Quick answer: Squad's Update 9.0 moved the game from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. Most of the public conversation about that was about client frame rates, but it matters on the server side too. Squad was already one of the heavier games to host, and an engine change of that size is not the moment to size a server optimistically. For a public 50 player server, 16GB is a realistic number. 8GB runs a private clan server on smaller layers. 100 player layers with mods is where 24GB and 32GB stop being generous.
Why Squad is heavier than games that look similar
Player count alone does not explain it. What makes Squad demanding is the combination of three things happening at once.
Layers are large. A Squad map is a big playable area with vehicles moving across it, not a corridor. The server is simulating far more space than a round based shooter.
Everything is simultaneous. The moments that define a Squad match, a contested point with two full squads, vehicles, and heavy fire, are exactly the moments when the server is doing the most work. That is not an edge case you can ignore, it is the game.
Vehicles and projectiles are real entities. They have physics, they persist, and they interact. That is a different order of work from a game where a bullet is a hitscan trace and then gone.
The 50 to 100 player step is not linear
This is the single most common sizing mistake. Doubling players does not double the load, it more than doubles it, because the interactions between players scale faster than the count itself. Twice the players means more than twice the contested points, vehicle traffic, and simultaneous fire.
That is why we price those tiers separately rather than selling one plan and hoping. Our Squad hosting runs 8GB, 16GB, 24GB and 32GB tiers, and the honest mapping is roughly:
| Tier | RAM | Realistic use |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 8GB | Private clan server, smaller layers |
| Medium | 16GB | A public 50 player server |
| Large | 24GB | Full size layers with a healthy mod list |
| Extreme | 32GB | 100 player layers with heavy modded rotations |
Mods are the biggest single variable
A modded map rotation is usually what turns a comfortable server into a struggling one. Every added map, vehicle set and faction is more content the server holds and streams.
Two practical points that save a lot of confusion:
Every player needs the same mods at the same versions. Squad will prompt joining players for what they are missing, but a large collection means a real wait on first join. Most established communities publish their collection link publicly so people can subscribe before match night rather than during it.
And when you add mods, add them before you decide your tier is too small. A server that started stuttering the week you doubled your mod list has a mod problem, not a hardware problem.
Reading a struggling Squad server correctly
If your server stutters specifically when a point is contested and is fine otherwise, that is CPU headroom, not bandwidth. Contested points concentrate players, vehicles and projectiles into one place, which is the heaviest moment in the simulation.
If it degrades gradually across a long match rather than spiking at contested points, look at memory instead.
The honest benchmark for a Squad server is not an empty server's idle numbers. It is how the server behaves at the worst moment of the busiest layer you run.
Where you host it
Squad communities tend to be regional in a way that many games are not, because matches are long and coordinated over voice. A 90 minute match with 40ms of avoidable latency is worse than the same latency in a game you dip in and out of.
We run Squad in the Netherlands, North America, Singapore and India. Pick the one closest to the bulk of your community rather than the one closest to you as the admin.
FAQ
Did Update 9.0 change server requirements? It moved Squad from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. Most of the public discussion covered client performance, but an engine change of that size is a reason to size a server carefully rather than assume old numbers still hold.
Is 8GB enough for a Squad server? For a private clan server on smaller layers, yes. For a public 50 player server it is tight, and 16GB is the more realistic number.
Why does my server stutter only when a point is contested? That is CPU rather than bandwidth. Contested points are where the most players, vehicles and projectiles occupy the same space at once.
Do players need to install mods before joining? Yes for modded servers. Squad prompts for missing mods on join, but a large collection means a long first join, so most communities publish their collection link in advance.
Can I move up a tier later? Yes, and it is the sensible order. Start on the tier that matches your current player count and move when you outgrow it rather than paying for headroom you may not use.
How many players can a 32GB server hold? It is sized for 100 player layers with a modded rotation. Player count alone is not the whole answer though: the layer and the mod list decide as much as the number does.
Related reading: Squad hosting plans with 8 to 32GB tiers across four regions.