Security-Relevant Hotfix 14.1.1
Strange Loop Games released Eco 14.1.1 on September 6, 2026. The hotfix fixes a way to manipulate bank data on game servers, as well as a startup crash that could depend on the plugin load order. Check this version promptly, especially if your community runs an active economy.
Back up your world, configuration, and mod inventory, shut the server down cleanly, and use the intended update process. Afterward, check the version that started up, a normal player join, and the bank and account permissions with regular test actions. Also check whether the previously used plugins load without any new startup errors. The announcement documents a fixed vulnerability; it doesn't prove your own server was exploited.
Source: Strange Loop Games: Hotfix 14.1.1.
An Eco server is ready to launch once world size, ports, access rights, and backups have been checked before the first community join. This guide takes you from the ordered server through to a controlled connection test. The key is to set world-generating settings before launch and to make any later changes only with a current backup in hand.
Eco: Civilization Building with a Real Ecosystem Simulation
Eco (Strange Loop Games) differs from classic survival titles through its economy and ecosystem simulation: every tree your community fells, every mine it opens, has a measurable effect on the world's ecosystem. The goal of most community rounds is to build a functioning civilization together before an announced meteor threatens the world — cooperation, occupational specialization, and a working economy aren't a side note here, but the core of the game.
Your own server gives your community full control over world size, starting conditions, difficulty level, and all the rules around economy and government (the latter is covered in the second guide of this series).
Order Your Server
For your own Eco server, select the game in the order wizard and set the right amount of RAM. Eco servers run within a range of 6 to 12 GB RAM, with 8 GB recommended for around 20 concurrent players — if your community grows beyond that, you can upgrade to more RAM at any time.
After ordering, your server is provisioned fully automatically. Once the status in the dashboard switches to "running", you can start configuring it.
Ports: Game and Web Interface
The Eco documentation lists these default ports. For your rented server, use the ports actually assigned in the panel:
| Port | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 3000 | Game connection (the client connects through this) |
| 3001 | Server web interface (server status, chat, some admin functions in the browser) |
Both ports are assigned automatically when you order and are shown in the panel under the connection details. Your players only need the address together with the assigned game port to connect; the web interface at the assigned web port is optional and is useful for checking the server status even without a running client.
World Size and Starting Conditions
When creating a new world, you set, among other things, in the panel:
- World size: smaller worlds suit compact groups and short rounds, larger worlds suit long-term community projects with more resource distribution.
- Meteor threat starting point: the classic Eco premise of an impending impact can be enabled or disabled — disabled, the round plays out as pure building with no time pressure.
- Starting resources and difficulty: how tough the start is (tool wear, hunger, resource density) is set via the difficulty presets.
These settings take effect when the world is created — if you change them afterward, they usually only apply to newly generated areas of the map, not retroactively to terrain already explored.
Server Name and Description
The server name and a short description appear in the public server list within the game itself — for open community servers, it's worth writing a meaningful description here (rules, play style, whether roleplay elements like a government are expected) instead of only informing players after they've joined.
Admins and Whitelist
In the panel, add trusted players as server admins before you publicly promote the server — admin rights allow, among other things, intervening in economic or government disputes, which experience shows tend to arise on a lively Eco server. For closed rounds (e.g., with a fixed group of friends), also enable a whitelist so that only registered player IDs can join.
Backups and Scheduled Restarts
Eco worlds grow noticeably in file size as playtime progresses — so set up automatic backups early via the scheduled tasks in the web panel. A regular, scheduled restart (for example, nightly) also keeps server performance stable without an admin needing to intervene manually.
Connecting
Your players connect using the address shown in the panel together with the assigned game port, directly from Eco's main menu. You can make use of your own subdomain to give your community an easy-to-remember address instead of sharing a plain IP address.
Official Source and Verification
The official Eco wiki on server setup documents the default ports 3000/UDP and 3001/TCP, the storage location of the configuration, and the effect of world generator changes. On a rented server, however, the ports assigned in the panel remain authoritative. After every change, check that the server starts and test a join with a normal player account.
FAQ
Do I always have to enter ports 3000 and 3001 for Eco?
No. Those are the documented default ports. Hosting platforms may assign different ports. So always use the connection details from your panel and only share the game port listed there with your players.
When do I need to generate a new world?
Changes to world size or the world generator don't reliably affect areas that have already been generated. Back up the existing world and only generate a new one if you really want to change these fundamental parameters.
Why isn't my whitelist working?
The official Eco documentation points out that whitelist entries require an SLG ID or Steam64 ID. A visible player name alone isn't enough. Also check whether your server password and the whitelist configuration are set correctly together.
What should I back up before an Eco update?
At minimum, back up the world state and the configuration. After the update, first check the server startup and do a test join before you reopen the server to the community. If problems occur, this lets you revert to the previous state.
Conclusion
With RAM matched to your player count, both ports correctly configured, a well-thought-out world size, and active backups, nothing stands in the way of a stable Eco server. How your community builds an economy and a government on top of that is covered in the second part of this series.