Whenever Valve releases a new update for Team Fortress 2—whether it is a major seasonal event like Scream Fortress, a new crate drop, or just updating localization files—your server needs to be updated to match. If your server is running an older version of the game, players will get a "Server is running an older version of the game" error when they try to join.
Updating your MintServers host is a very quick process that will not delete your custom maps or plugins. Let us get your server updated!
While standard TF2 updates rarely break server files, it is always a good practice to navigate to the Backups tab and create a manual backup before updating, especially if you rely on complex SourceMod plugins that might need to be updated as well!
Method 1: Restarting Your Server (Auto-Update)
Because Team Fortress 2 runs through SteamCMD, the easiest way to update your server is simply by rebooting it. By default, most MintServers Source engine games check for updates every time they start.
- Log into your MintServers panel.
- Navigate to the Console tab on the left-hand sidebar.
- Click the Restart button (or click Stop and then Start).
- Watch the console output. As the server boots up, it will connect to Steam, check your current game version, and automatically download any missing or updated files.
- Once the console says the server has successfully started, your update is complete!
Method 2: Using the Reinstall Button (Manual Update)
If a simple restart did not fetch the new update, or if your server files have become corrupted and you want to force SteamCMD to verify and re-download the core game files, you can use the Reinstall feature.
- Log into your MintServers panel and click the Stop button to shut down your server safely.
- On the left-hand sidebar, navigate to the Settings tab.
- Click the Reinstall Server button.
- A prompt will ask you to confirm. Accept it. Do not worry—this process only replaces and updates the core Valve game engine files. It will not delete your custom maps, SourceMod configurations, or plugins.
- Wait a minute or two for the process to finish. You can watch the download progress in the Console tab.
- Once the installation is complete, click Start to boot up your updated server.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Version Mismatches
If you launch the game and still get a version mismatch error when trying to join, double-check that your personal Steam client has fully downloaded its own update.
If your server crashes after an update, it is highly likely that a SourceMod plugin or extension broke and needs to be updated by its creator. No worries! Let us fix that together. If you need a hand figuring out why your server will not start after an update, just open a support ticket and our team will gladly jump in and instruct you on how to resolve the issue!