VEIN Server Not Showing or Can't Connect? How to Fix It

Q: Why can I not join my VEIN server after an update?

The server is still on the previous build. Run SteamCMD appupdate 2131400 (or restart with auto update on) so it matches the players.

When a VEIN dedicated server is missing from the in game browser, the cause is usually one of three things: bPublic is off, the Steam query port (UDP 27015 by default) is not reachable, or the server never logged on to Steam. When it shows but joining fails, the server is a patch behind the players, the password does not match exactly (VEIN passwords are case sensitive), or the game port (UDP 7777) is closed. You can skip the browser entirely with Direct Connect or the console command open 203.0.113.10:7777.

Start with the server log

The server log tells you in a few lines whether the problem is Steam, the network or the players. Start the server with -log and look for these lines from Ramjet's own docs:

Log line	Meaning
`SDR RelayNetworkStatus: avail=OK` from `LogRamjetSteamSocketsAPI`	Steam networking is up. Good
`Gameserver logged on to Steam`	The server registered with Steam and can be listed
`Steam Dedicated Server API failed to initialize`	Steam never started. On Windows, run the server as administrator
`SteamAPI_Init(): Sys_LoadModule failed to load`	A Steam library is missing (see below)
`Failed to get connection string for heartbeat: no IP & not running Steam Sockets P2P`	Harmless if `Gameserver logged on to Steam` follows. If not, Steam cannot work out your server's IP

If Steam is not logged on, nothing in the browser will fix it. Fix the server first.

Missing Steam library on Linux: link SteamCMD's steamclient.so where Unreal looks for it, for example ln -s ~/.local/share/Steam/steamcmd/linux64 ~/.steam/sdk64. Our guide to the steamclient.so not found error has the variations. On Windows, Ramjet's fix is to copy steam_api64.dll from any Steam install into Vein/Binaries/Win64.

The server is not in the browser

Check that it is set to public

In Game.ini (Vein/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ or LinuxServer/), under [/Script/Vein.VeinGameSession]:

bPublic=True

Ramjet's docs: change this to False "if you don't want your game to be listed in the server browser". A private server still accepts players by direct address. On a GamezServers server this is the Public Server switch in the panel.

Check the query port

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Set with
7777	UDP	Gameplay packets	`-Port=` or `Port=` under `[URL]` in `Engine.ini`
27015	UDP	Steam checks the server is up (listing)	`-QueryPort=` or `GameServerQueryPort=` under `[OnlineSubsystemSteam]`

Ramjet notes you must keep the = in -Port= and -QueryPort=, or Unreal ignores the value and the server stays on the default while your firewall rule points somewhere else. Open both ports in the firewall and forward both on your router. See how to port forward a game server.

Check the browser is not hiding it

The VEIN browser has a search bar, filters, and since 0.016 a way to hide servers. If you hid your own server once by accident, it stays hidden for you only. Clear the filters, check hidden servers, and use the refresh button (a refresh bug was fixed in 0.025 Hotfix 1, so update the game if refresh seems to do nothing). A new server can take a few minutes to appear.

Testing from the same house

Players on the same network as the server often cannot see it in the in game list. The workaround that players report working is Steam's own browser: in the Steam client open View > Game Servers, pick the LAN tab, and join from there. Or use the server's local IP with Direct Connect.

Players defending a boarded house in VEIN

Joining without the browser

You never need the list to get in:

Direct Connect: a button in the server browser since 0.023. Enter the IP and game port.
Console: press ~ and type:

open 203.0.113.10:7777

Use the game port (7777 by default), not the query port. If a direct join works but the server is not listed, the problem is listing only (step above). If direct join fails too, it is the network, the build or the password.

Joined, but "Connection failed" or kicked straight away

Version mismatch after a patch

VEIN is in Early Access and Ramjet ships hotfixes often (0.025 arrived on September 26, 2026, with Hotfix 1 and Hotfix 2 within eight days). A server one hotfix behind refuses the updated clients. Update the server with the same command you installed it with:

steamcmd +force_install_dir /path/to/vein +login anonymous +app_update 2131400 validate +quit

Then restart it. Do it after every patch, before people try to join.

Branch mismatch

The experimental branch is a separate build. A server installed with +app_update 2131400 -beta experimental only accepts players who opted into the experimental beta in Steam (VEIN > Properties > Betas), and a public branch server refuses experimental players. Pick one branch for the whole group. Our guide on installing a beta branch on a dedicated server covers switching.

Password typed differently

VEIN passwords became properly case sensitive in 0.022 Hotfix 17 (the patch notes call it "Fix server passwords being case insensitive"). Boarded2Up and boarded2up are different. Copy the password from Game.ini or the panel instead of typing it from memory. Password entry is masked, so a stray space is easy to miss.

Whitelisted or banned

Since 0.023, if WhitelistedPlayers under [/Script/Vein.VeinGameStateBase] has any entries, only those SteamID64s can join. A friend who is not on the list gets turned away even with the right password. Also check the ban list in the admin menu: an admin may have banned the account or its IP. For the admin side of both, see VEIN admin commands.

Server full

MaxPlayers under [/Script/Engine.GameSession] caps the slots, 16 by default. Note that Unreal removes config lines that match the default, so a MaxPlayers=16 line can vanish from the file without anything being wrong.

Quick checklist

A VEIN survivor near abandoned houses

Check	Where
`Gameserver logged on to Steam` in the log	Server console or log
`bPublic=True`	`Game.ini`
UDP 7777 and UDP 27015 open and forwarded	Firewall and router
`=` present in `-Port=` and `-QueryPort=`	Start command
Server updated after the latest hotfix	SteamCMD `app_update 2131400`
Same branch as the players	Public or experimental
Password matches exactly, case included	`Game.ini` or panel
Player is not banned and is whitelisted, if a whitelist is on	Admin menu, `Game.ini`

Skip the networking part

A VEIN server from GamezServers comes with its own address and open ports, so the router, firewall and Steam library steps above do not apply. Auto update installs the newest build when you restart, which is the fix for most "worked yesterday" reports, and Public Server, Server Password and Max players are panel fields. If you are moving an existing world over, see how to move a VEIN save to a dedicated server.

FAQ

How do I join a VEIN server by IP?

Use the Direct Connect button in the server browser, or press ~ and type open IP:7777 with the server's address and game port.

What ports does a VEIN server need?

UDP 7777 for the game and UDP 27015 for the Steam query, unless you changed them with -Port= and -QueryPort=.

Are VEIN server passwords case sensitive?

Yes, since 0.022 Hotfix 17. Type capitals exactly as set.

Why can I not join my VEIN server after an update?

The server is still on the previous build. Run SteamCMD app_update 2131400 (or restart with auto update on) so it matches the players.

Why does my VEIN server not show up when I am on the same network?

Many home routers do not loop traffic back to themselves. Join through Steam's View > Game Servers > LAN tab, or Direct Connect to the server's local IP.