How to Join a Valheim Dedicated Server

Learn three different ways to join a Valheim dedicated server

Joining a Valheim dedicated server, let alone locating it in the in-game browser, can seem incredibly difficult. We’ve put together this guide to help players get around the technical issues that have arisen due to Valheim’s stunning success since its release. One could argue there have been a few quirks to locating and joining Valheim servers.

Because of Valheim’s explosive success and the massive surge of players in its first month, players have managed to test and overwhelm the limitations of the Steam server browser baked into the game. This is the very server browser that players have come to depend on when locating their favorite Valheim servers to play on. Still, it has fallen short due to the server browser’s ability to display up to 5,000 individual servers per search. When hundreds of thousands of players host Valheim servers, vying for visible placement in the server list can be nearly impossible.

Don’t fret, though! There are multiple ways listed below to get connected to your Valheim server of choice. However, before you get started, make sure you have the following information before you try to join a Valheim dedicated server. There are a few requirements to have at the ready depending on your selected method:

• The destination server will need to be online and accessible.
• The server’s IP address, game port, and Steam query port.
• The server’s case-sensitive password.

All of this information should be known by the Valheim server’s administrator. Reach out to them to get the specific details. Be sure to keep them somewhere secure, as currently little can be done to people who access Valheim servers with the intent to grief other players. If you happen to be the Valheim admin and are unaware of one or more pieces of this critical information, we’re a bit out of the scope of this post, but we’d be happy to help you out in our Discord community.

Here are three ways to join a Valheim dedicated server

1. Join using Valheim’s Join IP feature
2. Join using Steam Server Favorites
3. Join using Steam Friend List

Join using Valheim’s Join IP Feature

This is the easiest way to join a Valheim dedicated server, as it’s built right into the game itself. The server’s IP address and game port number will be needed.

1. Launch the Valheim game client
2. After the loading screen, click the “Start Game” button
3. Select the character you will be playing and click the “Start” button
4. Click the “Join Game” tab
5. Click the “Join IP” button
6. Enter the IP address and game port number separated by a colon, like so ip:port
7. Click the “Connect” button
8. Enter the case sensitive server password into the prompt
9. Press the “Enter” key
10. You will now connect and load into the Valheim server

Join using Steam’s Server Favorites

Prior to Iron Gate implementing the Join IP feature, the Steam Servers Favorite list was the go-to method for joining a Valheim dedicated server. This particular option is especially useful if you play on multiple servers, as it will help you keep an active list of your favorite Valheim servers. It makes joining a little bit easier after saving a server, as you’ll only need to have the server password handy when connecting.

1. Open up the Steam client
2. Select the “View” option at the top left
3. In the dropdown menu, select the “Servers” option
4. The Server’s dialog window will open; now click on the “Favorites” tab
5. Click the “Add a Server” button, which opens a new dialog window
6. Now enter the IP address followed by a colon and the Steam query port
7. Click the “Add this Address to Favorites” button
8. The server should now appear in the list of servers
9. Click on the server name and press the “Connect” button to join
10. Enter the server’s case-sensitive password into the prompt, then click the “Connect” button
11. The Valheim game client will open to the character selection screen
12. Select a character and enter the server’s case-sensitive password once again, then press the “Enter” key
13. You will now connect and load into the Valheim server

Join using Steam Friend List

You can join a Valheim server by joining on a Steam friend actively playing on the server. This is possibly the easiest method of connecting, as it only requires you to have the server’s case-sensitive password.

1. Open up the Steam client
2. Select the “Friends” option at the top left
3. In the dropdown menu, select the “View Friends List” option
4. The Friend List dialog will open
5. Right-click on your friend’s Steam name and select “Join Game”
6. Enter the server’s case-sensitive password into the prompt, then click the “Connect” button
7. The Valheim game client will open to the character selection screen
8. Select a character and enter the server’s case-sensitive password once again, then press the “Enter” key
9. You will now connect and load into the Valheim server

With that, you now have three different ways to join a Valheim dedicated server. Which is your preferred method? Be sure to share this page with your friends when you rope them into finally playing Valheim! If you’re having any trouble with these methods and need assistance, or if you want to join a community of Valheim fans,  join our Discord community!