Hytale Server Updates and Versions: /update Commands and Patchlines

The rule that drives everything: matching versions

Hytale's Server Manual is blunt about this. The protocol uses a hash to check client and server compatibility. If the hashes do not match exactly, the connection is rejected. In the manual's words, client and server must be on the exact same protocol version, which is why it advises that servers should update promptly after a release.

Practically, that gives you three situations to recognise:

Ways to update a Hytale server

A community write-up describes the Downloader CLI route as: stop the server, back up, run ./hytale-downloader -print-version to see what is available, run ./hytale-downloader to download it, replace the Server/ folder and Assets.zip, and restart. It also says not to overwrite world or config files. That matches the manual's own description of what the wrapper scripts replace and keep.

The /update commands

1. Check

   Run /update status to see where you are, then /update check.

2. Download

   Run /update download. The update is staged in updater/staging/ and nothing changes yet.

3. Warn players and back up

   Give players notice, and take a backup of your own as described below.

4. Apply

   Run /update apply --confirm. The server backs up files into updater/backup/ and shuts down with exit code 8.

5. Let the wrapper restart it

   The wrapper script treats exit code 8 as a restart request, applies the staged update at the start of its cycle and starts the server again. Any other exit code stops the loop.

The wrapper replaces only server binaries, Licenses, Assets.zip and the launcher scripts, and it keeps your config, saves and mods.

Why updates may not work on a custom setup

The updater has a layout requirement. The server must be started from the Server/ directory, and the parent directory must contain Assets.zip and the launcher script. The manual states plainly that if this layout is not detected, the update checker is disabled. The bootstrap install and the Downloader CLI both create the right layout.

If /update check does nothing on your own machine, this is the first thing to verify. On a hosted server the host controls how the process starts, so contact ChicagoServers support to find out how your server follows new releases.

The Update block in config.json

Automatic behaviour is controlled by an Update block in config.json. Edit it with the server stopped, as explained in the config files guide.

• Disabled never applies an update by itself. You run /update apply --confirm.
• WhenEmpty applies when no players are online.
• Scheduled applies after the delay even if players are online, and warns them periodically.

Disabled is the safest default for a community server, because nobody is surprised by a restart. WhenEmpty suits a small private server. To switch updating off completely, set the HYTALE_DISABLE_UPDATES environment variable. That is the right choice if you pin a version on purpose, for example while waiting for a mod to catch up, but remember that players on a newer client will not be able to join.

Patchlines

A patchline is an update channel. The Server Manual refers to release as the usual default and uses pre-release as the example of another. You select one with the Patchline field in config.json, with /update patchline [name], or with -patchline pre-release on the Downloader CLI.

The manual does not describe the character of each channel. Hytale has said it plans weekly pre-release patches that are experimental and unstable by design, bundled into a stable update every two to six weeks. In practice stable updates have often landed further apart than that, so treat the cadence as an intention, not a guarantee, and check Hytale's own announcements for the current schedule.

Back up before every update

Early Access updates can change data in ways you cannot easily reverse. One host's guide warns that updates can alter the save format and that some upgraded worlds may not open on an older version. That is a single source, but it costs little to take it seriously.

The game does some of this itself. /update apply --confirm backs up files before applying, pre-update backups go in updater/backup/, and the wrapper script points you there for rollback after a crash shortly after an update. The RunBackupBeforeUpdate field needs a configured backup directory, and the wrapper scripts pass --backup --backup-dir backups --backup-frequency 30. Do not treat these as a substitute for your own backup, because they live on the same disk.

On ChicagoServers, open the Backups tab, choose World and settings (or Whole server), and click Back up now if your plan includes backups. To undo an update, click Restore next to the backup, then choose Put it back. The Schedules tab can also include a Make a backup step.

Players cannot join after an update

Work through the list from the top. Most cases are version mismatches.

If the update itself caused the problem and you cannot fix it, restore the backup taken before the update, and make sure the world and the server files come from the same point in time.

Running this on ChicagoServers

The Hytale hosting plan costs $15/mo, with instant setup, 24/7 support and a 7-day money-back guarantee. Updates are the area where Early Access servers need the most attention, so contact support if you are unsure how your server follows new releases.

Frequently asked questions