MINECRAFT HOSTING
GAME SERVERS
Game PanelMost problems with a Valheim server come down to a few causes. Start with the one that matches what you see.
Joining by address fails or times out on a fresh server
Why: Crossplay is on by default. In that mode the server registers with Microsoft PlayFab and players are relayed, so joining by address may not work.
Fix: Use Join Game, then Add server, and paste the join code from the Console tab. Or open Settings, then Game Settings, turn Enable Crossplay off, restart, and join by address (Steam players only).
I can't find the join code
Why: The code is printed once the world has loaded and the session registers, so it is missing while the server is still starting.
Fix: Wait for the console line saying the session is registered with a join code, then copy the six digits. Check it again after every restart.
The server does not appear in the in-game server list
Why: Public Server may be off, or the server is in crossplay mode where the Steam server list may not answer.
Fix: Check Public Server is on and, if you are on Steam only, turn Enable Crossplay off and restart. If you still cannot see it, join by address or join code instead.
Settings, then Game Settings refuses to save the password or name
Why: The password must be 5 to 20 characters and may not contain a double quote or backslash (and must not be part of the server name); the name is limited to 60 characters and the world name to 20.
Fix: Pick a password in range without those characters, and a world name of 20 characters or fewer.
I changed World Name and my old world seems gone
Why: The server loads the world named in World Name; a new name starts a new world. The old world is still on disk.
Fix: Set World Name back to the exact old name (it must match the folder name in worlds_local) and restart.
Mods do nothing on my server
Why: The standard Valheim server type has no BepInEx loader, so plugins are never loaded.
Fix: Use the Valheim BepInEx or Valheim Plus Mod server type, then add mods to BepInEx/plugins/ or through ModPack.
Valheim Plus or other mods broke after a game patch
Why: Game patches often arrive before mods are updated, and Auto Update installs the newest game at every start.
Fix: On the modded server types switch Auto Update off to hold the current build, and update the mod when its author releases a compatible version.
Recent progress lost after a crash or hard kill
Why: The world is written on a timer (default every 30 minutes) and at a clean shutdown, so a kill loses what happened since the last save.
Fix: Stop the server normally rather than killing it, and lower Backup Interval if you want shorter gaps between saves.
Still stuck?
Open a ticket in the category that fits and include the last 50 to 100 lines of the console. See How to open a support ticket and How to fix a server that will not start.
