Out of memory / server keeps crashing

Diagnose OutOfMemoryError and repeated crashes on a Victus Minecraft server — right-size RAM, cut memory-hungry settings, and find the plugin/mod at fault.

Repeated crashes on Minecraft are most often memory-related. A java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space in the console means the server needed more RAM than your plan allows — either because the plan is too small for your content, or because a plugin/mod, a huge view-distance, or a runaway world is eating memory.

Confirm it is memory

• Console shows OutOfMemoryError, "Server thread dump", or the server dies without a clean stack trace.
• The panel resource graph pins RAM at 100% right before the crash.
• Crashes cluster around chunk loading, big builds, world border expansion, or many players joining at once.

Reduce memory pressure

1. Lower view-distance in server.properties to 6–8, and set simulation-distance similar or lower.
2. On Paper/Purpur, reduce entity and mob limits in the config, and enable the built-in anti-lag options.
3. Remove plugins/mods you do not actually use — each one costs RAM.
4. Pre-generate or trim your world instead of letting players explore endlessly (huge maps use huge memory).
5. Restart on a schedule so memory is reclaimed regularly (see "Schedule automatic restarts").

Find the culprit add-on

1. If the crash log names a plugin/mod, remove that file from the plugins/mods folder and restart.
2. If it is unclear, temporarily move half your plugins out, test, and narrow down by halving (binary search).
3. Keep add-ons updated — a memory leak is often fixed in a newer build for your MC version.