Valheim Failed to Connect: Every Fix After 1.0 (Dedicated Server)

"Failed to connect" is the message Valheim gives you for about eight different problems, and since 1.0 it's been the most common ticket we get by a distance. We get asked "why can't I connect to my server" and "my dedicated server failed to connect" every single day. This guide works through the causes in the order they actually turn out to be the fault, on any Valheim dedicated server, with a note on where each fix lives if the server is with us. If you are still looking for a server, our Valheim dedicated server hosting plans come with the panel described throughout.

The short version, if you're in a hurry: restart the server so it picks up the current Valheim build, wait a full two minutes, check the address and password, and if console players are the ones stuck, get the current join code. That's four of the eight right there.

Step 1: Check Your Server is running

Before troubleshooting anything else, make sure the server is actually up and has finished loading. A Valheim server takes one to two minutes after starting before it accepts connections, longer on a big or modded world, and "failed to connect" in that window means nothing at all.

The line to look for in the server log is Game server connected. Until that's printed, nobody is getting in.

On a LOW.MS server the status is at the top of the server page next to the power controls, and the Console tab shows the log live. If it says Offline, start it. If it says Starting…, wait for Game server connected on the Console before you try again.

If the server starts and then stops itself, or never gets to that line, it's almost always one of two things: a mod that hasn't been updated for Valheim 1.0 (see the mods note at the bottom), or a password that clashes with the world name (Step 2). Either way the Console tells you which, so read the last screen of it before you do anything else.

Step 2: Verify Your Server Details

Make sure you have the correct server information:

• Server IP Address: Double-check that you're entering the correct IP address.
• Port Number: Valheim's default is 2456, but a hosted server almost never uses it. Every server on our platform gets its own port (they look like 27515 or 27535), and the address at the top of your server page has the right one. One catch that bites everyone once: the Steam server browser (View, Servers, Favorites) wants the port one above the game port, so 27516 for a server on 27515. In-game Join Game wants the game port itself.
• Password: Valheim passwords are case sensitive and at least 5 characters. On a public server the password also can't appear inside the world name or the seed: call the world Midgard and set the password to gard and the server refuses to start. It does say so, but only in the log, as a line beginning Error bad password:.

On our panel all three are on the Manage tab in the General group, and the address (IP and port together, with a copy button) is on the strip at the top of the server page.

Step 3: Check Your Internet Connection

Your connection to the internet can affect your ability to join the server.

1. Ensure your internet is stable and not dropping out.
2. Restart your modem or router to refresh the connection.
3. Test your connection speed, as slow speeds or high ping can prevent connection.

If one player can't get in and everyone else can, it's their end nine times out of ten. Get them to check this step before anyone starts pulling the server apart.

Step 4: Update Valheim on both the client and the server

The game and the server have to be on the same version, and after Valheim 1.0 this is the single most common reason people can't get in. 1.0 launched on 9 September 2026 as version 1.0.7, and hotfix 1.0.12 followed on 11 September. A server on 1.0.7 won't let a 1.0.12 player join, and the other way round. The error the player sees is usually "incompatible version", but plain "failed to connect" happens too.

The trap is that Steam updates your game in the background while a dedicated server keeps running whatever build it started with. A server that's been up for a week is a week out of date. Restarting doesn't fix that.

On your PC:

1. Open Steam.
2. Navigate to Valheim in your library.
3. Click Properties > Updates and ensure automatic updates are enabled.
4. If Steam hasn't picked the update up, restart Steam.

On the server, run the Valheim update and start it again. On a LOW.MS server the Game updates card on the Overview tab tells you when an update is waiting, and Update installs it (the server stops and restarts to do it). If you'd rather never think about it, add an Update task under Scheduled tasks on the Settings tab.

Switch 2 is the exception right now. Iron Gate couldn't get the 1.0.12 hotfix onto Switch 2, so Switch 2 players can't currently play with anyone on 1.0.12. Iron Gate's workaround is for the server and the Steam players to go back to the previous build (the default_old branch), and each Steam player picks default_old under Properties > Game Versions & Betas. Rolling a hosted server back isn't something you can do from our panel, so if your group decides to go that way, open a ticket and we'll do it with you. PlayStation 5 and Xbox players can't join Switch 2 players at all until the fix lands, so it's a trade-off for your group. Our troubleshooting guide has the full walkthrough.

Step 5: Disable Firewalls or Antivirus Temporarily

Firewalls or antivirus programs may block the connection:

1. Temporarily disable your firewall or antivirus.
2. Try reconnecting to the server.
3. If successful, add Valheim and Steam to your firewall's or antivirus's exceptions list to prevent future issues.

Warning: Re-enable your firewall or antivirus after testing for security.

Step 6: Use Direct Connect

If the in-game server browser isn't working, try connecting directly:

1. Launch Valheim.
2. Click Start Game and select your character.
3. Click Join Game
4. Click the button to join by IP, enter your server's IP address and port (e.g., 92.118.16.126:27515), then click Add server

A newly started server can take five or ten minutes to appear in the Community list, so direct connect is the way in while you wait.

Step 7: Contact Your Host or Server Admin

If you've tried everything and still can't connect:

1. Contact us on one of our support channels and we will get it working for you!
2. If a friend manages the server, ask them to check server logs for errors or misconfigurations.

Tell us which Valheim version the player is on, whether anyone else can get in, and what the Console says. That saves a round trip.

Additional Notes

• Xbox, PlayStation, Switch 2 or Game Pass players can't join? Since 1.0, crossplay covers every platform, but it has to be switched on at the server: the dedicated server needs the -crossplay argument, which moves it onto Valheim's PlayFab backend. On our panel that's the Crossplay tick in the General group on the Manage tab: tick it, save, restart. Once it's running, console and Game Pass players join with a six-digit join code rather than an address. The server log prints it as registered with join code, and on our panel it's on the Join your server card on the Overview tab. It changes every time the server starts, so a code from yesterday is a dead code. Steam players can keep using the IP and port either way. The crossplay and join codes guide walks through it.
• A whitelisted player can't get in, or a banned one can? On the 1.0.7 launch build, the ban list and whitelist only recognised Valheim's new V_ player IDs and ignored older-style Steam_ entries. The 1.0.12 hotfix fixed that, so update the server first. One more trap: permittedlist.txt is a whitelist, so putting one name in it locks everyone else out. On our panel the three lists are on the Players tab, and changes apply on the next start.
• Steam Authentication Issues: Sometimes, restarting Steam or your PC can resolve issues.
• Mod Compatibility: If you're using mods, every player needs the same client-side mods at the same versions, or the server kicks them with a version message. And since 1.0 plenty of older mods won't load until their authors ship a 1.0 build, which can stop the server starting at all. Check BepInEx/LogOutput.log (the Files tab, under game/BepInEx/, on our servers) and see Valheim mods after the 1.0 update.

Port Forwarding Configuration - Non LOW.MS

Servers require specific ports to be open for connections. Check that your router has port forwarding set up correctly:

1. Access your router settings (refer to your router's manual for details).
2. Forward the following ports:
   • UDP 2456-2457 (the game port, and the query port which is always the game port + 1)
3. Restart your router after saving changes.

We hope this guide helps resolve your connection issues! If you're still experiencing problems, feel free to reach out to our support team for further assistance. Happy gaming!