Enshrouded left Early Access on 15 October 2026, on Steam and PlayStation 5. Keen Games published the full 1.0 changelog on Steam the day before (14 October 2026) and a hotfix, 1.0.0.1, on launch day. For players the headline items are the full map, a skill-tree reset and a performance pass. For anyone running a dedicated server the list is short, and this post is that list: what the changelog says about servers and saves, what we saw when Connect's own Enshrouded servers took the update, and what to do if yours has not. Everything quoted is from Keen's Steam news posts; everything measured is from servers on our fleet, with the date.
Updated 16 October 2026 with the published changelog and the first day of 1.0 servers. The pre-launch version of this post is superseded.
What the changelog says about dedicated servers
The relevant lines, quoted from Keen's changelog of 14 October 2026:
- Roles are unchanged. "On dedicated servers, the user groups with the associated passwords work as before — promoting and demoting is not possible while playing on the server." The Admin and Friend groups you set up, and their passwords, carry over. Roles and user groups explained is still current.
- A new save format, migrated automatically. "Enshrouded now uses a new save data format which results in smaller save game files and a simpler data structure in the save data folder." And: "When loading version 1.0 for the first time and the game detects a save game created with version 0.8 or earlier, the existing save data will be firstly backed up and secondly automatically migrated to the new format."
- Server performance warnings reworked. "Reworked the warning messages for server performance. Previously, the warnings could trigger too soon." Alongside that: "Reduced the memory needed for server and client communication" and "Added several measures to reduce the performance impact on CPUs."
- A new enemy-count option. "Added a new option called 'Automatic' to the server setting that controls the amount of enemies that spawn in each encounter." When set, the count scales with the players present.
- Skill trees reset, client-side. "When playing for the first time in version 1.0.0.0 with an existing save game, the skill tree will be reset. Please make sure to spend the skill points again!" Character progress lives on each player's machine, so this happens as each player updates and the server has no part in it.
Keen's launch FAQ (13 October 2026) adds the save answer in plain words: "You can absolutely use Early Access saves once the game releases in 1.0. Our save format is improving, so saves will be converted to a new, more efficient format." The same FAQ settles crossplay: "Enshrouded will not be cross-platform at launch ... We are working on bringing cross-platform play to Enshrouded, but have no current estimate on how much time it will take us." The PS5 and crossplay questions have their own post: is Enshrouded crossplay at 1.0?
What we saw on the first day of 1.0 servers
Measured on Connect's Enshrouded fleet, 15 and 16 October 2026:
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The server build is 1267041. Every Enshrouded server reports its build near the top of logs/enshrouded_server.log as Game Version (SVN): 1267041. That number matches the "Version number" Keen printed in the 1.0.0.1 hotfix notes, so if your log shows 1267041 you are on the launch hotfix. A server still on the September Early Access build logs 1024233; it will not accept 1.0 players.
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The save migration happens on the server, on first boot. A server that had been running since 1 October loaded its Early Access world under 1.0 with [savedata2-migration] Found file '...' lines for every existing save slot and the index, then Read result: ok. No world was lost and nothing had to be done by hand. The old files stay in savegame as the backup the changelog promises.
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The 1.0 server loads an existing world quickly. On our test server the first 1.0 boot ran the migration, reached [Session] 'HostOnline' (up)! and had the world loaded within a few seconds; the customer servers above showed the same shape of log.
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Idle memory on 1.0 is small. Our test server, freshly updated to 1267041 with a world but no players, sat at about 0.9 GB of RAM a few minutes after boot, against about 0.8 GB on the September build. Keen's own guidance of around 4.4 GB is for a world with players in it, and that is the figure to plan around; the sizing in how much RAM an Enshrouded server needs stands.
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A stale Steam manifest can block the update. The same test server failed its update three times with Failed to get manifest request code, 'Access Denied' in steamcmd's content log, booted the old build each time, and only updated after steamapps/appmanifest_2278520.acf was deleted. The full write-up is server still on the old build after 1.0.
The update itself
Every server on the Early Access build stops being joinable the moment its players update, and 1.0 is the largest version step the game has had. This is the normal Enshrouded pattern: Keen's Hotfix #12 (6 June 2024) said "Dedicated server hosts will need to update the version as well", and only the occasional patch is client-only (Hotfix #37, 21 April 2026: "this hotfix updates clients only").
The server depot is Steam app 2278520, with a single public branch. There was no 1.0 branch to opt into; the 1.0 build replaced what was on public when Keen pushed it, and the 1.0.0.1 hotfix build followed the same day.
To update a self-hosted server:
- Stop the server cleanly and copy
savegame somewhere safe. The migration backs the files up itself, but a second copy costs nothing.
- Re-run
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 +quit. A host that updates on boot does this at restart.
- Start, wait for
[Session] 'HostOnline' (up)!, and check the log for Game Version (SVN): 1267041.
- Have one player join before you tell the group.
If the server updated and players still cannot join, the causes list is in server not showing or can't join. If the log still shows 1024233 after a restart, the Steam update step failed; run it again and read the steamcmd output rather than the game log, because the game will happily start the old build.
What has not changed
- A Linux server. Keen's Zendesk article still says "only Windows is supported. Linux support is planned for later." Our servers run the official Windows dedicated server on our Linux fleet; that is our arrangement, not a Keen release.
- Mods. Keen's FAQ says it "cannot make promises that the game will be moddable". Anything beyond that is not from Keen.
- Config keys. The 1.0 server reads the same
enshrouded_server.json as before; the setup guide lists the keys. The game still rewrites the file at shutdown, adding tags, gameSettings and bannedAccounts if they were missing.
- Ports. Game port and Steam query port, both UDP, as before.
On a Connect server
Enshrouded server hosting at Connect pulls the current build from Steam on every restart, so a server that was already running on 15 October picked up 1.0 at its next restart from the dashboard, and servers created on or after launch day installed 1.0 directly. Roles, slots and the preset stay on the Server Settings tab across the update. If you want to be sure, open the console after a restart and look for Game Version (SVN): 1267041. The first-run walkthrough is getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Enshrouded 1.0 release?
15 October 2026, on Steam and PS5, with hotfix 1.0.0.1 the same day.
Did my server world survive the 1.0 update?
Yes, if the server took the update normally. The 1.0 server detects an Early Access world, backs it up and migrates it to the new save format on first boot. The log shows [savedata2-migration] lines for each save file. We watched this happen on a server that had run since 1 October.
Will players lose their skills?
Yes, once. Keen's changelog says the skill tree is reset the first time a character plays on 1.0.0.0. Skills are stored client-side, so this happens when each player's game updates and is not affected by the server.
How do I know my server is on 1.0?
Look near the top of logs/enshrouded_server.log for Game Version (SVN): 1267041. That is the 1.0.0.1 hotfix build. 1024233 is the September Early Access build.
Do I need to update my server for 1.0?
Yes. Every Enshrouded server has to match its players' build, and 1.0 is a mandatory server update. On Connect, restart from the dashboard.
Can console players join a dedicated server after 1.0?
Not yet. Keen's launch FAQ says the game is not cross-platform at launch and gives no date. The PS5 version plays with PS5 players; PC dedicated servers accept Steam players.