The Front has a dedicated server for Windows, installed via SteamCMD (app 2612550 according to most guides) and configured through The Front Manager and ServerConfig_.ini. Allow 45 to 90 minutes. No official documentation could be consulted: the figures below come from hosting guides, sometimes diverging, and are flagged as such.
Step-by-step installation
Prepare a 64-bit Windows machine (Windows 10+ or Server 2016+) with RAM and an SSD.
Download SteamCMD and install app 2612550.
Generate ServerConfig_.ini with The Front Manager (from the game) and copy the Manager folder to the server (except data and plugins).
Create StartServer.bat with the site's tool (public IP address, port block).
Open the block of four ports (e.g. 7900 to 7903) in Windows Firewall and at the provider.
Run StartServer.bat; loading can take several minutes.
In the game open Servers > Dedicated Server group > Refresh, then look for your server.
Create a scheduled task at startup that runs StartServer.bat.
Schedule updates and backups (world AND database), then list the server on game-rank.com.
Requirements
64-bit Windows (Windows 10+ or Server 2016+). Needs cited by one hosting guide: 4-core CPU (about 2 full cores), several GB of RAM — the same guide says up to 7 GB and elsewhere 6 GB minimum, another reports well over ten GB in practice — and a few GB of disk for the install. Guides diverge: one says a purchased copy of the game is needed to download the server, two others that an anonymous login suffices. Try anonymous first.
Local install (Windows)
With SteamCMD, install the server into C:\TheFrontServer. The update command is identical (without validate to go faster). If your account is required, replace anonymous with your Steam username.
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "C:\TheFrontServer" +login anonymous +app_update 2612550 validate +quitInstall on a Linux VPS / dedicated server
Use a dedicated server or a Windows Server 2016/2022 VPS. The guides consulted only describe Windows; Linux with Wine is neither documented nor verified here. Install the server as above, copy the TheFrontManager folder generated with the game, then run StartServer.bat (public IP in -OutIPAddress, data folder created beforehand in -UserDir).
cd /d C:\TheFrontServer
StartServer.batPorts to open
Four consecutive ports from the game port: game, beacon (handshake), Steam query, shutdown service. One guide (LOW.MS) gives 7900 to 7903 over UDP; another (IONOS) cites 5001/5002/5003 and 27015 over TCP/UDP with different Manager settings. Trust the ports shown in your Manager or in the -port/-BeaconPort/-QueryPort/-ShutDownServicePort arguments; with several servers, shift the block by 5.
- port — game
- port+1 — beacon (handshake)
- port+2 — Steam query
- port+3 — shutdown service
Windows firewall (netsh)
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="The Front 7900-7903 TCP" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=7900-7903
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="The Front 7900-7903 UDP" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=7900-7903Provider firewall and home router (NAT)
At OVH, Hetzner, Scaleway and similar providers, also open the same ports in the provider firewall (security group / panel firewall): it filters before the machine. For home hosting, create a NAT (port forward) rule on your router for each port to the server's local IP, with the right protocol. Test from outside (mobile network); never expose administration ports (RCON) without a strong password.
Automatic start on Windows
Create a task that runs at startup with highest privileges and launches StartServer.bat; add restart-on-failure in the task settings.
schtasks /Create /TN "TheFrontServer" /TR "C:\TheFrontServer\StartServer.bat" /SC ONSTART /RU SYSTEM /RL HIGHESTUpdates
Stop the server, rerun the app_update command (without validate for a quick patch), then restart. Client and server must be on the same version.
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "C:\TheFrontServer" +login anonymous +app_update 2612550 +quitBackups and scheduled restarts
According to a host guide, saves combine a MariaDB database and world files, and a reinstall wipes the database: back up the server folder, the -UserDir folder AND the database. Schedule a daily restart with a scheduled task (here 05:00).
schtasks /Create /TN "TheFrontRestart" /TR "taskkill /IM TheFrontServer.exe /F" /SC DAILY /ST 05:00 /RU SYSTEMListing and finding your server
Once the server is reachable from outside, add it on game-rank.com/jeux/the-front (the owner's site) so players can discover it.
Troubleshooting
- Server running but invisible in the list: copy steamclient.dll, tier0_s.dll, tier0_s64.dll, vstdlib_s.dll and vstdlib_s64.dll from your Steam client to ProjectWar\Binaries\Win64 (per one guide), and check the query port.
- NPCs spawn but don't move: launch with the ?DedicatedServer token (not ?OfficialServer) and, per one guide, copy the WindowsServer and TheFrontManager folders from a client.
- Version mismatch: the server wasn't updated after a patch — rerun app_update.
- ServerConfig_.ini changes have no effect: the file isn't in TheFrontManager or the server wasn't restarted (no hot reload).
- Progress lost after a reinstall: the database was wiped — restore it from your backup.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the server's Steam app ID?
- 2612550 according to IONOS, xgamingserver and other guides; one host guide (LOW.MS) cites 2285150, shared with the game. If one fails, try the other and check SteamDB.
- Is there a Linux version?
- The guides consulted only describe Windows; running under Wine is mentioned by one guide but neither documented nor verified here.
- Why no systemd service?
- The server is documented for Windows only; automatic start therefore uses a scheduled task.
- Why back up the database?
- Per one guide, saves combine a MariaDB database and world files: without the database a backup is incomplete and a reinstall wipes it.