To update a Hytale server, type /update download and then /update apply --confirm in the server console. The server backs up its files, shuts down with exit code 8, and its launcher script (start.sh or start.bat) copies in the new version and starts it again, keeping your config, worlds and mods. Do it as soon as Hytale patches: players on the new game version can’t join a server still on the old one.
Why a Hytale server has to update right away
Hytale checks that the game and the server speak exactly the same protocol version, and refuses the connection if they don’t. So when Hypixel ships an update, every player who updates their game is locked out of any server that hasn’t. Hypixel plans to allow a small gap of plus or minus two versions, but its server manual still lists that as coming soon in October 2026.
Big updates can also break mods. Update 6, for example, moved the network protocol from hytale/2 to hytale/3, and plugins needed a rebuild before they would work again.
Check which version your server is on
Type /update status in the server console to see the current version and whether an update is already waiting. /update check asks for a new version right away instead of waiting for the hourly check. Without a running server, ./hytale-downloader -print-version prints the latest game version without downloading anything. The server also logs its version on every start.
/update status
/update checkThe first line of each start looks like Booting up HytaleServer - Version: …. If /update check answers Cannot check for updates - server is not authenticated, sign the server in with /auth login device first.
How to update a Hytale server with the built-in updater
The server has its own updater. Out of the box it checks for a new version every hour and downloads it to a staging folder, but it only applies an update when you tell it to. It needs the standard folder layout: the server started from a Server/ folder, with Assets.zip and the launcher script in the folder above. Without that layout, the update checker turns itself off.
game/
├── Assets.zip
├── start.sh / start.bat
├── jvm.options (optional)
└── Server/
├── HytaleServer.jar
├── HytaleServer.aot
└── config.json- Get the layout. Installs from the Hytale Downloader or
--bootstrapalready have it. If you copied files by hand, run/update setupto writestart.shandstart.batinto the parent folder, or/update download --forceto fetch fresh copies of everything. - Download the update:
/update download. It lands inupdater/staging/. - Warn your players:
/say Server restarting for the Hytale update. - Apply it:
/update apply --confirm. The server backs up its files and shuts down with exit code 8. - Let the script finish. The launcher sees exit code 8, copies the new
HytaleServer.jar,Assets.zipand scripts over the old ones, and starts the server. Config, saves and mods stay as they were.
The server never restarts itself; the script does that. If you run it with a plain java -jar command, it simply stops after step 4 and you start it again by hand. Changed your mind before applying? /update cancel deletes the staged files.
Make Hytale server updates automatic
Automatic updates live in config.json under Update. Checking and downloading are on by default, but applying is off (AutoApplyMode is Disabled). Set it to WhenEmpty to update the moment nobody is online, or Scheduled to update after a delay even with players on, with warnings along the way. Either way, the server has to be running through the launcher script for the restart to happen.
"Update": {
"Enabled": true,
"CheckIntervalSeconds": 3600,
"NotifyPlayersOnAvailable": true,
"Patchline": null,
"RunBackupBeforeUpdate": true,
"BackupConfigBeforeUpdate": true,
"AutoApplyMode": "WhenEmpty",
"AutoApplyDelayMinutes": 30
}| Key | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Enabled |
true |
Turns update checks on |
CheckIntervalSeconds |
3600 |
Seconds between checks |
NotifyPlayersOnAvailable |
true |
Tells players with permission that an update is ready |
Patchline |
null |
Overrides the patchline (normally release) |
RunBackupBeforeUpdate |
true |
Full server backup before applying (needs a backup directory) |
BackupConfigBeforeUpdate |
true |
Backs up config.json, permissions.json, bans.json and whitelist.json |
AutoApplyMode |
Disabled |
Disabled, WhenEmpty or Scheduled |
AutoApplyDelayMinutes |
30 |
The wait in Scheduled mode |
Edit the file with the server stopped, or Hytale may overwrite your change. The launcher scripts already start the server with a backup directory (--backup-dir backups), which is what RunBackupBeforeUpdate needs. To switch the whole system off, set the HYTALE_DISABLE_UPDATES environment variable.
How to update a Hytale server on Linux
On Linux the built-in updater works the same way, through start.sh. Start the server with ./start.sh, ideally in a screen or tmux session or as a service, so closing your SSH session doesn’t kill the console, and the script handles the exit-code-8 restart for you. If your folder doesn’t have the layout, the Linux build of the Hytale Downloader fetches a fresh copy in the right shape.
cd ~/hytale/game
./start.sh
# then, in the server console:
/update download
/update apply --confirmYou’ll see [Launcher] Restarting to apply update... and then [Launcher] Applying staged update... as the script swaps the files and boots the new version. From 0.7.3 on, the QUIC library inside the server requires glibc 2.28 or later, so a very old distro can fail after an update even though the old version ran.
Update by hand with the Hytale Downloader
You can also update without the in-game commands, on Windows or Linux. Stop the server, back up, download the new version with the Hytale Downloader, then copy only the server program and assets over the old ones. That’s exactly what the launcher script does, so your config, worlds and mods are untouched as long as you leave those files alone.
- Type
/stop. - Back up
universe/and the config files (config.json,permissions.json,bans.json). - Download the latest release:
./hytale-downloader -download-path game.zip. - From the new files, copy
HytaleServer.jarintoServer/andAssets.zipinto the folder above it, replacing the old ones. - Start the server and check the version line in the console.
Copied your server out of the launcher’s install folder? The launcher updates its own copy when the game updates, so copy the Server folder and Assets.zip out again. Don’t run the server inside that folder: since Update 7 it refuses to boot there and exits with code 11.
Updating to the pre-release patchline
Hypixel ships upcoming updates to a pre-release patchline first; Update 8 has been there since October 22, 2026. /update patchline pre-release switches the server, or you can set Patchline in the Update block. The downloader takes -patchline pre-release. Only switch if your players move their launcher to pre-release too, because the versions still have to match exactly.
Mods after a Hytale update
Updates are where modded servers break. After a big update, read the start-up log for warnings like Plugin '…' targets server version range '…' which does not match the running server version, and update those mods. A mod that fails outright can stop the boot. The --ignore-broken-mods launch flag tries to start the server anyway, but it doesn’t cover core plugins.
The safe order is: back up, note which mods you run, update the server, then add mods back as their authors release updated versions. More in how to add mods to a Hytale server.
Roll back a bad update
If the server crashes within 30 seconds of starting on a new version, start.sh stops and points you to updater/backup/, where it kept your previous files (start.bat warns after any post-update crash). To roll back, delete Server/ and Assets.zip, move the files from updater/backup/ back into place, and start again. Treat it as a stopgap: a rolled-back server only accepts players still on the older game version.
Troubleshooting Hytale server updates
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
/update does nothing, or the update checker is disabled |
The folder layout wasn’t detected | /update setup, or reinstall with the downloader |
Cannot check for updates - server is not authenticated |
The server isn’t signed in | /auth login device |
| Updates download but never apply | AutoApplyMode is Disabled (the default), HYTALE_DISABLE_UPDATES is set, or the server wasn’t started by the script |
Apply by hand, or set WhenEmpty and use start.sh/start.bat |
| Server exits with code 11 after an update | It’s running inside the launcher’s install folder | Move the server folder somewhere else |
| Players still can’t join after updating | You and they are on different patchlines (release vs pre-release) | Match the patchline on both sides |
| Crash on start right after the update | A mod built for the previous version | Remove or update the mod, or roll back |
FAQ
Does a Hytale server update itself?
Partly. By default it checks every hour and downloads new versions, but it only applies them if you set AutoApplyMode to WhenEmpty or Scheduled, and only when it was started through the launcher script.
Will updating delete my world?
No. An update replaces the server jar, the assets and the launcher scripts, and keeps config, saves and mods. With a backup directory set, it also runs a full backup first.
What is the Hytale server update command?
/update download followed by /update apply --confirm. The rest of the update commands are in the Hytale server commands list.
How do I update a Hytale server on GameTeam?
Stop the server in the panel and start it again: it comes back on the latest version. Our Hytale server hosting page has the plans.
Skip the setup: let the copilot update it
On GameTeam you don’t manage the updater, the layout or the launcher scripts. Stop and start the server in the panel and it’s on the latest version. Or tell the AI copilot “Hytale just patched, back up the world and update the server”, and it takes the backup, updates and restarts, so nobody hits a version error on game night. Hytale server hosting on GameTeam is priced per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week, with unlimited slots. Setting one up yourself instead? Start with the Hytale dedicated server guide.