How to fix a DayZ server not showing in the launcher

By Niko Catarino

Updated 3 October 2026

If your DayZ server is missing from the launcher, first check whether the game process starts and whether a player can join its public address. Then check the Steam query endpoint used for discovery. A working game connection and a working server-browser query use different ports.

This guide covers a server you administer on DayZ PC. If every community server is missing from one player’s browser, test that client’s filters and connection first; changing your server cannot fix an entire empty client list.

Identify which connection fails

Observation	Investigate first
DayZ exits during startup	Configuration path, mission, mods and startup logs.
The process runs, but no external player can join	Public address, game port, UDP routing and client/server compatibility.
External direct joins work, but the server is missing from lists	Query port, query reachability and launcher filters.
It appears in one launcher but not another	The missing launcher’s query/check process and filters.
Players can join, but a launcher shows an unexpected population	Compare a fresh query with that launcher’s list data and filters.
A query for a second instance identifies the first server	Both instances’ query assignments, process listeners and forwarding destinations.
Other players can find it, but one player cannot	That player’s filters, saved address, game branch and required mods.

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Write down the exact error, launcher, time, server build and address used. Change one cause at a time so a successful join tells you which fix worked.

Download the visibility worksheet and keep one record per instance. Record the tester’s network, tool, endpoint, time and outcome. A note saying “ports open” leaves the game and query paths unidentified.

Check startup and the active configuration

Read the latest RPT and script logs, not a previous run’s output. A panel’s running process indicator alone does not prove that the mission finished loading or that clients can join.

On a self-managed host, inspect the service or launch script:

• -config must point to the intended server configuration file. A relative path is resolved in the process’s working directory.
• The mission template must match an installed mission directory.
• Required mod paths and dependencies must exist and use the expected load order.
• The game and query ports must match this instance’s assignment and must not conflict with another instance.

For server config not found, correct the actual -config path and working directory. Renaming a file to serverDZ.cfg is insufficient if the service launches with a different path. Bohemia’s server configuration reference documents the configuration argument and server settings.

On VXPanel, compare Advanced launch settings with Config. Let the Mods page manage its own load list; resolve startup errors before investigating a launcher cache.

Managed launch settings can override values in the file. Confirm the effective assignment in the panel before editing steamQueryPort manually; CFTools documents this behavior for managed process configuration.

Test a direct connection from outside the host network

Use the server’s public address and game port for a direct join. In VYKIX, copy both from Network, then connect with an updated client and the required mods.

Ask a player on a different network to test, or use another connection you control. A join from the host PC or the same LAN does not establish public reachability. Conversely, a home router without NAT loopback can make your public address fail from inside the LAN even when external players can join.

If the join reports a build or mod mismatch, follow server and mod updates. If it times out, check that the address and game-port routing reach this server before changing its loot files or permissions.

Match the game and query ports

Endpoint	Where its value comes from	Use
Game	The launch -port value or managed assignment	Player connections and gameplay.
Steam query	steamQueryPort in the active configuration or managed assignment	Steam/A2S queries and server discovery.
RCON	The server’s BattlEye/RCON configuration or managed assignment	Private administration tools.

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For example, a self-managed launch can use -port=2302 and the active server configuration can contain:

steamQueryPort = 2305;

These are example values, not replacements for your provider’s assigned ports. Use the game port for a direct join and the query port for a launcher query check. Opening RCON does not make the server discoverable.

After changing a port, restart during maintenance and update the matching firewall and forwarding rules. Preserve any additional UDP ports required by your deployment’s networking instructions. For a complete installation, use the DayZ networking setup.

Check listeners and UDP routing

On a self-managed Windows host, run PowerShell while DayZ is running:

Get-Process -Name DayZServer_x64 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    ForEach-Object { Get-NetUDPEndpoint -OwningProcess $_.Id } |
    Select-Object LocalAddress, LocalPort, OwningProcess

On Linux, inspect UDP listeners:

ss -lunp

Look for the expected ports and bind address. If Windows denies access to socket information, run the read-only inspection from an elevated PowerShell session. Linux may hide process details for services owned by another account. A local listener proves that the host has bound an endpoint; it does not prove that an internet query can reach it.

Check each socket rather than assuming that -ip applies to every service. In our Windows test, the game port bound to 127.0.0.1, while the query socket bound to 0.0.0.0. That wildcard binding does not establish public reachability.

If several DayZ instances run on the Windows host, choose the affected process ID from the first command rather than combining their assignments. Replace 1234 with that PID:

Get-NetUDPEndpoint -OwningProcess 1234 |
    Select-Object LocalAddress, LocalPort, OwningProcess

Compare that process’s sockets with its launch settings and the worksheet. If the query identifies another server, retain the response and inspect both instances; a shared public address still needs distinct query endpoints mapped to the intended service. Microsoft UDP endpoint reference.

For a firewall or router you manage, verify:

1. The rules allow the required UDP traffic, including the configured query port.
2. Port forwarding targets the current internal address of the DayZ host.
3. A cloud or provider firewall also allows the assigned traffic, where applicable.
4. The host binds to an address available on its network interface.
5. The public address reaches your router or host. Double NAT and carrier-grade NAT can prevent inbound forwarding through a router you control alone.

Do not treat a TCP-only port checker as a test of a DayZ UDP query. Keep firewall protection enabled and correct the specific rules. On managed VYKIX servers, retain assigned ports and ask support to investigate unreachable endpoints with the address, query port and timestamp you tested.

PowerShell’s Test-NetConnection -Port checks TCP. Its success or failure cannot establish UDP reachability on the same port number. Use the game for the join check and a query client for discovery. Microsoft Test-NetConnection reference.

An A2S_INFO response can identify the server’s name, map, player count and build. Compare those fields with the instance you intended to query. A reply from another instance is evidence to investigate its port mapping. The query client should support Valve’s challenge exchange; a tool that cannot complete it can fail even when a server answers. Valve server-query reference.

Check the launcher with the query endpoint

In VXPanel Network, choose DZSALauncher check after refreshing the address and ports. It opens a check using Server IP + Query Port. This is a discovery check; it does not start DayZ, test a game join or change the server configuration.

On a self-managed server, open the launcher’s Check Server page, enter your public IP:Steam Query Port, and select Check Server. Confirm the returned server identity. Its stated listing delay is approximate; a successful check does not guarantee that every player’s list updates immediately.

For the launcher where the server is missing:

1. Select community servers and clear filters that exclude the server, including password, mod, population and ping filters.
2. Search the exact configured hostname, then check the current address where that launcher permits it. Saved favorites can still reference an old address.
3. Refresh after the server has completed startup. If a launcher query fails, compare its endpoint with the server’s actual query assignment.
4. Compare another player’s result or another launcher. A failure isolated to one list needs that launcher’s discovery checks.

If an external join and fresh query both work, check the affected launcher’s current service notices or support before changing server settings. A stale population count or a failure isolated to one launcher does not by itself establish a server-port fault. Record which tool produced each result.

Do not repeatedly change ports while waiting for a list to refresh. Keep the known-working game endpoint and diagnose the query endpoint from the recorded result.

Verify the fix and keep the evidence

The fix is complete when an external client can both discover the server in the intended launcher and join with the required mods. Repeat those checks after a normal restart to confirm that the saved launch settings remain in effect.

Record the public game and query endpoints, configured hostname, build, successful test time and corrected setting. If you still need help, include that record, the exact error and relevant startup log lines. Remove passwords, authentication tokens and unrelated player details before sharing logs.

For a failed configuration change, stop the server, restore the previous config or launch settings, and restore matching routing rules. Do not delete persistence to fix server discovery.