What you need
- Assetto Corsa EVO and the official dedicated server tool, free in Steam: Library › Tools, Assetto Corsa EVO Dedicated Server. Keep it on the same version as the game, or players may be refused.
- A PC that stays on for the whole session: the server runs on your machine.
- An EvoForge membership to host from EvoForge (from €5 a month on Patreon). Joining servers is free.
- For the EvoForge relay (hosting without opening ports): Windows.
Why it is tedious by hand
On its own, the dedicated server needs its settings written by hand, the track and cars prepared, ports opened on your router, Windows Firewall told to let it in, and a way to check from outside that players can actually reach it. Every step can fail silently: the server starts, nobody gets in, and nothing says why. EvoForge does those steps for you and tells you what to do when something blocks.
Hosting with EvoForge, step by step
- Open Multiplayer, then Host.
- Fill in The essentials: track and layout, the cars allowed, and the format: Practice (one open session, everyone joins and leaves freely) or Race weekend (practice, qualifying, then the race on a grid).
- Choose who can join: Everyone (listed, no password), Friends only (listed with a padlock; the invitation link carries the password), My team or Event entrants (their EvoForge receives the password, nothing to copy), or not announced to test that a track loads.
- Adjust the advanced settings if you want: conditions, rules and penalties (“Kunos” means the game’s own rules).
- Read the pre-flight check. EvoForge verifies the server tool, its version, the firewall and the network, and says how to fix anything that would keep players out.
- Start the server. You follow each step: preparing the track and cars, opening the router, checking from the Internet, starting. Your server appears in the list and your friends see that you are hosting.
Ports, UPnP and the relay
Players must be able to reach your PC from the Internet. EvoForge offers three ways, under Network:
| Connection | What happens | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic | EvoForge asks your router to open the ports (UPnP) if it allows it, checks from the Internet, and goes through its relay otherwise. | Recommended: nothing to set up. |
| Open ports | Never the relay: UPnP, or ports forwarded by hand on your router. | Lowest latency, if your router lets the ports in. |
| EvoForge relay | Players connect to the relay, which forwards everything to your PC. No port to open, and it works behind a shared IP address (CGNAT, many 4G and fibre boxes). | When your router cannot be opened. Windows only. |
Mod cars and tracks on your server
You can host with mod cars and tracks, converted ones included: EvoForge prepares them on the server when it starts. Players who do not have them download them directly from your PC through EvoForge, for the content you choose to share. Your PC must stay online while they download.
Bringing players in
- The invitation link opens EvoForge on the right server, password included for a private server.
- Your Paddock friends see that you are hosting and join in one click; they receive the password automatically.
- Teams and events: choose My team or Event entrants and only those drivers get in. For a league, see how to run an Assetto Corsa EVO championship.
FAQ
Do I need to open ports to host an Assetto Corsa EVO server?
Not necessarily. EvoForge opens them through UPnP when your router allows it, and otherwise goes through its relay, which needs no port forwarding at all.
Where do I get the Assetto Corsa EVO dedicated server?
In Steam, under Library › Tools: Assetto Corsa EVO Dedicated Server. It is free for owners of the game. Keep it updated to the same version as the game.
Can players without EvoForge join my server?
On a public server, yes, from the game’s own server list. Team and event servers hand the password through EvoForge, so those drivers need it.
Is hosting free?
Hosting from EvoForge is part of the membership, from €5 a month on Patreon. Joining servers and downloading the host’s mods are free.
EvoForge is a free download for Windows 10 / 11 and Linux. Assetto Corsa EVO required.