The DDoS Threat is Real
If you run a game server—especially a popular one—you're a target. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are cheap to launch and devastating to experience.
What is a DDoS Attack?
A DDoS attack floods your server with fake traffic, overwhelming its ability to handle legitimate players. The result: your server goes offline, and real players can't connect.
Common Attack Types
Volumetric Attacks Massive amounts of traffic meant to saturate bandwidth.
- UDP floods
- ICMP floods
- Amplification attacks
Protocol Attacks Exploit weaknesses in network protocols.
- SYN floods
- Ping of death
- Connection exhaustion
Application Layer Attacks Target specific applications or games.
- Query floods
- Join spam
- Exploit specific game vulnerabilities
Why Game Servers Get Attacked
- Revenge: Banned players or rival server owners
- Competition: Taking down competitors
- Extortion: "Pay us or stay offline"
- Trolling: Some people just want chaos
- Testing: Script kiddies trying new tools
The reality: any visible server can become a target.
DIY Protection (Limited Effectiveness)
Firewall Rules
Basic rate limiting can help against small attacks:
- Limit connections per IP
- Block known malicious regions
- Filter unnecessary ports
Hide Your IP
- Use a proxy or tunnel
- Don't expose your real server IP
The Problem: These methods fail against serious attacks. A 10Gbps attack overwhelms any home or basic VPS connection.
Professional DDoS Protection
Real protection requires enterprise infrastructure. Here's what is needed:
1. Massive Bandwidth
You need more bandwidth than the attacker. Enterprise providers have hundreds of Gbps or Tbps capacity.
2. Traffic Scrubbing
Analyzes incoming traffic, separates legitimate players from attack traffic, only forwards clean traffic.
3. Global Network
Attack traffic is absorbed across multiple data centers worldwide, preventing any single point from being overwhelmed.
4. Always-On Protection
Protection must be continuous, not reactive. By the time you detect an attack, damage is done.
HostedGG's DDoS Protection
Every HostedGG server includes enterprise-grade DDoS protection:
- Capacity: Mitigates attacks up to 1Tbps
- Always-On: Protection is automatic and continuous
- Game-Aware: Optimized for game server traffic patterns
- No Extra Cost: Included with every plan
- No Configuration: Works out of the box
How It Works
- All traffic routes through our protection network
- Attack traffic is identified and dropped
- Legitimate player traffic passes through
- Your server only sees clean connections
Most customers never know they're being attacked—because it doesn't affect them.
What to Do If You're Under Attack
If Using HostedGG
Nothing. Our protection handles it automatically. You might notice slightly higher ping during large attacks, but your server stays online.
If Using Unprotected Hosting
- Contact your host immediately
- Consider migrating to protected hosting
- Don't pay extortion demands (they'll just ask for more)
- Report to law enforcement if serious
Prevention Tips
- Don't share your server IP unnecessarily
- Use a domain name (easier to change if compromised)
- Keep server lists private if possible
- Ban toxic players before they escalate
- Choose protected hosting from the start
The Bottom Line
DDoS protection isn't optional—it's essential. Attacks are too cheap and easy for attackers, and too devastating for victims.
At HostedGG, protection is built in because we believe every server deserves to stay online.
Deploy a protected server and focus on your community, not attackers.
