Wesnoth "The Server Accepts Versions" Error: How to Fix It

The Wesnoth error "The server accepts versions '1.18.*,test', but you are using version '1.16.11'" means your game and the server come from different release series, and Wesnoth only lets a client into a server from its own series. Fix it by putting everyone on the same series: update or switch the player's game to the one the server accepts, or run the server on the series your group plays. On a server you control, versions_accepted in wesnothd.cfg sets which versions get in, and a [redirect] block can send other versions to a second server.

What the message is telling you

When a client connects, it sends its version to wesnothd before anything else. The server compares it against its accepted list. If nothing matches and no redirect applies, the server refuses, and the client shows:

The server accepts versions '<accepted list>', but you are using version '<your version>'

The first quoted part is the server's list, the second is your game. Reading it tells you which side has to change.

Wesnoth versions are major.minor.patch. Even minor numbers (1.16, 1.18) are stable series. Odd ones (1.17, 1.19) are development series that lead to the next stable release. Within a series, patch releases play together: 1.18.0 and 1.18.4 are fine. Across series they are not, because units, balance, WML and the network protocol change.

A 1.18 server built without a custom setting accepts 1.18.* and test, which is why that pair turns up in so many error messages.

Cause 1: the player is on another stable series

This is the most common case after a new stable release. Players on Steam update automatically, players who installed from a Linux distribution often stay on whatever their distribution packages, and the two groups no longer meet.

Fixes, from simplest:

1. Update the player's game to the series the server accepts. On Linux, the official Flatpak or the Wesnoth downloads page usually has a newer release than distribution packages.
2. Install the older series alongside if the group plays on an older server. Wesnoth keeps user data per series, so two versions can live side by side.
3. Move the server to the series most of the group uses, if you run it.

Cause 2: someone is on a development version

Development builds (1.17.x, 1.19.x) report their own versions and do not match a stable server's 1.18.*. Players who opted into a development branch on Steam or installed a dev build will hit the error on every stable server, including yours. Ask them to switch back to the stable build for league play.

If your group actually wants to test the development series together, run a separate server built from that branch rather than loosening the stable one.

Cause 3: the server is on an old or new series

If everyone gets the error, the server is the odd one out. On a self hosted server, check with:

wesnothd -V

Then build or install the series your players use. On a server you rent, look for the version or branch setting rather than editing binaries.

Changing versions_accepted (and when not to)

versions_accepted takes a comma separated list with * and ? wildcards:

versions_accepted="1.18.*"

You can widen it, for example "1.18.*,1.19.*", and the error goes away. That does not make different series compatible. Players get into the lobby, then games break: missing units, desyncs during play, or a client that cannot load a game created by a newer one. versions_accepted="*" accepts anything and causes the most trouble. Use wildcards for patch releases within one series, not to bridge series.

Restart wesnothd after editing, or send it SIGHUP on Linux to reload the config.

Using [redirect] to serve two series

The official server handles mixed versions by sending each client to the right place, and you can do the same. Run one wesnothd per series on different ports, then in the main server's config:

versions_accepted="1.18.*"

[redirect]
    host="lobby.example.com"
    port=15001
    version="1.16.*"
[/redirect]

A 1.16 client connecting to port 15000 is silently passed to the 1.16 server on 15001, while 1.18 clients stay. [redirect] is only used when versions_accepted is set. If two servers redirect to each other for the same version, players get "Server-side redirect loop"; make sure each version has exactly one home.

Other errors that look similar

Add-on mismatches feel like version errors but are separate: when someone hosts a game that uses an era or map add-on, others are asked to install or update it. Keep add-ons current on every PC.

On a GamezServers Wesnoth server

A Wesnoth server with us has a Branch setting in the control panel that decides which release the server is built from, 1.18 out of the box. Set it to the series your group plays and restart. If the server still reports the old version afterwards, email support@gamezservers.com and we will sort it out. wesnothd.cfg is in the file manager for versions_accepted and redirects, and a second small server for another series is cheap, since a lobby runs on 1 GB. Setup and connecting are covered in how to host a Battle for Wesnoth server, and lobby moderation in Wesnoth server admin commands.

FAQ

Why does Wesnoth say the server accepts versions but I am using a different one?

Your game and the server are from different release series, such as 1.16 and 1.18. Clients only connect to servers that accept their series.

Can I set versions_accepted to * so everyone can join?

You can, but players on different series cannot reliably play together. Expect broken games and desyncs. Match series instead.

Do Wesnoth patch versions need to match exactly?

No. Patch releases within a series, like 1.18.0 and 1.18.3, play together. Only the series has to match.

Can a development version join a stable Wesnoth server?

Not by default. Development builds such as 1.19.x are their own series and need a server that accepts them.