Frequently asked questions about NetCraftGames

NetCraftGames, also written NCG, is a managed multiplayer game server hosting service. An owner submits a game that already has working networking; NetCraftGames reads it, produces a connection configuration, deploys it on an isolated Linux server and operates it. It is run by Charging Bull Software and is pre-launch.

It is for game developers and studios, called owners in the product, whose game already has working multiplayer networking and who would rather not run servers. Their customers are players. It suits small and indie games on Unity, Unreal, Godot or the browser, not match-scale titles that need many regions.

No. It is pre-launch and not accepting customers or charging anyone. Checkout and server provisioning stay disabled until a published list of launch checks passes. You can join the waitlist by email, and the status page lists what remains before the doors open.

It is designed for Unity Mirror, Unity Netcode for GameObjects, Unreal Engine replication, Godot ENet and WebSocket, browser WSS servers and WebRTC signaling. Dedicated servers must be Linux x64 builds. No engine is certified yet, because certification needs real client and server test evidence that has not been published.

Yes, by design, for a Mirror server built as a Linux x64 Unity dedicated server. It can use TCP, UDP or WebSocket transports. You declare the ports and add a health reply and join probe. It is not certified yet, and a real client join remains the proof you still need.

Yes, by design, for a packaged Linux dedicated server. Epic requires a source build of Unreal Engine and a C++ project to produce one, so that work happens before you submit. Servers are often heavier, so the large profile, which counts as two hours per hour, may be needed.

Yes, by design. Export a Linux x86_64 server with Godot's dedicated server mode and run it headless. ENet over UDP suits native clients; WebSocketMultiplayerPeer suits browsers behind a wss gateway. WebRTC games use signaling rooms instead. The Godot lanes are not certified yet.

Yes, if your game already talks to its own authoritative WebSocket server. Ship a Node.js 24 project, a Python 3.12 project or a Linux x64 program; ncg pack prepares the packages. Players connect over wss to our gateway, which ends TLS and checks the exact browser origins you list. The path you name in the manifest is fixed.

No. It provides room signaling only: offers, answers and ICE messages for rooms of two to sixteen peers. STUN discovers addresses but cannot relay data, so peers behind restrictive networks may fail to connect. TURN will not be offered until metering and real connectivity testing exist.

It will if its multiplayer already works and it has a server program that runs without a window on Linux. Single-player games, games where one player hosts, and games built on Photon or PlayFab are not a fit today. Five questions give Yes, Almost with one change, or Not yet. Nothing is uploaded.

Turn on Share with players on your game's page in the dashboard. You get a link and a QR code to a page that shows whether the game is online and how many players are in it. It links to your game's website and does not host it. It is built and tested locally, not live. See the share guide.

A Linux x64 dedicated server build packed as a tar.gz, the engine and transport you use, and a manifest naming the start command, ports, health check and ideally a join probe. Browser WebRTC games submit no archive. Your game must already have working multiplayer networking.

No. It hosts and configures networking that already works. It reads your submission, proposes allowlisted configuration changes that you review, and never adds scripts or networking code. If no server networking is found in what you submit, you receive an email explaining what to upload or declare instead.

No. Dedicated servers run on Linux x64 virtual machines. Windows, macOS and arm64 server builds are not hosted. Client platforms such as Windows, Android and iOS can still connect to your Linux server. In Unity, build with the Linux Server platform; in Godot and Unreal, export for Linux.

After launch, NetCraftGames aims to get a submission online within 24 hours of receiving it, or to email you the exact problem and a concrete fix. It is a processing target, not a guarantee. The clock pauses only while the next step is yours, and the remedy for a missed target will be published in the Terms.

Plans are Creator at $49 a month, Maker at $79 and Studio at $99, with 40, 80 and 120 standard server hours, plus a one-time $19 boost of 20 hours. These are product settings, not live prices. Nobody can buy them yet because NetCraftGames is pre-launch.

It is one hour of a running, verified-ready server multiplied by its size. A standard server with 2 vCPU and 4 GiB uses one hour per hour; a large server with 4 vCPU and 8 GiB uses two. Startup time is not counted, and a sleeping server uses nothing.

Only until idle shutdown. If your server reports its player count, it is saved and stopped after ten continuous minutes with zero players, and hours stop being used. Servers that cannot report player counts must be put to sleep explicitly. The subscription itself is a fixed monthly price.

Servers run in the AWS US East region, us-east-1, in northern Virginia. There is one region only. Players far from the eastern United States will see higher latency, and NetCraftGames is not the right choice if you need servers close to players on several continents.

Never on the controller. Your build is inspected without being executed, and it runs only on an isolated virtual machine dedicated to your game, as an unprivileged process with resource limits. These controls are implemented and tested locally but still need acceptance testing on real Linux machines before launch.

A static reader reads your submission to find ports, settings and the networking surface, and it executes nothing. An optional AI layer can explain what was found, but the reader is the source of truth. The AI has no tools and cannot change your game, spend money or ban players.

NetCraftGames emails you the specific problem, likely causes, numbered fix steps with an example and whether the 24 hour clock is paused. You fix the build, upload a new release, and the clock resumes. Advice comes from a fixed table of known failures, so it is consistent.

No. It does not claim universal anti-cheat and does not ban players automatically. Player reports go to a review queue for a person to decide. Your game's server logic remains responsible for fair play, so build authoritative checks into the server you submit.

Yes, within limits, once the owner API is live. Scoped keys let an assistant upload builds, check releases and wake or sleep servers. No key can buy capacity, change account credentials, delete a game or download builds, and risky actions can require your approval in the dashboard.

It can be an alternative for builds in its supported lanes, after launch. Unity ended Multiplay Game Server Hosting on March 31, 2026 and says Relay, Lobby, Matchmaker and Distributed Authority are unaffected. NetCraftGames offers no matchmaking, it runs in one region, and it is not yet open.

No. NetCraftGames runs your dedicated server and gives players its address. It does not provide matchmaking, lobbies or accounts for your players. Use your engine's services or your own for those. The WebRTC rooms it offers are signaling rooms for peer-to-peer games, not a matchmaking system.

No. NetCraftGames is self-service and runs your server on its own infrastructure; there are no customer AWS accounts to connect. If you need your servers inside your own cloud account, a bare virtual machine or a platform that supports bringing your own machines is a better fit.