📚 Killing Floor 2 Server Guide

Wave-Based Co-Op Survival - Comprehensive Setup

📋 Quick Info

Engine:	Unreal Engine 3 (Modified)
Developer:	Tripwire Interactive
App ID:	232130
Game Port:	7777 UDP (default)
Query Port:	27015 UDP (default)
Web Admin:	8080 TCP (default)
Max Players:	6 (standard), up to 32 with mods
Game Modes:	Survival, Endless, Weekly Outbreak, Versus Survival
Perks:	10 unique classes (Berserker, Commando, Medic, etc.)
Platform:	Windows, Linux

Overview

Killing Floor 2 is a brutal wave-based co-op FPS where teams of up to 6 players fight through hordes of genetically engineered monsters (Zeds) developed by the Horzine Biotech Corporation. Each player selects a unique Perk class with specialized weapons and abilities.

The game features a sophisticated economy system where players earn "Dosh" during waves to buy weapons, ammo, and armor. Between waves, players strategically shop at Trader Pods scattered across maps. The action culminates in an epic boss battle after the final wave.

Key Features

10 Perk Classes: Berserker, Commando, Medic, Demolitionist, Firebug, Gunslinger, Sharpshooter, Support, SWAT, Survivalist
Wave-Based Survival: 4, 7, or 10 waves with scaling difficulty
Boss Fights: Multiple unique bosses (Hans Volter, Patriarch, King Fleshpound, etc.)
MEAT System: Realistic gore and dismemberment system
Weapon Trading: Buy, upgrade, and share weapons with teammates
Difficulty Levels: Normal, Hard, Suicidal, Hell on Earth
Weekly Outbreaks: Special modifiers and challenges rotate weekly

🔌 Ports & Firewall Configuration

Required Ports

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Required
7777	UDP	Game server (main connection)	✓ Yes
27015	UDP	Query port (server browser)	✓ Yes
8080	TCP	Web Admin interface	Optional (Recommended)
20560	UDP	Steam server list port	Optional

💡 Note: Port numbers are configurable. Defaults shown above. Multiple servers require unique port combinations (e.g., Game: 7777, 7778; Query: 27015, 27016).

Firewall Configuration Examples

Ubuntu/Debian (UFW)

# Allow KF2 game port
sudo ufw allow 7777/udp

# Allow query port (server browser)
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp

# Allow Web Admin (if using)
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp

# Steam port (optional)
sudo ufw allow 20560/udp

# Enable firewall
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

CentOS/RHEL (FirewallD)

# Add KF2 ports
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=7777/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=27015/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8080/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=20560/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
sudo firewall-cmd --list-ports

Windows Firewall (PowerShell)

# Game server
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "KF2 Game Port" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 7777 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow

# Query port
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "KF2 Query Port" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 27015 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow

# Web Admin
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "KF2 Web Admin" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 8080 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow

iptables (Advanced)

# Allow KF2 ports
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 7777 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 27015 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 20560 -j ACCEPT

# Save rules (Ubuntu/Debian)
netfilter-persistent save

# Save rules (CentOS/RHEL)
service iptables save

Installation

Prerequisites

SteamCMD installed (Installation Guide)
Disk space: ~30 GB for full installation
RAM: 4GB minimum, 8GB recommended for 6 players
Open firewall ports (7777, 27015, 8080 TCP)
Linux: 64-bit system with required libraries

Linux Installation

# Create server directory
mkdir -p ~/kf2_server
cd ~/kf2_server

# Install required libraries (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libstdc++6:i386 lib32gcc1 libcurl4-gnutls-dev:i386

# Download server files with SteamCMD
steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/kf2_server +login anonymous +app_update 232130 validate +quit

# Note: App ID 232130 is for Killing Floor 2 Dedicated Server
# Download size is approximately 25-30 GB

Windows Installation

# Download SteamCMD for Windows
# Extract to C:\steamcmd\

# Create server directory
mkdir C:\kf2_server

# Run SteamCMD
C:\steamcmd\steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\kf2_server +login anonymous +app_update 232130 validate +quit

⚙️ Configuration

Main Configuration Files

KF2 server configuration is split across multiple .ini files in KFGame/Config/:

PCServer-KFGame.ini - Main server settings (game mode, difficulty, maps)
PCServer-KFEngine.ini - Engine settings (ports, web admin, network)
KFWeb.ini - Web Admin configuration

PCServer-KFEngine.ini (Essential Settings)

Edit KFGame/Config/PCServer-KFEngine.ini:

[Engine.GameReplicationInfo]
ServerName=My Killing Floor 2 Server
ShortName=KF2

[IpDrv.TcpNetDriver]
AllowDownloads=True
ConnectionTimeout=60.0
InitialConnectTimeout=120.0
MaxClientRate=20000
MaxInternetClientRate=10000
NetServerMaxTickRate=30
LanServerMaxTickRate=35

[OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.KFWorkshopSteamworks]
ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=  # Add Workshop item IDs here

[IpDrv.TcpNetDriver]
DownloadManagers=IpDrv.HTTPDownload

[IpDrv.HTTPDownload]
# Set up FastDL (optional)
# RedirectToURL=http://yourfastdl.com/kf2/

[Engine.AccessControl]
AdminPassword=YourAdminPassword
GamePassword=  # Leave empty for public server

[SystemSettings]
ResX=800
ResY=600

PCServer-KFGame.ini (Game Settings)

Edit KFGame/Config/PCServer-KFGame.ini:

[KFGame.KFGameInfo]
ServerName=My KF2 Server
GameDifficulty=1  # 0=Normal, 1=Hard, 2=Suicidal, 3=Hell on Earth
GameLength=1  # 0=4 waves, 1=7 waves, 2=10 waves
bDisableMapVote=False
MapVoteDuration=30

[Engine.Game]
MaxPlayers=6
MaxSpectators=2

[KFGame.KFGameReplicationInfo]
bAllowGrenade=True

[SystemSettings]
bAllowBulletHitDecals=True
bAllowBloodDecals=True

# Map Rotation
[KFGame.KFMapSummary]
MapAssociation=(Name="KF-BurningParis",bUsesAuth=False)
MapAssociation=(Name="KF-BlackForest",bUsesAuth=False)
MapAssociation=(Name="KF-ContainmentStation",bUsesAuth=False)
# Add more maps as needed

[KFGame.KFGameInfo_Survival]
GameLengthOptions=(Name="Short", Weight=0)
GameLengthOptions=(Name="Medium", Weight=1)
GameLengthOptions=(Name="Long", Weight=2)

Difficulty Levels

Difficulty	Value	Zed Health	Recommended For
Normal	`0`	100%	New players, casual play
Hard	`1`	135%	Intermediate players
Suicidal	`2`	185%	Experienced teams
Hell on Earth	`3`	255%	Elite players, competitive

Web Admin Interface

Enabling Web Admin

Edit KFGame/Config/KFWeb.ini:

[IpDrv.WebServer]
bEnabled=True
ListenPort=8080

[WebAdmin.WebAdmin]
bEnabled=True
AuthenticationClass=WebAdmin.MultiWebAdminAuth

[WebAdmin.Chatlog]
Filename=../Logs/chat.log
bIncludeTimeStamp=True

Creating Admin Account

# First admin created automatically at first Web Admin access
# Or manually edit: KFGame/Config/KFWebAdmin.ini

[WebAdmin.WebAdminSettings]
AdminName=admin
Password=yourpassword  # Will be hashed on first use

Accessing Web Admin

Open browser to: http://your-server-ip:8080

Web Admin Features

Dashboard: Server status, player count, current map
Current Game: Live player list, kick/ban controls
Settings: Change difficulty, game length, maps
Maps: Manage map rotation and voting
Access Policy: Ban management and IP whitelist
Console: Execute server commands remotely

Game Modes & Maps

Game Modes

Mode	Description	Waves
Survival	Standard wave-based mode with boss at the end	4, 7, or 10 + Boss
Endless	Continuous waves with periodic boss fights	Infinite
Weekly Outbreak	Rotating special modifiers (Poundemonium, Bobble Zed, etc.)	4 waves
Versus Survival	PvP mode - players control Zeds vs Survivors	4 rounds

Official Maps (Selection)

KF-BurningParis - Burning streets of Paris
KF-BlackForest - German countryside castle
KF-BioticsLab - Horzine research facility
KF-Outpost - Desert military outpost
KF-ContainmentStation - Space station
KF-InfernalRealm - Halloween-themed hellscape
KF-Nightmare - Twisted carnival
KF-Prison - Abandoned prison facility

Workshop Content

Subscribe to Workshop items and add to PCServer-KFEngine.ini:

[OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.KFWorkshopSteamworks]
ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=123456789  # Workshop item ID
ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=987654321  # Add multiple lines for multiple items

Perks & Classes

The 10 Perks

Perk	Role	Primary Weapons
Berserker	Tank/Melee DPS	Eviscerator, Pulverizer, Katana
Commando	Trash Killer	SCAR, AK-12, M16 M203
Medic	Healer/Support	Medic Assault Rifle, HMTech-501
Demolitionist	Explosive Specialist	RPG-7, M79, C4
Firebug	Area Denial/DoT	Flamethrower, Microwave Gun
Gunslinger	Precision DPS	Dual Magnums, AF2011-A1
Sharpshooter	Long-range Sniper	M14 EBR, Railgun, Crossbow
Support	Ammo/Armor Specialist	AA-12, Doomstick
SWAT	Close-range Tank	Kriss, P90, MP7
Survivalist	Flexible/Hybrid	Any weapon type

Startup Commands

Linux

#!/bin/bash
# start_kf2.sh

cd ~/kf2_server/Binaries/Win64

./KFGameSteamServer.bin.x86_64 \
  KF-BurningParis \
  ?Game=KFGameContent.KFGameInfo_Survival \
  ?Difficulty=1 \
  ?GameLength=1 \
  ?MaxPlayers=6 \
  -Port=7777 \
  -QueryPort=27015 \
  -WebAdminPort=8080

Windows

@echo off
REM start_kf2.bat

cd C:\kf2_server\Binaries\Win64

KFServer.exe KF-BurningParis ^
  ?Game=KFGameContent.KFGameInfo_Survival ^
  ?Difficulty=1 ^
  ?GameLength=1 ^
  ?MaxPlayers=6 ^
  -Port=7777 ^
  -QueryPort=27015 ^
  -WebAdminPort=8080

Startup Parameters

KF-MapName - Starting map
?Game= - Game mode class path
?Difficulty= - 0-3 (Normal, Hard, Suicidal, Hell on Earth)
?GameLength= - 0-2 (Short 4 waves, Medium 7, Long 10)
?MaxPlayers=6 - Maximum players
-Port=7777 - Game port
-QueryPort=27015 - Server browser port
-WebAdminPort=8080 - Web Admin port

🔧 Troubleshooting

Server Not in Browser

# Check ports are open
netstat -an | grep 7777
netstat -an | grep 27015

# Verify GamePassword is empty in PCServer-KFEngine.ini
[Engine.AccessControl]
GamePassword=

# Restart server and wait 5-10 minutes for Steam registration

Web Admin Won't Load

# Verify KFWeb.ini settings
[IpDrv.WebServer]
bEnabled=True
ListenPort=8080

# Check firewall allows TCP 8080
# Access via: http://server-ip:8080

Performance Issues

Reduce MaxPlayers to 4 or lower
Set NetServerMaxTickRate=20 in PCServer-KFEngine.ini
Lower resolution: ResX=640, ResY=480
Disable blood decals: bAllowBloodDecals=False

Workshop Content Not Downloading

# Verify Workshop item IDs in PCServer-KFEngine.ini
[OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.KFWorkshopSteamworks]
ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=123456789

# Check KFGame/Cache/ for downloaded content
# Restart server after adding new Workshop items

Players Can't Join

Check firewall allows UDP 7777 and 27015
Verify MaxPlayers setting
Ensure server isn't password-protected unless intended
Check server logs in KFGame/Logs/

Pro Tips

Web Admin: Essential for remote management - set it up first
Balanced Teams: 6 players is optimal for difficulty scaling
Perk Diversity: Encourage varied perk selection for team synergy
Workshop Maps: Keep official maps for 95% uptime, custom for variety
Weekly Outbreaks: Great for attracting players with fresh challenges
Suicidal+: Most active community plays Suicidal and Hell on Earth
Boss Selection: Can be configured to specific bosses or random
FastDL: Highly recommended for custom maps to reduce join times