a minute after a restart, then search by name; check the console for errors |
| Password not accepted | Confirm the password in the config and restart after changing it |
| Match will not start in a private game | Check the start type is ready up and every player has readied |
| Lag for one team | Compare pings from both teams and consider a more central location |
If the server files themselves are damaged, use Steam Update in the panel to verify or reinstall them from SteamCMD. Your config backups make it quick to restore your settings afterwards.
What to Compare Before You Rent a Battalion 1944 Server
Points that decide whether a host suits a small competitive shooter.
- A 10 slot optionCompetitive 5v5 needs 10 slots. Do not pay for 32 when you only need two teams.
- Config accessYou need the real config to set the password and rules such as LimitToNationWeapons.
- Ping to both teamsFair matches need a location that suits both sides.
- CPU speedClock speed shows up as reliable hit registration.
- BackupsSaved configs let you switch between scrim and public setups quickly.
- Monthly billingNo setup fee and no long contract for a game you play with friends.
Battalion 1944 Server Glossary
- BATTALION: Legacy
- The free, final version of Battalion 1944, released on 16 August 2022.
- Search and Destroy
- A 5v5 attack and defend mode; the first team to win 8 rounds wins.
- Rifles only
- A mode where every player uses a bolt action rifle.
- LimitToNationWeapons
- A config setting that limits each team to its own nation's weapons.
- Ready up
- A start type where the round begins once players confirm they are ready.
- SteamCMD
- Valve's command-line tool used to install and update the dedicated server.
- Query port
- The UDP port the server uses to talk to Steam, 27015 unless changed.
- Scrim
- A practice match between two teams, usually on a passworded server.
Battalion 1944 Server Help
Official pages and our own help for your server.
How this guide was made: researched from the BATTALION: Legacy Steam store page and Bulkhead's announcements and patch notes on Steam, drafted with AI assistance, checked against our live order form for every plan, price and location, and reviewed by Matthew Griffin before publishing. Something out of date? Tell us.
Sources, checked October 22, 2026:
- BATTALION: Legacy on Steam (developer, release date, modes, free status, end of support)
- Bulkhead, "BATTALION: Legacy - Free // August 16th" (Steam, 9 August 2022)
- Bulkhead, "BATTALION: Legacy is NOW FREE!" (Steam, 16 August 2022)
- Bulkhead, Patch 1.1 - Battalion: Legacy (Steam, 17 August 2022)
- Self-hosted dedicated server guide linked from Patch 1.1 (Steam Community, SteamCMD app 805140, UDP 27015, -QueryPort)
- Gaming Deluxe knowledge base 105: How to connect to your server RCon (Battalion RCon tool)
- Gaming Deluxe order form, Battalion 1944