The complete guide · 5 min read
Enemy Territory Server Hosting Explained: A Complete Guide
This guide covers running a Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory server today: what the game is, how big a server to rent, vanilla and modded setups, custom maps, admin control and keeping a public alive. It is written for the clan member who ends up looking after the server.
By Matthew Griffin, Owner, Gaming DeluxePublished · Updated
In this guide
- Why People Still Run Enemy Territory Servers
- The Official Vanilla Ruleset as a Starting Point
- Picking a Server Size
- Custom Maps and Community Mods
- Admin Control: rcon, Passwords and Sub Users
- The Original Game or ET: Legacy
- Keeping a Public Server Alive
- What to Compare Before You Rent an ET Server
- Enemy Territory Server Glossary
- Enemy Territory Server Help and Next Steps
Why People Still Run Enemy Territory Servers
Enemy Territory is a free, objective-based Second World War shooter from Splash Damage. Axis and Allies fight over objectives on real-world inspired battlefields, and each player picks one of five classes: Engineer, Medic, Soldier, Field Ops or Covert Ops. Each class has its own abilities, and the objectives that win a map can only be completed when players cover each other and use those abilities together. Teams can split into fireteams that talk through quick messages and a live command map.
That design has aged unusually well. The game runs on almost anything, costs nothing, and still has clans, regular publics and a community building tools around it. When it arrived on Steam in April 2022 and id Software brought back official servers later that year, the message was clear: people still want to play it. Your own server is how a group keeps its own rules, its own maps and its own regulars.
The Official Vanilla Ruleset as a Starting Point
When id Software deployed official dedicated servers in September 2022, it published their exact settings. They make a sensible baseline if you want a server that feels like launch day.
| Setting | Official servers | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Game type | Campaign | Maps play in a linked series, so the evening has a shape |
| Maps | The six original maps | Every player already has them |
| Maximum players | 16 (8v8) | Busy without being chaotic |
| Friendly fire | On | Careless grenades have consequences |
| Anti-lag | On | Fairer hits for players with higher ping |
| Lives and weapons | No life limit, no weapon restrictions | Nothing stops a new player trying every class |
| Mods | None | Pure stock game |
From there you can change what suits your group: a bigger player count for a 32 player public, a weapon restriction for match play, or a different game type for a fun night. Keep a copy of the vanilla config so you can always switch back.
Picking a Server Size
Splash Damage lists Enemy Territory for up to 32 players, and that is where our plans stop. Below that, match the plan to how you play. Clans that scrim six against six need twelve slots, perhaps with a spectator. A small public that mirrors the official servers wants sixteen. A server with a loyal evening crowd and a custom map list does well on 24, and only a genuinely busy public needs all 32.
Memory is not part of the decision. An ET server uses very little, so every plan includes the same 5GB tier and the price is the slots alone. If you outgrow a plan, add slots from the client area and the server keeps its files.
Custom Maps and Community Mods
id Software's own announcement described community servers running a variety of mods and custom maps, and recommended them. Those additions are what give a server its personality, and with full file access you can run whatever your community likes.
- Stop the server and take a backup in the panel.
- Upload the map or mod files with the File Manager, or with SFTP for anything large.
- Add the map to your rotation, or set the server to load the mod in its launch settings.
- Start the server, read the log for errors and join it yourself before you announce the change.
Admin Control: rcon, Passwords and Sub Users
ET admins have traditionally worked through the remote console. With the rcon password set in the server config, an admin can change the map, kick a player or restart a round from inside the game. Treat that password like a key to the server: long, private and changed when an admin steps down.
Two other controls round it off. A join password closes the server for scrims and matches, then you remove it for the public evening. In our panel, sub users give officers their own login with only the rights you choose, so nobody has to share yours to restart the server.
The Original Game or ET: Legacy
ET: Legacy is an open source project that describes itself as a fully compatible client and server for Enemy Territory 2.60b, released under the GNU GPL and actively developed. Some communities run it for its fixes and modern features, others stay on the original server their players have always known.
- Choose this plan for the original Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory server.
- Choose our ET: Legacy server if your community already plays on Legacy, or you want its newer server code.
- Not sure? Ask your regulars what they play on. A server that matches what people already use fills faster.
Keeping a Public Server Alive
A public ET server lives on regulars. Pick a location close to them, keep the rotation familiar, and make sure there is an admin around at peak times. A daily scheduled restart keeps long sessions clean, and the log viewer tells you which maps make people leave.
Start smaller than you think. A 16 slot server that is full every night feels lively and attracts more players; a 32 slot server with ten people feels empty. When the queue builds up, move up a plan from the client area.
What to Compare Before You Rent an ET Server
Cheap ET hosting is easy to find. These details decide whether it suits a real community.
- Full file accessYou need SFTP or a file manager for custom maps and mods. Without it you are stuck with stock settings.
- Original or LegacyCheck which server software the plan runs, so it matches what your players use.
- Locations you can testRun a ping test before you buy. Low latency matters more in ET than raw hardware.
- Honest slot countsSplash Damage lists 32 players. Be wary of paying for far more slots than the game is designed for.
- BackupsFind out whether you can restore a backup yourself after a mod goes wrong.
- Billing termsCompare monthly and longer cycles, and check for setup fees and minimum terms.
Enemy Territory Server Glossary
- Campaign
- A game type that plays several maps as a linked series; the default on id Software's official servers.
- Classes
- Engineer, Medic, Soldier, Field Ops and Covert Ops, each with its own abilities.
- Fireteam
- A small squad within a team that shares quick messages and the command map.
- Command map
- The in-game map showing objectives and teammates.
- rcon
- Remote console: admin commands sent to the server with a password.
- Anti-lag
- A server setting that compensates for player latency when registering hits.
- ET: Legacy
- An open source client and server compatible with Enemy Territory 2.60b.
- Scrim
- A practice match between clans, usually on a password-protected server.
- Slots
- How many players can be on the server at once.
Enemy Territory Server Help and Next Steps
Useful pages for setting up and running your server.
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Splash DamageThe free game downloads and source code.
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory on SteamFree to play, with the official server announcement.
- ET: LegacyThe open source project compatible with ET 2.60b.
- Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
- Our server locations
- Contact support24/7 help with configs, maps and mods.
How this guide was made: researched from Splash Damage's official game page, the Steam store and id Software's official server announcement, drafted with AI assistance, checked against our live order form for every plan, price and location, and reviewed by Matthew Griffin before publishing. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Sources, checked 22 October 2026:
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Splash Damage (players, classes, platforms, requirements)
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory on Steam (free, Steam release 26 April 2022)
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory - Official Dedicated Server Update, Steam announcement (September 2022)
- How to play Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory in 2019, Splash Damage (blocks automated reads, not used)
- ET: Legacy official site (compatibility with ET 2.60b, GPL)
- Gaming Deluxe order form, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Dedicated Server