Game Server Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Game servers are created automatically the moment your payment goes through. The first install of the game files then takes up to 15 minutes, depending on the game's size.

There are two places, each with its own login:

• Game panel at gamepanel.gtxgaming.co.uk runs your server: start, stop, settings, files, mods and backups. Minecraft servers use the Minecraft panel instead.
• Client Area at gtxgaming.co.uk/clientarea handles billing: invoices, upgrades, game switches and cancellations.

Your game panel username and password are in the welcome email we send when the server is ready. You can also find the password in the Client Area: open Services › My Services, click your server and copy the Default Password field.

Open your server in the game panel and look at Connection & Controls. CONNECTION INFO shows the IP address and port (for example 203.0.113.10:27015); press copy and paste it into the game's direct connect or server address box.

Every game connects a little differently, so check your game's section in our game server help guides for a step-by-step join guide.

New or renamed servers can take a while to appear in a game's public list. While you wait, join with direct connect using the IP and port above. If it still isn't listed after an hour or so, check that:

• the server shows RUNNING in the panel and is on the latest game version (see updates),
• you are searching with the right filters (region, version, password protected, modded),
• any mods on the server match the ones on your game client.

Still missing? Open a ticket with your server's IP and port and we'll take a look.

Yes, migrations from other hosts are free. Open a ticket and send either the old host's FTP or SFTP details (host, port, username and password) or a zipped copy of your save folder on a public download link. Tell us which GTX server it should go to and our team will move it for you.

Use the buttons at the bottom of Connection & Controls: START or STOP, RESTART, and MORE for extra actions such as reinstalling. The status above the buttons shows RUNNING and the uptime while the server is online.

"Unknown" means the game panel can't reach the machine your server runs on at that moment. It is usually a short network blip and clears by itself within a few minutes. If it stays on "Unknown", or your players can't connect, open a ticket so our team can check the machine.

You can also check Service Issues for any known problems.

Press Log Viewer to stream your server logs live or download them. The Web Console on the right of the panel shows the live server output, and on games with RCON you can send commands from it. Logs are the first place to look when a server won't start or a mod breaks.

Guide: How to view your server logs.

The MANAGE menu on the left lists everything your game supports. The most used ones:

Not every game has every button. If one is missing, that game doesn't support it.

Yes, add them as a sub-user on the game panel and choose exactly what they are allowed to do. Only give full access to people you trust. See How to create a sub-user.

Sub-users can manage the server but can't open support tickets for it. If they need to, add them as a contact on your Client Area account too.

1. Press STOP and wait until the server has fully stopped.
2. Open Configuration Files and edit the file that holds the setting. The server name, password, slots and game rules are usually in the main server config file.
3. Save your changes.
4. Press START.

File names differ per game. Your game's section in the help guides shows which file to edit.

Almost always because the server was running. Many games rewrite their config files when they shut down, which overwrites your edits. Stop the server first, make the change, save, then start it again.

Yes, on games that support it. Stop the server, open Commandline Manager, create a custom command line, select it and start the server. See How to create custom command lines.

Two ways:

• File Manager in the game panel, for quick edits and small uploads straight from your browser.
• SFTP for big uploads, whole save folders and mod packs. Click the address next to SFTP INFO to open it in WinSCP, or copy it into FileZilla or any SFTP app. Your SFTP password is the same as your game panel password.

Guides: How to connect via SFTP and How to access your server files.

For security, .exe, .bat and .cmd files are blocked, and on some games .dll files too. If a mod or tool really needs one, open a ticket and tell us which file and why.

Usually, yes. Stop the server, take a backup, then upload your save folder over SFTP into the server's save folder and check the save name matches the one in your server config. Your game's help guides show the exact folders.

1. Press STOP.
2. Press Steam Update and wait until it finishes.
3. Press START.

If the update fails or files look broken, use MORE › Force Steam Update, which checks every game file.

On games with Workshop support, press Steam Workshop, search for the mod and install it. To reinstall everything after an update, filter by installed content and use Bulk Actions › Reinstall all. Other games use mod loaders or manual uploads; your game's help guides cover the method that works for it.

We support the server itself and will gladly point you in the right direction, but we can't debug the code of third-party mods or plugins. The Log Viewer usually tells you which mod is failing.

Yes. Game servers get automatic backups that are stored offsite. Automatic backups run alongside your server's restarts, so keep a daily restart scheduled. We normally keep backups for up to 6 months.

Before big changes (new mods, a wipe, a game switch) make your own backup: stop the server, press Backup Server, then start it again. You can also schedule backups in Scheduled Tasks.

Guides: How to back up your server and How to set up automatic backups.

• Restore Server: stop the server, choose the dated backup and the type of restore, then press Execute.
• Rollback Server: pick one of the game's own snapshots and press Execute.

Snapshots and backups are taken at set points, so you can roll back to one of those but not to an exact minute. Times are shown in the time zone set in your game panel profile.

Guide: How to restore your server from a backup.

Press Backup Manager and log in. Its password is not your game panel password: you'll find it on the Backup Manager button or under Server Details. See How to download your server backups.

On games that support it, press Wipe Server to start a fresh world. Make a backup first if you might want the old world back.

1. Press STOP.
2. Press MORE and choose Reinstall.
3. Keep the window open until the reinstall finishes, then press START.

Guide: How to reinstall your server.

Open Scheduled Tasks, create a new task and choose Scheduled Restart. Set the first run time, then repeat it every few hours (every 6 hours is a popular choice). Regular restarts keep most games running smoothly and trigger your automatic backups.

Guide: How to set up automatic server restarts.

1. In the Client Area go to Services › My Services and click your server.
2. Choose Upgrade/Downgrade Options in the left menu.
3. Pick the new slots, RAM, CPU or hardware package and press Click to Continue.
4. For an upgrade, pay the invoice for the difference. Then stop the server for a couple of minutes and start it again.

Upgrades use today's prices. Downgrades take effect straight away and the difference is added to your account as credit for future GTX invoices; it isn't paid back to your card or PayPal.

Guides: slots, RAM, CPU, hardware.

Yes, any time. In the Client Area open your server and press Switch Game Server, pick the new game, press Choose Product and then Continue. Our system backs up your current server first, so don't close or refresh the page. The price is recalculated automatically if the new game costs more or less.

Switching to or from Minecraft can't be done this way: open a ticket and we'll switch it for you.

Guide: How to switch your game server to a different game.

We host game servers in data centres across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. The order form for each game shows the exact cities available for it. Pick the one closest to most of your players for the lowest ping.

You can change location yourself:

1. In the Client Area go to Services › My Services and click your server.
2. Choose Upgrade/Downgrade Options in the left menu.
3. Pick the new location and press Click to Continue. Any price difference is worked out there; pay the invoice if the new location costs more.

Our team then moves your server and confirms the details with you in a ticket. Stop the server when we start, and don't use the game panel until we confirm the move is done: changes during a move can corrupt files. You'll get a new IP and port, and the moved server shows up as a new entry in your game panel.

Yes. You need at least two ARK servers on the same account. Open a ticket listing the servers to cluster and our team will link them.

You can pay by credit or debit card, PayPal or bank transfer. Servers are paid for in advance and a monthly term is 30 days. We send your renewal invoice about 7 days before the due date, so you have time to pay it.

An unpaid server is suspended shortly after the due date and terminated once the invoice is 6 days overdue. We keep backups, so in most cases we can bring your server back even after that.

Paid late and your server is still suspended or gone? Open a ticket. Once payment is confirmed we'll reactivate it or recreate it from a backup.

1. In the Client Area go to Services › My Services and click the server.
2. Press Request Cancellation in the left menu.
3. Choose End of Billing Period to keep playing until the time you've paid for runs out, or Immediate to remove the server now.

Changed your mind? Open a ticket and we'll remove the cancellation request. Guide: How to cancel your service.

Every new service has a 24-hour cooling-off period: if it isn't right for you, open a ticket within 24 hours of ordering and we'll refund you. Dedicated servers can only be refunded for hardware problems. After 24 hours, refunds are at a manager's discretion; we always try to be fair, so tell us what went wrong.

Credit from downgrades can't be refunded but can be used on any GTX service. Full details are in our terms and conditions.

Open a support ticket from your Client Area. Our team answers tickets 24/7, weekends included. To get a fix faster, include:

• the server's IP and port (or the service name),
• what you were doing and what you changed last,
• any error message, plus relevant lines from the Log Viewer.

You can also chat with us and other players on our Discord.

Open a ticket while the lag is happening so we can check the machine live. If only some players lag, ask them to run a WinMTR test to your server's IP for 10 minutes and send us the results. See Packet loss and How to run a tracert.

Lots of mods, a big world or too little RAM for your player count can also cause lag. An upgrade or a lighter mod list often helps.

Yes. Add an A record (for example play.yourdomain.com) pointing at your server's IP, without the port. See How to point a domain to your game server.