Windrose Server Troubleshooting

Fix common Windrose dedicated server issues — connection failures, server won't start, performance problems, and save recovery.

Server Won't Start

Server exits immediately after starting

Check the server console log at R5/Saved/Logs/R5.log in File Manager for the error
Make sure ServerDescription.json is valid JSON — a missing comma or bracket will prevent startup
Try a Reinstall Server from the Dashboard, then start once to regenerate clean config files

Server starts but no world loads

Check that WorldIslandId in ServerDescription.json matches an actual folder name under R5/Saved/SaveProfiles/Default/RocksDB/<version>/Worlds/
If the world folder is missing or was renamed, the server won't find it — see Manage Worlds

"Connection Timed Out" / invite code not working

Confirm the server is fully started (green status in the panel) — wait at least 1 minute after start before trying to join
Double-check the invite code — it is case-sensitive
Make sure the player has completed the Windrose tutorial in single-player at least once — players who haven't finished the tutorial cannot join multiplayer

Player reaches loading screen then gets kicked back to the menu

The joining player hasn't completed the tutorial yet
The host may still be loading — wait until the host is fully inside the world before players try to connect

"Version Mismatch" or "Incompatible Version"

Server not found / can't find server by invite code

Try switching your DNS to Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) — some DNS providers (including NextDNS) block Windrose's connection endpoints by default, preventing the game from registering the server
Disable any VPN or proxy on the client machine

Server keeps reverting my WorldDescription.json changes

You must stop the server before editing config files — changes made while the server is running will be overwritten
Stop → edit → save → start

WorldPresetType keeps changing to "Custom"

If there are any values in WorldSettings, the server automatically sets the preset to "Custom" on startup
To use a clean preset, empty all three sections: "bool": {}, "float": {}, "tag": {}

ServerDescription.json is missing

The file is auto-generated on first server start — if it's missing, start the server once and it will be created
Do not start editing config files before running the server for the first time

High lag / rubber-banding with players

Check CPU and RAM usage in the Dashboard — if CPU is consistently above 80%, upgrade your plan
Set up Scheduled Restarts — UE5 servers accumulate memory over time and a daily restart clears it
Reduce MaxPlayerCount temporarily — above 4 players performance may degrade in Early Access
Reduce high multipliers in WorldSettings — very high MobHealthMultiplier values (e.g. 5.0) cause longer AI tick loops per encounter

Server crashes after a few hours

This is typically a memory leak in the Early Access build — scheduled daily restarts will prevent it
Back up your world data before each restart as a precaution

World progress is gone after an update

Windrose save data is stored per game version in R5/Saved/SaveProfiles/Default/RocksDB/<version>/
After an update, the version folder path changes — your old world is still there under the previous version folder
Copy the world folder from the old version path to the new version path, then update WorldIslandId in ServerDescription.json if needed

Save appears corrupt / world fails to load

The server log at R5/Saved/Logs/R5.log is the first place to check for any issue:

In the panel sidebar, click File Manager.

Navigate to R5/Saved/Logs/.

Open R5.log and scroll to the bottom to see the most recent entries.

Look for lines containing Error, Warning, or Fatal — these indicate what went wrong.