How to Create and Configure a RedM Server?

Creating a RedM server in 2026 is very close to running a FiveM instance, but the Red Dead Redemption 2 multiplayer framework has its own game build, its own session manager and its own ecosystem of frameworks like VORP or RSG-Core. This tutorial walks through requirements, artifacts, server.cfg, database, resources, performance tuning and security, step by step.

What you need before creating a RedM server

RedM is the Cfx.re modification framework for Red Dead Redemption 2. It uses the same server artifacts as FiveM, but the server is told to run gamename rdr3 instead of GTA V. Before touching a single config file, gather the following:

• A legitimate copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Steam, Rockstar or Epic) for every player, including you.
• A Cfx.re account and a free server license key generated from the Keymaster portal. Without it, the server refuses to start.
• A Linux host (or a Windows machine for local testing) with a public IPv4, port 30120 open in TCP and UDP.
• A MySQL/MariaDB database if you plan to run a roleplay framework (VORP, RSG-Core, RedEM:RP…).
• Basic knowledge of SSH, or a management panel such as Pterodactyl to avoid the command line entirely.

Hardware: what actually matters for RedM

RedM is heavily single-thread dependent. The main server thread handles scripts, sync and events, so CPU clock speed matters far more than core count. A high-frequency Ryzen with NVMe storage will hold a 64-slot roleplay server far more comfortably than an old many-core Xeon. Resource streaming (custom clothing, props, maps) also hits disk I/O hard on player join, which is where NVMe makes a visible difference on loading screens.

Server profile	Slots	RAM	Storage	Notes
Test / dev	8–16	4 GB	20 GB NVMe	Vanilla + a few resources
Small RP community	32	8 GB	40 GB NVMe	VORP or RSG-Core + MySQL
Serious RP	64+	12–16 GB	80 GB+ NVMe	Heavy streaming, MDT, custom maps

Two hosting paths are possible. Either you take a managed game server slot with a ready-made egg and a panel, or you rent a VPS Linux and build everything yourself. If you want the freedom of a VPS and a panel, a VPS Pterodactyl gives you both. Whatever you pick, make sure the offer includes anti-DDoS by default: RedM servers hosting public roleplay communities are a frequent target, and a volumetric attack on port 30120 will otherwise end your session in seconds.

Getting your license key

Log into the Cfx.re Keymaster, create a new key, choose the IP type (a fixed IP is preferable if your host gives you one) and copy the value that looks like cfxk_xxxxxxxx_xxxxx. Keep it private: a leaked key can be revoked and reused. Full reference is available in the official Cfx.re server documentation.

Installing and configuring a RedM server step by step

1. Install the server artifacts on Linux

Connect over SSH, create a dedicated user (never run a game server as root) and pull the latest recommended build. RedM and FiveM share the same fx.tar.xz artifact.

sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" redm
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y xz-utils curl git screen

sudo -u redm -i
mkdir -p ~/server ~/txData && cd ~/server
curl -sSL -o fx.tar.xz "https://runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_proot_linux/master/fx.tar.xz"
tar xf fx.tar.xz
rm fx.tar.xz

Then clone the base server data (the cfx-server-data repository) which provides the default resources:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/citizenfx/cfx-server-data.git server-data
cd server-data

2. Write your server.cfg

This is the heart of a RedM server. Create ~/server-data/server.cfg with the following content and adapt it:

# --- Network ---
endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"

# --- Game selection: this is what makes it RedM and not FiveM ---
set gamename rdr3
sv_enforceGameBuild 1491

# --- Core resources ---
ensure mapmanager
ensure chat
ensure spawnmanager
ensure sessionmanager-rdr3
ensure basic-gamemode
ensure hardcap
ensure rconlog

# --- Identity ---
sv_hostname "New Austin RP | Serious Roleplay"
sets sv_projectName "New Austin RP"
sets sv_projectDesc "Western roleplay, whitelist, custom scripts"
sets locale "en-US"
sets tags "roleplay, rdr3, vorp, whitelist"

# --- Slots and sync ---
sv_maxclients 48
set onesync on
set onesync_population true

# --- Security ---
sv_scriptHookAllowed 0
rcon_password "REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_RANDOM_STRING"
sv_licenseKey "cfxk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

# --- Admin permissions ---
add_ace group.admin command allow
add_ace group.admin command.quit deny
add_principal identifier.fivem:1234567 group.admin

Two lines deserve attention. set gamename rdr3 is mandatory: without it, the server advertises itself as a GTA V server and RedM clients will not connect. sv_enforceGameBuild pins the RDR2 build; frameworks and MLOs usually require a specific one (1311, 1436, 1491…), so check what your resources expect before locking a value.

3. Start the server

cd ~/server-data
screen -S redm ~/server/run.sh +exec server.cfg

For production, prefer a systemd unit so the server restarts automatically after a reboot or a crash:

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/redm.service > /dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=RedM Server
After=network.target mariadb.service

[Service]
User=redm
WorkingDirectory=/home/redm/server-data
ExecStart=/home/redm/server/run.sh +exec server.cfg
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now redm
sudo systemctl status redm

On a managed panel like Pterodactyl, all of this is replaced by a single "Start" button, a live console tab and a file manager where you edit server.cfg directly in the browser. That is the practical difference between self-managed and managed hosting: same server binary, far less sysadmin time.

4. Set up the database

Any roleplay framework needs MySQL. On a Debian/Ubuntu VPS:

sudo apt install -y mariadb-server
sudo mysql_secure_installation

sudo mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE vorp CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'vorp'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON vorp.* TO 'vorp'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Then declare the connection string in server.cfg, above your framework resources:

set mysql_connection_string "mysql://vorp:STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE@localhost/vorp?charset=utf8mb4"
ensure oxmysql

Keep MariaDB bound to 127.0.0.1. There is no reason to expose port 3306 to the internet when the game server runs on the same machine.

Frameworks, resources and performance tuning on a RedM server

Choosing a framework

Vanilla RedM gives you a horse and an empty map. The community ecosystem is what turns it into a playable server:

• VORP Core — the most widespread RedM roleplay base, modular, with a large catalogue of compatible scripts (jobs, inventory, medic, banking).
• RSG-Core — QBCore-inspired structure, appreciated by teams already familiar with FiveM development.
• RedEM:RP — older, lighter, still used by small communities that want minimal dependencies.

Do not mix frameworks. Pick one, import its SQL dump into the database, and load resources in the correct order. A typical block looks like this:

ensure oxmysql
ensure vorp_core
ensure vorp_inventory
ensure vorp_character
ensure vorp_metabolism
ensure [vorp_scripts]
ensure [maps]

Square brackets denote category folders: everything inside [vorp_scripts] is started in one line, which keeps server.cfg readable as your resource count grows past fifty.

Streaming assets without killing performance

Custom clothing, weapons and MLOs are streamed to clients on connection. Three rules keep a RedM server responsive:

1. Group stream files in dedicated resources rather than scattering them across scripts.
2. Enable asset caching so clients download once instead of on every join.
3. Watch total stream size — several gigabytes of assets means long first connections and heavy disk reads, which is exactly why NVMe storage is not optional.

Diagnosing lag with the built-in profiler

Server-side stutter is almost always a badly written resource, not a lack of RAM. Use the console:

resmon 1
profiler record 500
profiler view

resmon shows CPU time per resource in milliseconds. Anything sitting above 1–2 ms permanently on the server side deserves investigation: infinite loops with Wait(0), unbatched SQL queries, or entity spam. Removing one broken script often recovers more performance than doubling your hardware.

OneSync and slots

OneSync is required beyond 32 players and handles entity ownership server-side. Keep onesync_population enabled for NPC and animal density, but be aware it increases CPU load. If you run a heavily populated western map with 64 players, a high-frequency Ryzen is what keeps the main thread under control.

Security, backups and day-to-day administration

Harden the server itself

• RCON: use a long random password, or disable RCON entirely by leaving rcon_password empty if you administrate through the panel console.
• ACE permissions: grant admin rights per identifier (license, Steam, Discord), never through a shared password.
• Whitelist: most serious RP communities gate access with a Discord-based whitelist resource. It cuts trolls and reduces load.
• sv_scriptHookAllowed 0: always. Leaving it enabled invites client-side cheats.
• Resource audit: never install an obfuscated free script from an unknown source. Escrow-free code you can read is worth more than a flashy feature.

Harden the VPS

If you self-host on a VPS Linux, apply the standard baseline before opening the server to the public:

# SSH key instead of password
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "admin@redm"
ssh-copy-id [email protected]

# Disable password authentication
sudo sed -i 's/^#\?PasswordAuthentication.*/PasswordAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo systemctl restart ssh

# Firewall
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 30120/tcp
sudo ufw allow 30120/udp
sudo ufw enable

# Brute-force protection
sudo apt install -y fail2ban
sudo systemctl enable --now fail2ban

Volumetric DDoS filtering is handled at infrastructure level on Fly-Serv hosting, so your job stops at the application layer: firewall, SSH keys, updates and clean resources.

Backups: the only thing that saves a community

A RedM roleplay server stores months of player progression in MySQL. Losing that database ends a community. Back up both the SQL dump and the resources folder:

#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%F-%H%M)
mysqldump -u vorp -p'STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE' vorp | gzip > /home/redm/backups/vorp-$DATE.sql.gz
tar czf /home/redm/backups/resources-$DATE.tar.gz /home/redm/server-data/resources
find /home/redm/backups -type f -mtime +14 -delete

Schedule it with cron (0 4 * * * /home/redm/backup.sh) and, when possible, copy archives off the machine. Managed hosting with automatic backups removes most of that burden, but keeping an occasional manual copy of the database before a major framework update remains good practice.

Updating artifacts

Cfx.re publishes new builds regularly. Update during a maintenance window, never on a Saturday night:

sudo systemctl stop redm
cd /home/redm/server
mv alpine alpine.bak
curl -sSL -o fx.tar.xz "https://runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_proot_linux/master/fx.tar.xz"
tar xf fx.tar.xz && rm fx.tar.xz
sudo systemctl start redm

If a framework breaks, roll back by restoring alpine.bak. Test artifact upgrades on a second instance first — a dev server on a small slot costs little compared to a broken production night.

Managing everything from a panel

With Pterodactyl you get a live console, a file editor for server.cfg, scheduled restarts, sub-users (so your head of development can push resources without SSH access) and one-click reinstall. Combined with automatic backups and instant deployment, it is what most RedM teams use daily. The same workflow applies to other titles hosted on the platform, from FiveM to the rest of our game servers.

Conclusion

A stable RedM server comes down to four things: correct artifacts with gamename rdr3, a clean server.cfg, a single well-chosen framework, and disciplined maintenance through backups and profiling. Hardware helps — high-frequency CPU, NVMe, anti-DDoS — but resource quality decides whether your western roleplay runs at 60 FPS or stutters at peak hour.

FAQ

Why do players get "connection rejected" or a wrong game build error on my RedM server?

Ninety percent of the time, set gamename rdr3 is missing from server.cfg, or sv_enforceGameBuild is set to a build your resources or the players' RDR2 version do not match. Set the build required by your framework (commonly 1436 or 1491), restart the server fully, and ask players to update Red Dead Redemption 2 and RedM to the latest version.

How many slots can I run on a RedM server, and what changes above 32 players?

Beyond 32 players you must enable OneSync (set onesync on), which moves entity ownership server-side and increases CPU usage on the main thread. Plan 8 GB of RAM for 32 slots and 12–16 GB for 64 with a heavy roleplay framework. Since RedM is single-thread bound, a high-frequency Ryzen matters more than extra cores when you scale up.

Should I host my RedM server on a game hosting plan or on a VPS?

A managed game hosting plan gives you instant deployment, a Pterodactyl panel, automatic backups and anti-DDoS without any sysadmin work — ideal if you want to focus on scripts and roleplay. A VPS makes sense when you need to run RedM plus a separate MySQL instance, a Discord bot, a website or several test servers on the same machine. In that case a VPS Pterodactyl gives you root access with the same panel experience.