If a Soulmask dedicated server is missing from the browser, start the server first, wait several minutes for Steam registration, then search Private Servers by its name or join code. If it still does not appear, test direct connection with the server’s reachable IPv4 address and configured game port. A successful direct connection means the server is reachable and the remaining problem is discovery, indexing, filters, or a stale Continue/Favorites state; a timeout points to the server process, ports, router forwarding, firewall, or the IP path.
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Port numbers shown in guides are examples, not universal Soulmask requirements. Use the values in your launch arguments or Engine.ini, and open those same values at every network layer.
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First, identify which problem you have
“Not showing up” can describe two different failures. Treating them as the same wastes time changing firewall rules when the server is already reachable, or rebuilding a server that only needed time to register.
| Symptom | What it usually indicates | Best first test |
|---|---|---|
| The server is absent from the browser, but direct connect works | Discovery, indexing, filtering, or a stale Continue/Favorites entry | Search Private Servers by join code, favorite the result, then check Continue |
| The server is absent and direct connect times out | Process health, wrong port, missing forwarding, firewall blocking, or an unreachable address | Read the server log and verify the configured game port from the same network path a player will use |
| It disappeared immediately after a patch | Client/server version mismatch or delayed post-update registration | Update both sides, confirm the same branch, restart the server, and allow registration time |
| Only Continue is empty | Continue is not proof that the server is offline; its saved state may be stale | Use Private Servers or direct connect instead of relying on Continue |
There are no authoritative published statistics for how often Soulmask server-list failures occur, how long registration normally takes, or how often a particular workaround succeeds. The steps below are practical recovery paths, not guaranteed service-level timings.
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Use the quickest recovery sequence
Run these checks in order. Stop when the server appears and a player can join; changing several variables at once makes the eventual cause difficult to identify.
- Start the dedicated server before the game client. Leave its console running. After a patch or restart, wait several minutes before judging the browser. Players have reported that servers began appearing only after a short delay, but this is a community observation rather than an official timing guarantee.
- Read the server log. Look for the server’s unique identifier or join code. It may be printed beside
SERVER UNIQUE ID. Copy it exactly, including capitalization or punctuation shown by the log. - Search Private Servers. In Soulmask, stop a conflicting browser search if one is active, open Private Servers, and search by the server name or the join code. Name searches can be affected by spelling and duplicate names; the code is the more precise test.
- Favorite the result. Once the server is visible, add it to Favorites and return to Continue. This can repair an empty Continue view without changing the server itself.
- Try direct connect. Enter the host’s reachable IPv4 address and the configured game port in the game’s direct-connect control. Use the game port, not the Steam query port, for this test.
- Compare versions. Update the dedicated-server files and the client. Confirm that both use the same branch and version before doing deeper network diagnosis.
- Verify the actual ports. Inspect launch arguments or
Engine.inifor the game, Steam query, and any echo or auxiliary port. Forward those configured values to the server machine and allow them through the host firewall.
Find the join code and use Private Servers
The join code gives you a discovery test that does not depend on a broad public-list search. Keep the dedicated-server console visible while you perform it: if the process restarts, the identifier or port may change.
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Search the log for a line containing SERVER UNIQUE ID or an equivalent join-code entry. Copy the value from the running instance, not from an old screenshot or configuration note. If you run multiple instances, make sure the code belongs to the machine and port you intend players to use.
Search by code
- Launch Soulmask only after the dedicated server is running.
- Open the server browser and choose Private Servers.
- Clear an old name or region filter, then enter the join code.
- Wait for the result instead of repeatedly restarting the search.
- Favorite the matching server and test joining.
If the code search succeeds but a normal name search does not, the server is registering and the problem is likely indexing, a filter, or a duplicate-name result. Keep using the code or Favorite entry while you investigate the browser behavior.
Test direct connection without guessing
Direct connection separates network reachability from list visibility. Obtain the address from the server owner or hosting panel, and use the server’s externally reachable IPv4 address when connecting from outside the host’s local network. Add the configured game port in the direct-connect field.
Interpret the result
- Direct connect succeeds: the process is listening and the path to it works. Do not keep changing router rules solely because the browser is empty. Recheck Private Servers, Favorites, filters, registration delay, and version state.
- Direct connect times out: investigate the process, address, game port, router forwarding, firewall, and whether the address is reachable from the player’s network.
- Direct connect rejects immediately: verify that you used the game port rather than the query port, and confirm that the server is fully started and on the same game version as the client.
A local test from the server machine can be misleading when the router does not support hairpin NAT. If a local player can connect but an outside player cannot, test from a different network or ask a remote player to try; then focus on the router’s external forwarding and the public address.
Open the right ports at every layer
Server-list visibility depends on more than one port. A typical setup has a game port for player traffic and a Steam query port used by browser discovery. Some configurations also expose an echo or auxiliary port. The exact values depend on your launch arguments and hosting layout.
| Port role | Why it matters | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Game port | Carries the actual game connection and is used for direct connect | The value configured for this server is forwarded to the correct private IP and allowed inbound |
| Steam query port | Allows server-browser queries and can affect whether the listing appears | The configured query value is forwarded and allowed; a closed query port can leave a reachable server invisible |
| Echo or auxiliary port, if configured | May be required by a particular launch or container layout | Inspect the server configuration and provider documentation rather than assuming a default |
Community examples often use game port 8777 and query port 27015. Treat those numbers as examples only: copying them while your server uses different values can make direct connection and browser discovery fail.
Router forwarding
- Give the server computer a stable private address, either with a DHCP reservation or a static assignment.
- Open the router’s port-forwarding page.
- Create rules for the configured game and query ports, and any additional configured port required by your layout.
- Set the destination to the server computer’s private IPv4 address, not the router’s address or another PC.
- Use the protocol required by the server configuration or host guide. If the interface offers separate TCP and UDP choices and the documentation does not specify one, verify the server’s own requirements before opening both broadly.
- Save the rules and restart the server process if the router or host requires it.
Network-address translation must point to the same machine that is running the dedicated-server process. In containerized or virtualized hosting, also check the container’s DNAT or published-port mapping; a router rule can be correct while the container still sends traffic to the wrong internal port.
Windows Firewall
Forwarding does not override the operating system firewall. On the server machine, open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, inspect Inbound Rules, and create or enable rules for the configured ports and the dedicated-server executable. Apply the rules to the network profiles the host actually uses. Avoid disabling the firewall globally as a shortcut; a narrowly scoped inbound rule is easier to audit and remove.
Check for port conflicts
Only one process can reliably claim a given listening endpoint. Shut down old Soulmask instances, test servers, proxy services, and unrelated applications that may be using the configured ports. If the log reports that a port is already bound, choose an unused configured value and update the router and firewall rules to match it.
Repair a post-patch disappearance
A patch can affect both registration and compatibility. If the server vanished after an update, do not assume the router failed first.
Bring both sides to the same build
- Stop the dedicated server cleanly.
- Update its server files through the method used to install them.
- Update the Soulmask client on every player machine.
- Confirm that the client and server are on the same branch or channel, not merely that both launch successfully.
- Start the server, wait several minutes for registration, and then repeat the Private Servers and direct-connect tests.
Community reports describe delayed visibility after patches, so a short registration delay is plausible. It is not an official promise, and waiting cannot repair a version mismatch or a blocked query port.
Refresh stale browser state
Close and reopen the server browser after the server has finished starting. Remove obsolete Favorites entries, clear restrictive filters, and search the current join code. If Continue remains empty while direct connect works, treat Continue as a client-side convenience rather than the authoritative server status.
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The console can answer questions that the browser cannot. Record the following from the same running instance:
- Whether startup completed without a bind, authentication, or configuration error.
- The current server unique ID or join code.
- The game, query, and auxiliary ports selected at launch.
- The private IPv4 address of the host and, where relevant, the public address players should use.
- Any restart loop or message indicating that the process stopped listening.
Compare those values with the router’s forwarding destination, Windows Firewall rules, and the address and port entered for direct connect. A mismatch is more actionable than repeatedly refreshing the public list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a fix based on who controls the network
| Situation | Access method to prioritize | Maintenance burden |
|---|---|---|
| You control a home router and Windows host | Join code and direct IP while you configure forwarding and firewall rules | You maintain updates, port reservations, firewall rules, and conflict checks |
| You can reach the server but the browser is empty | Private Servers by join code, then Favorites | Low; the remaining work is discovery or client state |
| You cannot forward ports or manage inbound firewall rules | A managed Soulmask dedicated-server host | The provider handles much of the network layer, but you still verify region, version support, uptime, player capacity, and access credentials |
| You run a container, virtual machine, or hosted node | Direct connect after checking DNAT and published ports | Higher; router, host firewall, and container mappings must all agree |
One hosting announcement advertises no port setup and capacity up to 70 players. That is a provider-specific claim, not a general Soulmask limit or independent performance measurement. Check the provider’s current terms, location, version support, uptime commitments, backup policy, and actual capacity before moving a world.
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Common mistakes and their corrections
Opening only the game port
Players may be able to connect directly while the browser cannot query the server. Verify the Steam query port as well as the game port, using the values actually configured for your instance.
Using the query port for direct connect
The query endpoint is for discovery. Direct connection normally uses the configured game port. If an immediate rejection occurs, check that distinction before changing the router.
Forwarding to the wrong private address
A changing DHCP address can leave a correct-looking rule aimed at an old computer. Reserve the server’s private IPv4 address and compare it with the current host before testing again.
Trusting Continue as proof of downtime
Continue can be empty even when the server is reachable. Search Private Servers by join code or use direct connect to establish the real state.
Updating only the client
A client that updated automatically can stop joining an older dedicated server. Update the server files too and confirm the same branch.
Testing only from inside the host’s network
Local success does not prove that external forwarding works, and some routers cannot loop an internal request through the public address. Use a separate network for an external test.
Changing several ports at once
Keep a record of the original game, query, and auxiliary values. Change one configured value at a time, then update the router and firewall together so you know which change affected the result.
A repeatable diagnostic decision tree
- Is the dedicated-server process running continuously? If no, fix startup or configuration errors before checking discovery.
- Does the log show a unique ID and configured ports? If no, the instance may not have completed registration; inspect the log and restart cleanly.
- Does code search find the server? If yes, favorite it and test joining. If no, continue to direct connect and port checks.
- Does direct connect succeed? If yes, concentrate on browser filters, indexing, Favorites, Continue, and registration delay. If no, continue with network checks.
- Do router forwarding, DNAT, and firewall rules use the exact configured values? If no, correct them and retest from outside the host network.
- Did the problem begin after an update? If yes, synchronize client and server versions and allow time for re-registration before drawing conclusions.
What to record before asking for help
A useful support report is specific enough for someone else to reproduce the path:
- Whether the server is home-hosted, containerized, virtualized, or managed.
- The client and dedicated-server versions or branches.
- The exact symptom: absent from all lists, absent only from Continue, or visible but unable to join.
- The configured game and query ports, with any auxiliary port.
- Whether code search finds it.
- Whether direct connect succeeds, rejects immediately, or times out.
- The relevant startup and bind messages from the server log.
- Whether the test was made locally or from an external network.
Do not post public credentials or expose a management panel. Share only the non-sensitive values needed to distinguish discovery from connectivity.
Quick Recap
Keeping the server discoverable after it works
- Keep the dedicated server running before players launch the game.
- Reserve its private IP so forwarding does not silently break.
- Document the game, query, and auxiliary ports in one place.
- Review router, DNAT, and Windows Firewall rules after changing ports or moving the server.
- After every patch, update client and server together, confirm the branch, restart cleanly, and allow registration time.
- Keep the current join code available to trusted players so they have an alternative when the public browser or Continue view is stale.
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