How to Install Mods on a Risk of Rain 2 Server

To install mods on a Risk of Rain 2 dedicated server, build an r2modman profile with the mods, open it with Browse profile folder, and upload BepInEx/, winhttp.dll and doorstop_config.ini into the server folder next to Risk of Rain 2.exe. Every mod must be a version that supports the server's game build, which is older than the current Steam release, and every player must run the same profile on that same build. On Linux under Wine, BepInEx also needs winhttp set to native.

What you are working with

Risk of Rain 2 mods use the BepInEx loader and come from Thunderstore, usually installed with r2modman. The dedicated server is a separate free Steam tool (app 1180760) that runs the same Unity game without graphics, so BepInEx loads on it the same way it loads on a PC.

Where the profile lives on your PC

Easier: in r2modman open Settings and click Browse profile folder. Everything inside that folder goes onto the server.

The gotcha: the server runs an older build than your game

The Risk of Rain 2 dedicated server on Steam has not kept pace with the game. Players have reported it sitting versions behind the client since 2024, in a long running Steam thread. That causes two problems for mods:

1. Vanilla players on the current Steam version cannot join until they roll their game back to the server's build with Steam's download_depot console command.
2. Mods built for the newest patch often fail on the older server, with errors in LogOutput.log or missing content. You need mod versions from the era of the server's build.

So before you build a profile:

• Start the server once and note the build it reports in the console.
• In r2modman, install mods at versions released for that build. Thunderstore keeps every old version, and r2modman lets you pick a specific version when you install.
• Everyone plays on the rolled back build with the same profile.

If your group always plays the newest patch, a peer to peer lobby hosted by one player is honestly the better fit for mods.

Step 1: Build and test the profile on a PC

1. In r2modman, create a profile, for example Server. Accept the BepInEx install when it asks.
2. Install your mods at versions matching the server build.
3. Launch modded once, play a stage, and quit. This makes every mod create its config file.
4. Change settings in r2modman's Config editor now, so the server gets the same values.

Step 2: Back up and stop the server

Stop the server so nothing is in use. Back up the server folder, or press Backup on GamezServers.

Step 3: Upload the profile

Upload these from the profile folder into the server folder, next to Risk of Rain 2.exe:

Zip the profile first and extract it on the server if it has many files. You can skip BepInEx/cache and old logs.

Step 4: The Wine override (Linux servers)

On Windows, BepInEx loads with no extra step. On a Linux server running the game under Wine, Wine uses its own built in winhttp.dll and ignores the BepInEx one, so nothing loads and no error appears. The fix is the DLL override the BepInEx docs describe:

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="winhttp=n,b"

It has to be set in the environment that starts the server.

Step 5: Start and read the log

Start the server, then open BepInEx/LogOutput.log. Each mod prints a line as it loads. Errors naming a mod usually mean a version made for a newer game build.

Step 6: Give players the same profile

In r2modman, Export profile as code and send the code. Each player imports it and launches through r2modman. Most gameplay mods are required on every player, and many check that everyone has the same mod list, so one missing or newer mod is enough to block a join.

Common problems

• Nothing loads, no BepInEx log on a Linux server: the winhttp DLL override is not set, so Wine never loads BepInEx.
• No LogOutput.log on Windows: winhttp.dll or doorstop_config.ini is not in the same folder as Risk of Rain 2.exe.
• Version mismatch when joining: the player is on the current Steam build, not the server's, or their mod list differs. Roll back the game and import the same profile.
• A mod errors on load: its version targets a newer patch than the server. Install an older version of it.
• Settings differ between players: configs were changed after export. Re-export the profile and upload BepInEx/config again.

Mods on GamezServers, honestly

Our Risk of Rain 2 servers run the plain dedicated server under Wine, and the template does not set the winhttp override BepInEx needs, so plan on vanilla play. You still get the password, public listing and player count in the panel, full file access over SFTP, a Backup button, and a lobby that stays up without anyone's PC. Before choosing a server for a modded group, read how to host a Risk of Rain 2 dedicated server and ask support about your mod list.

FAQ

Can you use mods on a Risk of Rain 2 dedicated server?

Yes, with BepInEx copied from an r2modman profile, as long as the mods support the server's older game build and every player runs the same profile.

Where is my r2modman profile folder?

In %AppData%\r2modmanPlus-local\RiskOfRain2\profiles\ on Windows. r2modman's Browse profile folder opens it.

Why do I get a version mismatch on my server?

The dedicated server runs an older build than the Steam game, or your mods differ from the server's. Players need the server's build and the same mod list.

Do all players need the same mods?

For almost every gameplay mod, yes. Export the profile as a code so everyone imports the identical list.