Troubleshooting

The most common issues on a Grounded 2 server, and how to fix them. In every case, the panel Console is your first tool: read the last lines shown before the shutdown or error.

Steam-related errors

The server downloads Grounded 2 during the install (or a reinstall), with the dedicated Steam account entered in the Startup tab. If the download doesn't go through, the install still finishes, without the game: the panel doesn't flag it as "failed", the Console tells you what to do.

• Where to read the message: in the Console tab, at the end of the install, a block framed by ===== lines starts with [YH] ACTION REQUISE : ("action required"). The same text is saved in the YH-INSTALL-STEAM.txt file at the root of the server (Files tab). Messages are in French, without accents; the table below translates them.
• On startup: until the game is installed, the Console repeats this message with a link to the guide, then the server stops (see The install isn't finished).
• Number of attempts: for an account error (credentials, Steam Guard, game not owned…), the server makes only one login attempt, so you don't get several codes and Steam's temporary lockout isn't triggered. For a network error, it automatically retries up to 3 times.
• If a version of the game was already installed, it stays in place: the Console says so (Une version deja installee du jeu reste disponible).

Console message ([YH] ACTION REQUISE : …)	Cause	Solution
Compte Steam non renseigne (Steam account not set)	STEAM_USER or STEAM_PASS empty: expected on a newly delivered server	See Entering the credentials
Steam Guard : Steam vient d'envoyer un code par e-mail… (SteamCMD: Account Logon Denied)	Steam Guard code not provided yet	See Missing or expired Steam Guard code
Code Steam Guard invalide ou expire (Invalid Login Auth Code)	Code expired, mistyped or already used	See Missing or expired Steam Guard code
Identifiant ou mot de passe Steam incorrect (Invalid Password)	Wrong account name or password	See Invalid credentials
Ce compte Steam ne possede pas Grounded 2 (No subscription)	The dedicated account doesn't own the game	See The account doesn't own the game
Ce compte utilise l'authentificateur mobile Steam	Steam Guard through the mobile app	See Missing or expired Steam Guard code
Steam bloque temporairement les connexions de ce compte (Rate Limit Exceeded)	Too many login attempts in a short time	See Too many attempts
Le telechargement de Grounded 2 via SteamCMD a echoue (download failed)	Network error or Steam unavailable, despite 3 attempts	Reinstall the server; if the issue persists, contact support
No message, but the server drops when you launch the game	Main account used for the server	See The server drops when I launch the game

Invalid credentials

1. In the Startup tab, check STEAM_USER: it's the Steam account name (the one you type to sign in), not the profile name or the email address
2. Check STEAM_PASS, paying attention to upper and lower case
3. Remove any spaces before or after the values
4. Test these credentials by logging in to the dedicated account at store.steampowered.com in a private browsing window
5. Run the install again: Settings tab → Reinstall Server

If you recently changed the dedicated account's password, update STEAM_PASS: Steam may then ask for a new Steam Guard code.

Missing or expired Steam Guard code

During the first install, Steam refuses the login and emails a code to the dedicated account's address: that's normal. The Console shows Steam Guard : Steam vient d'envoyer un code par e-mail a l'adresse du compte dedie.

1. Get the latest Steam email received at the dedicated account's address (check your spam folder)
2. Paste the code into the STEAM_AUTH variable (Startup tab), with no spaces
3. Immediately run the install again: Settings → Reinstall Server

A code expires quickly and only works once. If the Console shows Code Steam Guard invalide ou expire, Steam may have sent a new code: paste the latest code you received and run the install again right away.

No need to clear STEAM_AUTH after a successful install: the Steam session is remembered on the server, and if an old code is refused during a reinstall, the server automatically tries again without a code.

If the Console shows Ce compte utilise l'authentificateur mobile Steam, the code is shown in the Steam app, not sent by email. We recommend switching the dedicated account to email Steam Guard; otherwise, copy the code shown in the app into STEAM_AUTH and reinstall immediately. The full procedure: Steam Guard, step by step.

The account doesn't own the game

The account entered in STEAM_USER must have Grounded 2 in its library:

• Log in to the dedicated account and check its Steam library
• If you gifted the game, check that the gift was accepted from the dedicated account
• Family Sharing isn't enough: the game must belong to the account itself
• Make sure STEAM_USER is the account that owns the game, not another of your accounts

See Buying Grounded 2 on the dedicated account.

Too many attempts (Rate Limit)

If the Console shows Steam bloque temporairement les connexions de ce compte (trop de tentatives), Steam has blocked logins for the dedicated account after too many attempts in a short time.

1. Wait about an hour without running the install again: a new attempt during the lockout can extend it
2. Use that time to check STEAM_USER and STEAM_PASS
3. Reinstall the server, then follow the Console. If Steam sends a code, paste it into STEAM_AUTH and reinstall right away

The exact length of the lockout is up to Steam: if the message comes back, wait again before retrying.

The server drops when I launch the game

If the server stops or loses its Steam connection when you (or a friend) launch Grounded 2, it's almost always because the same Steam account is used both by the server and to play. Steam only allows one game session at a time per account: the second one kicks off the first.

1. Create a Steam account dedicated to the server and buy Grounded 2 on it (or gift it)
2. Replace STEAM_USER and STEAM_PASS with this new account's credentials
3. Run the install again and enter the Steam Guard code
4. Change your main account's password if it was entered in the panel

See Dedicated Steam account and Steam Guard.

The server won't start

The install isn't finished

If, on startup, the Console shows [YH] Grounded 2 n'est pas installe : le telechargement Steam n'a pas abouti. ("Grounded 2 isn't installed: the Steam download didn't go through"), followed by the ACTION REQUISE message and the link to the guide, and the server then stops, the game hasn't been downloaded with the dedicated Steam account yet. Do what the message says (see Steam-related errors), then reinstall the server: Settings tab → Reinstall Server. Restarting isn't enough: the game is only downloaded during the install.

The first start seems stuck

On first launch, the server prepares its environment and then loads the world: it takes longer than a normal start. As long as the console keeps progressing, don't restart.

Error in appsettings.json

If the server no longer starts after editing appsettings.json, the file is probably invalid (extra comma, missing quote or brace). Restore your copy, or check it with a JSON validator. See Configuring the server.

Server files modified

Grounded 2 is a Windows game that YorkHost runs in a suitable environment (Wine), prepared and managed by us. Don't replace the server binaries (.exe and .dll files, LanternServer and ue4ss folders) with files copied from your PC or downloaded elsewhere, and don't install Windows tools in them: this can prevent the server from starting. If files were modified or deleted by mistake, contact support before any reinstall, after backing up your world.

The server stops due to lack of memory

If the server stops without a clear error, especially on a well-developed world or with mods, your plan's RAM may be maxed out. See Lag and memory.

Players who can't join

Symptom	Likely cause	Solution
The server doesn't show up in the in-game session list	Expected with Lantern	Connect with the Lantern launcher and the IP:PORT
Can't connect right after startup	The server hasn't finished loading	Wait for startup to finish in the Console
Connection failure / timeout	Wrong IP or port	Use the IP and port shown in the panel
The game launched normally can't find the server	Grounded 2 launched without Lantern	Connect from the Lantern launcher
A player on Xbox, Game Pass or PS5 can't join	No crossplay	Only the Steam (PC) version through Lantern on Windows is compatible
Refused after a game update	Client version differs from the server's	See Version mismatch
Server full	4 players already connected	Limit set by the game
The server drops when a player launches the game	Server account used to play	See The server drops when I launch the game

Connection details: Joining the server.

Ports

Opening the required ports is handled by YorkHost. Don't change ports manually. See Are all ports open? and Unable to connect to the server.

Version mismatch

Grounded 2 is in Early Access and Steam updates your game automatically. After an update, the server and Lantern must also be compatible with the new version.

1. There may be a delay: Lantern isn't an official solution and has to be updated after some game updates. We follow the project closely and roll out its updates.
2. Keep the Lantern launcher up to date on each player's PC
3. Before any server-side update, take a backup from the Backups tab
4. Check that the dedicated Steam account is still valid: the server's game update uses it
5. If the server stays on the old version or the connection still fails, contact support

Don't use a Grounded 2 beta branch on Steam to play on the server.

Lag and memory

The server's resource usage grows with the size of the world, the number of builds and mods. If the server lags or stops:

1. Watch the RAM in the panel while you play: if it's constantly at your plan's maximum, a higher plan is justified.
2. Restart the server regularly, for example every night at an off-peak time, with an automatic restart from the Schedules tab.
3. With mods, the Broodmother plan provides extra resources.

To analyze resource usage, see also Server performance debugging.

Still stuck?

Contact support 7 days a week on Discord or through your client area, including:

• your server's name
• what you changed just before the issue
• the last lines of the console at the time of the error

Never share your passwords

Never send the password of your Steam account, whether your main account or the dedicated one, in a message or a screenshot. Hide it if a screenshot shows the Startup tab.