// modpack server guide
Vault Hunters 3 server hosting & setup guide
A Vault Hunters 3 server needs Java 17 and about 8–12 GB of RAM for up to 3 players.
An action RPG pack on Forge 1.18.2: level up, unlock talents and abilities, run randomly generated vaults for loot, and research mods to unlock them as you go.
Pack details checked by hand against Vault Hunters 3rd Edition on CurseForge on October 12, 2026.
Vault Hunters 3rd Edition is a Forge modpack for Minecraft 1.18.2 with 168 mods. We'd pick our Heavy plan (12 GB) for it.
Quick facts
| Loader | Forge |
|---|---|
| Minecraft versions | 1.18.2 |
| Java needed | Java 17 for Minecraft 1.18.2 Java version chart. |
| Mods | 168 modsThe number of mods CurseForge lists for the pack, client-side ones included. |
| RAM | About 8–12 GB for 1–3 playersBy player count. |
| Downloads | 5,925,783 on CurseForgeAs of October 12, 2026. |
| Latest version | July 28, 2026 (version 3.21.7)The newest version when we checked on October 12, 2026. |
| Official server files | Download pagePublished on the CurseForge Files page, for example Vault-Hunters-3rd-Edition-3.21.7-server-files.zip for version 3.21.7. |
| Authors' RAM advice | The pack's wiki puts a server's minimum at 6 GB plus 2 GB for each player online (10 GB for two players, 12 GB for three) and recommends 8 GB plus 2 GB per player.Source |
| Where to get it | Vault Hunters 3rd Edition on CurseForge |
| Tags | adventure and rpg, exploration |
Vault Hunters 3 on a server: what to know
Vault Hunters 3rd Edition runs on Forge 40.3.11 for Minecraft 1.18.2, the version its 3.21.7 setup script uses, and the official wiki says it needs Java 17, not Java 8, 11 or anything newer. The server files contain vh-setup.bat and a PowerShell version but no Linux script; a Unix script is in the team's VH-ServerHelper repository.
The first time the script runs without a server.properties, it asks whether you want Sky Vaults, writes level-type (the_vault:sky_vaults or default) together with allow-flight=true, and for Sky Vaults renames the Terralith jar to .disabled. On a host that creates server.properties itself, do both by hand before the world generates. The wiki sizes servers at 6 GB plus 2 GB for each concurrent player, so 10 GB for two players.
Watch out for
- The wiki suggests -Xms6G -Xmx10G for 2-3 players, -Xms8G -Xmx14G for 4-5 and -Xms10G -Xmx16G for 6 or more. Source.
- The wiki recommends restarting the server every 6 to 12 hours. Source.
Sources: wiki.vaulthunters.gg, curseforge.com, github.com. Checked October 12, 2026.
Vault Hunters 3 server files
Vault Hunters 3's authors publish official server files. Published on the CurseForge Files page, for example Vault-Hunters-3rd-Edition-3.21.7-server-files.zip for version 3.21.7. Get the official server files.
Use the server files for the exact version your players install: a server and client on different pack versions won't connect.
How much RAM does a Vault Hunters 3 server need?
| Players online | RAM | DSN plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 players | About 8–12 GB | Heavy (12 GB)Premium (8 GB) can do at the low end of the range. |
| 4–8 players | About 14–22 GB | More than 12 GBBigger than our biggest plan. |
| 9–15 players | About 24–36 GB | More than 12 GBBigger than our biggest plan. |
These follow the authors' own advice, from the fewest players in each row to the most. The pack's wiki puts a server's minimum at 6 GB plus 2 GB for each player online (10 GB for two players, 12 GB for three) and recommends 8 GB plus 2 GB per player.
With 4–8 players, Vault Hunters 3 can need more than 12 GB, which is more than our biggest plan. A lower view distance and a pre-generated world help it fit; past that, a host with bigger plans is the better choice.
Set Java's heap (-Xmx) 10–15% under the RAM you have, about -Xmx10500M on 12 GB. Forge 1.18.2 reads it from user_jvm_args.txt: uncomment the -Xmx line. RAM guide.
Vault Hunters 3 server requirements
| Java | Java 17 |
|---|---|
| Loader | Forge for Minecraft 1.18.2 |
| CPU | Fast single-core speed (one main thread). With 168 mods, the first start takes minutes. |
| RAM | About 8–36 GB for 1–15 players (table above) |
| Disk | The server files, a growing world and backups |
| Network | TCP port 25565 open to players |
Recommended plan
Our pick for Vault Hunters 3
Heavy
12 GB RAM · planned launch price $42/month
Vault Hunters' wiki puts a server's minimum at 6 GB plus 2 GB for each player online, 12 GB for three players, so we pick Heavy (12 GB) for up to three; four or more need more than our biggest plan.
Ordering is closed until we relaunch. We aren't taking orders or payments while we move to new hardware. Join the launch list and we'll email you when Heavy servers open.
Heavy is our biggest plan. Not sure? Email hello@dsnservers.com.
Planned launch price in USD, billed monthly once ordering opens, with a 7-day refund window.
How to make a Vault Hunters 3 server on your own PC
What's specific to Vault Hunters 3, step by step. The full walkthrough for any pack: how to make a modded Minecraft server.
- Install Java 17.
Check with
java -version. Java version chart. - Get the server files.
Download the official server files for the version your players use and unzip them into an empty folder. Follow the readme that comes with them.
- Start it and accept the EULA.
Run the start script in the server files, or the
run.sh/run.batthe Forge 1.18.2 installer writes, then seteula=trueineula.txtif you accept Mojang's EULA (EULA step). With 168 mods, the first start takes minutes. - Set the RAM with
-Xmx, sized from the table above. - Let friends connect: forward TCP 25565, or use a tunnel or host behind CGNAT (can't connect?).
Or run Vault Hunters 3 on DSN
Once we relaunch (join the launch list), on DSN you'd install Vault Hunters 3 from the panel's CurseForge modpack installer, pick Java 17 on the Startup tab and accept the EULA in the console. No port forwarding.
How to play Vault Hunters 3 with friends
Each player installs Vault Hunters 3 with the CurseForge app or Prism Launcher, the same version as the server, and adds the server's address under Multiplayer.
Different versions of Vault Hunters 3 on the server and a client show up as Mismatched mod channel list or mod rejections. Why friends can't join, timeouts included.
Lag and performance on Vault Hunters 3
Can't keep up! Is the server overloaded? means ticks take longer than 50 ms; more RAM won't fix that once Vault Hunters 3 has enough (tick lag guide). For Vault Hunters 3:
- Measure first: spark's
/spark tpsand profiler work on 1.18.2 and name the mod or machine using the tick time. - Distances:
view-distance=8and a lowersimulation-distanceinserver.properties. - Pre-generate: Chunky for 1.18.2,
/chunky radius 3000then/chunky start, before people explore. - Chunk loaders keep machines running with nobody nearby; in a pack this size, dozens add up.
Common Vault Hunters 3 crashes
What a Forge 1.18.2 server running Vault Hunters 3 hits most. For any other error, paste the log into the free crash log analyzer.
- Out of memory. Vault Hunters 3 (168 mods) needs about 8–12 GB for 1–3 players;
java.lang.OutOfMemoryErrormeans it ran out. Out-of-memory fix. - Wrong Java version. Vault Hunters 3 on Minecraft 1.18.2 needs Java 17. Started on Java 8, it stops with
UnsupportedClassVersionError: ... class file version 61.0, this version of the Java Runtime only recognizes class file versions up to 52.0. Java version fix. - Client-only mod on the server. This one shows up when the mods folder is copied from a player's game instead of installed as a server. Check a mods list with the client-or-server-side checker. Client-only mod fix.
- After adding or updating a mod. Mods you add to Vault Hunters 3 by hand usually crash it with a missing dependency or a mixin conflict.
- Ticking entity or block entity. The crash report names it and gives its coordinates. Ticking entity fix.
Updates and support
Before moving Vault Hunters 3 past version 3.21.7, back up the world: see updating a modpack server without losing your world.
Bugs in Vault Hunters 3 itself go to its authors through its CurseForge page. Server problems on DSN: hello@dsnservers.com or Discord.
Packs like Vault Hunters 3
More: all modpack guides and how to make a modded server.
Run Vault Hunters 3 on DSN when we relaunch.
Our pick, Heavy: 12 GB, planned at $42/month.
DSN Servers isn't affiliated with Vault Hunters 3rd Edition or CurseForge. We wrote the summary and checked the pack's facts by hand on October 12, 2026. Sources: curseforge.com, curseforge.com (2), curseforge.com (3), api.cfwidget.com, wiki.vaulthunters.gg.