Fika Headless Client Explained: 24/7 Dedicated SPT Co-op Hosting

The Headless Client is an exclusive Fika feature and the closest thing to a true dedicated server for co-op Tarkov. Instead of one player’s game also acting as the host, the headless client runs the raid on a separate Escape From Tarkov instance, offloading the heavy AI calculation and other resource-intensive tasks.

Why it matters: 25–50% more FPS

When the headless client runs on a separate PC from where you play, the Fika wiki reports FPS gains “usually around 25% to 50% depending on your computer specifications and amount of bots in the game.” With the headless client hosting, every player becomes a client — including whoever clicks HOST RAID — so no one’s machine is stuck doing double duty.

It’s not a lightweight “server”

One important nuance: the headless client is basically another full SPT+Fika instance with graphics rendering disabled. It is not a true headless server — it still needs all the game files and “a pretty hefty amount of RAM to work (especially for bigger maps such as Streets or Lighthouse).” A graphics card isn’t required to run it, though it helps when configuring mods.

Why the wiki says rent a dedicated server

The Fika team is blunt about hosting it properly: it is “strongly recommended to run the headless client on a separate physical machine. The headless client will NOT work on a VPS. If you really wish to use a paid host, rent a dedicated server.” That’s exactly the model a dedicated Stay in Tarkov (SPT/Fika) server provides — a real dedicated machine that’s online 24/7, so your group’s raids run whether or not anyone’s gaming PC is on.

Set it up before mods

Because a headless setup can complicate certain mods, it’s much easier to get the headless client working first, on a clean SPT+Fika install, and add mods afterward. Our docs cover installing mods once your server is running.

Facts in this guide are drawn from the official Project Fika wiki. Fika is a free, non-commercial community project for SPT and is intended for private co-op with friends — you must own Escape From Tarkov to use it.