Return to Moria Can't Join Dedicated Server? Causes and Fixes
Friends can't join your Return to Moria server? Check the version, invite code, Direct Join address, password, blocked players and port 7777 in order.
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 6 min read
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When players can't join a Return to Moria dedicated server, work through it in this order: make sure the server and every player are on the same game version, use the current invite code (or Direct Join with the exact address and port on PC), check the password, check the player is not blocked in MoriaServerPermissions.txt, and finally check that the game port, 7777 by default, is reachable from the internet. Nine times out of ten it is the version or the invite code.
Step 1: Same version on both sides
Return to Moria patches the game and the dedicated server together. Patch notes list a separate build for each platform and for the dedicated server, and a client can only join a server on the matching version. After a patch, players' games update right away and a server that has not restarted is still on the old build.
Fix: restart the server so it pulls the update. On our servers Auto Update is on by default and runs at every start, so one restart from the panel does it. Watch the live console until the world has loaded, then try again.
If you self host, update with SteamCMD (or Steam Tools) before you start the server. Console players are sometimes a few hours behind a PC release on their store, so if only the PS5 or Xbox friend fails right after a patch, have them check for a game update.
Step 2: Use the right invite code
Every dedicated server has an invite code that players type into the search box on the Join World screen. It is the only way in for PS5 and Xbox players, who cannot type an address.
Where to find it:
- In the server console, printed once the world is up.
- In
status.jsonin the server folder, which lists the server's status, invite code, advertised address and port, world name and player count.
Common mistakes with codes:
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using a code from before a reset | No server found | Read the code again from the console or status.json |
Someone ran regenerateinvitecode |
Old code stops working after the next restart | Share the new code |
| Typing it in Direct Join | Nothing connects | Codes go in the Join World search box |
| Trying before the world finished loading | Server not found | Wait for the console to say the world is loaded |
Step 3: On PC, try Direct Join
If a code will not work, PC players can skip it. On Join World, open Advanced Join Options and enter the address and port under Direct Join. Patch 1.4.3 added joining by IP and domain name, and it removes the code lookup from the picture entirely. Successful connections are saved in server history, so next time it is one click.
Type the address exactly as your host shows it, including the port. On a self hosted server the port is ListenPort from MoriaServerConfig.ini (7777 unless you changed it).
Step 4: Password
If the server has a password (OptionalPassword in MoriaServerConfig.ini, or the Server Password field in our panel), players are asked for it when they join. If they are refused after entering it:
- Check for a trailing space or a capital letter that should not be there.
- Remember the panel writes the password into the config at every start. If you changed it in the panel, restart, and share the new one.
- If you edited the file by hand on a hosted server, the panel's value replaces it on the next start. Change it in the panel instead.
Step 5: Is the player blocked?
MoriaServerPermissions.txt controls what each player may do, and a player set to Blocked cannot join at all. The file stores players by username and lists recent players so you can edit them. The console block and unblock commands change it too, and the patch notes warn that they are case sensitive: unblock Thorin and unblock thorin are not the same player.
If one specific person can't join while everyone else can, open the file and look for their name before anything else. Our Return to Moria hosting guide explains the permission levels.
Step 6: Ports and the advertised address (self hosting)
This is where most home hosted servers fail.
- Forward UDP 7777 (or your
ListenPort) on your router to the PC runningMoriaServer.exe. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side. - Allow
MoriaServer.exethrough Windows Firewall for public networks. - Check the
[Host]section. If the external port differs from the internal one, or your public IP changed, the advertised address and port must match what players can actually reach. Invite codes point players to that advertised address, so a wrong value breaks codes while Direct Join with the right address still works. - If you run the server and play on the same PC, use Join Locally Hosted Server under Advanced Join Options with your port, not the invite code.
On a hosted server none of this applies. The ports are open and the panel fills in the listen port and advertised address for you.
Step 7: The server is stuck loading
The official dedicated server guide lists one known issue: the server can get stuck while loading a world, and it continues as soon as the console window gets focus and a key is pressed. If players can't join a server you just started, look at the console. If it stopped mid load, press a key in it, or send any command from the live console on a hosted server.
Players' PCs matter too. Players have reported connection failures that went away after they fixed a wrong system clock, so make sure Windows has the right date, time and time zone.
Step 8: Crossplay scope
Steam, Epic, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players can all join a dedicated server, but MoriaServerConfig.ini can limit that to PC only or to PC and Xbox. If only console players fail, check the crossplay option in the file and set it to allow all platforms, then restart.
Quick reference
| Symptom | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Everyone fails after a patch | Server not updated, restart it |
| Code finds nothing | Old code or world not loaded yet |
| PC joins, consoles do not | Crossplay limited in the config |
| One player can't join | Blocked in permissions, or wrong password |
| Nobody outside your house can join | Port not forwarded or wrong advertised address |
| Joined once, now can't | Server restarted with a new code |
Skip the networking
If you are tired of forwarding ports and leaving a PC on so the company can dig, a Return to Moria server from GamezServers takes the self hosting causes off this list. It is live within about a minute of paying, has its own address, keeps Auto Update on so the server matches each patch after a restart, and shows the invite code in the live console. Server name, password and difficulty are panel fields, and you get one click backups before big updates.
FAQ
Where do I find my Return to Moria server's invite code?
In the server console once the world has loaded, and in the status.json file in the server folder.
Can PS5 and Xbox players join with an IP address?
No. Console players can only use the invite code. Direct Join with an address is for PC.
Why can't anyone join after a game update?
The server is still on the old version. Restart it so it updates, then wait for the world to load before joining.
What port does Return to Moria use?
UDP 7777 by default, set with ListenPort in MoriaServerConfig.ini.
How do I unblock a player?
Use the unblock command in the server console with their exact username, case included, or edit MoriaServerPermissions.txt and restart.
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