Server Browser

Can't Join a Server

If your in-game server browser comes up empty, a server refuses to load, or you get a "connection timed out" message, the cause is almost always a settings or version issue on your end — not a broken server. The Isle relies on a live backend (Epic Online Services) to populate the list, so the browser can also lag for a few minutes after a patch or a server restart. Work through these in order, most common first.

1. 01
   Make sure you're on the Evrima branch, not Legacy

   By far the most common cause of an empty list (or a server that won't connect) is being on the wrong Steam branch. Right-click The Isle → Properties → Betas and select the evrima branch; the older Legacy branch shows a completely different — and mostly dead — server list. Full walkthrough in our install & branch-switch guide.

2. 02
   Clear your filters and widen the Session Filter

   Open Play → Session Filter and make sure you aren't accidentally hiding the servers you want. Switch between Official and Unofficial so you're on the right list, turn off the empty-server and password filters while testing, and clear any name search.

3. 03
   Raise your Steam client ping limit

   The Steam client caps how many servers it pings per refresh, which can leave the list half-empty or blank. In Steam → Settings → In-Game, raise Max pings per minute (a high value such as 3000 works well), then restart the game and refresh the browser.

4. 04
   Give it a minute — the server may be full or still registering

   Popular servers fill up, and a full server can refuse the connection or hold you in a queue — wait a few minutes or pick another. After a restart or a fresh patch a server also takes a few minutes to re-register with the backend, so refresh a couple of times before assuming it's down.

5. 05
   Check for a version mismatch right after a patch

   Right after a patch, your game and the server must be on the exact same build or you'll get timeouts and missing servers. Let Steam finish updating The Isle, confirm Easy Anti-Cheat updated alongside it, and fully restart; servers that haven't updated yet reappear once they catch up.

6. 06
   Restart Steam and let Easy Anti-Cheat reinitialize

   A stale session or a half-loaded anti-cheat will quietly block connections. Fully exit and reopen Steam, then launch the game so EAC starts cleanly. If you get an EAC error on launch, see our EAC launch-error guide; for other oddities, the common bugs & fixes page.

7. 07
   Verify your game files

   Corrupted or partially downloaded files can stop the browser loading or cause repeated failures. In Steam → right-click The Isle → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files; Steam re-downloads anything missing or broken.

8. 08
   Rule out firewall, antivirus, and clock issues

   Aggressive firewall or antivirus rules can block the connection outright, and an incorrect system clock breaks the secure handshake with the backend. Allow The Isle and Easy Anti-Cheat through your firewall, pause aggressive antivirus to test, and make sure your PC date/time is set automatically.

9. 09
   Use Steam Favorites or direct connect to bypass the browser

   When the in-game browser is slow or flaky, skip it: add the server's IP and port in Steam → View → Game Servers → Favorites (the default port is 7777 unless the host changed it). Step-by-step in our play-on-unofficial-servers guide, and our featured community server lists its connection info for you.