4Story, also released as Gates of Andaron, is a free-to-play MMORPG from the South Korean studio Zemi Interactive. It launched in Korea in 2007 and was published in Europe and North America by Gameforge. It is a PvP game first and foremost: nations at war over castles and regions, open PvP in the world, and arena battles for players who want a straight fight.

The official game has had a quiet few years. Gameforge's servers are still online with small updates and events, and a Steam re-release called 4Story: The Original launched in June 2025 to mostly negative reviews before being pulled later that year. Many veterans now look to fan-run private servers, which offer older versions, different rates or simply a fresh start where both nations begin at zero.

Nations, Castles and Conquest

Your first real decision is your side. The soldier people of Valorian and the mage nation of Derion fight over the same castles and regions, and everything you do eventually feeds that war. You build a character from three races - Human, Fairy and Werebeast - and six classes: Warrior, Assassin, Archer, Wizard, Priest and Summoner.

The game puts PvP ahead of PvE. Open PvP runs through the world, area conquests decide who holds the regions, castle conquests are the big guild-and-nation events, and arena battles settle things on a smaller scale. Leveling and gear matter mostly because they decide how useful you are when your nation calls everyone to a castle. That makes 4Story very different from games where PvP is a side activity: the population, the schedule and the balance between nations shape your experience more than any quest line.

What to Look For in a 4Story Private Server

Nation Balance

With two nations fighting over the same castles, a lopsided population decides the war before it starts. Ask how players are split between Valorian and Derion, and whether the server does anything to keep the sides even. Joining the smaller nation is often the quickest way to matter in a castle fight.

Castle and Conquest Schedule

Find out when castle and area conquests run and convert the times to your time zone. A great server is still a bad fit if every siege lands while you are asleep. Also check whether both nations actually show up, because an unopposed conquest is not much of a war.

Version, Maps and Gear Tiers

4Story changed over its official life, and private servers pick different points in that history. The version decides the level cap, the maps and the gear tiers, and therefore how long the road to castle-ready is. Check what the server runs and what it has customized.

Shop Items and Upgrades

In a PvP-first game, anything bought with money shows up on the battlefield. Read the shop list, check whether upgrade materials or protection items can be earned in game, and prefer servers where gear comes from play.

Language and Community

4Story communities can be German-, English- or Asian-language first. Check which language the server, its Discord and its guilds use; coordinating a castle defense in a language you do not speak is hard work.

Classic or Customized

Some servers aim to recreate 4Story as it was, with the original pace and gear. Others raise the level cap, add gear tiers or rework class balance. A classic server suits returning players who want the castle wars they remember; a customized one can be great fun if the team keeps balancing what it adds. Either way, look at how long the server has been running and how often it patches.

Choosing Your Nation

Choose your nation first, ideally the one that needs players, then your race and class. A Priest or Summoner who knows the conquest schedule is welcome in any guild. Read the shop policy before you invest. Vote for the server you play on; rankings here start again every month, so the list below follows where players are now.