Required Ports Matrix
| Port | Protocol | Purpose | Routing Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16261 | UDP | Primary game handshake and client synchronization | Direct unproxied UDP |
| 16262 | UDP | Direct connection peer communication | Direct unproxied UDP |
| 8766 | UDP | Steam master server query and server browser discovery | Direct unproxied UDP |
Important
Project Zomboid multiplayer communicates exclusively over UDP. TCP ports are not used by the game engine.
DustBowl Warden Network Allocation
On DustBowl Warden, assigned ports are forwarded automatically to your container:
- Confirm your assigned network ports in the Warden Network tab.
- If using a custom domain (e.g.,
pz.example.com), ensure the DNS record is set to DNS Only (Grey Cloud) in Cloudflare. Cloudflare HTTP proxying does not forward raw UDP packets on port 16261. - Distribute your connection address as
<IP>:16261to players.
Useful Interactive Tools
- Generate direct player connection instructions with the Direct Connect URL Generator.