A Sons of the Forest server on PlayNHost updates itself: every time it starts with Auto Update on, it downloads the newest build of the dedicated server from Steam before the game runs. After Endnight releases a patch, restart the server once so it runs the newest build, like your players' games.
Update after a patch
- Open your server in the panel. Wait 10 minutes after the last change in the game, so the server's automatic save holds everything: Does your Sons of the Forest server save when you stop it?
- Click Restart on the Overview page.
- Open the Console. Steam checks for and downloads the update first, then the game starts.
- Wait for
#DSL Dedicated server loaded., then join.
Players' games update through Steam by themselves, so restart the server soon after a patch to keep it on the same build. Sons of the Forest has no ready-made daily restart on PlayNHost; you can add your own: How to restart your Sons of the Forest server on a schedule.
Where is the Auto Update switch?
- Click the Settings tab, then Game Settings.
- Click Show advanced (1) below the other settings. Auto Update is there, with the note that these settings "control how the server is installed and updated rather than how it plays".
Leave it on. Turn it off only if you want the server to stay on the build it already has, for example while a mod you rely on is not ready for a new patch. Your players' games keep updating through Steam, so turn it back on and restart as soon as you can.
How often does Sons of the Forest update?
Not often since its full release. Endnight released version 1.0 on 22 February 2024, a larger update on 15 January 2025 with hotfixes after it, and a Unity security update on 3 October 2025. The game's news page on Steam lists every patch.
Do mods need updating too?
Mods come from their own authors, not from Endnight, and the server does not update them for you. If the server stops after a game update while mods are on, check the Console, then remove the newest mod or switch RedLoader off: How to remove mods from your Sons of the Forest server.
