How to Join a Schedule 1 Dedicated Server (2026 Guide)

To join a Schedule 1 dedicated server, you install two free files into your game folder once: MelonLoader and the S1DedicatedServers (S1DS) client mod. Then a new Servers button appears on the main menu, and you connect with the server's IP and port. The whole Schedule 1 server mod install takes about two minutes, plus a longer first launch. This guide goes through every step, the Mono variant, how to check the install worked, and how to fix it when it did not.

Why you need a mod to join

Schedule I has no official dedicated servers. Dedicated servers run S1DedicatedServers, a free, open source mod by ifBars, and the game needs its client half to talk to them. MelonLoader is the mod loader that lets the client mod run.

A few facts before you start:

• Windows and Steam only. Schedule I is a Windows game on Steam. There is no Mac, Linux or console version to install this on.
• You must own the game on Steam. Servers check every player through Steam when they join, so keep Steam open and signed in.
• Install the client, never a server package. The S1DS releases also contain server zips. Players do not need them, and they do not help you join.
• Single player and normal co-op keep working. The client mod only switches on when you connect to a dedicated server, so you can leave it installed.

What you need

Most servers run the normal Steam version, called IL2CPP. You need MelonLoader plus Il2cpp_Client.zip. Only grab Mono-Client.zip if the server owner tells you the server is Mono. If you are joining a GamezServers server, the invite page shows the right download buttons for that server.

All S1DS releases are on the S1DedicatedServers releases page. The links above always point to the newest release, which is what an up to date server runs.

Step 1: Download MelonLoader and the client mod

Download MelonLoader.x64.zip and Il2cpp_Client.zip from the table above. Leave them as zip files for now, in your Downloads folder is fine.

MelonLoader versions 0.6.x, 0.7.0 and 0.7.2 or newer are supported. Avoid MelonLoader 0.7.1, it is known to break the mod. The latest link always gives you a working version.

Step 2: Open the Schedule I game folder

1. Open Steam and go to your Library.
2. Right click Schedule I.
3. Choose Manage, then Browse local files.

A folder opens with Schedule I.exe in it. This is where both zips go. Keep the window open.

Step 3: Extract both zips into that folder

Extract the contents of each zip straight into the game folder, so the files land next to Schedule I.exe. One way that works on every Windows PC:

1. Double click MelonLoader.x64.zip to open it.
2. Select everything inside (Ctrl + A) and drag it into the game folder.
3. Do the same with Il2cpp_Client.zip.
4. If Windows asks, choose to merge folders or replace files.

Tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR work too. Just make sure you extract into the game folder itself, not into a new subfolder named after the zip.

When you are done, the game folder should contain these, next to Schedule I.exe:

Schedule I.exe
version.dll
MelonLoader\
Mods\
    DedicatedServerMod_Il2cpp_Client.dll

version.dll and the MelonLoader folder come from MelonLoader. The Mods folder with the client DLL comes from the S1DS zip. If any of these are missing, or they sit inside another folder, the mod will not load.

Step 4: Start Schedule I and wait

Start Schedule I from Steam as normal. The first launch takes a few extra minutes. On IL2CPP games, MelonLoader generates the files it needs on the first run and again after every game update. You may see a console window full of text, or what looks like a stuck black screen. Let it finish and do not close it.

Later launches are only a little slower than normal.

Step 5: Connect with Direct Connect

1. On the main menu, click Servers. The mod adds this button.
2. Click Direct Connect.
3. The panel has separate IP and Port fields. A server address looks like 203.0.113.10:25600. Type the part before the colon, 203.0.113.10, as the IP, and the number after it, 25600, as the Port.
4. Connect. Steam signs you in automatically, so there is no password to type.

Do not paste the whole address into the IP field. The colon and port belong in the Port field only.

The rest of the server browser

The Servers screen has more than Direct Connect:

The Public tab only shows servers that opted into the public list, so a private server will not be there. That is normal. Use Direct Connect or Favorites for it.

Joining a Mono server

Some servers run the Mono version of Schedule I, usually because a mod they use needs it. Mono is the Steam beta branch called alternate. TVGS describes it as identical to the normal game except that it uses Mono instead of IL2CPP. On GamezServers this server type is called Mono version, and its invite page shows the Mono steps. Your game must use the same runtime as the server, so for a Mono server:

1. In Steam, right click Schedule I and choose Properties.
2. Open Betas and choose alternate.
3. Wait for Steam to finish updating the game.
4. Download MelonLoader.x64.zip and Mono-Client.zip instead of the IL2CPP client.
5. Follow steps 2 to 5 above with those two zips.

If you already installed the IL2CPP client, delete its DLL from Mods first, so only the matching client is installed. To go back to a normal server later, set Betas back to none, let Steam update, and swap the Mono client for the IL2CPP one.

Check the install worked

• You see a Servers button on the main menu. The mod is loaded. You are ready.
• No Servers button. The mod is not loading. Go to the install problems below.

Fixing install problems

No Servers button on the main menu

This is almost always files in the wrong place.

• Open the game folder again (Manage, Browse local files). version.dll, MelonLoader and Mods must sit right next to Schedule I.exe.
• A common mistake is extracting into a folder such as MelonLoader.x64\ or Il2cpp_Client\. Move the contents up one level.
• Check that Mods contains the client DLL, not a zip file or another folder.
• Make sure you used a Client zip. Server zips do not add the Servers button.

Black screen or long wait on first launch

That is MelonLoader setting itself up. It can take several minutes on the first launch and after each Schedule I update. Leave it running. Closing it halfway just makes it start over next time.

Game crashes or closes on start

• Check your MelonLoader version. If you have 0.7.1 from an old download, replace it with the latest release from the link above.
• Make sure you have the right client for your game. The IL2CPP client is for the normal Steam version, the Mono client is for the alternate branch. Do not install both.
• Temporarily move any other mods out of the Mods folder and try again with only the S1DS client.
• MelonLoader writes logs into its folder in the game directory. If you report a problem to the S1DS project, include them, plus whether you run IL2CPP or Mono.

It worked yesterday, not after a game update

A Schedule I update changes the game files, so MelonLoader regenerates on the next launch. Start the game and let that first slow launch finish. Then download the client mod again from the same link, because the server usually updates to a newer mod version too. The game, the client mod and the server must all match.

The MelonLoader installer app

MelonLoader also has an installer program on its installer releases page. It works too: choose Schedule I.exe, install the latest version, never 0.7.1. You still extract the S1DS client zip yourself. We show the zip method because it has fewer steps to go wrong.

Joined but cannot connect?

If the mod loads and the Servers button is there but joining fails, the problem is on the connection side: a stopped server, a version mismatch, a wrong port, a full server or Steam sign in. Every cause and fix is in Schedule 1 can't connect to dedicated server.

How to turn the mod off or remove it

You do not need to remove the mod to play single player or co-op. If you want it gone anyway, delete these from the game folder:

• version.dll
• the MelonLoader folder
• the Mods folder

Verifying game files in Steam (right click Schedule I, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files) restores the game's own files but does not delete extra files like Mods. Only use it if something seems broken after you removed the mod.

Want a server for your own group?

If your friends do not have a server yet, Schedule 1 server hosting on GamezServers installs the server mod for you, and each server's invite link shows these same steps with the right download buttons. Setup walkthrough: how to host a Schedule 1 server. If you prefer to run it on your own PC, see how to make a Schedule 1 dedicated server.

FAQ

How do I join a Schedule 1 dedicated server?

Install MelonLoader and the S1DS client mod into the Schedule I game folder, start the game, click Servers, then Direct Connect, and enter the server's IP and port in their own fields.

Which client mod do I need, IL2CPP or Mono?

IL2CPP (Il2cpp_Client.zip) for the normal Steam version, which is what almost every server runs. Mono only if the server owner says the server is Mono, and then you also switch to the alternate beta branch.

Why is there no Servers button?

The mod is not loading. version.dll, the MelonLoader folder and the Mods folder must be directly next to Schedule I.exe, not inside another folder.

Can I still play single player with the mod installed?

Yes. The client mod stays dormant until you connect to a dedicated server, so single player and normal co-op work as usual.

Which MelonLoader version should I use?

The latest. Versions 0.6.x, 0.7.0 and 0.7.2 or newer are supported. Avoid 0.7.1.

Is the Schedule 1 server mod safe?

S1DedicatedServers and MelonLoader are both open source on GitHub. Download them only from the official release links above.

Do I need to install the mod again after every update?

You only reinstall the client mod when the server updates to a new mod version, which usually follows a Schedule I update. Extract the new zip over the old files.