The Ultimate Guide to DDoS Protection for Game Servers

If you host a game server, you’ve likely heard of DDoS attacks—or worse, been a victim of one. A DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack floods your server with malicious traffic, causing lag, crashes, or even prolonged downtime.

At PineRiver, we specialize in DDoS-protected hosting for FiveM, Minecraft, Rust, and other game servers, ensuring your community remains online and uninterrupted.

This guide covers what DDoS attacks are, how they affect game servers, and the best strategies to protect your server from these threats.

🔥 What is a DDoS Attack?

A DDoS attack overwhelms a game server by sending excessive amounts of fake traffic, making it unresponsive to legitimate players. Attackers use botnets (networks of hijacked devices) to flood servers with requests, leading to:

Severe lag and connection drops for players.
Complete server crashes that require restarts.
Prolonged downtime, resulting in lost players and revenue.

🎯 Why Are Game Servers Targeted?

Game servers are prime targets for DDoS attacks due to:

Competitive rivalry – Some players attack rival servers in PvP games.
Ransom demands – Attackers extort money in exchange for stopping attacks.
Toxic players – Frustrated or banned players retaliate against the server.

🛡️ How to Protect Your Game Server from DDoS Attacks

✅ 1. Choose a Hosting Provider with Built-in DDoS Protection

The most effective way to prevent DDoS attacks is to host with a provider that includes advanced DDoS mitigation.

🔹 PineRiver Advantage: Our game servers come with enterprise-grade DDoS protection, filtering out malicious traffic while ensuring smooth connections for legitimate players.

🔗 Explore PineRiver’s DDoS-Protected Hosting

🔥 2. Use a Reverse Proxy or Game Shield

A reverse proxy hides your real server IP, making it harder for attackers to directly target your game server. Consider services like:

Cloudflare Spectrum – Protects TCP/UDP traffic.
OVH Game Firewall – Optimized for gaming servers.
TCPShield – Ideal for Minecraft and other multiplayer games.

⚙️ 3. Implement Rate-Limiting to Block Bots

Prevent bot-based DDoS attacks by limiting the number of connections per IP.

For Linux servers, use iptables to restrict excessive connections:

iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 30120 -m connlimit --connlimit-above 5 -j DROP

(This example limits FiveM connections to 5 per IP.)

🔒 4. Configure a Firewall for Extra Protection

Firewalls block unwanted traffic before it reaches your game server.

For Windows: Use Windows Defender Firewall to block suspicious IPs.
For Linux: Use ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) for easy rule management:

sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw allow 30120/udp  # Allow FiveM traffic
sudo ufw deny from 1.2.3.4  # Block a known malicious IP

🌍 5. Change Your Server IP If Needed

If an attack is persistent, changing your IP address can help prevent further targeting. Many providers offer dynamic IP reassignment to counter ongoing threats.

🔗 PineRiver offers easy IP reassignments for added security.

🏆 Why PineRiver Offers the Best DDoS Protection for Game Servers

At PineRiver, we provide cutting-edge DDoS protection to keep your game servers running smoothly: ✅ Enterprise-grade DDoS mitigation – Blocks attacks before they reach your server.
✅ High-performance Ryzen CPUs – Handles large player counts without lag.
✅ Low-latency, EU-based data centers – Ensures a smooth gameplay experience.
✅ 24/7 support – Expert help available for real-time threat mitigation.

🔗 Check out PineRiver’s Secure Game Hosting to safeguard your community.

🚀 Secure Your Game Server with PineRiver Today!

Don’t let DDoS attacks ruin your game server. With the right hosting, firewalls, and mitigation strategies, you can keep your server online and your players happy.

🔗 Start Your DDoS-Protected Game Server and enjoy secure, lag-free gameplay today! 🚀