Why can't my friends find or join my V Rising server?

Start by connecting straight to the server’s address. If that works, the server’s fine and the problem is the server list. If it doesn’t, check the password, everyone’s game version and whether the server is full, in that order.

1. Connect by address

Stunlock’s support site says the server list fetches thousands of servers at once and sometimes misses private ones. Direct Connect skips it:

1. In V Rising, choose Online Play.
2. Choose Find Servers, in the bottom right.
3. Choose Display all Servers & Settings, then Direct Connect.
4. Enter your server’s address and port from your Game Panel, such as 203.0.113.24:9876, and connect.

Send your friends the same address. If they get in this way, the server’s working and only the list needs sorting.

2. It’s not in the server list

• ListOnEOS is off. V Rising’s list looks for servers on EOS by default, so the server only shows up there with ListOnEOS set to true. ListOnSteam adds it to Steam’s own list as well. Both live in ServerHostSettings.json.
• It’s only just started. Stunlock says a newly started server can take a few minutes to appear.
• The name doesn’t match. Players need to look for the server’s Name as it’s written in the settings.

Change the list settings in your server’s settings in the Game Panel, or in ServerHostSettings.json in the Settings folder, then restart the server.

3. The password’s wrong

If the server has a Password, everyone needs it exactly as it’s written. Check it in ServerHostSettings.json, or in your server’s settings in the Game Panel.

4. Someone’s on a different version

• The server missed an update. After a V Rising patch, players’ games update through Steam, and the server needs the same update. Update it from your Game Panel.
• A player is on an old branch. Anyone who switched V Rising to legacy-1.0.x (Properties, then Betas, in Steam) to play an old save is on the 1.0 game. They need to switch back to None to join a 1.1 server.
• They’re on PS5. The PS5 version of V Rising uses its own build of the dedicated server, and our servers run the PC build. PS5 players can’t join it.

5. It’s full, or they’re banned

• Full. MaxConnectedUsers in ServerHostSettings.json is the most players who can be on at once. Admins can still get in, up to MaxConnectedAdmins.
• Banned. Check banlist.txt in the Settings folder, or type banned in the console as an admin. unban lifts a ban. See how to make yourself admin.
• VAC banned. With Secure on, players with a Valve anti-cheat (VAC) ban can’t connect.

6. The server isn’t running properly

Look at the live console in your Game Panel. If the server stopped or keeps restarting after you edited a settings file, a missing comma or bracket is the usual cause: Stunlock’s support site says a broken file can’t be read. Put your backup back, or see how to change game settings for what a good file looks like.

If players get “Error: Server Error” when they try to reconnect after a crash, the newest autosave may be damaged. Rolling back one autosave usually sorts it.