Ground Branch Server Hosting

What a Dedicated Ground Branch Server Adds

Ground Branch comes with free dedicated server support: the Steam page promises full and 100% free dedicated servers that you can host wherever you want. You can also host from the main menu with Host Game and invite friends through the Steam overlay, but that session lives on one player's PC and ends when they do.

A dedicated server turns your unit's setup into something permanent. The mission rotation, the admin list, the Workshop content and the rules stay the same from one night to the next, members can join whenever they are online, and nobody has to give up their own frame rate to host.

V1.0, MicroProse and the Road to Chapter 1

Ground Branch spent almost eight years in Early Access before V1.0 arrived on 16 July 2026. The release brought the campaign Prologue with operations Onyx Flame and Gilded Arrow, a substantial rework of enemy AI, a new armour system with hard plates and soft armour, a door overhaul with breaching of locked doors, and the Extraction hostage rescue mode.

The studio behind it changed too. In November 2025 ownership moved from BlackFoot Studios to MicroProse, with the same team continuing development and BlackFoot's founder taking an advisory role. Since V1.0 the team has shipped a run of hotfixes, the latest being Hotfix 3 on 25 August 2026, and its Intel Report #033 points to V1.1.0 at the end of October 2026 with Chapter 1 of the Operations campaign.

• Hotfix 1 (23 July 2026): cut the game's install from nearly 100GB to 39.4GB and temporarily removed the DX12 option.
• Hotfixes 2 and 2.5 (30 and 31 July): a dialogue volume slider, a larger door-breach target zone, and audio and illuminator fixes.
• Hotfix 3 (25 August): rebalanced AI difficulty and optimised the Outpost map.

Co-op or PvP: Sizing the Server

Start from the modes your unit plays. The Steam page describes 8-player co-op and 8v8 adversarial modes, and the official FAQ explains the co-op limit of 8: 16 players on one team does not fit the game's vision.

Slots are sold one at a time from 8 to 16, so a unit that mostly plays co-op but runs the odd 5v5 can choose 10, and a PvP community can go straight to 16. The RAM steps up from 5GB to 8GB on the 12 and 16 slot plans.

Missions, Maps and the Rotation

The official FAQ says all game modes are highly customisable, from enemy counts to objective locations. On a server, that means you decide which maps and modes rotate, and how hard each one is. A training night might run Terrorist Hunt with fewer enemies, while an experienced unit turns the numbers up.

V1.0 changed the map list a lot. Border, set on the US to Mexico border with Bridge, Checkpoint, Construction and Telecom areas, is new. Outpost, in northwest Pakistan, appears in Operation Gilded Arrow. Airbase and Hospital were remade, Creek was overhauled and is limited to PvP and quick PvE, and Tanker, Small Town, Rig and The Farm all had level design updates. Check your rotation after the update so it uses the new versions.

Workshop Mods and Custom Content

Ground Branch is developed with full mod support in mind. The FAQ names weapon mods, game modes and patches as officially supported content, says maps can be built in Unreal Engine 4.27, and lists a software development kit as planned. The Steam page lists Steam Workshop support.

1. Choose the Workshop items your unit agrees on, and note any items they depend on.
2. Follow our knowledge base guide to adding Workshop mods to a Ground Branch server.
3. Restart and check the Web Console for content that fails to load.
4. Tell your players which items to subscribe to before the next session.

Patches can break mods, particularly the big chapter releases. Take a snapshot before updating and test the mod list on its own before inviting the whole unit.

Running a Unit: Admins, Rules and Scheduling

Most Ground Branch communities are organised: they train, they schedule ops and they expect the server to behave the same way every time. Keep the admin list short, write down your house rules for friendly fire and communication, and use a password for private sessions.

Scheduled restarts help a server that runs all week. Set one for a quiet hour, and use sub users in the panel so your second in command can restart or update the server without sharing your account.

Updates, Hotfixes and Backups

MicroProse releases larger updates with features and operations, and smaller hotfixes in between. When the game updates on Steam, players on the new build need the server to match, so run Steam Update in the panel and restart. Take a snapshot first if you rely on Workshop content.

We keep offsite backups of the last 7 days, and you can restore them from the panel. If you are moving from another host, copy your config files and Workshop list across, start the server once, and check it against your old setup before telling the unit.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Ground Branch Server

These details decide how the server feels after a month of ops.

1. Slots that match the gameCo-op stops at 8 players and PvP at 8v8. Paying for 32 slots buys nothing.
2. RAM includedCheck how much memory each plan includes, especially for PvP and heavy mod lists.
3. Fast updatesHotfixes arrive between big releases. One-click updates keep the unit playing.
4. Workshop supportAsk how the host handles Workshop mods, and whether there is a guide.
5. Locations you can testRun a ping test before you buy and pick a location close to most of the team.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly and longer cycles, and check for setup fees and minimum terms.

Ground Branch Server Glossary

Ready Room

The lobby area where players gear up and plan; since V1.0 it sits on The Farm.

Operations

The campaign missions; V1.0's Prologue has Onyx Flame and Gilded Arrow.

Terrorist Hunt

A co-op mode where the team clears a map of hostile AI.

Extraction

The PvE hostage rescue mode added in V1.0 for solo and co-op.

DTAS

Dynamic Take and Secure, one of the PvP modes in the official FAQ.

Listen server

A game hosted from a player's own PC through Host Game; it depends on that player.

Hotfix

A small patch between major releases, such as V1.0 Hotfix 3 on 25 August 2026.

Chapter 1

The V1.1.0 release adding new operations and friendly AI, targeted for the end of October 2026.

Ground Branch Server Help and Next Steps

Useful pages for setting up and running your server.

• How to add Workshop Mods to my Ground Branch serverOur knowledge base guide.
• Ground Branch official FAQPlayer counts, modes, mods and platforms.
• Ground Branch V1.0 release notesEvery change in the launch build.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with configs, mods and updates.