The Best Games for Dedicated Servers in 2026
Hosting your own game server is more popular than ever. Whether you want a private world for friends or a thriving public community, these are the top games to host a server for in 2026.
1. Minecraft
Why it's still #1: Over 15 years after release, Minecraft remains the king of game servers. An endless modding community, regular updates, and universal appeal make it the safest bet for a server.
What's new in 2026:
- New biomes, mobs, and game mechanics continue to expand the vanilla experience
- The modding scene is stronger than ever with Forge, Fabric, and NeoForge
- Performance mods like Lithium and Sodium make servers smoother than ever
Best for: All ages, creative communities, survival groups, minigame networks
Recommended specs: 4GB+ RAM, high clock speed CPU
2. Palworld
Why it's hot: The "Pokemon with guns" sensation continues to dominate, with regular content updates keeping players hooked. Its multiplayer is best experienced on a dedicated server.
What makes it great for hosting:
- Co-op focused gameplay encourages server communities
- Base building and Pal management benefit from persistent servers
- Active development with regular updates and new content
Best for: Friend groups, survival/crafting fans, creature collector fans
Recommended specs: 8GB+ RAM, modern CPU
3. Valheim
Why it endures: Valheim's Viking survival adventure has a loyal community. The game's atmospheric world and satisfying progression keep players coming back, especially with new content updates in 2026.
What makes it great for hosting:
- Perfect for small groups (2-10 players)
- World persists for friends to play on their own schedules
- Modding adds hundreds of hours of additional content
Best for: Small friend groups, survival enthusiasts, Viking fans
Recommended specs: 4GB+ RAM, stable CPU performance
4. ARK: Survival Ascended
Why people love it: Taming dinosaurs and building massive bases creates addiction-level engagement. Survival Ascended in Unreal Engine 5 looks incredible and has a growing mod community.
What makes it great for hosting:
- One of the most customizable server experiences
- Hundreds of settings to tweak gameplay
- Massive mod community on CurseForge
- Cluster support for multi-map servers
Best for: Hardcore survival fans, large communities, dinosaur enthusiasts
Recommended specs: 8-16GB RAM, powerful CPU (ARK is resource-heavy)
5. Rust
Why it's popular: Rust's intense PvP survival gameplay creates unforgettable moments. Running your own server lets you control the rules and build a unique community.
What makes it great for hosting:
- Highly configurable server settings
- Active plugin ecosystem (uMod/Oxide)
- Weekly or biweekly wipe cycles keep things fresh
- Strong competitive community
Best for: PvP fans, competitive gamers, mature audiences
Recommended specs: 8GB+ RAM, high-performance CPU
Honorable Mentions
- Enshrouded: Survival crafting RPG with excellent co-op, still growing fast in 2026
- Satisfactory: Co-op factory building at its finest, 1.0 has been a hit
- 7 Days to Die: Zombie survival with deep base building, 1.0 launched strong
- Terraria: 2D sandbox with incredible depth
- Project Zomboid: The ultimate zombie survival sim with dedicated multiplayer
How to Get Started
No matter which game you choose, getting a server running is easier than ever:
- Pick your game from the list above
- Choose a hosting plan that matches your player count and mod needs
- Configure your server using an easy-to-use control panel
- Invite your friends and start playing
DoomHosting offers hosting for all the games listed above with instant setup, automatic updates, and mod support included.
Browse all game servers and start hosting today.