Squad server requirements and performance

A Squad server’s job is to keep 100 players, their vehicles and every bullet in step. That takes fast CPU cores more than memory. This guide covers the RAM to plan for, how to read server performance, and what to change when a full match feels slow.

How much RAM to plan for

8 GB is also Offworld’s minimum for a licensed server. Our RAM calculator gives the same advice for your player count and mods.

CPU matters most

Squad’s server runs most of a match on one main thread. A faster core keeps the match smooth. Extra cores help less. Before Squad opens, we’ll measure a full 100-player match on our own machines and size the plans from what we see.

Tick rate

The server updates the match a set number of times each second. That’s its tick rate, and Wilderack starts Squad at 50. When the server has more work than it can do, the real rate drops below that. Players feel it as:

• Rubber-banding, where players jump back a few steps
• Hits that land late or not at all
• Vehicles that stutter

Offworld’s licensing rules judge licensed servers on this rate: above 35 is green, under 25 is yellow, and under 15 puts the license at risk. A busy licensed server needs headroom.

Keep a full match smooth

1. Pick the region closest to your players. Lower ping makes every match feel better. US East and Europe are open now.
2. Size the plan for your busiest hour, not your quietest. A 100-player match on 8 GB runs out of room.
3. Go easy on heavy mods. Big faction and vehicle mods add memory and work each tick. Add them one at a time and watch the graphs.
4. Restart once a day. A scheduled restart in Schedules clears out memory that builds up over many matches. Pick an hour when the server is empty.
5. Use a queue, not a bigger cap. Keep Max players at 100 and let the queue hold the rest.

Read the graphs

The Overview tab shows CPU and memory over time. Look at them during your busiest match:

• Memory near the top of your plan: move up a plan, or drop a heavy mod.
• CPU pinned high with players complaining: fewer players or fewer mods will help most.
• Both fine, players still lag: it’s likely their own connection or distance. Check that you picked the right region.

Why Squad servers stay on

Players find Squad servers in the server browser. A server that sleeps drops out of it, so Squad servers never sleep and are sold on always-on plans.