The server is running. The log says HostOnline. A friend opens the in-game browser, types the name, and gets nothing — or finds it and is turned away. For an Enshrouded dedicated server that comes down to a short list of causes, and the first one accounts for most of them, especially in the week after a patch. Work down the list in order; each section says how to check and how to fix.
1. The server and the game are on different builds
Check this first, every time. Players' games update through Steam automatically. The server updates only when someone re-runs SteamCMD (or, on a host that updates on boot, when it restarts). In between, the two are on different versions and the server is not joinable.
Keen's own changelogs tell you which patches do this. Hotfix #12 (6 June 2024): "Dedicated server hosts will need to update the version as well." Hotfix #37 (21 April 2026): "this hotfix updates clients only. Dedicated servers don't require an update." The pattern is that most patches need the server updated and Keen says so in the notes; the client-only ones are the exception.
Check: the changelog for the patch your game just took. If it says hosts need to update, your server is behind.
Fix: stop the server, re-run steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 +quit, start it, wait for [Session] 'HostOnline' (up)! in logs/enshrouded_server.log. On a Connect server the fix is a restart: the server pulls the current build from Steam on every start.
With 1.0 landing on 15 October 2026 (Keen), expect this one on launch day — what 1.0 changes for server owners has the day-of routine. Every server left on the Early Access build stops being joinable the moment its players update.
2. Wrong password, or the wrong role's password
Enshrouded does not have one server password. Since Keen's Update 2 "Melodies of the Mire" (5 June 2024), access is by user groups — Admin, Friend, Guest and any custom groups — and each group has its own password. The password a player enters decides which group they join as. Keen creates randomised passwords by default, so a fresh server is closed until you read the passwords out of enshrouded_server.json or set your own.
Three ways this goes wrong:
- You sent the Admin password to a guest, or vice versa. They get in with the wrong permissions, or not at all.
- You changed a password in the JSON while the server was running. Changes are read at start; the server is still using the old one.
- A legacy top-level
password key is still in the file. Keen says it is "no longer used", but if present the game synthesises a default group with Friend permissions from it — which may or may not be the password you think you set.
Fix: open the JSON, confirm which group's password you are sending, restart if you changed anything. The whole roles model is in Enshrouded server roles explained.
3. The ports are not open, or not the right ones
Two UDP ports: 15636 (game) and 15637 (query, the one Keen's FAQ names). Both must be forwarded on the router and allowed through the firewall, as UDP, and both must match the values in the JSON. A common mistake is forwarding TCP, or forwarding only the game port: the browser query goes to 15637, so with that one blocked the server can be perfectly healthy and invisible.
Check: the queryPort in the JSON against the router rule; UDP, not TCP.
Fix: forward both, restart nothing — port rules take effect immediately.
4. The machine is IPv6-only
Keen's FAQ says the server does not work over IPv6. A home connection that gives the server an IPv6 address but no public IPv4 (some carrier-grade NAT setups) cannot be reached by the browser at all.
Check: whether your connection provides a public IPv4 address. If your ISP only hands out IPv6, no amount of port forwarding helps.
Fix: a public IPv4 address, or a hosted server that has one.
5. They are searching the wrong name
Players search for the name value from enshrouded_server.json in the in-game browser. Two traps: the name they were told is the old one from before a rename, and the server was not restarted after the rename so it is still announcing the old name anyway.
Fix: copy the exact name out of the JSON and send it by paste, not from memory. If you changed it, restart.
6. The server has not finished starting
Between launch and HostOnline the server is loading the world and, after an update, verifying files. Searches in that window find nothing. Wait for the HostOnline line, then search.
7. The server is full, or the slots are reserved
slotCount is 1 to 16. Each user group also carries a reservedSlots value. If one group is refused while another gets in, check that value alongside slotCount.
Fix: raise slotCount if there is room, or review each group's reservedSlots. Nothing raises the cap above 16.
The one-minute checklist
- Did the last patch say hosts must update? If yes, update the server (restart, on Connect).
- Is the player using the right group's password, and did you restart after changing it?
- Are 15636/udp and 15637/udp both forwarded and allowed?
- Does the machine have a public IPv4 address?
- Is the player searching the exact
name from the JSON?
- Has the log shown
HostOnline?
- Are there free slots for that player's group?
Still stuck?
If all seven pass and the server is still not joinable, the log is the next stop: logs/enshrouded_server.log, and the archived copies in logs/backup. Look for the HostOnline line and anything after it. On a Connect server, open a ticket from the dashboard and paste the last twenty lines of the console along with the player's exact search text and which password they used.
If the update watch is the part you would rather not carry, Enshrouded server hosting at Connect pulls the current build on every restart, holds a public IPv4 address per server, and puts the group passwords on a Server Settings tab, which removes causes 1, 3 and 4 from the list. The from-scratch setup is in the dedicated server guide, and the dashboard version of this checklist is players can't join.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Enshrouded server disappear after an update?
Because the game updated and the server did not. Keen's changelogs say when a patch requires a server update (most do). Update the server and it becomes joinable again.
Is there a single server password?
Not any more. Since Update 2 (June 2024) each user group has its own password, and the password entered decides the player's role. Keen says the old top-level password key is no longer used.
Which ports need to be open?
15636/udp for the game and 15637/udp for queries, both IPv4. Keen's FAQ says IPv6 is not supported.
Do players join by IP address?
The route Keen documents is the in-game browser: players search the server's name and enter the password for their role.
Do I need to restart after changing the password?
Yes. The server reads enshrouded_server.json at start. A password changed on a running server is not live until the next start.
Can console players join my server?
Not today. A dedicated server is part of the Steam version of the game — Keen's own pages name no other platform for it. We will update this post if that changes.