Client area
BeamMP: How to Create a BeamNG.drive Multiplayer Server
BeamNG.drive is known for its ultra-realistic car physics simulation, but the game remains primarily a solo experience. This is where BeamMP comes into play: this free mod transforms BeamNG.drive into a multiplayer experience, allowing you to drive, crash, and explore maps with your friends on the same server.
Creating your own BeamMP server allows you to choose the map, add mods (vehicles, tracks), control who joins the game, and keep the server online 24/7. This guide takes you from A to Z: obtaining the authentication key, creating the server, configuring it, and adding mods.
What is BeamMP?
BeamMP is an open-source multiplayer mod for BeamNG.drive. It adds a full multiplayer mode to the game: server list, direct connection, synchronization of vehicles and physics between players. The mod is free and compatible with all maps and vehicles in BeamNG.drive, including custom mods.
To play BeamNG multiplayer, each player must own BeamNG.drive on Steam and install the BeamMP Launcher (downloadable for free on beammp.com). The launcher replaces the game's classic launcher and adds a "Multiplayer" tab with the list of public servers and direct connection.
The default BeamMP port for a server you host yourself is 30814 (TCP+UDP). At OuiHeberg, the port is assigned by OuiPanel (see below).
Prerequisites
Before creating your BeamMP server, make sure you have the following items.
Player side: BeamNG.drive purchased on Steam (mandatory, no cracked version). The BeamMP Launcher installed (available on beammp.com). A BeamMP account (free, creation on the official site).
Server side: A game server hosting (OuiHeberg or self-hosting). A BeamMP authentication key (free, obtained via the Keymaster). The ServerConfig.toml configuration file (automatically generated on first launch).
The authentication key is often the stumbling block for beginners. Without it, the server refuses to start. The next section details how to obtain it.
Create a BeamMP Server with OuiHeberg
Obtain the BeamMP Authentication Key
The authentication key (AuthKey) is a unique identifier that links your server to your BeamMP account. It is mandatory for the server to function and appear in the public list.
Go to the BeamMP Keymaster site (keymaster.beammp.com). Log in with Discord. Click on "Keys" in the left sidebar. Click the green "+" button to generate a new key. Give the key a name (a simple label, e.g., "My Drift Server"), then click Create. Copy the generated key and keep it safe. Never share it publicly.
Each key is linked to a single server. If you have multiple BeamMP servers, you will need one key per server.
Configure via OuiPanel
At OuiHeberg, creating a BeamMP server only takes a few minutes.
Go to our BeamMP server hosting page, then choose a BeamMP server plan and a country on the plan page. The server installs by itself and is ready in a few minutes.
Once the server is created, open Server settings › Environment variables in OuiPanel. Paste your key in the Authentication Key variable, in place of changemoi. Also set the server name, Max Players and Map. Confirm with the check mark, then restart the server. OuiPanel writes these values to ServerConfig.toml at every start.
Launch and Connect
Start the server from OuiPanel. In the console, you should see the startup logs without error messages. If you see [ERROR] No AuthKey specified, check that your key is correctly pasted in the Authentication Key variable, then restart the server.
To connect, launch the BeamMP Launcher (not the classic Steam launcher). Click on "Multiplayer," then search for your server name in the list. If your server is in private mode, use the "Direct Connect" tab and enter the address and port displayed in OuiPanel. At OuiHeberg, the server port is assigned by OuiPanel and shown with the address.
Configure the Server (ServerConfig.toml)
The ServerConfig.toml file centralizes all the settings of your BeamMP server. Here are the essential parameters.
AuthKey: your authentication key. Mandatory. Never share it.
Name: the name displayed in the server list. Use prefixes to help players find you, for example [FR] MyServer | Drift & Freeroam.
MaxPlayers: maximum number of simultaneous players. The default value is 8. At OuiHeberg, set it with the Max Players variable in OuiPanel (6 by default, up to 100). Memory use grows mostly with your mods (see the FAQ).
Map: the active map. Format: /levels/MAP_NAME/info.json. The default maps of BeamNG.drive work without additional installation. For example: /levels/gridmap_v2/info.json for Gridmap, /levels/west_coast_usa/info.json for West Coast USA, /levels/italy/info.json for Italy, /levels/utah/info.json for Utah.
Private: true to hide the server from the public list (accessible only via direct connection), false to make it visible.
Port: server port. Default 30814. Change it only if you host multiple BeamMP servers on the same machine. At OuiHeberg, OuiPanel sets the port for you.
Tags: keywords for search in the server list. Examples: Freeroam, Drift, Racing, RP, lang:french.
Add Mods and Maps
Adding mods on BeamMP is very simple. All mods (vehicles and maps) are placed in the Resources/Client/ folder of your server. Players download them automatically when joining the server.
Custom Vehicles: Download the .zip file of the vehicle mod (from the BeamNG.drive repository or sites like beamng.com/resources). Place the .zip as is in Resources/Client/. Do not unzip it. On the next restart, the vehicle will be available for all players.
Custom Maps: Place the map's .zip file in Resources/Client/. Open the .zip (without extracting) and locate the folder name in levels/. For example, if the folder is called myawesomedriftmap, update the Map variable in OuiPanel with /levels/myawesomedriftmap/info.json. Restart the server.
An important point: the more mods you add, the longer the download time will be for players joining. Keep a reasonable selection and communicate the list of mods on your Discord or server page.
Manage Players
Kick a Player and Send a Message
From the server console (in OuiPanel), a few commands are available.
kick [player] removes a player from the server and say [message] sends a message to all players.
BeamMP-Server has no built-in ban or mute: banning goes through a community plugin. For more advanced community servers, server-side Lua plugins allow adding features like a role system, custom commands, an economy system (for RP servers), and automated events.
BeamMP FAQ
How much RAM is needed for a BeamMP server? BeamMP is light: the server alone uses less than 100 MB of RAM. Memory use grows mostly with mods, for example 0.7 GB on average with 13 mods and 1.5 GB with 156 mods (47 GB of files). Choose your plan according to the weight of your mods and the number of players.
Do all players need to own BeamNG.drive on Steam? Yes. BeamNG.drive must be purchased on Steam for the BeamMP Launcher to work. The launcher checks the Steam license at startup.
Can you change the map without restarting? No. Changing the map requires modifying the Map variable and restarting the server. Some community plugins allow a map vote, but restarting is still necessary.
Does the server consume a lot of bandwidth? Physics is synchronized continuously between players, and each player also downloads the mods when joining the server. At OuiHeberg, bandwidth is included.
My server does not appear in the public list. What to do? Check that your AuthKey is valid and correctly entered. Ensure the Private parameter is set to false. Check the logs for any error messages. If the problem persists, regenerate a new key on the Keymaster.
Ready to launch your BeamMP server? Pick your plan at our BeamMP server hosting page and start driving with your friends in minutes. For the steps in OuiPanel, follow our BeamMP guide in the documentation.