How to Update Your Palworld Server
Keep your server current with the latest Palworld version to prevent version mismatch errors.
Why Updates Matter
Palworld clients auto-update through Steam. When a new patch drops, your players get it automatically. If the client and server builds do not match, players see "The match you are trying to join is running an incompatible version" and cannot connect.
GameGrid applies server updates for you. A fleet sweep detects the new build and, unless you have turned auto-update off, installs it. Restarting the server does NOT fetch a new build - that is a common misconception, and it is why the Admin tab has an explicit button for it.
Updating on GameGrid
1. Go to your dashboard and click "Manage" on your Palworld server.
2. Open the Admin tab and find the "Game Updates" card.
3. It shows the build your server is running, and an "Update available" badge with the new version when there is one. A short summary of what changed appears with it when the platform has one.
4. The switch "Automatically apply game updates" is ON by default. Leave it on and the update lands on its own.
5. To apply it now, click "Update now". The button is there whether the switch is on or off.
What the platform then does: stage the new build on the host, take a pre-update backup, warn anyone playing, stop the server, move it to the new build, start it, and record the build that actually landed. If it fails, the server is put back on the build it was on and the card says why.
It runs as a job rather than a page request - it can take several minutes on a big patch, the card reports the outcome on its own, and you can leave the page.
The build that lands is whichever is newest on the branch, so it may not be the exact number the panel detected. The card says so when they differ.
Always Backup Before Updating
The platform takes a backup immediately before every update, so you are covered by default. It is retained with the other automatic ones - the last 7 backups or 7 days, whichever comes first.
Take a manual one as well before a big patch, with "Create Backup Now" on the Backups tab. A manual backup can be labelled, is kept until you delete it, and is easier to find in a hurry.
If an update breaks something, restore from the Backups tab. Remember a Palworld restore rolls back PalWorldSettings.ini too, because it lives inside Pal/Saved - re-apply any settings you have changed since.
Verifying the Server Version
The Game Updates card on the Admin tab names the build your server is running, and reports the build that landed after an update. That is the authoritative answer.
You can also ask the server itself: Info in the Console tab (no leading slash), or /Info in game.
Compare it to your client version, shown in the bottom-left of the Palworld main menu.
If they still do not match, have the player close Steam entirely and reopen it to force a client update. If the server is genuinely stuck on an old build after a successful update, open a support ticket with both version numbers.
When Steam Maintenance Causes Issues
Steam performs scheduled maintenance on Tuesdays, typically around 10:00 AM PT. During that window a build can fail to download.
An update that fails leaves your server on the build it was already running and puts the reason in the Game Updates card. Wait 15-30 minutes and press "Update now" again.