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How to Install BepInEx on a Valheim Dedicated Server and Add Mods

A practical guide to installing BepInExPack Valheim on a dedicated server, placing mods, launching the loader, and keeping multiplayer setups compatible.
Length5 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To load mods on a Valheim dedicated server, install BepInExPack Valheim in the server’s game directory and start a Linux server with the pack’s start_server_bepinex.sh script—not the vanilla launch script. Put plugins in the pack’s BepInEx/plugins folder, then check each mod’s listing to determine whether clients also need it. Back up your world and characters before changing files.

Before you install: check the game, platform, and mod

Use BepInExPack Valheim, not a generic BepInEx download. The Valheim-specific pack includes configuration and launch files intended for the game, as well as preloader changes some mods require. Its documentation covers client installs and a Linux dedicated-server launch path.

Check the mod’s current listing before installing it: game updates and mod releases can change compatibility, and a listing should identify dependencies, supported versions, and whether the plugin belongs on the server, clients, or both. These instructions are for modding the Steam PC edition. A community Valheim modding guide describes Microsoft Store/Game Pass installations as difficult to mod because of protected files and says Xbox consoles cannot load mods. Verify current platform support rather than assuming those constraints or workarounds have changed.

Back up your world and characters

Make a copy of your world and character data before installing a loader or plugin. Some mods save item or progression information in world or character data; removing the mod later may leave that data behind or cause save oddities. The modding guide’s backup advice is especially relevant before adding mods that alter progression or inventory.

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Install BepInEx on a Linux dedicated server

Install the pack into the dedicated server’s Valheim directory—the same directory used by the server executable. Follow the pack’s current Linux dedicated-server instructions and use its BepInEx launch script so the loader initializes with the server.

  1. Download and extract BepInExPack Valheim. Place the pack’s contents in the server’s Valheim installation directory.
  2. Open a terminal in that directory and make the script executable: chmod u+x start_server_bepinex.sh.
  3. Adjust the server launch parameters in start_server_bepinex.sh to match the arguments you use for the standard Valheim server launch.
  4. Start the server by running ./start_server_bepinex.sh. The pack documentation says successful startup prints BepInEx bootstrap messages in the terminal.

Starting the vanilla server script instead will not load BepInEx. For a managed host, check whether its control panel offers BepInEx installation or lets you run the required script; the pack notes that some managed servers support automatic installation, but availability depends on the provider.

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Where to put Valheim BepInEx mods

For a manual installation, place plugin files in the server’s BepInEx/plugins folder, preserving any subfolders included in the mod archive. Follow the mod’s own installation instructions if they specify another location, configuration file, or dependency. Do not copy a mod’s archive wholesale into the game directory without checking its folder structure.

For each plugin, install any listed dependencies and compare the mod’s requirements against the server’s Valheim version and the versions used by players. A loader can start correctly while an incompatible or incomplete plugin fails to load.

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Do players need the same mods?

There is no single rule for every Valheim plugin. Some are client-only, some run on the server, and others require matching installations or versions on both ends. Follow each mod’s server and multiplayer requirements, and keep relevant client and server configurations aligned.

ValheimPlus is a specific example: its Thunderstore instructions say to install it on both the server and clients to avoid multiplayer issues. Do not assume that requirement applies to every other mod.

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Install the loader on your own Valheim client

Use a mod manager

For a client install, the pack recommends Gale, Thunderstore Mod Manager, or r2modman. A manager makes it easier to keep a profile’s loader, plugins, and dependencies together.

  1. Install a supported manager and select Valheim.
  2. Create a profile, install BepInExPack Valheim, then add the mods and dependencies you intend to use.
  3. Start Valheim through the manager so it can attach the loader. Starting the game directly through Steam may launch an unmodded copy instead.
  4. Test with a simple plugin before building a larger mod setup. The pack says a console appears on Windows when BepInEx is installed correctly; on Linux, test a plugin because there may not be a clear visual confirmation.

Install the pack manually

  1. In Steam, open Valheim’s local files. Download the BepInExPack Valheim archive and extract it outside the game folder first.
  2. Open the archive’s BepInExPack_Valheim directory and move its contents—not just the containing folder—into the Valheim installation directory.
  3. Check that BepInEx, winhttp.dll, and doorstop_config.ini are beside valheim.exe.
  4. On Windows, start the game and look for the BepInEx console. On Linux, make start_game_bepinex.sh executable and set Steam’s launch options to ./start_game_bepinex.sh %command%.

For Apple Silicon macOS, the pack documentation specifies a Rosetta launch path for BepInEx 5: /usr/bin/arch -x86_64 /bin/bash ./start_game_bepinex.sh %command%. This is a platform-specific route, not a universal macOS instruction; check the pack’s current platform notes before relying on it.

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Manager or manual install?

Approach Best fit What to watch
Mod manager Players installing mods on a client and wanting profiles to organize them. Launch through the manager; available managers and platform support differ.
Manual pack install Players who want to place files themselves, or server administrators configuring a dedicated-server directory. Copy the pack’s inner contents to the right directory and use the appropriate BepInEx launch script. Linux server startup requires the BepInEx script.

Either approach still requires checking each plugin’s dependencies and multiplayer requirements. A client profile does not automatically configure a dedicated server’s files or startup command.

Troubleshoot mods that do not load

  • The server starts, but no mods load: Confirm the process runs start_server_bepinex.sh, not the vanilla script. Look in the terminal output for BepInEx bootstrap messages.
  • The client starts vanilla: If using a manager, launch through it. For a manual Linux setup, confirm Steam’s launch options invoke start_game_bepinex.sh.
  • Players cannot connect or modded items behave incorrectly: Compare client and server mod lists, versions, dependencies, and configuration requirements. Mismatches can cause version errors or missing or unrecognized save data.
  • A save has oddities after removing a mod: Restore the pre-install backup if available. A plugin may have written persistent item or progression data to the save.
  • A hosting panel blocks scripts or executable permissions: Ask the provider whether it supports BepInEx or can run the pack’s server script. Do not assume a host’s automatic installation option is available on every plan.

Does a modded server need router port forwarding?

That depends on the server’s networking mode and current Valheim requirements. An older Steam dedicated-server manual describes port forwarding for the Steam backend and a relay for Crossplay, but it is not a safe basis for publishing current port numbers or assuming today’s setup. Check current official Valheim server documentation and your hosting or network configuration before changing router rules.

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