Join a Valheim serverJoin code, IP and port - and which one applies when

Published on September 2, 2026 · last updated on October 21, 2026

Two ways, one server

The decisive point first, because it clears up the most common confusion: with crossplay active, you connect via the join code, without crossplay via the server address made up of IP and port. You will find both in our web interface.

• Without crossplay: in the game, choose the option to join by address in the server list and enter IP and port.
• With crossplay: enter the join code - it works the same way for PC, Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2.

Guides on the internet often assume one of the two cases without saying so - which is why it pays to look at your own server settings before you start searching.

Joining via IP and port

The classic way if your group plays on PC only:

1. Start the game from the main menu and choose your character.
2. In the server selection, use the option to join directly by address.
3. Enter the address in the form IP:Port - exactly as it appears in the web interface.
4. Enter the server password.

Important: what counts is the port we give you. Our servers share one IP and are told apart by their port - the default port from generic guides therefore leads nowhere. The background is explained in Ports and firewall.

Joining via the join code

With crossplay active, the connection runs through a six- to eight-digit code instead of the address. The advantage: players on Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 can join in, and nobody has to remember an IP.

The code is shown in the web interface. Your friends enter it in the matching field of the server selection - followed, as usual, by the server password. The settings behind it are covered in World modifiers and startup parameters.

Important for mixed groups: without active crossplay, the server runs on the Steam backend and is not just hard to find for console players - it is simply invisible. How to set the switch is explained in Set up crossplay.

Saving the server as a favorite

So that nobody has to type in the address every time, a favorite is worth it. Once saved, the server appears in your favorites list and is two clicks away - regardless of whether it currently shows up in the public list.

Whether your server is publicly visible is something you decide yourself with a setting. For a private group, there is a lot to be said for keeping it hidden: anyone who has the address and the password still gets in - see Password and whitelist.

The password

Valheim requires a password of at least five characters for dedicated servers, and it must not appear in the server name. That second rule surprises many: a server called "Midgard" with the password "midgard" simply does not start.

If you change the password, all players have to enter it again - saved access becomes invalid. When the circle of friends changes, that is exactly the intended effect.

Your character comes along

A peculiarity of Valheim that regularly surprises players coming from other games: characters do not belong to the world, but to the player. They are stored locally on your own computer - with equipment, skills and recipes.

That has two pleasant consequences. First, you take your Viking everywhere: onto your server, onto a friend's, into your own single-player world. Second, you do not lose them when a world is reset or you move to a new map.

The flip side: if you delete your character locally, it is gone - the server cannot help you then. If you want to protect a Viking you have played for a long time, copy the character file from the Valheim folder in your own documents. The same idea applies to the world, and there you take care of it yourself - see Create backups.

When joining fails

• Wrong way chosen. Join code with crossplay switched off, or the other way round - the most common case.
• Version mismatch. After a Valheim update, client and server have to run the same version. With us, the server is updated automatically, the client via Steam.
• Different mods. If you use BepInEx mods, everyone needs the same set.
• Server is still starting. After a restart, it takes a moment until the world has loaded.

The detailed troubleshooting is in Fix connection problems.

Frequently asked questions