Valheim Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Server Does Not Appear in Community Browser

The community browser is a Steam-backend feature. It does nothing at all on a crossplay server, and crossplay is on by default - so on a default GameGrid server, "not in the browser" is expected. Players join by the six-digit Crossplay Join Code instead.

Solution 1 (crossplay servers): stop looking for it in the browser and share the Crossplay Join Code from Connection Info on the Overview tab.

Solution 2 (Steam-only servers): turn on "List in Server Browser" in Settings under Basic. It is off by default.

Solution 3: set a Server Password of at least 5 characters. Valheim refuses to list a server that has none, so listing stays off without one.

Solution 4: restart. Both of those are launch arguments and neither takes effect on a running server. Then wait several minutes for the master server to pick it up.

Solution 5: use the address instead. On a Steam-only server, Join Game > Add Server > the host and port from Connection Info bypasses the browser entirely.

Connection Could Not Be Established

Cause: you are typing an address at a crossplay server, the server is offline, the address is wrong, or a network issue is blocking the connection.

Solution 1: check whether crossplay is on - it is by default. A crossplay server does not listen on its game port, so the address will never connect. Use the Crossplay Join Code from Connection Info instead. This is the commonest cause of this error on GameGrid.

Solution 2: verify the server shows as Online in the GameGrid dashboard.

Solution 3 (Steam-only servers): double-check the host and port against Connection Info. GameGrid allocates the port from its own pool, so it is not 2456.

Solution 4: if you recently switched crossplay on or off, Valheim may have cached the old backend. Remove the server from your recent connections list in game (Join Game > right-click the server > remove) and add it again by whichever method now applies.

Solution 5: verify the server is not in the middle of a restart. Wait 60 seconds after clicking Restart before trying to connect - and a further minute for the join code, which PlayFab reissues on every start.

Password Not Accepted

Cause: the password is wrong, or the password violates Valheim's naming rules.

Solution 1: double-check the Server Password in Settings under Security. Passwords are case-sensitive.

Solution 2: Valheim requires passwords to be at least 5 characters and NOT a substring of the server name. If your server is named "Odin Server" and your password is "Odin", the server will not start. Change either the name or the password so the password is not contained in the name.

Solution 3: if you recently changed the password, restart the server. Password changes require a restart to take effect.

Server Crashes on Startup

Cause: corrupted world save, mod conflict, or password/server name rule violation.

Solution 1: check the Console tab for error messages. "Failed to load world" or "deserialize" indicates a corrupted save - restore from a backup.

Solution 2: if you recently installed or updated a mod, remove it and try starting again. BepInEx mod conflicts are the most common cause of startup crashes on modded servers.

Solution 3: verify the password is not a substring of the server name (see above). The server will silently refuse to start.

Solution 4: check that a mod has not gone missing rather than been added. BepInEx and the GameGrid Bridge are reinstalled on every start, so a plugins folder that was cleared by hand is repaired by restarting.

Players Desync or Rubber-Band

Cause: the server's outgoing data rate is throttled, or a specific zone has too many objects to sync.

Solution 1: reduce building piece counts in areas where desync occurs. Large single bases are the usual trigger.

Solution 2: for large groups, a networking mod that raises Valheim's outgoing data-rate cap can help. It is a client-and-server mod, so it will lock out Xbox and Game Pass players. See the Mods guide.

Solution 3: spread players across multiple bases rather than clustering everyone in one area.

Solution 4: if only one player is desyncing, the issue is likely their connection, not the server. Have them check their ping and try a wired connection.

See the Performance guide for a full optimization walkthrough.

Lost Progress After Crash

Cause: the server was killed (not stopped gracefully) and the world had not saved since the last autosave.

Solution 1: restore from the most recent GameGrid backup in the Backups tab.

Solution 2: reduce the Save Interval in Settings (e.g. from 1800 to 600 seconds) so the server saves more frequently. This reduces the maximum progress loss on crash.

Solution 3: always stop the server from the control panel. Never kill the process directly. The panel sends a graceful shutdown signal that triggers a final save.

Console (F5) Does Not Work

Cause: the in-game console is disabled by default in current Valheim versions. You need to enable it via Steam launch options.

Solution: in your Steam library, right-click Valheim > Properties > Launch Options. Add "-console" (without quotes). Launch the game and press F5. You also have to be on the server's admin list for the admin commands to do anything.

The Console tab in the GameGrid panel is a live view of the server's own output, and that is all it is for Valheim. Valheim has no RCON, telnet or command API, so there is no channel for the panel to send a command down - admin commands are typed in game.

Note: devcommands (cheats) do not work on dedicated servers without the Server Devcommands mod. See the Admin Commands guide.

World Reset or Lost After Restart

Cause: the World Name setting was changed, or the save files were deleted.

Solution 1: verify the World Name in Settings matches the world file base name in the worlds_local directory. If it was changed accidentally, set it back and restart.

Solution 2: check the File Manager for your .db and .fwl files. If they are missing, restore from a GameGrid backup.

Solution 3: if someone used Delete Savegames or Wipe Server on the Admin tab, the world was intentionally deleted. Restore from a backup if it was unintended - GameGrid takes an automatic one daily and before every update and reinstall.