How to Update a Valheim Server After a Game Patch (2026)

To update a Valheim server after a patch, back up the world in worlds_local, stop the server, run SteamCMD with app 896660 (+app_update 896660 validate), and start it again. The world stays and is upgraded on load. On a modded server, check that BepInEx and every plugin in BepInEx/plugins support the new version first, because Steam updates players' games immediately and the server and every player must match.

What you can change on an existing world vs what needs a new world

What is the current Valheim version?

As of October 2026, Valheim is on patch 1.0.16, released on 25 September 2026 with fixes for Deep North terrain reverting and raids spawning too many enemies (Steam). Valheim 1.0 launched on 9 September 2026 and has had five fix patches since. Iron Gate has said patches can take a few days to reach every platform while crossplay keeps working. See our Valheim 1.0.16 patch notes.

What goes where

Valheim also keeps automatic world backups next to the world, based on the -backups and -saveinterval launch options. They are handy, but a manual copy before an update is still the safe move.

Step 1: Back up first

Stop the server with Ctrl+C or your host's Stop button so it saves on the way down. Copy the whole world folder from worlds_local, and on a modded server, BepInEx/config too.

Step 2: Check your mods before updating (modded servers)

Open the Thunderstore page of BepInEx (BepInExPack_Valheim) and each mod you run. Look at the last updated date and the comments for the new patch. Small hotfixes rarely break mods. Bigger updates often do, especially mods built on libraries like Jotunn that hook deep into the game. If a key mod is broken, you have two honest options: update and play vanilla for a few days, or wait to update and accept that Steam players cannot join until you do.

Step 3: Update the server

On a self hosted server, with it stopped:

steamcmd +force_install_dir /path/to/valheim-server +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit

Keep your own start script under a different name than start_server.sh or start_headless_server.bat, because validate can restore the default scripts.

Step 4: Update mods to match

Replace each mod .dll in BepInEx/plugins with the new version, and update BepInEx itself if its page says so. Every player then updates the same mods. A shared profile code in r2modman or Thunderstore Mod Manager keeps everyone on identical versions in one step.

Step 5: Start and read the log

Start the server and wait for the world to load. On a modded server, open BepInEx/LogOutput.log and look for errors near mod names. Then join and check your base and portals.

The gotcha: the server does not update itself, and mods check versions

Steam updates every player's Valheim within minutes of a patch, often while they are not playing. A dedicated server only updates when someone runs SteamCMD or restarts a host that updates on start. Until then, every player sees "Incompatible version" on a server that worked an hour ago. Update the server first, then tell the group to restart their games.

On modded servers there is a second layer. Many BepInEx mods compare their own version between server and client and refuse the connection when they differ, and a mod that breaks after a patch may stop loading on one side only. The error players see can look exactly like a game version mismatch. If versions match on the main menu and in the server log and the error remains, compare mod lists, not game versions. Our incompatible version fix walks through it.

Common problems

• "Incompatible version" for everyone: the server has not updated yet. Update it and restart.
• "Incompatible version" for one player: their game has not updated, or they are on the public test branch. Steam, Properties > Betas, set it to None.
• Console or Game Pass friend cannot join right after a patch: their platform gets the patch a little later. Wait for it.
• Server starts but mods do nothing: BepInEx itself needs an update for the new game version. Check LogOutput.log.
• Server will not start after the update: a mod crashes on the new version. Move the newest suspects out of BepInEx/plugins and start again.

Updating on GamezServers

A Valheim server from GamezServers updates Valheim every time it restarts, so after a patch it is Backup, then Restart. On the BepInEx server type, Update game also pulls BepInEx and your Thunderstore modpack again. One thing to know: if a Thunderstore modpack is set, BepInEx/plugins is replaced by the modpack's mods when you update, so mods you added by hand need adding again or belong in the pack. Worlds are never touched. More on mods in installing Valheim mods on a dedicated server.

FAQ

How do I update my Valheim dedicated server?

Stop it, run steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit in the install folder, and start it. On a hosted server, restart it.

Will updating Valheim delete my world?

No. Worlds live in worlds_local, which updates do not touch. Back up first anyway.

Can I delay a Valheim update so my mods keep working?

Only briefly. Steam players update automatically, so an old server locks them out until it catches up.

Do I need to update BepInEx after every patch?

Not every time. Update it when its Thunderstore page lists a new version for the patch, or when mods stop loading.