1. The world name, exactly
Players search the Public tab for the world name, and the search is case sensitive. This is the single most common cause and the easiest to miss, because the name looks right to everyone involved.
- Send the name by pasting it, never by saying it out loud or retyping it.
- Check for a leading or trailing space in the server's own setting. It is invisible in most forms, it is preserved into the configuration, and it has to be typed by the person searching.
- Check the capitals. "Ashenfall" and "ashenfall" are two different searches.
2. Has the server actually finished starting?
A first boot is not quick. The server downloads the entire game from Steam before the world exists, which normally runs ten to twenty minutes — and for that whole period the server is up, the container is healthy, and there is nothing to find in the Public tab. Later restarts also revalidate the install, so they are slower than a bare process restart too.
Check the log or the dashboard before assuming a fault. A server that is downloading looks exactly like a server that is missing.
3. The UDP port
Dragonwilds uses one UDP port and nothing else. If you are self-hosting, it has to be forwarded to the server machine and allowed through the operating system firewall.
| Check | What it should be |
|---|---|
| Protocol | UDP. Forwarding TCP does nothing at all |
| Port number | 7777 by default, 27777 on servers deployed here |
| Internal vs external | THE SAME NUMBER on both sides |
| Firewall | Allowed inbound on the host as well as forwarded on the router |
4. Is the owner set?
A server with no Player ID in its OwnerId does not run at all — it reports the missing ID and exits before the game starts, then restarts and does it again. If the server is cycling rather than staying up, this is the cause far more often than anything else. See our guide on finding your Player ID.
5. Is the world simply full?
Six players is the maximum. A seventh cannot join, and no setting or plan changes that. Worth ruling out before hunting for a network fault.
What this class of problem looks like on managed hosting
Two of the five causes above cannot happen on a server deployed on Flux: the UDP port is opened and routed for you with the same number inside and out, and the deploy form refuses to submit without a Player ID. What is left is the world name and the wait for the first boot — and the dashboard shows you the second one happening.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Dragonwilds server not showing up?
Most often the world name is being searched with different capitalisation, or the server has not finished its first boot — which takes ten to twenty minutes while the game downloads from Steam. After that, check the UDP port and that the owner Player ID is set.
Why do players get kicked to the title screen when joining my server?
The internal and external UDP port do not match. Dragonwilds requires the same port number on both sides of any forwarding rule; make them equal and joins succeed.
Which port do I forward for a Dragonwilds server?
One UDP port — 7777 by default, or 27777 on servers deployed on Flux. TCP is not used, and there is no separate query port.
Is the Dragonwilds world search case sensitive?
Yes. Players must type the world name exactly as it is set on the server, capitals included, in the Public tab of the Worlds screen.
My server restarts over and over. What is wrong?
Almost certainly a missing owner Player ID. The server logs that OWNER_ID is not set and exits before the game launches, so it never reaches a running state.