# Subnautica 2 Server Documentation (/docs/subnautica-2)



import { Card, Cards } from "fumadocs-ui/components/card";
import { Callout } from "fumadocs-ui/components/callout";
import { Rocket, Settings, Wrench, Package, Shield, Save, Bug, Terminal, KeyRound, Gamepad, Users, Download, Github } from "lucide-react";

Everything you need to run a Subnautica 2 dedicated server. Out of the box, Subnautica 2 ships with stock 4-player online co-op only — **no official dedicated server exists.** These guides cover hosting via the open-source [Beacon framework](https://github.com/HumanGenome/Beacon) (MIT-licensed), which replaces the stock lobby with standard networking so people can join a persistent server by IP — and lifts the player cap to 8. The host never has to be online for friends to play.

<Callout type="info">
  **Beacon is a community open-source project**, maintained by HumanGenome at [github.com/HumanGenome/Beacon](https://github.com/HumanGenome/Beacon). It is **not affiliated with or endorsed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment**. When Unknown Worlds ships official Subnautica 2 dedicated server tools during Early Access, we'll migrate to those at no extra cost — these guides will be updated accordingly.
</Callout>

> 📝 **Note:** All players who want to join your server need the free **Beacon launcher** (from the Beacon project releases page). The stock Steam/Epic game can't connect to a server by IP — the launcher is what makes joining by `IP:gameplayport` work.

Setup & Connect [#setup--connect]

<Cards>
  <Card icon={<Rocket />} title="Dedicated Server Setup" description="What's deployed for you and how to get your server live." href="/docs/subnautica-2/dedicated-server-setup" />

  <Card icon={<Download />} title="Join via Beacon Launcher" description="How friends connect to your hosted Subnautica 2 server using the free Beacon Launcher." href="/docs/subnautica-2/join-server" />
</Cards>

Configuration [#configuration]

<Cards>
  <Card icon={<Settings />} title="Configure Your Server" description="Change server name, password, and slots from the panel Startup tab — no file editing." href="/docs/subnautica-2/configure-your-server" />

  <Card icon={<Users />} title="Player Slots (MaxPlayers)" description="Beacon supports up to 8 players. How to set and what to expect." href="/docs/subnautica-2/player-slots" />
</Cards>

Admin & Mods [#admin--mods]

<Cards>
  <Card icon={<Terminal />} title="RCON & Admin API" description="Launcher admin panel, Source-protocol RCON commands, and the HMAC-signed HTTP admin API." href="/docs/subnautica-2/rcon-and-api" />

  <Card icon={<Save />} title="Save Snapshots & Rollback" description="Automatic and manual world snapshots, and how to roll your world back to any of them." href="/docs/subnautica-2/save-snapshots" />

  <Card icon={<Package />} title="Installing Mods (UE4SS)" description="Add UE4SS Lua mods, the bundled BeaconConnect mod, and the UE 5.6 gotcha." href="/docs/subnautica-2/install-mods" />
</Cards>

Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]

<Cards>
  <Card icon={<Bug />} title="Common Issues" description="Players can't connect, server won't start, UE4SS injection errors, port problems." href="/docs/subnautica-2/troubleshooting" />
</Cards>

Related [#related]

* [Subnautica + Nitrox (the original 2018 game) docs →](/docs/subnautica)
* [Subnautica 2 server hosting (landing page) →](https://xgamingserver.com/subnautica-server-hosting?utm_source=docs\&utm_medium=referral\&utm_campaign=subnautica-server-hosting)
* [Beacon on GitHub →](https://github.com/HumanGenome/Beacon)
* [UE4SS on GitHub →](https://github.com/UE4SS-RE/RE-UE4SS)