How to Migrate a GTA 6 Server Between Hosts
At some point your server will outgrow its current host. Slow support, bad peering, unexpected price hikes, or a simple performance wall you cannot get past. Migrating is uncomfortable but necessary. Here is the playbook that minimises pain.
Before you start
- Pick the new host and run your test rehearsal workflow on it first. Do not migrate to an unfamiliar provider.
- Schedule the migration for a low-traffic night. Announce 48 hours in advance.
- Ensure you have a complete, tested backup. Restore it to a staging environment to verify.
- Document your current configuration: environment variables, script config, database credentials, DNS records.
The migration in seven steps
- Provision the new server. Match specs, install OS, install framework, install your scripts from version control.
- Copy the database. Take a fresh dump from production. Restore to the new server.
- Copy assets. Custom vehicles, MLOs, static files. Rsync is your friend.
- Smoke test. Bring the new server up with whitelist restricted to staff. Play on it for 30 minutes. Verify everything works.
- Freeze production writes. Announce the migration window, put up a maintenance page. Kick players from the old server.
- Final database sync. One more dump/restore to capture any changes since the first copy.
- Switch DNS. Update your domain A records (and SRV, if used). Propagation can take up to 15 minutes if you manage TTL correctly.
Total downtime with this playbook: 20 to 40 minutes. Extended downtime means something went wrong and you should roll back.
The rollback plan
Never migrate without a way back. Keep the old server running for 48 hours after the cutover. If the new server has problems, flip DNS back. You lose the data changes since cutover, but that is recoverable.
Common migration mistakes
- No database freeze before the final sync. You lose transactions.
- DNS TTL too high. Propagation takes hours, your players get split across two servers.
- Missing environment variables on the new server. Scripts silently fail.
- Forgetting the backup pipeline. The new server has no backups for its first week.
- Not telling players. Even a stable migration loses trust if it feels sudden.
Related reading
For pre-migration preparation, see our FiveM prep guide. For backup strategy, read backup your server the right way. For DNS setup specifics, see the domain and DNS guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to migrate a GTA 6 server between hosts?
With good preparation, 20 to 40 minutes of active downtime. Days to weeks if you wing it. Test on a staging environment before the real migration night.
Will I lose player data when migrating my GTA 6 server?
Not if you do it right. Freeze writes on the old server, sync the database one final time, switch DNS, and players resume on the new host. Skipping the final sync is how data gets lost.
Can I migrate without telling my players?
Technically yes, but do not. A silent 30-minute outage feels worse than a scheduled 30-minute outage. Announce at least 48 hours before, put up a status page, and stick to the schedule.
