Hytale Server Setup & Authentication on GlassHosting (/auth login device)

Hytale Server Setup & Authentication on GlassHosting

New Hytale game servers on GlassHosting use our managed Hytale platform image. After the first start, Hytale may ask you to complete interactive authentication so the server can download updates and accept players in authenticated mode. You can do this yourself from the panel console. No ticket required for a normal first login.

Release vs Pre-Release channel

Keep your Hytale launcher on the same channel as this server (Release is the GlassHosting default; Pre-Release is still available in Startup). Pre-Release builds can upgrade the world in a way older builds cannot open. First start: run /auth login device in the console, finish the login, then wait for the download. Do not wipe or reinstall while that is running.

• Release is the GlassHosting default and the recommended channel for hosted servers. Hytale Chapter 1 has been live on Release since October 12.
• Pre-Release can advance the world in ways that older Release builds cannot open. Only use it if you intentionally want that channel on both client and server.

Before you start

• Open panel.glasshosting.com and sign in with the account from your GlassHosting welcome email.
• Have a valid Hytale account ready in a browser (phone or desktop).
• Confirm your server shows a UDP/QUIC allocation (Hytale uses QUIC by default).
• In Startup, leave Auth Mode on authenticated for public play. Use offline/unauthenticated only for private testing.
• Keep Patchline on release (the default) unless you intentionally match Pre-release on the client too.

First-start checklist

1. Open the server console.
2. Run: /auth login device
3. Complete the browser/device login.
4. Wait for the game download to finish.
5. Do not reinstall or force-clean during auth/download.
6. Keep the game client on the same channel as the server (Release or Pre-Release).

After auth: downloads and updates

After you finish /auth login device, leave the server running. The first download (and later game updates) can take several minutes. A short stop that comes back on its own is often a normal staged update. Do not wipe, reinstall, or force a full redownload. If the console still asks you to sign in after a restart, run /auth login device again.

Step 1. Start the server

1. Open your Hytale server in the panel.
2. Click Start.
3. Open the Console tab and wait until the process is running.

If the console warns that authentication is required, or tells you to use /auth login device, continue to Step 2. That is expected on a fresh server.

Step 2. Run device authentication

In the console command box, run:

/auth login device

• Press Enter after the command.
• The console will print a device login URL and a short code (wording can vary slightly by Hytale build).
• Open the URL on your phone or computer while logged into your Hytale account.
• Approve the device / enter the code when asked.
• Return to the panel console and watch for a success message (authenticated / tokens saved).

Tips: /auth login device is the supported device-code flow on GlassHosting. Complete the browser step within a few minutes. Do not restart, wipe, or reinstall the server mid-login or while the game download is running unless the console says the attempt failed and you need to run the auth command again.

Step 3. Restart once (recommended)

1. After auth succeeds and the download finishes, click Restart once so the server loads with saved credentials.
2. Confirm the console reaches a normal listening / online state without asking for auth login again.
3. Connect with the Hytale client using your server IP and port from the panel. Keep the client on the same channel as the server (Release by default).

Friends joining / can’t connect

Friends joining: share the address from your panel (IP and port). Everyone's Hytale launcher must be on the same channel as this server (Release by default). If someone still can’t connect, open Online Play in the launcher, use Copy Network Report, and paste that into your support ticket. Do not wipe or reinstall the server.

Update channel: Release (Chapter 1)

Update channel: GlassHosting Hytale default is Release. Hytale Chapter 1 (Update 7, Out of the Breach) has been live on Release since October 12. Pre-Release is still available in Startup if your group wants to test upcoming builds; set your Hytale launcher to the same channel. Switching a live world from Pre-Release back to Release can leave the world unreadable on older builds. Open a ticket before changing channels on a live world.

Troubleshooting: players can't join after an update

Players can't join after an update? Their launcher and your server must be on the same version and the same patchline. First, restart your server so it downloads the latest build for its patchline. Then check Startup to confirm the patchline matches what your players use (Release or Pre-Release). Ask players to fully close and reopen their launcher so it updates too. If it still fails, open a ticket and include the first lines of your Console after startup.

If the server stops right after Start

If the server stops right after Start, open Console before wiping or reinstalling. (1) Auth / login prompt → complete the device login steps and leave it running. (2) Version or channel mismatch → set the Hytale launcher to the same channel as the server (Release by default) and retry. (3) Anything else → open a ticket and paste the last ~30 Console lines. Do not wipe the world as a first step.

If the Console says you need to sign in again

If the Console says you need to sign in again after the server has already been running, refresh auth in place. Use device or browser login from the Console without signing out first. The current session stays active until the new login finishes. Do not Force Clean, reinstall, or wipe for an auth refresh alone.

If the server has been offline a long time

If a Hytale server has been offline for a long stretch (about 30 days or more) and the Console shows an auth or session error on start, run a fresh device or browser login from the Console. Do not Force Clean, reinstall, or wipe for that alone. GlassHosting default is still Console auth login per server.

Update 7: plugin and mod compatibility

Update 7 removes older plugin APIs for reading blocks and chunks, and changes the boss bar protocol. Older plugins and mods may fail to load until their authors publish an Update 7 build. Check each plugin page for an Update 7 compatible build and test on a spare world before you rely on it. If your server fails to start after an update, paste the Console error into a ticket before you remove plugins or wipe anything.

Chapter 1 is live

Chapter 1 is live (Out of the Breach). Your players' launcher and your server must be on the Release patchline and the same build.

1. Back up your world before the first start on Chapter 1. An upgraded world may not open on an older build.
2. In Startup, set the patchline to Release (not Pre-Release).
3. Restart so the server downloads the Chapter 1 build. Confirm Console shows the new version.
4. If Console asks you to sign in, run /auth login device, finish login in the browser, and keep the server running until it is authenticated.
5. Ask players to fully close and reopen their launcher.
6. Mods or plugins built for Update 6 may fail to load. Check each author for an Update 7 build, or remove broken packs until they update.
7. Still can't join? Open a ticket and include the first lines of Console after startup.
8. View distance now tops out at 32 chunks. A higher number in config.json is lowered automatically and the server still starts. Lower values use less memory.
9. Need to sign in again? Run /auth login device while the server is running. Your current session stays active until the new sign in finishes.
10. Want to turn the Goblin Breach on or off for a world? Use /worldevent in Console.
11. After Chapter 1 is running, turn Auto-Update on for one restart (or leave it on) so your server picks up hotfixes. Version 0.7.2 fixes a crash that could disconnect everyone in worlds that were carried over from Update 6, and a Linux crash in worlds that use RocksDB chunk storage. Version 0.7.1 lets players reconnect right away if their IP changes mid-session.

Startup options customers can change

• Auth Mode: authenticated (normal) or offline/unauthenticated (private testing only).
• Patchline: release (default) or pre-release. Keep client and server aligned.
• Network Transport: leave QUIC unless your network blocks it; then try TCP.

Avoid Force Clean unless GlassHosting support asks you to. It deletes runtime game files (it does not wipe the auth cache by design).

If authentication fails

• Run /auth login device again and use a fresh browser session on the Hytale account that owns the game.
• Disable VPN/ad blockers on the device completing the login.
• Make sure the server stayed online during the browser approval.
• If the console reports expired refresh tokens after a long offline period, run /auth login device again to renew.
• Do not wipe or reinstall while auth or download is still running.

Still stuck? Open a ticket from billing.glasshosting.com and include your service ID plus a console screenshot (hide any codes after you finish).

See also: How to Access the GlassHosting Game Panel.

Related: Hytale hosting guide on glasshosting.com · Games catalog