How to Join a Nightingale Dedicated Server

Pick the right way to join

The first thing to get right is the connection method. Nightingale has no public server list for you to search, so “I can’t find the server” is often just a sign that you are looking for a browser that does not exist. Use the method that matches how the world is being hosted.

This matrix is the quickest way to match your situation to the join method that will actually work.

If you are joining a proper dedicated server, the most dependable route is usually IP/LAN because it removes any confusion about which Steam path or friend session you are supposed to see.

How to join a dedicated server with IP/LAN

Use this method for most rented servers, most self-hosted dedicated servers, and many mixed Steam/Epic groups. It is also the easiest method to troubleshoot because you can see exactly which address and port you are trying to reach.

1. From the main menu, select Play.
2. Pick the character you want to bring with you, or create a new one.
3. Select Join a Game.
4. Choose IP/LAN as the connection type.
5. Enter the server address shared by the owner.
6. Enter the port shared by the owner.
7. Enter the password if the server has one.
8. Select Continue.

The address is the server’s network location, and the port tells Nightingale which service on that machine it should talk to. If the server owner is using the default port, that is 7777. If they changed it, the new port matters just as much as the IP. A correct IP with the wrong port sends your client to the wrong door, so the connection either times out or never reaches the game service.

For a server in the same house, the address is usually the host PC’s LAN IPv4 address, such as 192.168.1.50. For a server over the internet, it is the public IP, such as 198.51.100.6, plus the forwarded port. If the Continue button is greyed out, Nightingale has not got an address yet; the button only activates once one is entered.

The other fast routes: Steam, Join Codes, and a friend’s hosted game

Dedicated server via Steam

If the server owner tells you to use the game’s Steam connection option, start in the same Join a Game menu and choose Steam instead of IP/LAN. It saves typing an address, but it only covers Steam players, so a group with Epic players is better off with plain IP details.

Friend hosting from their own PC

Nightingale also supports a hosted game, often called a listen server. In that setup, your friend launches the world from their own client and everyone joins them. The quickest methods are Steam friend join, IP/LAN, or a Join Code. The important difference from a dedicated server is persistence: when the host logs off, that world stops existing until they host it again.

Join Codes for mixed Steam and Epic groups

Join Codes are meant for a hosted game, not for a dedicated server. The host selects Join Code in the connection options, shares the code from the Social tab, and the joining player enters it. This works for Steam and Epic players together, and if a direct path is not possible, the traffic can be relayed instead. That relay approach can get people connected without manual router work, which is why it is often the quickest fix for a friend-hosted cross-play session.

Steam Deck caveat

Join Codes are disabled on Steam Deck for now, so Deck players should use Steam friend join or IP/LAN. If someone is trying to make a Join Code work on Deck, stop there and switch methods first; otherwise you end up troubleshooting the wrong thing.

Which character to bring, and why the owner should join first

Your character travels with you when you join a server. That includes your inventory, appearance, and everything attached to that character. If your old progress lived on the retired online servers, download those characters first from the main menu using Download Characters, then use the downloaded version when you connect.

The catch is the first join on a brand-new dedicated server. The first player does not only bring their character; the server also imports that player’s realms. That is why a fresh server can suddenly look like somebody else’s progress rather than a clean start.

If the owner wants an empty start, the safe sequence is simple: join first with a new character, let the server create an empty Abeyance realm, then have everyone else join with whatever characters they actually want to use. After that first join, later players bring only their characters, not a full realm set.

If you own the server, send these details before anyone tries to join

A lot of failed joins come from partial information. Send the full set once, in one message, so friends are not guessing.

• Public IP for internet players, or LAN IPv4 for people on the same home network
• Port the server is listening on
• Password if you have set one
• Which method to use: IP/LAN, Steam, or Join Code
• Which character to use, especially if you want a new character to join first
• Game version check: everyone needs the current main version

Where to find the IP and port

On a rented server, the host panel normally shows the server address and the port you need to hand out. On a self-hosted box, internet players need your public IP, while people in the same house should use the host PC’s LAN IPv4 from ipconfig. Giving a LAN address to an internet player will fail because that private address only exists inside your home network.

Set a join password and an admin password

By default, there is no join password. Setting one stops random connection attempts and makes it clear that only the people you have invited should be on the server.

; copy NWX/Config/ExampleServerSettings.ini
; to   NWX/Config/ServerSettings.ini, then set:
[/Script/NWX.NWXServerSettings]
Password=YourJoinPassword
AdminPassword=YourAdminPassword

You can also set the join password on the launch line instead, with -ini:ServerSettings:[/Script/NWX.NWXServerSettings]:Password=YourJoinPassword. Restart the server after either change.

AdminPassword is separate from the normal join password. It is for in-game administration such as kick and ban, so do not hand it out to everyone.

Wait until the server is actually ready

A server process can be running but still loading its world. During that loading stage it is busy reading data from disk, building world state in memory, and preparing to accept players. That is why early connection attempts can time out even though “the server is on”. If you expose the status endpoint with -statusPort, you can check whether it reports loading or ready before you tell people to join.

Launch option example:
-statusPort=<port>

When the endpoint returns ready, the server has finished the start-up work and can accept connections properly. That saves a lot of false troubleshooting.

About the default player limit

The default maximum is six players in a realm. It can only be raised on the launch line, with -ini:Game:[/Script/Engine.GameSession]:MaxPlayers=8 for example, and anything above six is unsupported. Raising it means more player state to simulate and replicate, which increases world management work and network traffic; if you push past the supported default, do it knowing that odd behaviour is your risk, not a simple “free capacity” setting.

Self-hosting: port forwarding, firewall rules, and local versus internet addresses

If you are hosting a game server on your own PC, most join failures are not caused by Nightingale itself. They happen because the packets never reach the server process, or the replies leave on the wrong interface.

For a dedicated server, Nightingale listens on UDP 7777 by default. If you change that, do it on the launch command line with -port=, and keep the equals sign. Without the equals sign, Unreal ignores the setting and the server stays on its default port, which creates the classic “I forwarded the port but nobody can connect” mistake.

Windows (example on port 7787):
NWXServer.exe -log -port=7787

Linux:
./NWXServer.sh -port=7787

Optional interface binding:
-multihome=<IP>

If you use a port like that, forward UDP 7787 and tell friends to type 7787 in the port field. The router needs to forward the same port the server is actually listening on, and the local firewall needs to allow the game traffic through to the server process. If the forwarded port and the listening port do not match, your friends’ packets arrive at your network edge but never reach Nightingale.

• Router forwarding: send the chosen external port to the host PC on your LAN.
• Windows firewall: allow the server executable or the chosen port through.
• LAN players: use the host PC’s LAN IPv4 address, not the public IP.
• Internet players: use the public IP and the forwarded port.
• -multihome: use this if the PC has more than one active network interface and you want the server to bind to one specific IP.

If the host can connect by LAN address but not by their own public IP from inside the same house, that is often NAT loopback. Some routers do not send that traffic back inside correctly. The fix is simple: local players should use the LAN IP, while external players use the public IP.

If you host a game from your own client rather than a dedicated server, forward the port as both TCP and UDP, as the official hosting guide recommends. A dedicated server listens on UDP 7777 unless you change it. If LAN works and internet fails, the Nightingale server itself is usually fine and the missing piece is the router, firewall, or upstream ISP setup.

Friends can’t see or join the world: symptom, likely cause, first fix

Use the symptom you can actually observe rather than changing random settings. Each first fix below is meant to prove or rule out one part of the path.

A good diagnostic order is: correct method → correct address and port → server ready state → password → realm expectations. That sequence moves from the most common hard blockers to the cases where the connection succeeds but the group still ends up separated.

Dedicated server or a hosted game?

If you have not decided yet, the right answer depends less on “power” and more on persistence and who is responsible for being online every time. A hosted game is fine for short, organised sessions. A dedicated server is the better fit once the world should stay available after the host closes the game.

If you are still deciding between panels, locations, and management style, our Nightingale server hosting comparison is the sensible place to narrow it down before you hand out join details to the rest of the group.

Nightingale server FAQ

How do I join a Nightingale dedicated server?

From the main menu, go to Play, choose your character, then open Join a Game. Most dedicated servers are easiest to join through IP/LAN with the server address, port, and password if one is set. There is no public server browser, so you need those details from the owner.

Can Steam and Epic players play together in Nightingale?

Yes, but use the right join method. For a hosted game, Join Codes support Steam and Epic players together. For a dedicated server, both Steam and Epic players can connect by IP/LAN, and the server stores character data against each player’s Steam or Epic ID.

How many players can join a Nightingale server?

The default maximum is six players in a realm. The limit can be raised by command line, but anything above six is unsupported, so treat that as an experiment rather than a normal setting. More players means more world state and more network replication for the server to handle.

Why can’t my friends join my Nightingale server?

The usual causes are the wrong join method, the wrong port, missing router forwarding, firewall blocking, a wrong password, or the server still loading. If LAN works but internet joins fail, the Nightingale server process is normally fine and the problem sits between the router and the outside world. If the connection succeeds but players are separated, check realm import and which realm everybody is actually entering.

Does a Nightingale dedicated server stay online when I log off?

Yes. A dedicated server runs as a separate application, so the world persists when the owner closes their own game client. That is the main practical reason to use one instead of a hosted game, where the world disappears as soon as the host goes offline.

More join and connection guides

Our Nightingale host comparison, plus join guides for other survival games.