How to Update Your Insurgency Sandstorm Server
Keeping your IS server on the latest version is critical — a version mismatch locks out every player. Here's the update process and what to check afterward.
Why Updates Matter More in IS
Insurgency Sandstorm enforces strict version matching between the server and clients. If your server is running an older version than the current game client, every player who has updated their game will be completely unable to connect. This isn't a warning — it's a hard block. Staying on top of updates is essential for keeping your server populated.
New World Interactive releases IS updates regularly, including patches, seasonal content, and anti-cheat updates. Subscribe to their announcements on Discord or the Steam news feed so you're not caught off guard.
How to Update
- Stop your server — always stop cleanly before updating. Forcing an update while the server is running can corrupt game files.
- In your control panel, find the Update button (sometimes labelled "Reinstall" or "Validate/Update").
- This triggers SteamCMD in the background to download the latest IS server build from Steam.
- Wait for the update to complete — larger updates can take a few minutes depending on download speed.
- Start your server.
If there's no dedicated Update button, your control panel may update automatically on each server start, or you can trigger it via the Steam app ID (581330 for the IS dedicated server).
After the Update — Check Your Mods
When IS updates, mods sometimes break if the update touched the systems they hook into. After each major IS patch:
- Start the server and check the logs for mod-related errors.
- Visit mod.io/g/insurgencysandstorm and check if the mods you use have been updated by their authors.
- If a mod is causing crashes or errors post-update, temporarily remove it from
Mods.txtandGame.iniuntil it's been updated.
Mod downloads from mod.io are automatic on restart — you don't need to manually trigger a mod update.
Checking Your Current Server Version
Your current server version appears in the server logs on startup. Look for a line like:
LogInit: IS Version: 1.x.x.xxxxx
You can compare this against the current client version (visible in the bottom corner of the IS main menu) to confirm they match.
What If the Update Breaks Something?
Occasionally an IS update introduces a regression. Signs include:
- Server crashes on startup after updating
- All players getting dropped with a specific error
- Map loading failures that didn't exist before
In these cases:
- Check the IS community Discord and Steam forums — if it's a widespread issue, others will have reported it.
- Check your server logs for the specific error.
- If a rollback is necessary, contact our support team — we can assist with reverting to a previous SteamCMD build.