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If a Don’t Starve Together server reports that mods are out of date, update the game and the dedicated-server files first, then refresh the Workshop downloads and verify that the server is loading the files you changed. A hosted game and a dedicated server use different update paths: the former is managed from the in-game Mods tab, while the latter depends on Workshop IDs, Lua configuration files, shard directories and the server’s mod search path.

The error can therefore mean several different things: the mod really is stale, its files are damaged, the server is looking in the wrong directory, a client-only mod is missing on a player’s computer, or the server and client are running different game builds. Work through the checks below in order so you change one variable at a time.

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What “mods are out of date” means in DST

Don’t Starve Together loads mods on both sides of a connection. A server mod changes world or gameplay behavior and must be available to the server. A client mod changes what an individual player sees or how that player’s interface behaves and must be installed for that player. Some mods have both server and client components.

When the server, client and Workshop copy do not agree, DST can reject the connection or report that a mod is outdated. The message does not, by itself, prove that the mod author has published a new release. It can also appear when a download stopped partway through, old files remain after an update, or the server is reading a different mods directory from the one you repaired.

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Klei warns that “All mods are to be used at your own risk!” (Klei Support, updated July 15, 2026). Keep a backup of your cluster and configuration files before deleting or rewriting anything.

Start with the game and server build

Do not begin by deleting individual mod folders. First make sure every part of the installation is current.

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Update the player’s DST client

  1. Exit DST completely, including any process left running by the Steam client.
  2. Allow Steam to finish the game update. If Steam is paused, offline or still validating files, the client can launch with an older build.
  3. Start the game once after the update so Steam can complete Workshop and file-processing tasks.

Update the dedicated-server installation

On the machine that runs the server, update the dedicated-server installation through the tool used to install and manage it. A current client does not automatically prove that a separately installed dedicated server is current. If the server is managed with LinuxGSM, run its normal update/install workflow before changing mod files.

After both sides are current, stop the server cleanly and record the exact mod named in the error. If the message disappears after the build update, no mod repair was necessary.

Hosted game: update mods from the in-game interface

A game hosted from DST’s own Host Game flow is maintained from the client that creates the world.

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  1. Subscribe to the required mod through the Steam Workshop.
  2. Launch DST and choose Host Game.
  3. Select Create New World, then open the Mods tab.
  4. Review the separate Server and Client categories.
  5. Enable each server mod required by the world. Players who need a client-only mod must have that mod installed and enabled on their own computers.
  6. Save the world settings and launch the world again.

The category matters. Enabling a client-only mod on the host does not make it a server mod, and putting a server mod only on a player’s computer does not make it available to the hosted world. If a friend can join one hosted game but not your dedicated server, the difference is usually the dedicated server’s Workshop download or file path, not the player’s subscription alone.

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Dedicated server: refresh Workshop downloads

A dedicated server does not use the Host Game Mods tab to maintain its Workshop content. You identify the mods by Workshop ID in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, then run the server-management tool’s update or install step so those IDs are downloaded for the server.

1. Stop the server and back up its files

Stop the process before editing Lua files or replacing mod directories. Back up the cluster configuration, world settings and existing modoverrides.lua files. A backup lets you restore a known-good configuration if a cleanup removes a required override.

2. List the required Workshop IDs

Open dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua and make sure every required server mod is represented by its Workshop ID using the ServerModSetup entry format documented by Klei. Remove entries for mods you have deliberately retired, but do not remove an ID merely because its folder appears old; the update workflow needs the ID to know what to download.

Use the ID from the mod’s Workshop address, not the display name. Names can change, while the numeric Workshop ID identifies the item the server must fetch.

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3. Run the manager’s update/install operation

Run the dedicated-server manager’s documented update/install operation after saving the Lua file. LinuxGSM’s DST workflow downloads the mods listed in the setup file. A manual administrator can perform the same maintenance by running the server’s own Workshop-download process after editing the file.

Watch the operation until it finishes. A command that returns immediately because Steam is offline, the account is not authenticated, or the download directory is unwritable has not repaired the mod, even if the server starts afterward.

4. Copy overrides to every active shard

If the cluster uses both the Master and Caves shards, each shard needs the generated modoverrides.lua in its own directory. LinuxGSM’s instructions have administrators copy the generated file to both shard directories. Updating only Master can leave Caves with an older mod list or settings, producing errors that appear only when a player enters the caves.

For a single-shard cluster, update the one active shard directory. For a multi-shard cluster, treat the Master and Caves files as a pair and compare their enabled-mod entries before restarting.

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5. Restart the server

Restart only after the Workshop download and shard-file changes are complete. A running process can keep old Lua data and old mod files in memory, so reconnecting without a restart does not test the new installation.

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Verify that DST is searching the directory you updated

A clean download is useless if the launch command points somewhere else. Klei’s command-line documentation includes a setting that changes where the server looks for mods. Check that setting together with the cluster and shard locations.

  1. Inspect the command or service definition used to launch the server.
  2. Identify the cluster directory supplied to that launch command.
  3. Identify the active shard directories beneath the cluster, such as Master and Caves when both are enabled.
  4. Confirm that the downloaded Workshop mod files and the modoverrides.lua files are inside the locations that this launch configuration actually uses.
  5. If the server is managed by LinuxGSM or another wrapper, inspect the wrapper’s effective launch arguments rather than assuming they match a command you used manually.

This check distinguishes a wrong-path problem from a stale-download problem. If the server never sees the files you just downloaded, reinstalling the same files repeatedly will not change its behavior.

Clean stale or corrupted Workshop files

When a specific mod remains out of date after the server update and path check, perform a clean reinstall. Klei’s troubleshooting guidance recommends deleting the mod files from steamappscommonDon't Starve Togethermods, unsubscribing from the affected Workshop mods, and then subscribing again so fresh copies are downloaded.

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Clean reinstall sequence

  1. Stop DST and the dedicated server.
  2. Note the affected mod’s Workshop ID and save any custom configuration from its modoverrides.lua entry.
  3. Delete the affected mod files from steamappscommonDon't Starve Togethermods. Delete only the suspect mod when possible; removing the entire directory creates unnecessary downloads and makes it harder to identify the cause.
  4. Unsubscribe from the affected Workshop item in Steam.
  5. Wait for Steam to register the unsubscribe, then subscribe again and let the download complete.
  6. For a dedicated server, run the Workshop update/install workflow again from dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua.
  7. Re-create or restore the required modoverrides.lua entries, copy them to every active shard, and restart the server.

Do not copy an old, broken mod folder back into the server after this process. If you restore configuration, restore the Lua override settings, not the deleted binaries or scripts.

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Server mods versus client mods

Classifying the mod is essential when only some players see the error.

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Mod type Where it must be installed Typical repair location What happens if it is missing
Server mod Dedicated server or hosted world dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, Workshop download and shard modoverrides.lua The world may fail to load or reject connections for all players.
Client-only mod Each player who uses it That player’s Steam Workshop subscription and local DST installation One player may see a missing or mismatched mod warning while others can connect.
Combined server/client mod Server plus every client that requires the client component Both maintenance paths above The server can load, but a player without the client component may still be unable to join or use the feature.

In a hosted game, use the Mods tab to see the Server and Client categories. On a dedicated server, start with the server’s Workshop ID list and then ask the affected player to verify the client-side subscription only if the logs and server files show the server copy is current.

Use logs and one-change-at-a-time testing

After each repair, restart and test with the smallest possible change. If five mods are deleted and reinstalled together, you cannot tell which one caused the original failure.

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  1. Enable or update one suspect mod.
  2. Restart the server and connect with one test client.
  3. If the error returns, disable that mod and restart again.
  4. Inspect the server and client logs for the mod name, Workshop ID, missing file or path shown in the error.
  5. Classify the failure as stale files, wrong path, server/client mismatch or a broader game-build problem before changing another mod.

This workflow is operational advice based on the documented separation between server and client mods and the cleanup process; it is not a published Klei prevalence statistic or a guarantee that every error has one cause.

Choose the maintenance method that fits your server

Approach How updates are applied Best suited to Trade-off
Hosted game Subscribe in Steam, then enable mods in Host Game > Create New World > Mods. Players hosting worlds from the game client. Simple interface, but it does not maintain a separate always-on dedicated installation.
Dedicated server with a manager Maintain Workshop IDs in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua, then run the manager’s update/install workflow and copy overrides to active shards. Administrators using LinuxGSM or a comparable server wrapper. Repeatable updates, but the wrapper’s launch path and shard layout must be understood.
Dedicated server managed manually Edit the same Lua setup and override files, run the server’s Workshop-download process, verify paths and restart. Administrators who control the installation directly. More control, but every download, path check and shard copy is your responsibility.

Troubleshoot by symptom

The server says a mod is out of date immediately after an update

  • Confirm the client and dedicated-server game builds finished updating.
  • Check that the Workshop ID is present in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua.
  • Run the server’s update/install workflow again and wait for completion.
  • Verify the launch command’s mod search path and the active shard directories.

Only players using one computer are rejected

  • Determine whether the named mod is client-only.
  • Have the affected player subscribe again and allow Steam to finish downloading.
  • If the mod is server-side, compare that player’s error with the server log instead of changing only the player’s files.

The server works on Master but fails when Caves is enabled

  • Check that Caves has its own current modoverrides.lua.
  • Copy the generated override file to both Master and Caves when the cluster uses both shards.
  • Restart the entire server, not only one shard process.

A reinstall changes nothing

  • Inspect the effective launch command for a different mod search path.
  • Check whether a manager is downloading to a separate installation from the one you edited.
  • Look for duplicate cluster directories and confirm which one the server starts.
  • Read logs for permission, authentication or download failures that prevented a fresh copy.

Prevent future outdated-mod errors

  • Keep a written list of every enabled server mod and its Workshop ID.
  • Back up the cluster and shard configuration before changing the mod list.
  • After a DST or dedicated-server update, run the Workshop update/install workflow before allowing players to connect.
  • Keep Master and Caves override files synchronized when both shards are active.
  • Document the launch command and mod search path so a future reinstall goes to the directory the server actually reads.
  • When adding a mod, test it by itself before enabling several new mods at once.
  • Remove retired mod IDs and their overrides deliberately, rather than leaving unused entries that complicate diagnosis.

The reliable sequence is therefore: update DST and the dedicated server, classify the mod, refresh the Workshop copy from its ID, verify the search path and every shard, clean-reinstall only when necessary, then restart and test one change at a time.

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