Fix Hytale version mismatch and world loading problems

Hytale only lets a player join a server on the exact same version, so a patch can lock everyone out until the server updates. How to update, and the fix for worlds that never finish loading.

4 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

Hytale is in Early Access and updates often. Right after a patch, the most common complaint is that nobody can join the server any more. The cause is almost always a version mismatch, and the fix is a restart. This guide explains why it happens, how to get your server and your players back in step, and what to do when the connection works but the world never finishes loading.

Why a Hytale update locks players out

When a player connects, Hytale compares the game's protocol version with the server's using a hash, a short fingerprint of the version. If they do not match exactly, the connection is refused. So when Hypixel Studios releases an update:

Players who have updated their game cannot join a server that is still on the old version.
Players who have not updated yet cannot join a server that already has the new one.

Hypixel says the server has to update straight away when a new version comes out. It has also said it plans to allow a small gap between game and server versions later, so owners get a window to update, but until that happens the versions have to match.

Update your GuavaHost server

Your server checks for a newer Hytale build every time it starts and installs it before booting. After a patch:

On the Backups tab, create a backup, especially if you run mods. A mod built for the old version can stop working after an update.
Restart the server from the Console tab.
Watch the console. The server downloads the new build first, so this start takes longer than usual.
If the console shows a link and a code, approve them just as you did the first time. Start your Hytale server and authenticate it shows how.
Once the server has finished starting, players on the new version can join.

You do not need to run any update commands yourself: on GuavaHost a restart does the update for you. If players still cannot join after the restart, check the version they are on (next section).

If a mod stops loading after the update, check its page for a version made for the new build, or remove it for now. Install mods and plugins on a Hytale server covers updating and removing mods.

Make sure your players are on the same version

Players update through the Hytale launcher. Anyone who has not updated yet cannot join a server that has.
Check the patchline. Your server runs the release build unless you changed Patchline to pre-release on the Startup tab. A pre-release server needs players on the matching pre-release build, and a release server needs the release build. Hytale server settings, operators and whitelist explains how to switch safely.

The world never finishes loading

Sometimes the version is right and the connection starts, but the world does not load. Hypixel has a known issue for this on Windows. The signs are:

The player's internet is otherwise fine, and their single player worlds load normally.
Joining any server or friend is very slow, or the world never loads.
Other players may see them moving while they cannot do anything.

The cause is a rare driver problem on some Intel and Realtek network adapters with QUIC, the modern connection method Hytale uses. It can affect both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and Hypixel does not expect a driver update to fix it. A quick way to confirm it is to connect through a USB Ethernet adapter instead: if the world loads that way, the fixes below apply.

This is a fix on the player's own PC. Nothing on the server needs to change.

Open the Start menu, type View network connections and open the Control Panel result.
Right-click the network connection you use for the internet, choose Properties, then Configure, and find the list of adapter settings.
Try these one at a time, and test joining the server after each change, since you may not need them all:
- Set Priority & VLAN to Priority & VLAN Disabled.
- Set Recv. Segment Coalescing (IPv4) and Recv. Segment Coalescing (IPv6) to Disabled.
- Set Advanced EEE, ARP Offload, Energy-Efficient Ethernet, Flow Control and Green Ethernet to Disabled.
Click OK after each change and wait for the connection to come back before testing.

Not every adapter has every one of these settings. Hypixel's article also lists a much longer set of changes as a last resort, and warns that they are hard to undo without reinstalling the driver. Only go that far if the steps above did not help.

Still cannot connect?

If the versions match and the world is not the problem, work through the checklist in How to connect to your Hytale server. The usual causes are a missing port in the address, a server that has not been authenticated yet or a whitelist the player is not on.

Sources: Hypixel Studios, Hytale Server Manual (Protocol Updates) and Slow Connection / World Not Loading on Server.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.