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Tips & tricks · experimental hosting

Host beyond
four players.

The default lobby cap is four. Some builds of Heroes of Hammerwatch and Heroes of Hammerwatch II expose a developer-console setting that lets a host request a larger lobby.

Unsupported and build-dependent

This is not an officially supported player configuration. Higher counts may cause instability, desyncs, scaling oddities, connection failures, or crashes. Test with friends who understand the risk, increase gradually, and expect game updates to change the command or configuration behavior.

Quick console method

Set the limit before hosting.

Use the command from the title screen or town before creating your lobby. The host controls the requested limit.

Temporary setting
Example: eight playersg_multiplayer_limit 8Replace 8 with the player limit you want to test.
  1. 01
    Open the developer console

    At the main title menu—or in town before creating a lobby—press the ~ tilde key. Keyboard layouts vary, so the console key may share the grave-accent key.

  2. 02
    Enter the multiplayer limit

    Type g_multiplayer_limit 8 and press Enter. Substitute your desired number for 8.

  3. 03
    If the game requests cheats

    Some builds may require e_cheats 1 or e_cheats true first. Enable it only if the console explicitly rejects the limit for that reason, then enter the multiplayer-limit command again.

  4. 04
    Create the lobby afterward

    Open the normal Host/Create Lobby menu after setting the value. Confirm the displayed capacity and test connections before beginning a serious run.

  5. 05
    Increase gradually

    Try a modest increase before attempting very large groups. More players create more network, simulation, visual-effect, and performance load.

If nothing changes: the command may have been entered after the lobby was created, the current build may use different behavior, or the value may have reset on restart. Return to the title screen, set it again, then create a new lobby.

Optional persistent method

Try a local configuration entry.

This method is more build-dependent than the console command. Back up any file before editing it and revert the change if the game behaves unexpectedly.

Advanced · experimental
  1. 01
    Open the installed game folder

    In Steam, right-click the game and choose Manage → Browse local files.

  2. 02
    Find the relevant local configuration

    Look for the build's existing configuration file. A filename such as HWR2.exe.cfg may be used, but names and locations can change between games and builds. Do not overwrite an unrelated file.

  3. 03
    Create a backup copy

    Copy the original configuration to a clearly named backup before editing.

  4. 04
    Add the limit

    Add g_multiplayer_limit 8 on its own line, replace 8 with your preferred limit, save the file, and relaunch the game.

  5. 05
    Fall back to the console when needed

    If the value is ignored or the file is regenerated, restore your backup and use the temporary console method instead.

Community courtesy: tell every player that the lobby exceeds the intended four-player design. Do not advertise an experimental lobby as a normal stable run.