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ValheimGuideSteam updates players instantly and your server follows on restart. Why the error appears on patch day and the one-click fix.
"Incompatible version" means your game and the server are on different Valheim versions, which happens for a few minutes whenever Valheim updates: Steam updates your game right away, and your server follows on its next restart. The fix is almost always restart your server from the dashboard. Once the server is on the new version, everyone can join again.
Valheim requires the client and server to run the exact same version. When Iron Gate ships an update, Steam pushes it to players within minutes, but a running server keeps its current version until it restarts. In that window, updated players see "Incompatible version" when they try to join. This is true on every host and for self-hosted servers too.
Still need help?
Use Restart on your server card. Your server picks up the newest Valheim server build during startup, automatically. No reinstall, no file work.
Major updates (like 1.0 on September 9, 2026) are larger downloads, and the first start after one can also convert your world to a newer save format. A slower first boot after a big patch is normal. Your world is safe while it works.
Once the server is back, players on the new version join normally. Anyone still failing should restart Steam so their own update finishes.
The update triangle. When a new Valheim build is available and your server has not restarted onto it yet, your server card shows an update indicator. If friends suddenly cannot join, that triangle is the first thing to check.
A player's game did not update yet. Steam sometimes staggers updates. Restarting Steam forces it.
Confusing version numbers are normal. Valheim shows client builds like 1-0.221.10 and server builds like 0.221.10. The leading 1- is a platform prefix, not a mismatch. Compare the part after it.
Modded servers after a game patch: mods target specific game versions, and right after a Valheim patch some mods need a few days to catch up. If your modded server will not accept players after updating, check your installed mods for updates in the Mods tab, or run vanilla until your mod set is current.