Velocity
A modern proxy by the PaperMC team that connects several Minecraft Java servers into one network players join through a single address.
Velocity is a proxy server for Minecraft Java Edition, developed by the PaperMC team. Players connect to the proxy, and the proxy forwards them to one of several backend servers, for example a lobby, a survival world and a minigame server. Players can switch between them without disconnecting.
Why it matters for server owners
A proxy is how you build a network instead of a single server. Each backend can run its own software, plugins and world, and a heavy mode no longer slows down the rest. Velocity is the recommended proxy for Paper based networks and the successor to setups that used BungeeCord or Waterfall.
Modern forwarding
Behind a proxy, backend servers run with online-mode=false because the proxy handles authentication. The proxy must then pass each player’s real UUID and IP to the backend. Velocity’s “modern” forwarding does this with a shared secret:
- In
velocity.toml, setplayer-info-forwarding-mode = "modern". The secret is stored inforwarding.secret. - On each Paper backend, enable Velocity support in
config/paper-global.ymlunderproxies.velocityand paste the same secret. - Register the backends under
[servers]invelocity.toml.
Keep backends private
Even with forwarding, backends should only accept connections from the proxy. If a backend with online-mode=false is reachable directly, anyone can join it under any name. Use a firewall or bind the backends to a private address.
Practical tip
Plugins that must work across the whole network, such as LuckPerms, usually need a shared database so all servers see the same data. Plan for that before you split one server into several.