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World desk9 min

How to Update a Core Keeper Dedicated Server

Safely update a Core Keeper dedicated server by stopping it, backing up worlds and configuration, running SteamCMD for app ID 1963720 in the correct install directory, and verifying clients connect on the same build.
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Update a Core Keeper dedicated server by shutting it down cleanly, copying its world and configuration files, running SteamCMD against the installation directory that your launch script actually uses, and then starting the server again. The Steam app ID is 1963720. A current Core Keeper Codex reference, verified September 7, 2026, lists dedicated-server package version 1.2.1.5; your players must run the same game build as the server or they will receive a version-mismatch error.

What you need before updating

Plan the update as a short maintenance window. Everyone should leave the world, and nobody should be writing to the save while files are being copied or replaced. You need access to the machine running the server, the SteamCMD executable (or the container-management tools used by your Docker deployment), and enough disk space for the new build and a backup.

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  • Record the directory from which the server is launched. SteamCMD can update one folder while a script starts an executable from another.
  • Tell players when the server will be unavailable and ask them to update their Core Keeper client through their normal platform.
  • Keep a dated backup outside the live installation. A second disk or a separate backup volume is safer than another folder on the same disk.
  • Copy any customized Launch.ps1 or Launch.bat files before updating. Updates can overwrite those files.

Where Core Keeper stores dedicated-server data on Windows

For the standard Windows dedicated-server layout, world files are under:

%APPDATA%..LocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServerworlds

ServerConfig.json is in the parent DedicatedServer directory, not inside worlds. Back up the complete worlds folder and ServerConfig.json before applying a build update. If you use the -datapath option to relocate saves, back up the directory specified by that option instead of relying on the default path.

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Make a useful backup

  1. Stop the server and wait until its console has closed or clearly finished saving.
  2. Copy the entire worlds directory to a dated backup location.
  3. Copy ServerConfig.json and any launch scripts or environment files that contain your port, Game ID, datapath, or player-limit settings.
  4. Open the backup and confirm that it contains files and subfolders, rather than an empty directory or a shortcut to the live location.

Windows update procedure with SteamCMD

1. Stop the process cleanly

Bring the server PowerShell or console window to the foreground and press Q when using the standard launch flow. If an auto-restart wrapper is supervising the process, stop the wrapper first. The documented wrapper sequence is CTRL+C, then Y, then Enter; after the wrapper has stopped, close the Core Keeper server itself with Q. Updating while the old process is still running can leave files locked and can make you restart an older executable by mistake.

2. Back up the world and configuration

Use the paths above, or the path supplied by -datapath, and make a separate copy before changing the installation. Include the configuration file even if you believe the update only changes binaries: it holds settings that determine how the new process accepts connections.

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3. Run SteamCMD against the live installation

Open a command prompt or PowerShell window where SteamCMD is available. Replace <install-dir> with the exact directory used by your launch script. The established anonymous-login command is:

steamcmd +force_install_dir <install-dir> +login anonymous +app_update 1963720 +quit

The current Core Keeper Codex workflow adds a license request and validation:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_license_request 1963720 +app_update 1963720 validate +quit

In that workflow, app_license_request 1963720 must precede app_update. The validate argument checks the installation after downloading. If SteamCMD reports that files were updated, note the final path in its output and compare it with the path in Launch.ps1, Launch.bat, or your service definition.

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4. Start the updated server

Run CoreKeeperServer.exe or your supplied launch script. If you edited a launch script, compare it with the backup you made before the update; a replacement file may have removed custom arguments. Do not copy an old script over a new one blindly if the vendor has changed its supported options. Reapply only the settings you still need, such as -datapath, -port, or -maxplayers.

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5. Test with one client before reopening the server

Join from a client that has completed its own game update. Confirm that the world loads, the expected characters and buildings are present, and the server remains running after the first connection. Check the console or log output for the Game ID and connection behavior. Once that test succeeds, invite the rest of the players.

Why the SteamCMD directory matters

SteamCMD updates the folder selected by its command, not necessarily the folder containing the first server executable you find. A version mismatch can therefore persist when the update succeeded in one directory but the launch script still points to an older copy. Treat the install path as a three-way check:

  • the +force_install_dir value, when used;
  • the directory shown by SteamCMD at the end of the update; and
  • the executable path referenced by your launch script, shortcut, scheduled task, or service.

Use one canonical installation directory where possible. Remove or rename obsolete copies only after you have confirmed that no script, scheduled task, or wrapper still references them.

Steam-installed, direct SteamCMD, and Docker deployments compared

The update mechanics differ mainly in where the executable and persistent data live. Choose the row that matches your deployment rather than combining commands from different layouts.

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Deployment How an update is triggered Persistent data to protect Launch-script risk Rollback considerations
Windows installation managed with Steam tools Stop the process, run SteamCMD for app ID 1963720, then restart the executable or script. worlds, ServerConfig.json, and any relocated -datapath. Customized Launch.ps1 or Launch.bat may be replaced. Restore the dated data and configuration backup; retain a copy of the previous server build if you need to return to it.
Standalone SteamCMD-managed directory Run the same app-update command with the directory explicitly selected. The data path used by the server, which may be outside the install directory. Any wrapper, service unit, or scheduled task may continue launching a different directory. Path verification is the first recovery step; data restoration is independent of the binary directory.
Docker or Linux deployment Follow the selected image’s documented pull/recreate or SteamCMD process. Both persistent volumes used by the image; the escapingnetwork project separates server-files and server-data. Container entrypoints and environment settings can change when an image is replaced. Keep both volumes and a dated image or tag reference; never delete the data volume during a refresh.

Updating a Docker or Linux server safely

There is no single Docker command that is correct for every Core Keeper image. Image maintainers differ in whether the container downloads Steam files at startup, whether the image itself contains the server files, and which environment variables control the world path. Identify the exact image and tag you use, then read that image’s current README before changing it.

Preserve both kinds of persistent storage

The escapingnetwork project documents separate server-files and server-data volumes. Preserve both during an update. The first commonly contains the installed server files; the second carries worlds and configuration. Deleting only the container is usually safe when volumes are retained, but deleting a data volume destroys the persistent world.

Generic container update sequence

  1. Record the image name and tag, container name, volume mappings, published ports, and environment variables.
  2. Stop the container cleanly and make an external backup of the volume containing worlds and configuration.
  3. Pull the image version recommended by its maintainer, or run the image’s documented SteamCMD update procedure.
  4. Recreate the container with the same volume mappings, ports, Game ID, datapath, and player-limit settings. Do not create anonymous replacement volumes accidentally.
  5. Start the container and inspect its logs for a completed update and a listening server.
  6. Connect with one updated client before allowing general access.

If the image README requires a particular SteamCMD flag or license request, follow that image-specific instruction. Do not paste a Windows executable command into a Linux container unless the image explicitly supports it.

Settings that affect connections after an update

The current Core Keeper Codex reference (version 1.2.1.5, 2026) describes several settings that readers commonly need to recheck after a launch script is replaced.

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Save location with -datapath

The -datapath argument moves save data. A server can appear to have lost its world when the new launch script omits this argument and starts with an empty default directory. Before creating a new world, stop the server and restore the original datapath argument or copy the backed-up data to the path the new process is using.

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Direct connections, ports, and cross-play

Setting -port enables direct connections and effectively enables cross-play. If you omit -port, the server uses the Steam relay network. Recheck firewall and router rules when you switch modes, and preserve the same port setting across an update unless you intentionally want a different connection method.

Maximum players

When -maxplayers is omitted, the reference lists a default maximum of eight players. If your community needs another limit, put the argument in the launch configuration and verify that an update did not remove it.

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Game ID format

The same reference says a Game ID must contain 15 to 28 alphanumeric characters and cannot contain Y, y, x, 0, or O. If the ID is invalid or omitted, a random ID is generated. A regenerated ID can make the server appear to have disappeared from a saved favorites list, so preserve the configured ID when your deployment depends on it. These constraints are version-sensitive; check the package documentation again when moving to a later dedicated-server release.

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Fixing a version-mismatch error

A mismatch means the connecting client and server are not on the same compatible build. Work through these checks in order so you do not alter world data unnecessarily.

The old process is still running

Close the auto-restart wrapper and the server process as described earlier, then confirm in Task Manager or your service manager that no old Core Keeper process remains. Start only the executable from the updated directory.

SteamCMD updated the wrong directory

Compare the SteamCMD install path with the path in the launch script. Search scheduled tasks, shortcuts, service files, and container entrypoints for a second copy. Update the directory that is actually launched, or change the launcher to the directory you intend to maintain.

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The client has not finished updating

Have every player fully close the game and allow their platform to complete its update before reconnecting. A client that was left open during the server maintenance window can continue running the previous build.

The installation is incomplete

Run the current command with validate, inspect SteamCMD’s output for download or permission errors, and ensure the account running SteamCMD can write to the install directory. Then restart the server and test with one client.

The world or configuration appears missing

Do not generate a replacement world yet. Stop the server, inspect the configured -datapath, and compare it with your backup. Restore worlds and ServerConfig.json only after confirming that the process is stopped and that you are restoring into the directory the launch command reads.

Recovery and rollback

Your safest rollback point is the dated backup made before the update. Stop the server, preserve the current post-update files for diagnosis, and restore the backed-up worlds folder and ServerConfig.json to the correct datapath. Restore your launch script only after checking which arguments the current server build supports.

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Data restoration does not automatically downgrade the executable. If the new build cannot load the world or your clients cannot connect, use a previously retained compatible server build or the deployment’s documented version-pinning method. SteamCMD’s basic app_update command is for obtaining the current build; it is not, by itself, a general rollback mechanism. For Docker, keep the previous image tag and both persistent volumes until the new container has passed your connection test.

Post-update verification checklist

  • The old process and any restart wrapper are stopped before files are replaced.
  • The backup contains the complete worlds directory and ServerConfig.json.
  • SteamCMD reports success for app ID 1963720 in the directory that the launcher uses.
  • Customized launch arguments, including -datapath, -port, and -maxplayers, are still present.
  • The Game ID remains valid and unchanged when players rely on it.
  • The server starts without generating a blank replacement world.
  • One client on the updated build can join, load the expected world, and remain connected.
  • Docker deployments retain both server-files and server-data volumes.

How often to repeat the process

Repeat this sequence whenever Core Keeper publishes a server-relevant build: announce downtime, stop cleanly, back up data and configuration, update the exact live directory or image, inspect launch settings, and perform a single-client test. Keep several dated backups rather than overwriting one copy, especially before a major game update. This gives you a known recovery point without confusing an old world backup with the currently active data.

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