How to Install Valheim Mods (BepInEx)

Almost every Valheim mod is built on top of BepInEx, the mod loader that hooks into the game and lets community code run. If you want to change building rules, tweak gathering rates, add new content, or run something like ValheimPlus, BepInEx is the layer that makes it possible. This guide walks through installing it and adding mods on both the client (your own copy of the game) and a dedicated server you run for friends. The process is the same idea in both places, but there is one rule that trips people up, so we cover that in detail.

What you need

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• Valheim installed on your PC. BepInEx and most mods target the Windows build.
• A dedicated server if you want friends to join a modded world that stays online. You can run mods in a local game too, but a dedicated server means the world is available even when you are not.
• BepInEx for Valheim, specifically the BepInExPack Valheim package. This is the pre-configured version of the loader built for Valheim, so you do not need to assemble it yourself.

You will get your mods from Thunderstore (thunderstore.io/c/valheim), which is the main mod database for Valheim. It also publishes the mod manager that makes client setup far easier, covered below.

Install BepInEx

Download the BepInExPack Valheim package from Thunderstore. It comes as a ZIP. Extract it and you will see a few items, including a BepInEx folder, a doorstop_libs folder, and a winhttp.dll file.

Copy all of those into the game's root directory, the folder that contains valheim.exe. For a dedicated server, copy them into the server's root directory instead, alongside valheim_server.exe. Do not bury them in a subfolder; they need to sit next to the executable.

The first time you launch the game or start the server after this, BepInEx loads itself and generates its working folders, including BepInEx/plugins. That plugins folder is where your mods will go. If it appears after a launch, BepInEx is installed correctly.

Add mods

You have two ways to add mods, and which you use depends on whether you are modding your own client or a server.

On your client, the simplest route is r2modman, also published as the Thunderstore Mod Manager. Install it, create a Valheim profile, then use the Online tab to find BepInExPack Valheim and any mods you want. Choosing "Download with dependencies" pulls in BepInEx and everything a mod relies on, then drops it all into an isolated profile so your base game stays clean. This avoids most manual mistakes.

On a dedicated server, you usually install by hand. Download each mod from Thunderstore, extract it, and place its .dll file into the server's BepInEx/plugins folder. Some mods ship extra files or their own subfolder, so read the mod's page and keep its structure intact. Restart the server after adding mods.

Server and client must match

This is the rule that causes most "I cannot join" problems. Valheim does not sync mods to players automatically. Any gameplay mod that runs on the server, the kind that changes rules, content, or balance, must also be installed on every player's client, at the same version.

So if your server runs ValheimPlus at a given version, each player needs that same ValheimPlus version in their own BepInEx/plugins folder. Mismatched versions cause connection failures or crashes. The clean way to handle this is to build one mod list, note the exact versions, and have everyone match it. r2modman makes this easy because a profile can be exported and shared, so each player imports the identical set rather than guessing.

A small number of mods are purely client-side, such as some interface tweaks, and those do not need to be on the server. When in doubt, check the mod's Thunderstore page, which usually states whether it is server-side, client-side, or both.

Check it worked

To confirm mods loaded, look at the BepInEx console or log. On a client you can enable the console window; on a server the output appears in the log file under the BepInEx folder. On startup BepInEx lists each plugin it finds and loads, so you should see your mods named there. If a mod is missing from that list, it did not load, and that is your starting point for troubleshooting.

Common issues

• Version mismatch. The server and a client are running different versions of the same mod. Get everyone onto identical versions. This is the single most common cause of failed joins.
• A player cannot connect. Usually they are missing a server-side mod entirely, or they have an extra gameplay mod the server does not. Line up both mod lists so they are the same.
• A mod needs a config edit. Many mods, ValheimPlus included, only generate their config file after the first launch with the mod present. Start the game or server once, close it, edit the generated config under BepInEx/config, then start again. Editing before that first launch will not work because the file does not exist yet.

Doing it on Zeros Host

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Related: how to host a Valheim server.