Palworld updates frequently, and Steam updates player clients automatically. ThundraNode servers update themselves too. Every restart checks Steam and installs the latest version, so "updating" is usually just a restart.
Update through the panel
- Log in to the Game Panel and open your server.
- Warn anyone online, then run
/Savefrom the console (or in-game as admin) so no progress is lost. - Restart the server. It checks Steam for the latest version while booting and updates itself: the first boot after a patch can take a few minutes while files download.
- If the console still reports the old version afterwards, use Settings → Reinstall (your world and settings are kept; only the game files are refreshed).
Take a backup before big patches. Game updates occasionally change save formats, and a backup from the Backups tab is the fastest way out if something breaks.
How to tell an update is needed
- Players suddenly can't join after Steam downloaded a Palworld patch: the classic sign.
- The console logs a version number at startup; compare it with the version shown in Steam's patch notes.
After updating
- If you run mods, check that each one supports the new version before players join: outdated mods are the most common cause of post-update crashes.
- Ask players to restart Steam if their client hasn't picked up the patch yet.
Did this solve it?
If you are still stuck, our team can look at your server directly.