DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks flood your server with fake traffic to overwhelm it and make it unreachable. Game servers are frequent targets.
Why Game Servers Get DDoSed
- Rival communities targeting competing servers
- Angry players after being banned
- Extortion (pay to stop the attack)
- Random attacks by botnets scanning for targets
Types of DDoS Attacks
Layer 3/4 (Network Layer)
Floods your server's network connection with raw traffic (UDP flood, SYN flood, ICMP flood). Overwhelms bandwidth and network equipment.
Layer 7 (Application Layer)
Sends legitimate-looking requests that overwhelm the game server application. Harder to filter because the traffic looks normal.
What DDoS Protection Does
- Traffic scrubbing: Routes incoming traffic through a scrubbing center that filters malicious packets
- Rate limiting: Limits connection attempts per IP
- GeoIP filtering: Blocks traffic from regions where your players are not located
- Protocol validation: Ensures packets match expected game protocols
- Bandwidth absorption: The protection network absorbs flood traffic so your server does not
Choosing a Host with DDoS Protection
| Feature | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Always-on protection | Protection runs continuously, not triggered reactively |
| Game-aware filtering | Understands Minecraft, FiveM, Rust protocols |
| Layer 3/4 + Layer 7 | Protects against both attack types |
| Unmetered mitigation | No cap on attack size |
| Low latency impact | Protection adds minimal ping |
Space-Node includes game-grade DDoS protection on all hosting plans at no extra cost.
Self-Hosting Without Protection
Home-hosted servers have no DDoS protection. A single attack can:
- Take down your home internet
- Crash your router
- Expose your IP address
If you self-host, use a reverse proxy or VPN like Cloudflare Spectrum or a dedicated filtering service.
FAQ
Do I need DDoS protection? Yes, for any public game server. Attacks are common and can happen to any server.
Does DDoS protection add latency? Good protection adds less than 1-2ms. Budget solutions may add more.
Can DDoS protection stop all attacks? No protection is 100% perfect, but game-grade protection handles the vast majority of attacks targeting game servers.
Related: Best VPS Netherlands, FiveM server requirements, Rust dedicated server setup, DDoS protection for Minecraft servers