Valheim “Incompatible Version”: Why It Happens and How to Join Your Server
You go to play with your group and Valheim says “Incompatible version”. It isn't your world or the password: your game and the server aren't on the same version. It nearly always happens right after a patch, and since 1.0 there have been plenty. It takes a few minutes to fix once you know who's behind.
Why it happens
Valheim won't let you join a server on a version that isn't compatible with yours. Steam updates your game on its own, but a server stays on the version it has until someone updates it. That's why the error appears out of nowhere one day, without anyone touching anything.
Since 1.0 came out on 9 September 2026, a lot of patches have landed in a row (the ones that affect a server). Your world hasn't broken: as soon as the versions match, you can get in.
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Find out who's behind
Your version appears on the game's main menu. The server's is written to its console or log when it starts. If you can't see it, don't worry: restarting the server is the first thing to try anyway, and if that changes nothing, it's someone's game that's behind.
If it only fails for one player, the problem is in their game (cases 2, 3 and 4). If nobody can join, it's almost certainly the server (case 1).
Case 1: the server is behind
This is the most common one. Before updating, especially for a big jump, make a backup of the world.
If it's the Steam dedicated server
Close it and open Steam: “Valheim Dedicated Server”, under “Tools”, updates like any game. If it doesn't, right-click → Properties → “Installed Files” → “Verify integrity”.
If you installed it with SteamCMD
Run the download for app 896660 again with
validateand start the server.If it's a rented server
Look for an update option in its panel, or restart it if it updates on start. On NapNodes, see below.
Case 2: your game is behind
If the server has updated and you haven't, close Valheim and check Steam's downloads: sometimes the update is queued or paused. If it doesn't appear, restart Steam. With Game Pass or the Microsoft Store, look for updates in your library; on console, close the game completely and check for updates.
Case 3: someone is on the test branch
If you ever signed up for Valheim's test branch (public-test), you may still be on it and ahead of everyone else. In Steam, right-click Valheim → Properties → “Betas” (in newer Steam, “Game Versions & Betas”) and choose “None”. Steam downloads the normal version.
Case 4: players on Xbox, PS5, Switch 2 or Game Pass
Each store publishes patches on its own schedule, not always on the same day. A different number doesn't always stop you joining: during the September 2026 patches there were days with Steam on 1.0.12, Xbox on 1.0.11 and the others on 1.0.10, and they were announced as compatible for crossplay.
If your console friends can't join right after a Steam patch, check that theirs is up to date and that the server has “Crossplay (consoles and Game Pass)” turned on (how to join from console). If their patch isn't out yet, all you can do is wait for it.
Case 5: mods
With mods that run on both sides, a player with another version of the mod, or without it, can't join or gets broken features, even if the game matches. After a patch, an old mod may also stop working: check on Thunderstore that its latest version is newer than the patch, and here's how to give everyone the same mods.
To find out whether mods are the cause, the easiest thing is for everyone to import the same r2modman profile again. If you have to test the server without them, make a backup first: a mod's items can disappear from the world. Consoles have no mods, so a mod the player also needs locks out anyone on Xbox, PlayStation 5 or Switch 2.
On NapNodes: so it doesn't happen again
Servers run the public Steam version: you can't choose an older one. They do update themselves on start if you leave that on.
Leave “Update the game on start” on
It's in “Settings” and comes turned on. If there's a new version, it downloads on start (it takes a bit longer).
Press “Restart”
That makes the server look for the new version. Watch the “Console” until it starts and try joining again.
Make a backup before a big patch
In “Backups”. The free server has no backups: use “Download everything” in “Files”.
Share mods with a code
If you use mods, “Mods” gives you an r2modman code: each player imports it and gets the same ones, in the same version.
With a plan, schedule a restart
In “Advanced settings” → “Schedules”, at a time when nobody's on (how to create the task): the server catches up on its own every day.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Incompatible version” mean in Valheim?
That your game and the server aren't on compatible versions. It's nearly always because Steam has updated you and the server is still on the previous one.
How do I update my Valheim server?
The Steam dedicated server updates from Steam like a game; with SteamCMD, by downloading app 896660 again. On NapNodes, just restart it with “Update the game on start” turned on.
Will I lose my world when updating the server?
Normally not: as soon as the versions match, you're back in your world. Even so, make a backup before a big patch.
Why can't my console friend join when I can?
Each store publishes patches on its own schedule, and theirs may not have arrived. Also check that the server has crossplay turned on.
Can mods cause it?
Yes: with mods that run on both sides, everyone needs the same ones in the same version. The easiest thing is for everyone to import the same r2modman profile.
How do I leave Valheim's test branch?
In Steam, right-click Valheim → Properties → “Betas” (or “Game Versions & Betas”) and choose “None”.
Shall we set it up for you?
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Not sure whether your server is online? Check it in a second with the Valheim server status checker: players, version and password, free.
Keep reading
- Valheim Server Lag: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
Enemies teleporting and bases stuttering in Valheim: who “owns” each zone, the data rate limit, huge bases, and when it really is the server.
- Valheim Server Not Starting: Errors and Fixes
Why a Valheim server closes on startup or loads an empty world: password, world name, ports, BepInEx mods, old worlds and disk space.
- New World on Your Valheim Server: Start Over, Pick a Seed and Switch Worlds
Create a new world on your Valheim server without losing the old one or your characters: change the world name, pick the seed and keep several worlds.