How to Set Up an RLCraft Server in 2026

What is RLCraft?

RLCraft (Real Life Craft) is a brutally difficult survival modpack created by Shivaxi. With over 40 million downloads, it's one of the most downloaded Minecraft modpacks of all time and remains one of the most played packs in 2026. The pack runs on Forge for Minecraft 1.12.2.

RLCraft completely overhauls Minecraft's survival mechanics. You need to manage thirst, temperature, and nutrition. Mobs are significantly harder. Dragons fly overhead and destroy terrain. Skeletons can headshot you from 30 blocks away. The first night is a genuine challenge even for experienced Minecraft players.

On a server, RLCraft becomes a shared survival experience. Players band together to survive, share resources, build fortified bases, and eventually take on the fearsome dragons together. The difficulty creates a natural sense of cooperation that makes multiplayer incredibly rewarding.

Server Requirements

RLCraft is a 1.12.2 Forge pack, which makes it lighter than modern modpacks but still demands decent resources due to its 200+ mods and heavy world generation with custom structures and dragons.

Java: RLCraft requires Java 8. It will not work on Java 17 or 21. This is because RLCraft runs on Minecraft 1.12.2 with older Forge. Storage: Plan for 3-5 GB for server files, world data, and backups.

Option A: Quick Setup with ModReady

The fastest way to play RLCraft with friends. No Java 8 setup, no port forwarding, no config headaches. Your server is online in minutes.

1. Select RLCraft from the ModReady checkout page
2. Choose your plan — Starter (4 GB) works for small groups, Pro (6+ GB) for larger ones
3. Name your server and complete checkout
4. Share your server address with friends and try to survive

ModReady handles the Java 8 requirement, optimized JVM flags, automatic backups, DDoS protection, and a custom subdomain. No configuration needed — just start playing.

Option B: Self-Hosting Your Server

If you want to run RLCraft on your own hardware, here's the step-by-step process. Pay special attention to the Java version — this is where most people get stuck.

Requirements

• Java 8 (required — newer versions will not work)
• At least 6 GB of available RAM
• A stable internet connection
• Access to your router for port forwarding

Step 1: Install Java 8

Download Java 8 from Adoptium (Temurin 8) or Oracle. If you have a newer Java version installed, you can have both — just point your start script to the Java 8 binary explicitly.

java -version # Should show: openjdk version "1.8.x" or java version "1.8.x"

Step 2: Download the RLCraft Server Pack

Download the RLCraft server files from CurseForge. Look for the "Server Pack" download — don't use the client files.

Step 3: Extract and Configure

1. Create a new folder for your server (e.g., rlcraft-server)
2. Extract the server pack into this folder
3. Run the included install script to set up Forge and download mods
4. Open server.properties and configure:
   • view-distance=8 (lower to save resources on dragon-heavy worlds)
   • max-players=10
   • online-mode=true
   • difficulty=hard (RLCraft is meant to be played on hard)

Step 4: Set JVM Flags and Start

Create a start script with these optimized flags for Java 8:

java -Xmx6G -Xms6G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M -jar forge-1.12.2-*.jar nogui

Accept the EULA by editing eula.txt to eula=true, then start again. First boot takes a few minutes as Forge loads 200+ mods.

Step 5: Open Port 25565

Forward port 25565 TCP on your router to your computer's local IP. See our port forwarding guide for step-by-step instructions.

Server Configuration Tips

RLCraft has several config files that significantly affect the multiplayer experience. Here are the most important tweaks:

Common Issues & Fixes

Multiplayer Survival Tips