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The quickest way to join a Soulmask dedicated server is to use the game’s direct-connect option with the server’s public IP address and game port. Guides current to October 14, 2026 most often report UDP 8777 as the game-port default. Do not substitute the query port: UDP 27015 is generally used for the server browser. A newly started server may take five to 15 minutes to appear in listings, so direct connection is usually the better first test.
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If direct connection fails, check the server’s startup log or launch line before changing anything. Soulmask guides disagree on defaults such as 8777 versus 7777, and menu wording changes between patches. The values reported by your running server are authoritative for that installation.
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Connect directly by IP address
Direct connection bypasses the public server list. It is the fastest way to test whether the server is reachable and avoids waiting for a listing to propagate.
What you need
- The server’s reachable IP address. Use the machine’s private LAN address when joining from the same network; remote players normally use the host’s public address.
- The game port, not the query port. UDP 8777 is the most frequently reported default, but your launch parameters or configuration may specify another value.
- The server password, if one is configured.
- A client running the same Soulmask version as the server.
Direct-connect steps
- Start Soulmask and enter its online multiplayer area.
- Look for a command labelled something like Online Game > Connect to the server directly. Other guides describe the route as online mode, Private Servers, then Connect directly to server. The exact labels are patch-dependent.
- Enter the server IP and game port in the address field. For the commonly reported default, this is the IP followed by
:8777. If the administrator changed the port, use that value instead. - Submit the address, enter the password if prompted, and wait for the connection attempt to complete.
Entering :27015 in this screen is a common mistake. That port is normally the query endpoint used to advertise the server, not the port carrying the game session.
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Use the server browser or Steam Favorites
The in-game list and Steam’s server-browser workflow depend on a separate query port. Guides most commonly identify UDP 27015. A server can be running correctly and still be absent from the list when this port is blocked or forwarded to the wrong machine.
Allow time for a new listing
Third-party setup guides report a listing delay of roughly five to 15 minutes after startup. During that period, try direct connection rather than repeatedly refreshing the list.
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- Open Steam’s server browser and select the Favorites tab.
- Choose Add a Server.
- Enter the server IP and the query port, usually
:27015. - Refresh the entry and launch Soulmask from the result if it appears.
This method tests discovery, not just gameplay traffic. If the entry does not appear but direct IP connection works, focus on UDP 27015 and the server’s query configuration.
| Method | Port to enter | What it tests | Typical limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-game direct connect | Game port, commonly UDP 8777 | Reachability of the actual game service | Requires the correct IP and game-port value; menu wording varies by patch |
| Steam Favorites/server browser | Query port, commonly UDP 27015 | Server discovery and listing | May take five to 15 minutes to appear and fails when the query port is blocked |
Know which Soulmask ports your server uses
Port numbers in community guides are not fully consistent. Use the server’s own launch line, configuration file, or startup log as the source of truth, then make the router and operating-system firewall match it.
| Function | Value most often reported | Protocol | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | 8777 | UDP | Most common 2026 guide default; some guides use 7777 instead |
| Server query/listing | 27015 | UDP | Used by the browser and Steam Favorites workflow |
| Echo | 18888 | Not consistently documented | Its purpose is disputed: one guide describes a TCP telnet console, another calls its necessity unconfirmed, and another recommends restricting it to local access |
| RCON | 19000 | TCP | Optional administrative interface in the commonly shown launch line |
| Alternative values | 7777 game, 27016 query, 27020 RCON | Varies | Reported by other guides and Docker-based projects; do not open these automatically |
Opening every number in the table is not a solution. Forward only the ports present in your server’s active configuration. A second game server on the same host cannot normally bind to an already-used port, so a conflict can prevent the new process from listening at all.
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Forward ports for an Internet server
Players outside your home network need both router forwarding and a host-firewall rule. Either layer can block a connection even when the other is configured correctly.
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Assign the server computer a static local address, or create a DHCP reservation in the router. If the address changes after a reboot, a forwarding rule can silently point at the wrong machine.
2. Create the router forwarding rules
- Open the router’s NAT, port-forwarding, or virtual-server page.
- Forward the configured game port to the server’s LAN address using UDP. For an unchanged common setup, that is UDP 8777.
- Forward UDP 27015 to the same machine if you want browser discovery.
- Add an RCON rule only when you actively use RCON, and use the TCP port configured by the server. Do not expose an administrative port unnecessarily.
- Handle the echo port according to your build’s documentation. Because its role is inconsistently described, a conservative setup keeps it reachable only from the local network unless the server specifically requires external access.
Some routers ask for separate external and internal ports. Keep them identical unless your launch configuration deliberately maps different values. If your Internet service uses carrier-grade NAT, ordinary home forwarding may not provide a reachable public address; the server log and router’s WAN address can reveal that the addresses do not match.
3. Allow the same traffic through the operating-system firewall
Create inbound rules on the server machine for the exact protocols and ports in use. A typical common configuration needs UDP 8777 for gameplay and UDP 27015 for listing. Add TCP 19000 only for an enabled RCON service, and treat 18888 according to the server’s actual configuration. A router rule without a matching host-firewall exception still produces a timeout.
4. Restart and verify from outside the LAN
Restart the server after changing launch parameters, then test from a different network such as a phone hotspot. Testing from inside the same LAN can give misleading results on routers that do not support NAT loopback. Check the startup log to confirm which ports are listening before asking remote players to retry.
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Match the client and server versions
A version mismatch is one of the most common reasons a reachable server rejects a player. Update the player’s installation through Steam. Update a dedicated installation through SteamCMD using the AppID and branch required by the current Soulmask build, then restart the server and client before testing again.
Community setup material reports AppID 3017300 for Linux and 3017310 for Windows, but those identifiers were not confirmed on an official Steam page. Treat them as reported values, verify them against the build you are installing, and do not bake them into an unattended script without checking first.
When the server says “Steam API failed to initialize”
One dedicated-server guide reports that installing the Steam client on the server machine resolves this startup error. That is a guide-specific remedy rather than a guaranteed requirement for every build. First confirm that the server files and SteamCMD installation are complete, then try the reported Steam-client installation if the error persists.
Read the launch line before changing settings
A launch command tells you which values are actually in force. The following Windows example is reproduced as a configuration example from a community guide; it is not proof that every build accepts the same flags or defaults:
WSServer-Win64-Shipping.exe Level01_Main -server -log -UTF8Output -forcepassthrough -MULTIHOME=0.0.0.0 -Port=8777 -QueryPort=27015 -EchoPort=18888 -SteamServerName="My Soulmask Server" -MaxPlayers=60 -PSW="joinpassword" -adminpsw="adminpassword" -pve -saving=300 -backup=900 -online=Steam -rconpsw="rconpassword" -rconaddr=0.0.0.0 -rconport=19000In this example, -Port is the game port, -QueryPort is the listing port, and -rconport is the optional RCON endpoint. The password switches demonstrate that a server can have separate player and administrator credentials. Replace them with unique secrets; never publish the administrator password in a public post or share it with ordinary players.
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The example uses -MaxPlayers=60, but guides disagree about capacity: one reports a default of 20 while another describes a cap of 70. Do not assume either figure applies to your patch. Check the server’s accepted range and watch the startup log for rejected parameters.
Save and backup intervals in the same body of guides are commonly shown as 300 seconds and 900 seconds, respectively. Those are configuration values, not guarantees that every build uses them when the switches are omitted. Set and verify them if recovery timing matters to your group.
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The server is not listed, but direct connection works
- Wait the reported five-to-15-minute publication period.
- Check that UDP 27015 is forwarded to the correct LAN address.
- Allow UDP 27015 through the host firewall.
- Confirm that the launch line’s query-port value is really 27015; it may be 27016 or another custom port.
Direct connection times out
- Use the game port, not the query port.
- Confirm the server is listening on the port shown in its startup log.
- Check UDP forwarding, the host firewall, and the server’s static LAN address.
- Verify that the router has a usable public WAN address and that another process is not occupying the port.
- Test from outside the home network to rule out a NAT-loopback limitation.
The server is reachable but rejects the join
- Update the Soulmask client through Steam and the server through SteamCMD, then restart both.
- Check the player password and whether the server is running a mode such as PvE that differs from the expected setup.
- Inspect the server log for a parameter error, failed Steam initialization, or a full player slot count.
Players report a port conflict
Stop other game-server processes and inspect which process owns the configured game and query ports. If multiple Soulmask instances share one machine, assign each instance a distinct set of ports and reflect those values in both forwarding rules and the launch commands. Do not copy a 7777/27016/27020 combination from another guide unless your own process reports those values.
The echo port is confusing
Do not infer its purpose solely from a copied command. Community descriptions conflict about whether 18888 is required and whether it carries a TCP console. Look for an explicit listener or error in your build’s log. If no external feature needs it, keep access limited to the server’s local network.
Home-hosted versus rented dedicated hosting
The connection method is the same for players, but the administrator’s responsibilities differ.
| Consideration | Host at home | Rent a dedicated instance |
|---|---|---|
| Networking | You must reserve a LAN address, forward ports, and configure the host firewall. | The provider generally supplies a public endpoint and handles basic network routing, subject to its own terms. |
| Updates | You maintain SteamCMD, server files, backups, and restarts. | You still need to confirm how the service applies Soulmask updates; automation differs by provider. |
| Failure points | Home NAT, changing WAN addresses, power loss, and competing processes can interrupt access. | Control-panel settings, instance limits, and provider maintenance can affect availability. |
| Best first test | Connect locally, then test with a player on another network. | Use the assigned public IP and the port shown in the provider’s launch configuration. |
Regardless of where it runs, ask the administrator for the current game port and query port rather than assuming the most common defaults.
Administrator’s pre-share checklist
- Server process starts without a port-bind or Steam initialization error.
- Startup output confirms the intended game and query ports.
- Server has a stable LAN address.
- Router forwards the game port over UDP.
- UDP 27015 is forwarded and allowed if browser listing is required.
- RCON is disabled or restricted unless actively needed.
- Client and server versions match.
- A player has tested direct connection from outside the host’s LAN.
- Player and administrator passwords are different and not exposed in screenshots or public commands.
Bottom line: which address should a player use?
Ask for the server’s public IP and game port. Start with IP:8777 only when the administrator confirms the common default; otherwise use the port shown in the server’s launch line. Use :27015 for Steam or server-list queries, not for direct gameplay. If the address fails, the administrator should verify forwarding and firewall rules first, then version matching and port conflicts, while treating every menu label and default as build-dependent.
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