How to Connect to Your Icarus Server
Join your Icarus dedicated server via the in-game server browser.
Players connect to Icarus dedicated servers through the in-game server browser or via Steam Favorites. Icarus servers start in a lobby state — the server must have an active prospect (world) before it appears in the in-game browser and accepts players.
Connect via Server Browser
Open the Dedicated Servers tab
In the multiplayer screen, click the DEDICATED SERVERS [BETA] tab in the top-right.
Find your server
Search by name in the SEARCH SERVERS BY NAME field. Your server must have a name set via the -SteamServerName startup parameter to appear.
Join
Select the server and click join. If the server has no prospect loaded, you'll see a confirmation prompt:
Click YES to enter the lobby, where you can create or load a prospect.
Direct Connect (In-Game)
The fastest way to join is the in-game DIRECT CONNECT button — no Steam Favorites needed.
In the dedicated servers list, click the DIRECT CONNECT button in the top-right.
Enter your server's IP and port in the format IP:Port:
Use the game port (SERVER_PORT), not the query port. Find both in the Startup tab of the panel.
Click CONFIRM. If the server has a prospect loaded, you'll go straight in. If it's in lobby mode, you'll see the loading screen:
Auto-Load a Prospect on Startup
To skip the lobby entirely and always have a world ready, set the Create Prospect field in the panel's Startup tab to:
OW_Plains 1 false MyWorldThis auto-creates an Open World on the Plains map, normal difficulty, with the save name "MyWorld". After the first creation, set ResumeProspect=true in ServerSettings.ini so the server resumes the existing world instead of creating a new one each time.
See Server Configuration for all prospect types and difficulty levels.
Server Not Appearing?
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Server online but not in in-game browser | No prospect loaded. The server is in lobby state. Use DIRECT CONNECT to enter the lobby and create a prospect, or set CreateProspect in Startup to auto-load one |
| Server not in the list | Wait 2–5 minutes after starting — it takes time to register with Steam. Verify your game and query ports (in Startup) are reachable |
| Server name is blank | SessionName in ServerSettings.ini is currently broken. Set the name via the -SteamServerName startup parameter in Startup instead |
| Wrong version | All players must be on the same Icarus version as the server. See Update Guide |
| Password prompt | The server has JoinPassword set. Enter the password or ask the server admin |
Required Ports
XGamingServer assigns the game and query ports automatically — they appear in the Startup tab. Both are UDP and both must be reachable for the server to register and accept connections.
Related Guides
How is this guide?
How to Upload a Save to Your Icarus Server
Transfer prospect and outpost saves from your local game to your Icarus dedicated server.
Icarus Server Launch Parameters Reference
Complete command-line / startup parameter reference for the Icarus dedicated server, including ports, multihome, save dir suffix, and prospect loading.