Understanding Valheim Network Issues

Experiencing lag, desync, or connection issues in Valheim? This guide explains the game's unique networking architecture and provides practical solutions for common problems.

Crossplay Networking

Crossplay in Valheim routes all connections through Microsoft's PlayFab relay infrastructure instead of connecting directly to the server. This extra network hop increases latency and decreases reliability, especially for players farther from relay servers.

⚠️ Warning: The Valheim wiki states: "Crossplay has a major disadvantage: players on a Crossplay server are more likely to experience lag, timeouts and disconnects."

Crossplay should only be enabled when you need cross-platform connectivity. If your group plays exclusively on Steam, keeping crossplay disabled provides noticeably better connection stability.

PlayFab Error Codes

These are common Microsoft PlayFab errors you may encounter when using crossplay:

Understanding Distributed Game Logic

A common misconception is that Valheim uses peer-to-peer networking. It doesn't — all data is sent between client and server, never between clients directly. However, game logic is distributed and runs on player clients rather than entirely on the server.

Here's how it works:

• When you're alone in an area, your client controls all creatures and objects in that zone
• Your client syncs changes to the server, which relays them to other players
• When another player enters your area, you remain in control of most objects
• Control only transfers when you leave the area

This system offloads heavy physics calculations from the server to clients, but creates a critical dependency: if the controlling player has high ping, everyone in that area experiences their lag, regardless of their own connection quality.

📝 Note: A Valheim developer confirmed: "If player-A who is controlling the monsters in the area has high ping to the server, then player-B will also notice this, even though player-B has a perfectly fine connection to the server."

— Richard Svensson, CEO of IronGate Studios, via Steam Community

The Region Authority Problem

When performance issues occur, identifying the region authority (the player controlling that area) is key. Symptoms include delayed interactions, stuttering enemy movements, and slow building destruction.

Since authority transfers only when the controlling player leaves the area, a simple fix exists — have them briefly leave and re-enter to force authority reassignment to another player with a better connection.

This distributed model explains why server hardware upgrades rarely solve lag issues. The bottleneck isn't server CPU or RAM — it's the network path between the controlling client and server.

Recognizing Desync

Desync occurs when client and server states diverge while maintaining the appearance of a connection. Signs include:

• Actions complete on your screen but don't persist (items disappear after picking them up, etc.)
• Players see different things — one sees enemies dead while another dodges their attacks
• Inventory changes don't save between sessions

Quick reconnection is the most reliable solution when you notice these symptoms.

Common Issues and Solutions

Solutions for Crossplay Servers

If your server has crossplay enabled, try these solutions in order:

1. Disable crossplay — If all players are on Steam, disable crossplay for better performance. Note that disabling crossplay can temporarily make your server inaccessible; restart the game and try again, or contact us on Discord if the issue persists.
2. Check for PlayFab errors — Review your server log in Console for specific PlayFab error codes listed above.
3. Let the best connection lead — Have a player with a known good connection enter new areas first to claim authority.
4. Restart your device and router — A simple restart can resolve temporary network issues.
5. Wait and try again — The PlayFab network may be experiencing intermittent congestion. Trying again later or testing a different server location may help.

Solutions for Non-Crossplay Servers

If your server has crossplay disabled, try these solutions:

1. Restart your device and router — A simple restart can resolve temporary network issues.
2. Let the best connection lead — Have a player with a known good connection enter new areas first.
3. Install Better Networking — For PC-only servers, consider installing the Better Networking mod. See our modding guide.
4. Run a network test — Have an affected player run an MTR test and share the results in a support ticket on our Discord so our team can diagnose the issue.

Key Takeaways

• Network path quality matters more than server hardware — Upgrading server specs won't fix authority-related lag
• The player who enters an area first controls it — Make sure that player has a stable connection
• Crossplay adds latency for everyone — Only enable it if you actually need cross-platform play
• Press F2 in-game to display your connection information for troubleshooting

If you need help, join our Discord.