Operation: Harsh Doorstop Server Hosting

What Operation: Harsh Doorstop Is

Operation: Harsh Doorstop is a free-to-play tactical shooter sandbox from Drakeling Labs, created by developers of the cancelled Project Reality 2. It mixes military simulation with mod-friendly sandbox play: squads coordinate, use vehicles, build fortifications and supply lines with sandbags and barriers, and talk over integrated voice with local, squad and command channels.

It came to Steam in Early Access on 15 February 2023 and supports singleplayer, multiplayer and co-op. Around the core game sits the Steam Workshop, with thousands of community maps, weapons and vehicles, and the tools to make more. The developers also say they support the Stop Killing Games initiative and have built features so players can keep playing long after the studio is gone.

A Game That Lives on Community Servers

Drakeling Labs has described OHD as a free game that relies heavily on community-run servers. That has two consequences for an owner. First, your server is the community: its maps, its factions, its rules. Second, moderation is yours. The developers stated at launch that removing cheaters is the responsibility of each server owner, and they have since given owners the tools to do it.

Those tools arrived in stages: security patches, the player filtration system and vote kick in v0.13.0.0, and in-game admin commands that check admins against Steam. Set them up before you advertise the server, not after the first bad night.

How Many Slots: Why the Plans Stop at 64

Our order form allows 16 to 128 slots, but it also carries a warning that the developers do not recommend going over 64, because of performance issues or strange behaviour on certain maps and scenarios. We would rather you ran a smooth 64 than a struggling 100, so our plans stop there.

• 16 slots: squad nights, training sessions and co-op, on the free 8GB.
• 32 slots: a clan server with several squads a side, still on 8GB.
• 48 slots: a community server running combined arms and logistics, with 12GB.
• 64 slots: full-scale battles at the advised ceiling, with 16GB.

Slot counts and memory can both be changed later from the client area, so you can start at 32 and grow when the server fills up.

Filters, Vote Kick and Admins

A sensible starting point for a public server is a minimum account age, a block on recent VAC bans and vote kick switched on, with two or three trusted admins in different time zones. Tighten the filters if problems persist; loosen them if newcomers are being turned away.

Workshop Mods on a Server

Since v0.13.0.0, clients joining a server download the mods it deems necessary before loading into the map, and mod authors can mark mods as server-only so players never need them. Drakeling Labs still recommends subscribing to a server's mods in advance for the smoothest first join, which is worth saying in your server's description or Discord.

Mods are also where security matters. The v0.14.2.2 hotfix of 22 October 2026 closed vulnerabilities that affected Unreal Engine games using the Steam Workshop, and it shipped ahead of the 2.0 update because it could not wait. Keep the server updated, and only run Workshop items from creators you trust.

The Road to 2.0

OHD's last full update was Summer Relief, 0.14.2.0, on 4 July 2025, which adjusted FOBs and rally points, added specialist kits and made two DLC faction packs free for everyone. In October 2026 the founder explained the long silence: he had spent three months at US Air Force basic training without access to personal devices, while the rest of the team kept building.

The previews since then point to a large 2.0 update: new weapons, vehicles and maps, platoons that give squads armoured or airborne roles with exclusive vehicles, a claiming system so squad leaders can lock vehicles to their squad, and thermal imaging. No release date has been given, so plan your server around the current build.

Keeping the Server Healthy

A few habits keep an OHD server pleasant to play on. Run Steam Update whenever a patch lands, and check your Workshop list still loads afterwards. Schedule restarts for quiet hours; our knowledge base recommends at least two a day. Watch the log viewer after changing mods, because a failing item shows up there first.

Take a snapshot in the Backup Manager before big changes to mods or settings. Our offsite copies cover the last 7 days as a second line of defence.

What to Compare Before You Rent an Operation: Harsh Doorstop Server

Most OHD offers list similar specs. These are the points that decide how the server runs once it is busy.

1. Slots that suit the gameHuge slot counts look impressive, but the developers advise staying at 64 or below.
2. Memory includedVehicles, big maps and Workshop factions use memory; check what the base price includes.
3. Access to configurationYou need the server's settings and logs yourself to run mods and security filters well.
4. Update speedSecurity hotfixes should reach your server the day they ship; a Steam Update button makes that your call.
5. Location and pingTest from your own PC; long-range firefights reward low latency.
6. Billing termsLook for monthly billing, no minimum term and no setup fee.

Operation: Harsh Doorstop Server Glossary

OHD

Short for Operation: Harsh Doorstop.

Drakeling Labs

The studio developing OHD, with a largely part-time and volunteer team.

FOB

A forward operating base, a fortified spawn point that the enemy can destroy.

Rally point

A temporary squad spawn that an enemy can overrun.

Platoon

A squad role category, such as infantry, with armoured and airborne planned for 2.0.

Player filtration

Server rules that refuse entry by ban history, account age or playtime.

Vote kick

A player vote to remove someone from the server, configured by the owner.

Server-only mod

A Workshop mod that runs on the server alone, so players do not download it.

RCON

Remote console access for kicks, bans and map or faction changes.

Workshop

Steam's mod library, where OHD's community factions, weapons, vehicles and maps live.

Operation: Harsh Doorstop Server Help and Next Steps

Official pages and our own help.

• Operation: Harsh Doorstop on SteamThe store page and system requirements.
• OHD news on SteamChangelogs, hotfixes and development blogs.
• OHD Steam WorkshopCommunity factions, weapons, vehicles and maps.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with updates, mods and settings.