Do I need to own Killing Floor to play?

Yes. Each player needs Killing Floor on Steam. The server runs the dedicated build of the same game (app 1250).

How many players can join?

Up to 6. That is the original co-op cap on this engine, and this build keeps it.

Can I host more than 6 players?

No. The original Killing Floor caps wave-survival co-op at 6, so there is no larger server. Its sequel, Killing Floor 2, seats up to 24 on our modded large tier.

Do custom community maps work?

Not on this first release. Custom maps need a redirect download host, so for now everyone plays the official maps that ship with the server.

How to Host a Killing Floor Server (6-Player Co-op)

Updated Oct 11, 2026

The original Killing Floor is 6-player wave-survival co-op: survive seven waves of Zeds, buy from the Trader between rounds, then fight the Patriarch. The game can host a listen server, but that needs port-forwarding and the host must stay in the game. A dedicated server avoids both. This guide shows how to host one by the hour, pick your map and difficulty, share the join line, and run it from the XWebAdmin panel. No install, no port-forwarding.

What you get

6-player co-op: The full original cap. Seven waves (the Medium game length) plus the Patriarch.
16 official maps: Pick from 16 official maps on deploy. The rest of the stock maps are on the server too, and you can load them from XWebAdmin. Nobody downloads anything before playing.
Five difficulties: Beginner, Normal, Hard, Suicidal, Hell on Earth. You pick one on the deploy form.
XWebAdmin panel: A browser panel to change map, switch difficulty, and kick or ban players live.
By the hour: The server is ready in about 5 minutes and you pay only while it runs.

First person view shooting Zeds in a lab next to a yellow Horzine Biotech machine — Fighting Zeds in the Horzine lab. Every official map ships with the server.

Deploy the server

Open the deploy page, pick a region close to your group, choose a starting map and difficulty, then start it. The server comes up on a public IP in about 5 minutes. You deployed it, so you are the admin.

Region: Pick the location nearest the whole group for the lowest ping.
Map: Default is Biotics Lab. You can change it any time from XWebAdmin.
Difficulty: Default is Normal. Higher settings add more Zeds and tougher specimens.
Join password: Leave it empty for open join, or set one to keep the server friends-only.

How your friends join

The server sits on a public IP, so there is no VPN and no port-forwarding. Friends join two ways: the in-game console, or the server browser. Open the console with the tilde key and run the connect line. Each player needs Killing Floor on Steam.

open IP:7707

Console: Press the tilde key, type the open line above, replace IP with your server address.
Server browser: Find it in the Internet tab, or add it to Favorites by IP. The name starts with 2hours.gg.

Keep it friends-only

If you set a Join password on the deploy form, friends add it to the connect line. Anyone without the password cannot join.

open IP:7707?Password=yourpass

Admin from XWebAdmin

Killing Floor has no in-game admin console and no RCON. You manage the running server from XWebAdmin, a small web panel the server hosts. Open it in a browser and log in with the credentials on your server card. From there you can change the current map, switch difficulty, kick or ban players, and edit server settings.

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8075/

URL: Point a browser at your server IP on port 8075.
Login: User Admin, with the admin password shown on your server card. That password is the panel login, not an RCON password.

What ships built in, and the limits

Perks: The full perk system: Berserker, Commando, Support, Field Medic, Sharpshooter, Firebug, Demolitions. Players level them by playing.
Player cap: Up to 6 players. That is the original co-op cap and this build keeps it, so the game plays as intended.
No bots: There are no fill bots. The Zeds are the enemy, not slot-filling players.
Custom maps: Community maps are not delivered automatically on this release, since that needs a redirect download host. Everyone plays the official maps that ship with the game.

Deploy a Killing Floor server by the hour

First person view of a flamethrower aimed at a Zed on a country road lined with pine trees — The flamethrower, the Firebug perk weapon, one of the seven perks built in.