Solutions for common Squad dedicated server issues, including server browser visibility, RCON problems, licensing, and map rotation. For initial server configuration, see Squad Dedicated Server Setup Guide.
Before troubleshooting: Check the Console tab in GPanel for error messages. Many issues are explained directly in the server log output.
Server Not Listed in the Server Browser
Most common cause: Missing or invalid server license in Licensing.cfg.
- Confirm your
SquadGame/ServerConfig/Licensing.cfgcontains a validLicenseIdandLicenseKey. Servers without a license only appear in unlicensed/community tabs or not at all. - Verify the server has fully started. Check the Console tab in GPanel for startup errors.
- Allow a few minutes after startup -- Steam server browser listings can take 2-5 minutes to propagate.
- Try searching by name in the Unfiltered tab of the server browser.
- Confirm the query port (shown in GPanel's Network tab) is not blocked. Contact support if you suspect a firewall issue.
RCON Not Connecting
- Confirm
RCON_Passwordis set and non-empty inSquadGame/ServerConfig/Server.cfg. - Verify you are connecting to the correct IP and RCON port (check GPanel's Network tab).
- RCON uses TCP -- ensure your client is not set to UDP mode.
- The server must be fully started before RCON is available. Check GPanel for server status.
- Restart the server after any changes to the
[RCON]block in Server.cfg. - If the problem persists, open a support ticket to verify the RCON port is reachable.
License Issues / Server Showing as Unlicensed
- Double-check that
LicenseIdandLicenseKeyinSquadGame/ServerConfig/Licensing.cfgmatch exactly what Offworld Industries provided. No extra spaces or line breaks. - Ensure the server binary has permission to read Licensing.cfg. If you uploaded via SFTP, verify the file was not corrupted during transfer.
- License keys are bound to specific server IPs in some configurations. If your server IP has changed, contact Offworld Industries support to update your license binding.
- If you cannot resolve a licensing issue, contact Legion Hosting support so we can verify the configuration from our side.
Admins.cfg Changes Not Taking Effect
- A full server restart is required after editing
SquadGame/ServerConfig/Admins.cfg. - Verify SteamID64 values are correct using steamid.io. A wrong SteamID is the most common cause of failed admin assignments.
- Confirm the group name in the
Admin=line exactly matches aGroup=definition (case-sensitive). - See Squad Admin Setup and RCON Commands for the full Admins.cfg format.
Map Rotation Not Advancing
- Check
SquadGame/ServerConfig/MapRotation.cfgfor typos in layer names. An invalid layer name will cause the rotation to stall or skip. - Review the server console log in GPanel for map load errors after each round ends.
- Use the
ShowNextMapRCON command to verify what layer the server thinks is next. - Layer names are case-sensitive. Refer to the official Squad Server Administration wiki for the correct names.
Need Help?
If your issue is not covered above, our support team can help diagnose the problem.
Open a support ticket: https://legionhosting.net/submitticket.php
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