To host an Arma Reforger dedicated server, deploy a server on a host like Loafhosts, edit config.json with your name and scenario, set an admin password, and start it. A dedicated server runs the Enfusion server process independently of any player's game, so the world stays up day and night. This guide is a clean step-by-step from an empty plan to a server players can join, with the exact fields and console messages to look for along the way.
What You Need Before You Start
Hosting a dedicated server is mostly straightforward, but a little preparation makes it faster. You need a hosting plan, a clear idea of which scenario you want to run, and the Reforger IDs of anyone who will be an admin. You do not need to install the dedicated server tools yourself when you use a managed host; that is already handled.
- Decide up front whether the server is public or password protected
- Collect the Reforger IDs of your admins now so you can add them in one pass
- Pick your starting scenario, for example a Conflict campaign or a Game Master mission
- A Reforger ID is shown in-game by clicking your profile name in the main menu; it is not the same as a Steam ID
Step 1: Deploy the Server
On Loafhosts, deploying a dedicated Arma Reforger server takes about 60 seconds and there are no setup fees. Choose a plan family and region that match your community first.
- Go to loafhosts.com and choose a Loafbox or Shared plan
- Select your region: New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, or Frankfurt on Shared; Montreal or Frankfurt on Loafbox
- Complete checkout
- Open LoafHub at hub.loafhosts.com and select your new server
- Wait for the LPV5 panel to show the server deployed and ready
- Loafbox gives you dedicated CPU threads, which is the better pick for large or modded servers
- Shared gives unlimited CPU allocation and is great value for smaller groups
Step 2: Open config.json
Arma Reforger reads everything from a config.json file. The LPV5 panel gives you a config editor so you can edit it in the browser without an FTP client.
- In the LPV5 panel, open the configuration or config editor section
- Select config.json
- If the file is empty or minimal, you will fill in the core fields in the next steps
- Keep the editor open; you will save once at the end
- config.json must remain valid JSON at all times; an extra comma or missing quote prevents the server from starting
Step 3: Set the Core Server Fields
These fields define your server identity and basic limits. Set the name players will see, the player cap, and whether the server is publicly visible.
"name": "[NA] My Reforger Server""maxPlayers": 64true"""strong-secret"- Use a server name that includes your region tag so players know latency at a glance
- Set passwordAdmin to something only your staff knows before going public
Step 4: Choose Your Scenario
The scenarioId field tells the server which mission or campaign to load. Conflict and Game Master scenarios each have their own IDs. Vanilla scenario IDs are well documented; modded scenario IDs come from the mod.
"{ECC61978EDCC2B5A}Missions/23_Campaign.conf"- Pick a Conflict campaign for objective-based combined-arms play
- Pick a Game Master scenario when you want a live admin to build the mission
- A modded scenario ID is provided on the mod's Workshop page
- The scenarioId always has the form of a GUID in braces followed by a path ending in .conf
Step 5: Add Admins
Admins are listed by Reforger ID in the game.admins array. Anyone in that array can use admin tools, including the Game Master menu on Game Master scenarios.
- Ask each admin for their Reforger ID from the main menu profile screen
- Add each ID as a quoted string inside the admins array
- Separate multiple IDs with commas, with no trailing comma after the last one
"admins": ["reforger-id-1", "reforger-id-2"]- Only add Reforger IDs you trust; admins can kick, ban, and control sessions
Step 6: Save, Start, and Verify
With config.json filled in, save it and start the server. The console is where you confirm a clean boot. Watch for the scenario load line and the ready state.
- Save config.json in the panel
- Open the Console tab
- Press Start
- Watch for the server to load your scenario and reach a running state
- Confirm there are no JSON parse errors or missing mod errors in the log
- If the server stops immediately, the first suspect is invalid JSON in config.json
- A clean log ends with the server idle and waiting for players
Step 7: Connect and Test
The final step is a real join. Search for your server in the in-game browser or use Direct Connect with the IP and port from the panel.
- Copy the server IP and game port from the LPV5 panel
- In Arma Reforger, find your server by name or use Direct Connect
- Join and confirm the scenario loads correctly
- Have an admin run #login with the admin password to confirm admin access
- Share the connection details with your players
- If you cannot find a modded server in the browser, Direct Connect with the IP and port always works