Palworld gets frequent patches from Pocketpair, and a dedicated server has to match the version players are running. When it falls behind, anyone trying to join sees the message the match you are trying to join is running an incompatible version of the game. Bringing the server current fixes that, whether you host it yourself or rent it from a provider.
Quick answer: On a hosting panel, enable the Auto Update toggle and restart the server. On a self-hosted machine, stop the server and run app_update 2394010 validate in SteamCMD, then start it back up.
Back up your world before you touch anything
Updates can occasionally break a world or reset settings, so a backup is the one step you should never skip on a major patch. Keep it even after the server starts cleanly, because some problems only appear once players reconnect.
Everything that matters lives inside Pal/Saved/. If you are on a managed host, use the panel’s backup tool to create a manual copy. If you self-host, copy the folders yourself. The important paths are:
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/holds your world data.Pal/Saved/Config/holds your custom server settings.- Inside
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/you’ll findLevel.sav,LevelMeta.sav,WorldOption.sav,LocalData.sav, and thePlayers/folder. Together these make up the full world.
If you can authenticate as an admin in game, warn players before the shutdown and force a save. Running /Save writes a fresh save on top of any automatic ones, which gives you a clean point to restore from.
/Broadcast Server updating soon, please head somewhere safe!
/SaveNote: Never update while the server is running. Doing so can corrupt game files or save data. Confirm no one is connected and the process is fully stopped first.
Update through a hosting panel
Most game hosts handle the update for you when you restart the server, as long as automatic updates are turned on. Many providers apply new versions on their own within minutes of a Steam release and reboot the server automatically, so in a lot of cases you don’t have to do anything at all.
Pal/Saved/ and is not touched by this process, so your save stays intact.If your provider has no update button, you may need to reinstall the server files manually or open a support ticket. When auto updates are disabled, you keep full control over timing, which is useful if you want to wait for mods to catch up before jumping to a new version.
Update a self-hosted server with SteamCMD
If you run the server on your own machine or a VPS, use SteamCMD, Valve’s command-line tool for downloading dedicated server files. The Palworld dedicated server uses Steam app ID 2394010. Make sure the server is fully stopped before you begin.
Windows
C:\steamcmd and run steamcmd.exe once so it installs its required files.steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir "C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer" +app_update 2394010 validate +quitLinux
validate flag re-checks the install and redownloads any missing or damaged files.login anonymous
force_install_dir /path/to/PalServer
app_update 2394010 validate
quit./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/Steam/steamapps/common/PalServer +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit+login anonymous signs in without a personal Steam account, and +app_update 2394010 fetches the server files. If the download fails, run the command again. If it keeps failing, check your disk space, internet connection, and file permissions.
Check mods and config before restarting
Mods are the biggest risk during a major patch, especially when an update changes core game systems. Out-of-date mods can crash the server or stop it from starting at all.
- Check each mod’s download page for a version that supports the new Palworld build before you enable it again.
- Update your mod loader, such as UE4SS, before restarting.
- For the first restart, start without mods if you can. Once the server runs cleanly, re-enable them one at a time so you can spot which one breaks if something goes wrong.
- Review your config for server name, password, admin password, difficulty, PvP, and base limits in case anything reset.
Verify the update worked
Start the server, then confirm it is actually on the new build before you tell everyone it’s back. Check the server console or logs for startup errors first.
To confirm the version, look at the number shown in your panel, or run /Info in chat once the server is online, and compare it against the current version on the Palworld Steam news page. Pocketpair posts official patch notes there.
Finally, join with a single test account before reopening. Make sure the world loads, your bases and Pals are where you left them, Palboxes work, items are still there, and the server saves after a few minutes of play.
Fix the version mismatch error
A version mismatch happens when the server and a player’s game client are on different Palworld versions. It is the most common reason players suddenly can’t connect right after a patch, and it almost always comes down to one of two things.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Server hasn’t updated yet | Update it to the current version using the panel restart or SteamCMD steps above. |
| Player’s client hasn’t updated yet | Have them fully close Palworld and let Steam, Xbox, or PS5 finish downloading the latest update. Console updates sometimes arrive a day or two after PC, so this is common right after a major release. |
If both sides are confirmed on the same version and players still can’t join, check that the server is actually running and that the client is on the same Palworld branch. Keep that backup from earlier until everyone is reconnected and the world is confirmed stable, since a clean restart is the fastest way to recover if the update introduced a problem.
