How to Migrate a GTA 6 Server Between Hosts
Eventually your server will outgrow its current host. Slow support, bad peering, unexpected price increases, or you just hit a performance wall you can't overcome. Server migration is messy but necessary. Use this playbook to minimise your pain.
Before you start
- Choose the new host and run your test rehearsal workflow on it first. Don't migrate to a host you have no experience with.
- Pick a low-traffic night for the migration. Give players a heads-up 48 hours beforehand.
- Make sure you have a full backup and that it's working. Restore it to staging and test.
- Write down your current settings: environment variables, the config for your scripts, database login info, DNS records, etc.
The migration in seven steps
- Provision the new server. Same specs, then install the OS, the framework, and your scripts from version control.
- Copy the database. Pull a new dump from production and restore it to your new server.
- Copy assets. Custom vehicles, MLOs, static files. The rsync command will become your best friend.
- Smoke test. Turn the new server on with the whitelist restricted to staff. Play on it for 30 minutes. Make sure everything works.
- Freeze production writes. Declare the migration window, put up a maintenance page and kick players from the old server.
- Final database sync. One final dump/restore to catch any updates since the initial copy.
- Switch DNS. Point your domain's A records to the new server (and SRV records too, if you use them). With TTL correctly managed, you should see propagation in 15 minutes tops.
Estimated downtime using this playbook: 20-40 minutes. A longer outage indicates something failed, so roll back.
The rollback plan
Don't migrate if you don't have a plan to migrate back. Leave the old server online for 48 hours after the cutover. If you experience issues on the new server, switch DNS records back. You will lose changes made to data since cutover, but that's recoverable.
Common migration mistakes
- Not freezing the database before the final sync. Transactions will be lost.
- DNS TTL is too high. It takes hours to propagate, and your players get split across two servers.
- Forgetting environment variables on the new server. Scripts fail silently.
- Forgetting about the backup pipeline. The new server has no backups for its entire first week.
- Not communicating with players. Even if the migration is rock-solid, players will lose trust if it seems sudden or unexpected.
Related reading
For pre-migration prep, visit our FiveM prep guide. For backup strategy, read backup your server the right way. If you need help with your DNS setup, see our domain and DNS guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to migrate a GTA 6 server between hosts?
20-40 minutes of active downtime with good preparation. Days to weeks if you try to wing it. Always test on a staging environment before migration night.
Will I lose player data when migrating my GTA 6 server?
Not if you do it correctly. Freeze writes to the old server, sync the database one last time, cut the DNS over, and people resume play on the new host. Data loss comes from skipping that final sync.
Can I migrate without telling my players?
Technically yes, but don't do it. A silent 30-minute outage feels worse than a scheduled one. Always announce downtime at least 48 hours in advance, have a status page up, and follow through with the downtime schedule.
