Game Server Stuck in a Crash Loop? How to Break It and Find the Cause

A game server stuck in a crash loop keeps starting, failing and being restarted by its watchdog. The first thing to do is stop the automatic restart so it cannot keep loading (and possibly damaging) the world, then back up the save as it is. After that, read the log from the first crash in the loop, not the latest one. The cause is almost always one of five things: a bad config edit, a broken mod or plugin, an update that left files mismatched, a damaged save, or a port or resource clash.

Step 1: stop the loop

Every restart is another chance to overwrite good data or fill the disk with logs. Stop the cycle first.

• systemd: sudo systemctl stop yourserver. If it is set to Restart=always, stopping the service still works. Check with systemctl status yourserver.
• Docker: docker stop <container>. If the restart policy is always, also run docker update --restart=no <container> while you debug.
• Windows scripts: many batch start scripts loop with goto start. Close the window, then check Task Manager for leftover server processes.
• Screen or tmux scripts: attach and stop it, then kill the wrapper script so it does not relaunch.
• Hosted panel: press Stop, and turn off any automatic restart or crash detection setting while you work.

Step 2: back up what is there

Before you change anything, copy the world and config folders somewhere safe, even if you think they are broken. If the save is damaged, you want the latest state, plus your earlier backups, to work with. Our guide on how to back up a game server shows the common save locations.

Step 3: find the first crash

In a loop, the latest log only shows the latest failure, which may be a side effect. Sort the log folder by date and open the earliest log from when trouble started. Then read it from the bottom up to the first real error. If you are not sure what you are looking at, our guide on how to read a game server crash log walks through it.

Also check how long each attempt lasts:

Step 4: undo the last change

Ask what changed right before the loop began. In order of how often they cause it:

1. Config edits. One missing quote in a .json file or a stray character in an .ini file is enough. Put back the previous file, or validate JSON with any online JSON validator before saving. Palworld keeps every setting on one long OptionSettings= line in PalWorldSettings.ini, and a missing bracket or comma there breaks the whole file.
2. New or updated mods. Remove the last mod you added. If you updated several at once, move the whole mods folder aside and test vanilla first.
3. A game update. Mods and frameworks often break after a patch. Rust's Oxide or Carbon, Valheim's BepInEx and Minecraft plugins all need versions that match the new game build. Update them, or remove them until they catch up.
4. A changed launch option or port. Revert it.

Step 5: check the common hard failures

• Port already in use. Logs say Address already in use or bind failed. A second copy of the server, or another game, holds the port. On Linux, ss -tulpn | grep <port> shows who. On Windows, netstat -ano | findstr <port>.
• Out of memory. Look for OutOfMemoryError, exit code 137 in Docker, or Killed process in dmesg. Lower the load or raise the RAM, and see memory leaks.
• Missing or mismatched files after an update. Run app_update <id> validate once. See app_update validate explained.
• Disk full. A server that cannot write its save or log can loop. Check with df -h or Explorer.
• Missing libraries on Linux. SteamAPI_Init() failed or cannot open shared object file. See steamclient.so not found.

Step 6: test the world separately

If the server boots fine on a fresh world but loops on yours, the save is the problem. Do not keep restarting on it.

1. Start the server with a new, empty world name to confirm the server itself works.
2. Restore the most recent backup from before the loop into a test copy.
3. If an older backup works, use it, or follow how to recover a corrupted game server world to salvage the latest one.

Step 7: bring it back carefully

Once it starts cleanly:

• Turn automatic restarts back on, but with a delay. In systemd, RestartSec=30 stops instant relaunches. Some setups also cap attempts with StartLimitBurst and StartLimitIntervalSec in the [Unit] section, so a broken server gives up instead of looping all night.
• Watch the console for the first ten minutes with a player online.
• Take a fresh backup once it has run stable for a while.

Why loops also break Steam logins

Servers that update through SteamCMD on every start, with a real Steam login, can trip Steam's login rate limit after dozens of crash restarts. Then even a fixed server cannot update. If you see Rate Limit Exceeded, see SteamCMD login failed and wait it out.

Getting help without the 2 a.m. scramble

Crash loops tend to happen at the worst time. On a GamezServers server you stop and start from the panel, read the live console, open logs through the file manager or SFTP, and restore one click backups. If you are stuck, support answers by email 24/7 at support@gamezservers.com. Games like Conan Exiles and ARK: Survival Ascended keep their settings in the panel, which cuts down on broken config lines.

FAQ

Why does my game server keep crashing and restarting?

A watchdog (systemd, Docker, a panel or a script) restarts it after each crash, but the cause is still there. Usually a config typo, a broken mod, an update mismatch, a damaged save or a port clash.

Can a crash loop corrupt my world?

It can, especially if the server is killed mid save. Stop the loop and back up the world before you try fixes.

Which log should I read in a crash loop?

The earliest log from when the problems started. Later logs often show side effects of the first crash.

How do I stop systemd restarting my server forever?

Use systemctl stop to stop it now. For the future, set RestartSec to add a delay and use StartLimitBurst with StartLimitIntervalSec to give up after a few failures.