Builds

Warning: We are winding down our direct support for the Unity Multiplay Game Server Hosting Service. Unity will support the Multiplay Game Server Hosting Service through March 31, 2026. To ensure continuity for live titles, we are licensing our Multiplay Game Server Hosting software to Rocket Science Group. Learn more about them here.

A build has the files to run your game or application on Multiplay Hosting’s servers. To link a build to a fleet and tell it how to run, you need to attach a build configuration to the build.

Note: Don't confuse Multiplay Hosting builds with Unity server builds that you export from the Unity editor.

Multiplay Hosting prompts you to upload your build files when you create a build. If you’re using a direct file upload, the files must be a loose set of unarchived (unzipped) files. The build won't work if it’s zipped into an archive.

Before you can use your build, you must create it into a release, which is a version of your build that’s ready to release to servers to run your game or application. The first version you create is Release 1.

A flowchart showing the naming convention of releases, starting with Release 1 then Release 2 then Release 3, after each successive build update.

The next time you update your build and create a new version, it will be Release 2. You can only use the latest version of a build.

A flowchart showing the stages of creating your first release, from naming the build to uploading the files then finally creating the release.

When you update a build, it triggers build installs. The number of installs depends on the number of servers using the build.

There are two methods to update a build called rollout modes: progressive and forced.

Progression rollout

A progressive rollout is a method of deploying a build update where you update servers only when they're empty. Multiplay Hosting waits for your matchmaker to deallocate the server if it has any connected players.

A flowchart showing that Multiplay Hosting's progressive rollout only deploys a build update when the server has no more players.

Forced rollout

A forced rollout is a method of deploying a build update where you force servers to update even if the server has connected players. If players are connected when you start a forced rollout, Multiplay Hosting kicks the players from the server.

A flowchart showing that Multiplay Hosting's forced rollout deploys a build update by removing active players from the server.