Host a Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Dedicated Server

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a medieval action RPG with large-scale battles. Host dedicated multiplayer servers with game modes like Team Deathmatch, Siege, Skirmish, Captain, Duel, Battle, and Free-For-All. Requires a server auth token generated in-game.

Skip the Setup — Deploy Now or read the full guide below

Requirements Setup Guide Installation

Hardware Requirements

Here's what you need to run a Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord dedicated server.

Economy

Small server, 1-30 players

CPU2 cores

RAM4 GB

Storage30 GB SSD

Standard

Medium server, 30-60 players

CPU3 cores

RAM6 GB

Storage30 GB SSD

Pro

Large server, 60-120 players

CPU4 cores

RAM8 GB

Storage30 GB SSD

Start hosting from your own computer

Run a Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord server on your desktop, laptop, VPS, or dedicated machine — GameCP automates Docker setup, resource allocation, and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord configuration instantly. Automatic port forwarding means your friends can connect without touching your router. Start local, scale to a VPS when you're ready.

Get Started FreeNo credit card required

Setup in 4 Steps

Skip the manual SteamCMD installation, port forwarding, and systemd configuration. Install on your own computer and start hosting instantly.

Step 01

Create a GameCP Account

GameCP gives you a full control panel with Docker containerization, file management, automatic port forwarding, and automatic updates — all built in.

Step 02

Connect Your Hardware

Install GameCP on your own desktop, laptop, VPS, or dedicated machine. One-line install — no SSH expertise needed.

GameCP installs Docker, configures networking, and sets up automatic port forwarding so your friends can connect instantly. Start hosting from your own PC and scale to a VPS later. Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Step 03

Deploy Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Select "Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord" from the template library and hit deploy. GameCP handles SteamCMD (App ID: 1863440), ports, startup commands, and all configuration automatically.

Includes pre-configured server_config.txt. Uses the runtimes:wine-vcrun image. ~30 GB storage.

Step 04

Start Playing

Hit start and share your server address. Automatic port forwarding handles the rest — no router config needed.

GameCP monitors your server health and provides live logs from your browser. Your friends connect using the address GameCP gives you.

The Manual Way vs. GameCP

Manual Setup

✗ Install SteamCMD manually
✗ Configure 1+ firewall ports and router settings
✗ Write systemd service files
✗ SSH into server to edit configs
✗ Requires a VPS or dedicated server
✗ 30-60 minutes if experienced

With GameCP

One-click SteamCMD install
Automatic port forwarding — no router config
Host from your own PC, VPS, or dedicated server
Docker container with auto-restart
Visual config editor in browser
Under 5 minutes total

Under the Hood

The full manual process to host a Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord dedicated server on a VPS. Or install GameCP on your own computer and skip all of this.

Step 1

Configure & Prepare

Set your server settings, then install Docker, SteamCMD, and pull the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord container image.

Server ConfigurationEdit values to update all commands

Server NameServer name displayed in the server browser

Max PlayersMaximum number of concurrent players

Welcome MessageWelcome message displayed to players when they joi...

Game TypeGame mode for the server.

Friendly DamageEnable or disable friendly fire damage.

Map Time LimitMap time limit in seconds. Default: 600 (10 minute...

Round Time LimitRound time limit in seconds. Default: 120 (2 minut...

Warmup Time LimitWarmup phase time limit in seconds. Default: 120 (...

Number of RoundsNumber of rounds per match.

Auth TokenServer authentication token. Generate in-game: ope...

Admin PasswordPassword for admin panel access. Players can 'Join...

Auto UpdateAutomatically update the server on restart. Set to...

terminal

# Update system and install Docker
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y docker.io
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

# Create game server directory
sudo mkdir -p /opt/gameserver

# Install SteamCMD
sudo mkdir -p /opt/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | sudo tar zxvf - -C /opt/steamcmd

# Server configuration
export MAX_PLAYERS="120"
export WELCOME_MESSAGE="Welcome to the server!"
export GAME_TYPE="TeamDeathmatch"
export FRIENDLY_DAMAGE="false"
export MAP_TIME_LIMIT="600"
export ROUND_TIME_LIMIT="120"
export WARMUP_TIME_LIMIT="120"
export NUM_ROUNDS="3"
export AUTO_UPDATE="1"

# Pull the container image
docker pull ghcr.io/gamecp/runtimes:wine-vcrun

Step 2

Install Server Files via SteamCMD

Download the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord dedicated server using Steam App ID 1863440.

terminal

# Download Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord server files (App ID: 1863440)
/opt/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh \
  +force_install_dir /opt/gameserver \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 1863440 validate \
  +quit

Step 3

Open Firewall Ports

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord requires 1 port to be open for game traffic and queries.

terminal

sudo ufw allow 7210/udp

7210/UDP(PORT)

Step 4

Launch the Server

Start the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord server using the configuration from Step 1.

Create the startup script

terminal

# Create the startup script
cat > /opt/gameserver/start.sh << 'EOF'
# Wine prefix, Mono, and vcrun are pre-baked in the Docker image at /opt/wine-prefix
# Copy pre-baked prefix on first boot (fast local copy vs 10min download)
if [ ! -f /home/container/.wine/system.reg ]; then
echo 'Restoring pre-baked Wine prefix...'
cp -a /opt/wine-prefix /home/container/.wine
[ -d /opt/wine-cache ] && cp -a /opt/wine-cache /home/container/.cache
echo 'Wine prefix restored.'
fi

# Fix Wine HOME ownership issue
export HOME=/tmp/wine-home
mkdir -p /tmp/wine-home
export WINEPREFIX=/home/container/.wine

# Start persistent Xvfb (NOT xvfb-run -- Wine forks and xvfb-run kills display)
rm -f /tmp/.X*-lock 2>/dev/null
mkdir -p /tmp/.X11-unix 2>/dev/null || true
Xvfb :99 -screen 0 640x480x24 -ac 2>&1 &
XVFB_PID=$!
sleep 1
export DISPLAY=:99

echo 'Starting Bannerlord server...'
cd /home/container/bin/Win64_Shipping_Server/
wine DedicatedCustomServer.Starter.exe /port 7210 /dedicatedcustomserverauthtoken "" /dedicatedcustomserverconfigfile server_config.txt /DisableErrorReporting _MODULES_*Native*Multiplayer*_MODULES_ 2>&1
WINE_EXIT=$?
kill 2>/dev/null
echo "Server exited with code: "
EOF
chmod +x /opt/gameserver/start.sh

Run the container

terminal

docker run -d \
  --name mount-blade-bannerlord-server \
  -p 7210:7210/udp \
  -e MAX_PLAYERS="120" \
  -e WELCOME_MESSAGE="Welcome to the server!" \
  -e GAME_TYPE="TeamDeathmatch" \
  -e FRIENDLY_DAMAGE="false" \
  -e MAP_TIME_LIMIT="600" \
  -e ROUND_TIME_LIMIT="120" \
  -e WARMUP_TIME_LIMIT="120" \
  -e NUM_ROUNDS="3" \
  -e AUTO_UPDATE="1" \
  -v /opt/gameserver:/opt/gameserver \
  -w /opt/gameserver \
  ghcr.io/gamecp/runtimes:wine-vcrun \
  ./start.sh

Or skip all of this

GameCP automates every step above: Docker, SteamCMD, port forwarding, startup, and config. Install on your own PC and deploy a Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord server in under 5 minutes.

Deploy with GameCP