Velocity
Minecraft network proxy
This Is a Proxy, Not a Server
Velocity sits in front of multiple backend Minecraft servers and routes player connections. It does not host worlds itself. You still need separate Paper/Fabric/Forge servers behind it.
Forwarding Mode Must Match Backend
Set player-info-forwarding-mode in velocity.toml to match every backend server's setting (modern for Paper 1.13+, legacy for BungeeCord-compatible, none for unauthenticated LAN). Mismatch → players see "If you wish to use IP forwarding, please enable it in your BungeeCord config".
Protect the forwarding.secret
With modern forwarding, the forwarding.secret file authenticates the proxy to each backend. Never expose it. Anyone with this file can connect spoofing any player.
Official Documentation