Some Valheim mods run only on the server, so players do not install anything for them. Other mods change the game on each player’s computer too, so every player needs a copy. The Mods page shows which kind each mod is with a chip.
The two chips
- Server only: the mod should run on the server alone, so players install nothing. This is a label from the mod’s categories; the mod’s own page has the last word.
- Players need it too: players should install the same mod on their own game.
The panel reads this from the categories on the mod’s page on Thunderstore or Hexium. A mod is Server only when it has the category Server-side and does not have the category Client-side. Every other mod gets Players need it too.
That means the chip is careful rather than certain. A mod with no categories, a mod you uploaded as a zip, and a mod the panel cannot find in its list all show Players need it too. If you are not sure, open the mod’s own page with the link next to its name. It has the last word.
- Players need it too
- Crossplay note
Where you see the chips
- On the Add a mod tab, in each search result, before you install.
- On the Installed tab, next to each mod’s name (box 1).
You can also pick the category Server-side in the search to list mods marked that way.
The panel tools are server only
The panel has tools of its own for Valheim, such as the live player list. They run as a small plugin of the panel’s own inside the server. Players install nothing for them. They do not appear in your mod list.
Crossplay
Players on Xbox and Game Pass cannot install mods. With crossplay on, they cannot join while the server runs a mod that players need (box 2 above).
The panel warns you in two places:
- On the Mods page, when a mod players need is installed and crossplay is on.
- In the install box. For a mod that is not Server only, you must tick “Crossplay is on, and console players cannot join while a mod they need is installed. Install anyway.” before Install works.
- Tick this first
- Install
A Server only mod does not ask. For more on crossplay, see Valheim crossplay server.
When a player does not have a mod
The result depends on the mod, and its own page is the place to read it. What a player sees without a mod that players need is not checked on 1.0.20 as of 21 October 2026.
To tell players what to install, see players installing Valheim mods.
More about the game: Valheim servers.
Sources: thunderstore.io: BepInExPack Valheim