What are GeyserMC and Floodgate?
A plain explanation of GeyserMC and Floodgate, the two plugins that let Bedrock players join a Minecraft Java server, and whether you need both.
Updated · 2 min read
GeyserMC is a protocol translator that lets Minecraft Bedrock clients join a Java Edition server. Floodgate is a companion plugin that lets those Bedrock players join without owning a Java account. Both are free and open source, made by the GeyserMC project.
Geyser
Bedrock clients speak the Bedrock protocol over UDP. Java servers only understand the Java protocol over TCP. Geyser sits on your server, listens for Bedrock connections on a UDP port, and translates packets both ways: block updates, inventories, entities, chat, forms and so on.
Geyser comes in several builds. On Schokr you will use:
| Build | Install on |
|---|---|
| Spigot (works on Paper) | A single Paper server |
| BungeeCord | The BungeeCord proxy of a network |
There is also a Standalone build that runs as its own program, but on Schokr the plugin build is the simplest choice.
Floodgate
Without Floodgate, Geyser uses auth-type: online: each Bedrock player must also log in with a paid Java Edition account. That is a big barrier for console and mobile players.
Floodgate fixes this. It verifies Bedrock players through their Xbox/Microsoft login and gives them a Java-side identity:
- A username with a prefix, by default a dot, like
.Steve, so it never collides with a real Java name. - A generated UUID based on their Xbox ID.
When Floodgate is installed on the same server, the Spigot build of Geyser detects it and uses Floodgate authentication automatically.
Do I need both?
| Your players | Install |
|---|---|
| Bedrock players who all own Java accounts | Geyser alone works |
| Bedrock players without Java accounts | Geyser and Floodgate |
| Mixed, or you are not sure | Geyser and Floodgate |
Almost every crossplay server runs both.
What Geyser cannot do
- It does not make Bedrock add-ons or Marketplace content work on Java.
- It cannot translate client-side Java mods for Bedrock players.
- It does not change server rules: Bedrock players play by Java mechanics.
Next steps
The official documentation lives at the GeyserMC wiki.