Linux is the best server operating system, right? As it turns out, not always. While I used to run all of my game servers on Linux, a recent issue pushed me toward Windows for game server hosting—and I’m actually happy with the switch.
I’ve Almost Always Used Linux for Game Server Hosting
I have been running game servers almost as long as I’ve been homelabbing. I spun up my first game server back in 2021 onmy Unraid server. I was originally usingMineOSas that’s what my friend at the time wanted to run (they were his servers). This worked for the first little bit, but I eventually started looking for other software to use.
There was a short stint where I used a spare Windows PC to run my Minecraft servers because I couldn’t get MineOS to run how I needed, but as soon as I found Linux-based software to run my Minecraft servers, I was right back on Linux. I eventually landed on usingCrafty Controllerto runmy Minecraft serverson Unraid, and then eventually transitioned over to usingPterodactylon my Proxmox server once I got that going.
Linux has simply powered my game server setup for years—up until some recent changes pushed me in a different direction.
Linux Is the Standard for Most Servers
One of my primary reasons for using Linux for game server hosting is because Linux is so ubiquitous in the server world. It works well as aheadless server, has a crazy amount of documentation, and there are YouTube videos explaining almost anything you need to (or want to) do.
Linux is also the industry standard when it comes to hosting servers in general. If you’re working in a server environment, chances are you’re working on Linux. Of course,Windows Serverand other operating systems do exist, but Linux is just a go-to.
Because of this, I decided to run all of my software inside a Linux server in my homelab. I had different virtual machines spun up for various tasks, but they were all running the same operating system: Ubuntu 24.04.
Not All Games Support Linux Servers Anymore
All was going great with Linux hosting my game servers, up until a few weeks ago. One of the servers that I host for a buddy of mine is ARK: Survival Evolved. It was a bit of a pain to get set up (and very resource-hungry), but it ran fine once we got it going.
However, a few weeks ago, he messaged me letting me know the server was down. I set out to fix it, thinking a simple update broke it, or it just needed to be manually restarted. Well, an update did break it, but not in the way I expected.
As of June 25, 2025, the ARK: Survival Evolved teamcompletely removed support for Linux serversand binaries from the game with no explanation. This is why the server broke—it updated to the latest version and no longer could boot the server as the binaries required to start were gone.
This coincided with the release of ARK: Survival Evolved’sAquatica updatethat released on July 15th. A workaround to get the server working again was tochange the release branch to preaquatica,but this meant that the users couldn’t run the latest version of the game either.
I used this to temporarily fix the server, but it wasn’t a long-term solution. So, I set out to find the best way to run the servers, and the answer was surprising: Windows. The problem was that I was using Pterodactyl to run my game servers, so I also had to find a new game server manager at the same time.
CubeCoders’ AMP Handles All My Game Server Needs
There are many game server managers for Windows. In fact, one is even calledWindowsGSM(Windows Game Server Manager). I did a few hours worth of research on game server managers, and none of them met my needs for one reason or another, whether that was game support, the web interface, or something else. That is, until I came acrossCubeCoders’ AMPagain.
You see, I bought a license to AMP several years ago when I spun up those Minecraft servers on my spare Windows desktop, and haven’t touched it since then. I just didn’t have a need to. Now, however, it was the saving grace for hosting game servers for me.
AMP supports just about all major games from Steam to Minecraft and many others. After looking into it, and realizing that AMP checked every box I was looking for, I spun up a Windows virtual machine for it.
The virtual machine (which runs on my Proxmox server) has plenty of horsepower to run all the game servers I could ever want—including eight cores of my i9-13900K and 48GB of DDR4 RAM with 256GB of NVMe storage. This allows me to run as many or as few servers as I want without worrying that the system will lag.
I use Windows Remote Desktop to access the virtual machine if I need to use the normal Windows interface, but I’ve actually got a reverse proxy set up to the AMP IP and port so I can access the web interface from any computer at home or on-the-go.
This allows me to manage my game servers from anywhere, which has come in handy quite a few times. Through the AMP web interface, I can actually spin up brand-new game servers or modify existing ones. Because of how the file manager works, I can even start up a new modded Minecraft server and upload any mods that I want—all remotely through the web interface.
AMP also fixed the issue that started my search—ARK: Survival Evolved. It took me a little while to get the server progress moved from Pterodactyl to AMP, but I eventually got it migrated and got the server up and running again. Now, the ARK server is stable for whenever my friend wants to play, and I don’t have to worry about deprecation anymore.
Plus, since my game servers now run on Windows, I’ll have fewer issues going forward as many Steam game servers simply prefer Windows as a server host since that’s what the game itself runs on.
Moving from Pterodactyl to AMP was also a huge upgrade for me that I didn’t know I needed. Pterodactyl relies on “eggs” to function, and I had to have two dedicated virtual machines going for it to function properly. These eggs can become outdated if the maintainers stop working on them. That can lead to issues in and of itself.
AMP, on the other hand, has all the game servers built into the core app and is constantly updated by the CubeCoders team. This means that games should always be using the latest configurations and gives me a bit more confidence in the servers that I run.
AMP
CubeCoders' AMP is game management software designed to run on Windows and Linux, enabling you to manage your favorite game servers.
Running game servers is actually easier than you might think, andthere are major benefits to running your favorite game’s serverinstead of just playing locally. For instance, I typicallyrun my single-player Minecraft games on a serverinstead of local to my machine.
Getting started with running your own Minecraft serversis actually super simple. AMP definitely adds some complexity to the setup, but a basic Minecraft (or modded Minecraft) server can be up and running in just a few minutes. So, if you haven’t thought about running your own game servers, I definitely think you should give it a try.
