northstar.tf

Northstar is a modding framework client for Titanfall 2 that lets players host their own game servers using custom scripts and assets. It supports both custom content and vanilla content, so server owners can run standard Titanfall 2 modes or build entirely new experiences. If you want to play on community-run servers, install mods, or host your own, Northstar is the tool that makes it possible.

What Northstar actually does

Northstar sits between the game and the servers you connect to. Instead of relying only on official Titanfall 2 servers, it allows the community to run their own. Those servers can use:

• Custom scripts and assets to create new content
• Vanilla content, meaning the standard Titanfall 2 experience
• Mods such as gamemodes, maps, and skins

The project also provides a server browser, so players can find and join community servers rather than being limited to matchmaking.

How you install it

There are several installers, each aimed at different needs:

If you want the easiest path, FlightCore or Viper are the most straightforward. If you need deeper mod management or dedicated server control, VTOL is the more extensive option.

What the community is working on

Northstar is actively developed. Current roadmap items include:

• Frontier Defense — the PvE mode, both vanilla and extended with cut content and extra features
• Mod Auto Download — automatically download custom mods like gamemodes and maps when joining a server
• Party System — group up with friends and join servers together
• Mapping tools — bringing Titanfall 1 maps into Northstar and creating tools for custom maps
• Modding improvements — custom RUI for crosshairs and UI elements, plus modded persistence for custom weapons and Titans in loadouts

When Northstar is the right choice

Northstar is for you if you want to:

• Play Titanfall 2 on community-hosted servers
• Use mods that change gameplay, maps, or visuals
• Host your own server with custom rules or content
• Join servers with friends through a party system (once available)

It is not a replacement for the official Titanfall 2 client in the sense that it runs alongside the game, but it does change how you connect to servers and what content you can play. If you only want the standard matchmaking experience with no mods, you do not need Northstar. If you want any of the community features above, it is the framework that enables them.

Northstar is a modding framework client that lets you host your own Titanfall 2 servers using custom scripts and assets, while still supporting vanilla content. Its feature set and public roadmap center on expanding what those custom servers can do — from PvE modes to automatic mod delivery and party support. The roadmap items below are community plans, not guaranteed release dates, so treat them as direction rather than a schedule.

Features already in place

Frontier Defense (PvE)

The PvE mode from Titanfall 2 is available in Northstar, both in its vanilla form and extended with cut content and extra features. If you want cooperative wave defense rather than competitive multiplayer, this is the headline supported mode.

Custom servers and content

Because Northstar is a server framework, you can host servers running custom scripts and assets, or host vanilla content instead. This is the foundation the rest of the feature list builds on.

Mod auto-download

When you join a server, Northstar can download the custom mods that server requires — including gamemodes and maps — in a safe way. This removes the usual manual step of hunting down and installing each mod before you can play on a modded server.

Installer and mod-manager tooling

Several community installers exist, each with different strengths:

Manual installation is also possible, but note that a manual install does not update automatically.

Roadmap: what the community is working toward

Party system

The plan is to implement the vanilla party system so you can group up with friends and join servers together, rather than coordinating joins separately.

Mapping tools

Two mapping efforts are listed:

• Titanfall 1 maps — bringing maps from the first game into Northstar.
• Custom maps — building tools so the community can create their own maps.

Modding improvements

• Custom RUI — reverse-engineering Respawn's UI system to allow custom crosshairs and UI elements.
• Modded persistence — reverse-engineering and extending the persistence system so players can store custom weapons and Titans in their loadouts.

How to read this roadmap

The roadmap reflects ongoing community work, and items like the party system, mapping tools, and persistence changes are described as goals rather than finished features. If a specific capability matters to you — say, joining a friend's server as a group — check the current state before assuming it is available, since the page lists these under planned improvements rather than shipped features.

For installation itself, see the separate guide on installing Northstar for Titanfall 2, which covers the FlightCore, VTOL, Viper, and manual routes in detail.

Northstar's community and support resources are linked directly from its official site, northstar.tf. The site lists four main entry points: a Discord server for chat and questions, a Wiki for documentation, a GitHub organization for source code and issue tracking, and a Server Browser for finding custom servers. The site also names the maintainers behind each area, so you know who to credit or contact when a specific component breaks.

Discord

The Discord link on northstar.tf is the primary place for community discussion and support. It is the only real-time channel listed on the site, which makes it the first stop for questions that aren't answered by documentation — install problems, server setup issues, or mod conflicts.

The contributor list shows how support is divided inside the project. emmam handles plugins, invites, DiscordRPC, the launcher, moderation, and security. gecko covers release management, maintenance, security, FlightCore, and docs. pg9182 works on Atlas, the server container, stubs, Linux, and security. p0358 covers the source, TFO, the DLL injector, and Origin. If your question is about a specific tool, that split tells you which area of the project it belongs to.

Wiki

The Wiki is the documentation hub. The site pairs it with the Discord link and the GitHub link as the three core resources, so treat it as the reference layer: guides and written explanations live here, while the Discord handles back-and-forth troubleshooting.

The site's own installation section is a good example of how documentation is organized. It splits installation into three paths, each with its own guide:

• FlightCore — described as a fast and easy-to-use installer, updater, launcher, and mod manager, with a built-in mod browser and support for pre-release Northstar versions. Available for Windows and Linux.
• Manual installation — for users who want to install Northstar by hand. The site notes that Northstar does not automatically update when installed this way, and points to a separate guide.
• Other installers — VTOL and Viper.

VTOL is described as an extensive installer and mod manager that supports installing from Thunderstore as well as outside sources like GitHub and GitLab, plus custom weapon and pilot skins and dedicated server management. Viper is a simpler installer and auto-updater that can launch both Northstar and vanilla Titanfall 2, with a mod manager and a built-in Thunderstore mod browser.

GitHub

The GitHub link is where the code lives. The site's contributor list maps directly onto it: royalblue works on RUI, reverse engineering, tool development, and Titanfall 1 map conversion; spoon covers RPak/Starpak, stats and progression, persistence, Advocate, and bug fixes; Zanieon handles Frontier Defense and gamemodes, Squirrel maintenance, progression, and navmeshes; alystrasz works on MAD (mod auto-downloading), localisation, launchers, and documentation; wolf109909 is credited with NorthstarCN.

If you hit a bug rather than a usage question, GitHub is the place to check whether it's already known. The site also credits bobthebob as founder and Big Man, so the project has a documented maintainer structure rather than an anonymous one.

Server Browser

The Server Browser on northstar.tf is how you find and join custom servers. It sits alongside the Discord, Wiki, and GitHub links in the site's main navigation, which makes it a discovery tool rather than a support channel — but it's the practical endpoint of the whole setup. Once Northstar is installed, the Server Browser is where you go to actually use it.

Roadmap

The site's roadmap section shows what the community is actively building, which is useful context when you're deciding whether a missing feature is a bug or simply not finished yet. Current items include:

• Frontier Defense — the PvE mode, in both vanilla form and extended with cut content and extra features.
• Mod Auto Download — downloading custom mods such as gamemodes and maps when joining a server, in a safe way.
• Party System — implementing the vanilla party system so players can group up and join servers together.
• Mapping tools — bringing Titanfall 1 maps into Northstar, and creating tools for building custom maps.
• Modding improvements — Custom RUI (reversing Respawn's UI system for custom crosshairs and UI elements) and Modded Persistence (reversing and extending the persistence system so players can store custom weapons and Titans in their loadouts).

Which Resource to Use

Start with the Wiki for anything procedural, since the installation guides are already written out there. Move to Discord when the documentation doesn't cover your case. Use GitHub when the problem is in the code itself.

Northstar is a modding framework client that lets you host and join custom Titanfall 2 servers running custom scripts and assets, while still supporting vanilla content. You can install it in four ways: FlightCore (the official all-in-one installer, updater, launcher, and mod manager for Windows and Linux), VTOL (a third-party installer and mod manager for Windows), Viper (a third-party installer and auto-updater for Windows and Linux), or a manual install. Pick FlightCore if you want the simplest supported path with automatic updates; pick VTOL or Viper if you want broader mod-source support or a lighter tool; choose manual only if you are comfortable managing versions yourself.

Install options at a glance

Installing with FlightCore

1. Download FlightCore from the Northstar site (Windows or Linux build).
2. Run the installer and point it at your Titanfall 2 installation if it does not detect it automatically.
3. Let FlightCore install Northstar. It also acts as the launcher, so you start the game through FlightCore from then on.
4. Use the built-in mod browser to add mods, and use FlightCore's update function to keep Northstar current. If you want to test upcoming changes, FlightCore can install pre-release versions of Northstar.

Expected result: Northstar launches, and you can browse and join custom servers. Because FlightCore handles updates, you do not need to reinstall when a new Northstar version ships.

Installing with VTOL

1. Download VTOL (Windows) from the Northstar site.
2. Run it and let it install Northstar into your Titanfall 2 directory.
3. Use VTOL as your mod manager. It supports installing from Thunderstore as well as from outside sources such as GitHub and GitLab.
4. If you run dedicated servers or use custom weapon/pilot skins, manage them through VTOL as well.

Expected result: Northstar is installed and mods can be added from multiple sources, not just Thunderstore.

Installing with Viper

1. Download Viper (Windows or Linux) from the Northstar site.
2. Run it to install Northstar and set up auto-updating.
3. Launch either Northstar or vanilla Titanfall 2 from Viper.
4. Add mods through its mod manager and built-in Thunderstore browser.

Expected result: Northstar stays updated automatically, and you can switch between modded and vanilla launches from one tool.

Installing manually

1. Download the manual Northstar files for Windows or Linux from the Northstar site and follow the linked guide.
2. Place the files into your Titanfall 2 installation as the guide describes.
3. Update Northstar yourself whenever a new version is released — the manual install does not update automatically.

Expected result: Northstar runs, but you are responsible for keeping it current and for managing any mods by hand.

What Northstar adds once installed

The framework is not just a server browser. Its roadmap and community work cover:

• Frontier Defense — the PvE mode, in vanilla form plus extended cut content and extra features.
• Mod Auto Download — downloads custom mods such as gamemodes and maps when you join a server, in a safe way.
• Party System — the vanilla party system so you can group up with friends and join servers together.
• Mapping tools — bringing Titanfall 1 maps into Northstar and building tools for custom maps.
• Modding improvements — custom RUI (crosshairs and UI elements) and modded persistence for storing custom weapons and Titans in loadouts.

Which installer should you choose?

• Choose FlightCore if you want the official, supported tool that installs, updates, launches, and manages mods in one place, on Windows or Linux.
• Choose VTOL if you are on Windows and want to install mods from Thunderstore and from outside sources like GitHub/GitLab, or you need to manage dedicated servers and custom skins.
• Choose Viper if you want a simple installer with auto-updating and the ability to launch vanilla Titanfall 2 alongside Northstar, on Windows or Linux.
• Choose manual only if you prefer full control and accept that updates are your responsibility.

All four paths lead to the same result — a working Northstar install — so the deciding factors are your platform, how much mod-source flexibility you need, and whether you want automatic updates.