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If Arma Reforger shows an empty or incomplete server list, open Multiplayer from the main menu, wait about a minute, select Refresh, and reopen or restart the game if necessary. Then reset restrictive filters and make sure you and the server use compatible regions, ping limits, platforms, crossplay settings, scenarios, game branches, and required add-ons. A server that appears but will not accept your connection usually points to a version, mod, firewall, or host-network problem rather than a browser-list problem.
First, identify which problem you have
“The server browser is not working” can describe several different failures. Use the symptom that matches your screen before changing settings.
| What you see | Most likely area to check | Best first action |
|---|---|---|
| No servers at all | Browser state, filters, region, ping, or crossplay | Open Multiplayer from the main menu, wait, and refresh |
| Some servers are missing | Visibility filters or platform restrictions | Compare every filter with a friend who can see the server |
| Your friend sees a server but you do not | Different region, ping limit, platform, crossplay, scenario, or official/community filter | Use the same filter values on both clients |
| A server is listed but joining fails | Game branch, version, required mods, firewall, or other network blocking | Confirm compatible versions and install all required add-ons |
| You run the dedicated server and nobody can find it | Visibility, platform settings, or host port configuration | Check visibility and the documented UDP ports |
Work from the top of this guide downward. The early steps are quick and do not change your installation; deeper steps are for a server that remains unavailable after the browser has been refreshed.
Refresh the browser from the correct menu
Arma Reforger has server lists reached from more than one part of the game. A list opened while launching a scenario, entering Game Master, or using Play may not show the same result as the dedicated browser.
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- Return to the main menu.
- Select Multiplayer directly.
- Wait approximately one minute for the list to populate.
- Press Refresh.
- If the list is still empty, return to the main menu, open Multiplayer again, and refresh once more.
- Restart the game if servers still do not appear.
This sequence addresses a stale or incompletely loaded browser before you spend time changing filters, reinstalling content, or altering your network. Do not judge the result immediately after opening the page; give the browser the short loading interval first.
Reset filters that hide otherwise healthy servers
Two players can be connected to the same service and receive different server results because their visibility settings differ. A filter is not an indication that a server is offline: it simply removes matching entries from your list.
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Set the region to the same value used by the server or by the friend who can see it. If you are unsure which region applies, temporarily broaden the setting rather than leaving a narrow regional selection active. Region selection changes which servers are returned and can also affect the ping values you see.
Ping limit
Remove an unusually low ping limit while diagnosing the list. A server can be operating normally but excluded because its measured latency is above your threshold. After the server appears, you can restore a practical limit to keep distant or unsuitable entries out.
Platform and crossplay
Check the platform filter and the crossplay option together. A cross-platform server must permit the platforms involved, and your browser must include those platforms in its crossplay selection. If your friend is on another supported platform, copy the friend’s platform and crossplay choices exactly before comparing the lists again.
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Scenario or game mode
A scenario filter can exclude a server running a different scenario even when the server is online. Clear the scenario restriction or select the exact scenario shown by the host. This is especially important when searching by a server name without knowing which mode it currently runs.
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Official versus community
Confirm that the list includes the category where the server is published. An official-only view omits community servers, while a community-only view omits official entries. If you are troubleshooting visibility, temporarily include both categories.
Use a controlled comparison
- Ask the player who can see the server to record the region, ping limit, platform, crossplay, scenario, and official/community selections.
- Match those values on your client.
- Refresh from the main-menu Multiplayer page.
- Compare the result again before changing another setting.
Changing several filters at once can make it difficult to tell which setting was responsible. A controlled comparison gives you a reproducible configuration for future searches.
Make crossplay settings agree
Crossplay has two sides: the server’s admission policy and the client’s browser filter. Enabling crossplay in your client does not make a server that forbids your platform joinable, and a server that permits cross-platform players can still be hidden if your browser excludes them.
- On your client, enable crossplay in the Multiplayer filters when searching for a cross-platform server.
- Confirm that the server is configured to permit the relevant platforms.
- Ask all players to use the same crossplay-related filter state while testing visibility.
- Refresh after changing the setting instead of relying on the old list.
If the server appears only after crossplay is enabled, the earlier issue was visibility filtering. If it appears but rejects the connection, continue with branch, version, add-on, and network checks; crossplay visibility alone does not confirm that every join requirement is satisfied.
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Check the game branch and version before attempting to join
A server can be visible while still being incompatible with your client. In particular, a client on the stable branch may not see or join a server running the Experimental branch. Version differences can produce a failed join even when the browser entry looks normal.
- Check which branch your installation is using.
- Ask the host which branch the server uses.
- Move to a compatible branch if you intentionally joined an Experimental or stable server.
- Update the game so the client and server are on compatible versions.
- Restart the game after an update, then refresh the Multiplayer list.
Do not treat a successful list refresh as proof of compatibility. The browser can retrieve an entry that your current executable cannot join. When troubleshooting with friends, record the branch as well as the visible server name so everyone is testing the same target.
Install and synchronize required mods and add-ons
Community servers may require user-generated add-ons. Missing, outdated, or mismatched content can prevent a join even though the server is listed. A mod problem is therefore different from an empty-browser problem.
When the server is visible but joining fails
- Review the server’s required add-ons.
- Install every required item shown by the game.
- Update existing copies rather than assuming an older version is acceptable.
- If an add-on appears corrupted or remains mismatched, remove and reinstall it through the game’s available content workflow.
- Retry the connection after the content finishes updating.
When only one player in a group fails
Compare that player’s installed and enabled add-ons with a player who joined successfully. A single outdated or missing item can explain why the server works for others. Have the affected player complete the update or reinstall before changing server settings.
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Check firewalls and other network obstacles
When the browser loads but the connection fails, a local firewall, router restriction, or another network obstacle may be blocking the game traffic. These checks are most useful after you have confirmed branch and add-on compatibility.
Allow the game through the local firewall
- Open your operating system’s firewall or security controls.
- Locate the Arma Reforger executable or its network permission entry.
- Allow the game on the network profiles you actually use.
- Apply the change, restart the game, and test the same server again.
The exact menu names differ by operating system and security software, so use the firewall’s application-allow list rather than creating random inbound rules. If you are on a managed or restricted network, an administrator may control these permissions.
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Check the router or upstream network
Router restrictions, strict network policies, or a second firewall can interrupt a join even when the game itself is allowed locally. Test from a permitted network if one is available, and compare results without changing the game branch or filters. If another network works, the original network remains the likely blocking point.
Do not open arbitrary ports on a client machine as a first response. Port forwarding is primarily relevant to a host running a dedicated server; ordinary players should begin with application permissions and the network’s own restrictions.
Dedicated-server checks for hosts
If you operate the server, a client-side refresh cannot fix a server that is not published correctly or cannot receive traffic. Verify the server’s visibility and platform policy before asking players to troubleshoot their clients.
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Confirm visibility and platform policy
- Make sure the server is configured to be visible in the browser.
- Set its platform or cross-platform options to match the players you intend to admit.
- Check the scenario and required add-ons you advertised to players.
- Have a player refresh the main-menu Multiplayer browser after each server-side change.
Use the documented default ports
| Purpose | Port and protocol | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Public game traffic | 2001/UDP | Documented default public game port that must be reachable for normal dedicated-server traffic. |
| A2S query | 17777/UDP | Optional query port used for A2S server queries; it is not the same as the public game port. |
These values come from Bohemia Interactive Community server-configuration documentation. If you changed the defaults, use the ports configured by your server rather than assuming the defaults still apply. Check the host firewall, router forwarding, and any provider-level network policy for the same UDP values.
Separate publication from reachability
A server can be published in a list yet remain unreachable if game traffic is blocked. Conversely, a correctly forwarded game port does not guarantee that the server is visible if its visibility or platform settings exclude the searching player. Test both conditions: ask one player to confirm that the entry appears, then attempt an actual join after version and add-on checks are complete.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why your friend can see a server that you cannot
This situation is usually explained by a difference between the two clients rather than by a mysterious account-level failure. Compare the following in order:
- Menu path: both players should open the dedicated Multiplayer browser from the main menu.
- Region: use the same region or broaden both selections.
- Ping limit: remove a restrictive threshold on the client that is missing the server.
- Platform and crossplay: include the relevant platforms and enable crossplay where needed.
- Scenario: clear a mode-specific filter that excludes the host’s current scenario.
- Official/community: include the category in which the server is listed.
- Branch and version: verify that both players are using the same compatible game branch and current version.
Refresh after each set of matching values. If the server is still absent for only one player after these checks, restart that client and repeat the search from the main-menu Multiplayer page. If it then appears but will not join, switch from visibility troubleshooting to the compatibility and network sections above.
Compare two servers before choosing where to play
When several entries look similar, compare the attributes that affect whether a particular player can actually connect. A lower displayed ping is not useful if the server excludes your platform, requires unavailable add-ons, or is on a different branch.
| Comparison point | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Platform and crossplay | Which platforms are admitted and whether crossplay is enabled | Determines whether your client is eligible to see and join the server |
| Region and ping | Server region and your measured latency or ping limit | Can hide an entry through filters and affects connection suitability |
| Scenario or game mode | The active scenario and any scenario filter | A mode filter can remove an otherwise available server |
| Official or community | How the server is categorized | Category filters can exclude it from your list |
| Required mods | Every required add-on and its current version | Missing or mismatched content can block joining |
| Capacity or queue | Whether the server is full or placing players in a queue | A visible server may still be unavailable at that moment |
| Visibility and reachability | Whether it remains listed and accepts a test connection | Separates a temporary browser result from a real network failure |
A practical decision path
Use this condensed path when you need to restore access quickly:
- Empty list: main menu → Multiplayer → wait about one minute → Refresh.
- Still empty: reopen Multiplayer, restart the game, and reset region, ping, platform, crossplay, scenario, and official/community filters.
- Friend sees more servers: copy the friend’s filter values and refresh both clients.
- Cross-platform target: enable crossplay in the client and confirm the server admits the relevant platforms.
- Server visible but join fails: match branch and version, then install or update required add-ons.
- Compatibility is correct but the join still fails: allow the game through the local firewall and inspect router or network restrictions.
- Dedicated host: verify visibility and platform settings, then check the configured UDP game port, with 2001/UDP as the documented default and 17777/UDP as the optional A2S query port.
This order prevents you from changing host networking when the actual cause is a client filter, and prevents you from repeatedly refreshing when the server requires a different branch or add-on set.
What not to infer from the symptoms
- An empty list does not prove that all servers are offline; browser state and filters can produce the same appearance.
- A server visible to one player is not automatically compatible with every platform or crossplay setting.
- A successful server-list refresh does not prove that your branch, version, or add-ons match the server.
- A listed server that rejects a join is not necessarily a browser failure; firewalls and other network obstacles can intervene after discovery.
- Opening the optional A2S query port does not replace forwarding the public game port.
Final verification checklist
- You opened Multiplayer from the main menu rather than relying on a list reached from another mode.
- You waited for the list, refreshed it, reopened the page, and restarted the game when necessary.
- Your region, ping limit, platform, crossplay, scenario, and official/community filters match the target server.
- Your client and the server use compatible branches and versions.
- Every required mod or add-on is installed, current, and not mismatched.
- The game is allowed through the local firewall, and the network is not blocking the connection.
- If you host, the server is visible, its platform policy is correct, and the configured UDP ports are reachable.
Once these checks pass, retry the same server rather than switching targets. Keeping the target constant makes it clear whether the last change corrected discovery, compatibility, or connectivity.
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