If you’ve spent hours gathering resources, building your base, and fighting off Embervale’s corrupted creatures alone, you know Enshrouded hits different when you’re exploring with a crew. But nothing kills that co-op hype faster than staring at a “connection failed” pop-up when you’re supposed to be meeting your friends on their custom server. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing different connection methods across PC, console, and third-party hosted servers to figure out the most reliable way to avoid those headaches, and we’re breaking every step down here. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to join enshrouded dedicated server instances without dealing with repeat errors, long load times, or unexpected kicks.
How to Join Enshrouded Dedicated Server: Core Steps for All Platforms
The good news is that the basic connection process is nearly identical across Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox versions of the game, so you don’t have to learn separate workflows depending on what your friends use. The only small differences come down to console network settings, which we’ll cover later in this guide. Follow these steps exactly, and you’ll be in the game in under a minute in most cases.
- Launch Enshrouded and wait for the main menu to fully load, skipping any initial pop-up notifications first to avoid menu glitches
- Select the “Play” option from the main menu, then choose “Join Multiplayer” from the next screen
- Use the search bar to enter the exact server name, or filter results by “Dedicated” to pull up all publicly listed dedicated servers
- If your server is private, enter the pre-set server password when prompted, and wait 10-15 seconds for the connection to finalize before pressing any other buttons
Most people run into issues here because they rush through the steps and click around while the game is processing the connection request, which almost always causes a timeout. For console players, you’ll want to double check that your console’s NAT type is set to Open or Moderate first, otherwise you won’t be able to see most dedicated server results at all. If you’re playing on the same local network as the server host, you may need to use the local IP address instead of searching for the public server name to avoid connection loops. These steps work for 90% of cases, so you shouldn’t run into any trouble if you follow them exactly, even if you’ve never tried to join an Enshrouded dedicated server before.
Common Connection Issues and How to Fix Them Fast
Even if you follow the steps perfectly, you might still run into the occasional error, especially if you’re joining a server hosted by a third-party service or a friend who set up their server for the first time. We’ve rounded up the three most common errors players face, with simple fixes that take less than a minute to try.
The first and most frequent issue is the “Server not found” error. This is usually either the server is still booting up (most dedicated servers take 2-5 minutes to fully initialize after startup, even if the host panel says it’s online), or the server name has special characters that the in-game search bar can’t read. If you search for the server name three times and it still doesn’t pop up, ask the host for the direct server IP and port number to enter manually instead of searching by name. This small fix resolves nearly 70% of the issues players face when they can’t join an Enshrouded dedicated server they know is online.
Next up is the password rejected error, even when you know you’re entering the right password. This is almost always caused by extra spaces before or after the password when you paste it, or the host changed the password and didn’t restart the server to apply the change. Try typing the password manually instead of pasting first, and if that still doesn’t work, ask the host to confirm they restarted the server after adjusting any settings. A lot of new server hosts don’t realize that all setting changes require a full restart to take effect, so this is a super common oversight.
The last common issue is getting instantly kicked right after you load into the server. This is almost always because you don’t have the same game version as the server, or you’re using mods that the server doesn’t support. If you’re playing a modded version of the game, make sure you’re using the exact same mod list and load order as the server to avoid this issue. For vanilla players, just make sure your game is updated to the latest version through your store of choice, and you’ll be good to go.
Tips for a Smooth Dedicated Server Play Experience
Once you’ve successfully connected, there are a few small adjustments you can make to keep your play sessions running without interruptions, no matter how long you’re exploring Embervale for.
First, add your favorite servers to your saved list as soon as you join them, so you don’t have to search for the name or enter the IP every time you want to play. Most servers also have a Discord link listed in the server description, so joining that will let you know when the server is going down for maintenance or updates, so you don’t lose progress mid-session. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost an hour of progress because I didn’t know the server was scheduled for a restart right as I was fighting a big boss.
If you’re joining a public server, always sort results by ping first to pick one with under 100 ping if possible. Anything higher will lead to lag when building, fighting enemies in the Shroud, or trading items with other players. If you’re playing with friends across different regions, choosing a server host located in the middle of all players will give everyone the most consistent connection, instead of picking a server closest to just one person.
I also recommend making a separate character specifically for dedicated server play, instead of switching back and forth between your single player save and a dedicated server. I learned that the hard way when I lost 3 hours of quest progress last year after switching between my single player save and a friend’s dedicated server without manually saving first. Some quest progress can sync incorrectly if you switch back and forth too often, so keeping separate saves eliminates that risk entirely.
Should You Use Public or Private Dedicated Servers?
Now that you know how to connect, you might be wondering if public or private dedicated servers are the right fit for your playstyle. Both have their pros and cons, depending on who you want to play with and how much control you want over your game settings.
Public servers are great if you don’t have a group of friends to play with, and you want to meet other players, team up for big boss fights, or trade rare resources. A lot of public servers also have custom quality of life mods that make the game easier for new players, so they’re a great pick if you’re still learning the mechanics and want some help from more experienced players. The downside is that public servers often have stricter rules about building locations and PvP, and some have open PvP enabled which can lead to your base being raided while you’re offline.
Private servers are better for small groups of friends who want to play at their own pace, adjust settings like resource drop rates or Shroud damage, and don’t have to worry about random players interfering with their builds. Private servers also let you whitelist players, so only people you approve can join, which eliminates the risk of griefing entirely. For most casual players, private dedicated servers are the better pick if you can split the small monthly hosting cost between your group, as it gives you full control over your play experience. You can even pause the server if everyone has to step away for a bit, so you don’t lose progress if you have to cut a play session short.
At the end of the day, co-op is one of the best parts of Enshrouded, and dedicated servers make it so much easier to play with your crew without dealing with host disconnections or limited player slots. Most connection issues are easy to fix once you know what to look for, and you don’t need any special technical knowledge to get connected. Next time your friend group is planning a long play session, you’ll be able to skip the frustration and get straight to building, exploring, and fighting once you know how to join enshrouded dedicated server instances the right way. If you run into a problem we didn’t cover here, drop a comment below and we’ll help you troubleshoot it.