Risk of Rain 2 Multiplayer Not Working? How to Fix Connection Issues in 2026

You’ve loaded up Risk of Rain 2, ready to team up with friends for another chaotic run through Petrichor V. But instead of joining their lobby, you’re staring at connection errors, infinite loading screens, or lobbies that won’t populate. It’s frustrating, especially when solo runs just don’t hit the same.

Multiplayer issues in Risk of Rain 2 can stem from a dozen different sources: Steam configuration hiccups, firewall blocks, NAT type problems, or even mod conflicts. The good news? Most of these are fixable without needing a degree in network engineering. Whether you’re on PC, console, or dealing with the Epic Games version, this guide walks through every solution that actually works in 2026, from quick restarts to advanced port forwarding tweaks. Let’s get you back in co-op.

Common Causes of Risk of Rain 2 Multiplayer Issues

Before diving into fixes, it helps to understand what’s breaking the connection in the first place. Risk of Rain 2’s multiplayer uses peer-to-peer networking for most lobby types, which means your connection quality, router settings, and firewall rules matter more than with dedicated-server games.

Network and Firewall Problems

Firewalls are the #1 culprit. Windows Firewall, your router’s built-in firewall, or third-party antivirus software can block the ports Risk of Rain 2 needs to communicate. If your firewall doesn’t recognize the game’s traffic as safe, it’ll kill incoming or outgoing connections before lobbies even form.

Router NAT type also plays a huge role. Strict or Moderate NAT types limit who you can connect to, if you’re on Strict NAT and your friend is too, you’re not getting into each other’s games. Open NAT is the gold standard for smooth multiplayer.

Packet loss, high ping, or unstable Wi-Fi can cause desyncs or timeouts. If your connection drops packets regularly, the game may boot you mid-run or refuse to let you join in the first place.

Steam Configuration Issues

Steam’s backend handles matchmaking and lobby creation for the PC version. If Steam Cloud sync is borked, your download region is misconfigured, or you’re running an outdated Steam client, multiplayer can break silently.

Beta branches in Steam can also cause version mismatches. If you’re opted into a beta build and your friends aren’t (or vice versa), you won’t see each other’s lobbies at all. Steam also caches files that, when corrupted, lead to weird connection behavior, clearing the download cache often solves these phantom issues.

Game Version Mismatches

This one’s simple but easy to miss: if your game version doesn’t match your friends’, you can’t play together. Risk of Rain 2 updates semi-regularly, and if auto-updates are disabled or delayed, you might be running patch 1.2.4.1 while everyone else is on 1.2.4.2.

DLC ownership doesn’t usually block connections, but it can cause crashes or lobby weirdness if one player has Survivors of the Void and another doesn’t, especially when DLC-exclusive content is active. More on that later.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Start here. These take under five minutes and solve a surprising number of connection problems.

Restart Your Game and Steam Client

Yeah, it’s the oldest trick in the book, but it works. Risk of Rain 2 can get stuck in a bad network state after a failed connection attempt. Restarting the game and Steam forces a fresh handshake with Steam’s servers and clears temporary glitches.

Close the game completely, then fully exit Steam (right-click the system tray icon → Exit). Wait 10 seconds, relaunch Steam, and fire up RoR2 again. This also refreshes your friends list and lobby browser.

Verify Your Internet Connection

Make sure your internet is actually stable. Open a browser and run a quick speed test, look for packet loss percentages and ping spikes, not just download speed. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try switching to a wired Ethernet connection. Wi-Fi congestion or interference can cause the kind of intermittent drops that break peer-to-peer games.

If other online games are working fine, your connection probably isn’t the issue. But if you’re seeing lag or disconnects across the board, restart your router and modem.

Check Risk of Rain 2 Server Status

Risk of Rain 2 doesn’t rely on centralized game servers for most multiplayer, but Steam’s backend and matchmaking services do. If Steam is having issues, you won’t be able to host or join lobbies.

Check Steam’s official status page or community hubs like Reddit’s r/riskofrain. If there’s a widespread outage or maintenance window, you’ll know quickly. This is rare, but it happens, especially after major updates or sales events that spike server load.

Configure Your Firewall and Antivirus Settings

If quick fixes didn’t work, your firewall is probably blocking the game. Here’s how to fix it.

Windows Firewall Configuration

Windows Firewall blocks unrecognized programs by default. Risk of Rain 2 should auto-create rules during installation, but sometimes it doesn’t, or the rules get corrupted.

Here’s how to manually allow it:

1. Open Windows Defender Firewall (search it in the Start menu).
2. Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall on the left.
3. Click Change settings, then Allow another app.
4. Browse to your Risk of Rain 2 install directory (usually C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonRisk of Rain 2).
5. Select Risk of Rain 2.exe and add it. Make sure both Private and Public boxes are checked.
6. Repeat for steam.exe if it’s not already listed.

Restart your game and try connecting again. Many players overlook the fact that both the game and Steam need firewall exceptions for multiplayer to work properly, which is a common mistake outlined in gaming setup tutorials.

Adding Exceptions for Third-Party Antivirus

If you’re running Norton, McAfee, Avast, Bitdefender, or any other third-party antivirus, it may have its own firewall that overrides Windows Firewall.

Each antivirus has a different UI, but the process is similar:

• Open your antivirus dashboard.
• Find the Firewall or Network Protection section.
• Add Risk of Rain 2.exe and steam.exe to the allowed programs or exceptions list.
• Some antivirus software also has “gaming mode” or “do not disturb” features that disable real-time scanning temporarily, try enabling that before launching.

If you’re unsure which antivirus you have installed, check your system tray icons or Windows Security settings.

Fix Port Forwarding and NAT Type Issues

Port forwarding and NAT type are more technical, but they’re essential for peer-to-peer multiplayer. If you’ve tried everything else and still can’t connect, this is where the magic happens.

How to Forward Ports for Risk of Rain 2

Risk of Rain 2 primarily uses UDP port 27015 for multiplayer traffic (it can also use dynamic ports, but 27015 is the main one). Forwarding this port tells your router to allow incoming connections on that port directly to your PC.

Step-by-step:

1. Find your PC’s local IP address. Open Command Prompt and type ipconfig. Look for “IPv4 Address” under your active network adapter (usually something like 192.168.1.x).
2. Log into your router’s admin panel. This is typically accessed by typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into your browser. Check the sticker on your router for login credentials if you’ve never changed them.
3. Navigate to the Port Forwarding section (sometimes called “Virtual Server” or “NAT Forwarding”).
4. Create a new rule:

• Service Name: Risk of Rain 2
• Port Range: 27015
• Local IP: Your PC’s IP from step 1
• Protocol: UDP

5. Save and restart your router.

Test multiplayer again. Port forwarding doesn’t help if you’re trying to join lobbies (only if you’re hosting), but it’s critical for hosting stable games.

Changing Your NAT Type

NAT type determines how easily your network can accept incoming connections. Open NAT is best: Moderate works in most cases: Strict causes problems.

You can check your NAT type using online tools or by observing connection behavior, if you can never host but can join some friends’ lobbies, you’re probably on Moderate or Strict.

To improve NAT type:

• Enable UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) in your router settings. This allows games to automatically configure ports. It’s usually under “Advanced Settings” or “WAN.”
• If UPnP doesn’t work, manually forward port 27015 as described above.
• As a last resort, enable DMZ mode for your PC’s IP in your router settings. This exposes your PC fully to the internet (no firewall), which is less secure but guarantees Open NAT. Only use this if nothing else works, and disable it when you’re done troubleshooting.

Some ISPs use Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), which puts you behind multiple layers of NAT and makes hosting nearly impossible. If you suspect this, contact your ISP and ask for a public IP address or to be removed from CGNAT.

Resolve Steam-Related Multiplayer Problems

Steam’s infrastructure handles a lot of Risk of Rain 2’s multiplayer heavy lifting. When Steam acts up, so does your co-op.

Verify Game Files Integrity

Corrupted or missing game files can break multiplayer without affecting solo play. Steam’s built-in verification tool scans and replaces any damaged files.

Here’s how:

1. Open your Steam Library.
2. Right-click Risk of Rain 2 and select Properties.
3. Go to the Installed Files tab.
4. Click Verify integrity of game files.

Steam will scan the game and redownload anything broken. This usually takes 2-5 minutes. Once it’s done, restart Steam and try multiplayer again.

Disable Steam Overlay and Beta Participation

The Steam Overlay (the in-game Steam menu you access with Shift+Tab) can conflict with Risk of Rain 2’s networking, especially if you’re running mods or have older hardware.

To disable it:

1. Right-click Risk of Rain 2 in your library → Properties.
2. Uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.

If you’re opted into Steam’s beta client, that can also cause issues. Go to Steam → Settings → Interface and make sure “Client Beta Participation” is set to None. Restart Steam afterward.

Clear Steam Download Cache

Steam caches data to speed up downloads and updates, but this cache can get corrupted and cause silent failures in multiplayer.

To clear it:

1. Open Steam → Settings → Downloads.
2. Click Clear Download Cache.
3. Steam will ask you to log in again. Do that, then relaunch Risk of Rain 2.

This won’t delete your games or saves, it just forces Steam to rebuild its temporary files. It’s especially helpful if you’ve recently changed download regions or had interrupted updates, a fix often recommended in detailed game guides.

Troubleshoot Mod and DLC Conflicts

Risk of Rain 2 has a huge modding scene via r2modman and BepInEx. Mods can add insane replayability, but they’re also a common source of multiplayer headaches.

Disable All Mods Temporarily

If you or your friends are running mods, you need identical mod lists to play together. Even a single version mismatch (like one person running an outdated mod) will cause desyncs, crashes, or invisible lobbies.

Quick test:

1. Open r2modman or your mod manager.
2. Switch to a vanilla profile (no mods enabled).
3. Have all your friends do the same.
4. Try connecting again.

If it works, one of your mods is the culprit. Re-enable mods one by one to isolate which one breaks multiplayer. Commonly problematic mods include those that alter networking, HUD elements, or game balance (like custom items or survivors).

If you’re playing modded, consider hosting through r2modman’s built-in “Start Modded” option, which ensures all players sync mod configs correctly.

Ensure All Players Have Matching DLC

The Survivors of the Void DLC usually doesn’t block connections, but it can cause lobby crashes if DLC content is active and one player doesn’t own it. This is rare, but if you’re experiencing crashes specifically when selecting DLC survivors or stages, make sure everyone either owns the DLC or that you avoid DLC-exclusive content.

You can verify DLC ownership in Steam by right-clicking the game → Properties → DLC. Make sure the checkbox matches across all players in your group.

Advanced Solutions for Persistent Connection Failures

If you’ve tried everything above and still can’t connect, these nuclear options usually get things working.

Use Direct IP Connection Instead of Lobby Browser

Steam’s lobby browser can be flaky. If you can’t see your friend’s lobby or they can’t see yours, bypass it entirely with a direct IP connection.

How to connect via IP:

1. The host opens Risk of Rain 2 and starts a multiplayer game (Online, Host Game).
2. The host opens Command Prompt and types ipconfig. Note their IPv4 Address (local network IP, like 192.168.1.5).
3. If the host has port 27015 forwarded (see earlier section), they should instead share their public IP. Find this by Googling “what is my IP” on the host’s PC.
4. Other players open Risk of Rain 2, press F2 to open the console (or enable it in settings), then type:

connect [host's IP]:27015

5. Hit Enter. If everything’s configured right, you’ll join directly.

This method bypasses Steam’s matchmaking entirely and is surprisingly reliable once you’ve got port forwarding set up. It’s especially useful for LAN parties or when playing with a consistent group.

Reinstall the Game Completely

If nothing else works, a clean reinstall can fix deeply buried corruption issues that verification misses.

Do this the right way:

1. Uninstall Risk of Rain 2 via Steam.
2. Navigate to your Steam install folder (usually C:Program Files (x86)Steamsteamappscommon) and manually delete the Risk of Rain 2 folder if it still exists.
3. Also delete %AppData%..LocalLowHopoo Games, LLCRisk of Rain 2 to clear save data and config files (back these up first if you care about your unlocks).
4. Reinstall the game from Steam.

This is time-consuming, but it guarantees you’re working with a fresh install.

Update Network Drivers and Windows

Outdated network adapter drivers can cause packet loss, latency spikes, or connection drops that only affect certain games. This is especially common with Wi-Fi adapters.

To update drivers:

1. Open Device Manager (search in Start menu).
2. Expand Network adapters.
3. Right-click your active adapter (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) → Update driver → Search automatically.

Also make sure Windows is fully updated. Go to Settings → Windows Update and install any pending updates. Network stack improvements and security patches in Windows updates can fix obscure multiplayer bugs, particularly those affecting performance in PC gaming optimization guides.

Restart after updating and test again.

Platform-Specific Fixes for Console and Epic Games

Risk of Rain 2 multiplayer behaves differently depending on your platform. Here’s what to know if you’re not on Steam.

PlayStation (PS4/PS5):

• Make sure your PlayStation Network subscription (PS Plus) is active, you can’t play online without it.
• Check your NAT Type in PS5 settings under Network → Connection Status. NAT Type 2 is ideal: Type 3 will cause issues. If you’re on Type 3, enable UPnP in your router or set up port forwarding for PSN (ports 80, 443, 3478-3480).
• If lobbies aren’t appearing, try rebuilding the PS5 database (safe mode option). This won’t delete data but can fix corrupted network cache.

**Xbox (Xbox One/Series X

|

S):**

• Verify your Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate is active.
• Check NAT Type under Settings → General → Network Settings. Open NAT is best. If it’s Strict or Moderate, enable UPnP on your router or use the Xbox’s built-in Network troubleshooting tool.
• Xbox sometimes requires a full power cycle (hold the power button for 10 seconds, unplug, wait 30 seconds, plug back in) to refresh network settings.

Epic Games Store (PC):

• Epic’s version of Risk of Rain 2 uses Epic Online Services for matchmaking instead of Steam. This means you cannot cross-play with Steam users.
• Check that your Epic Games Launcher is up to date. Go to Settings → scroll down and verify “Automatically Update” is enabled.
• If you’re having issues connecting to Epic friends, disable the Epic Overlay (Settings → Preferences → uncheck “Enable Overlay”).
• Firewall rules for Epic are different, make sure EpicGamesLauncher.exe and Risk of Rain 2.exe are both whitelisted.

Nintendo Switch:

• Multiplayer on Switch is notoriously flaky due to Nintendo’s peer-to-peer infrastructure. Make sure your Nintendo Switch Online subscription is active.
• NAT Type matters here too. Check it under System Settings → Internet → Test Connection. If it’s Type D or C, you’ll struggle to connect. Port forwarding helps, but Switch uses a ton of dynamic ports, enabling UPnP is easier.
• Local wireless play (same room, no internet) is often more stable than online for Switch.

Conclusion

Risk of Rain 2’s multiplayer issues are almost always fixable once you know where to look. Whether it’s a stubborn firewall, a mismatched mod list, or a Strict NAT type, most connection problems come down to configuration rather than broken code.

Start with the quick fixes, restart, verify your connection, check server status. If those don’t work, move into firewall rules and port forwarding. And if you’re running mods or playing across different platforms, double-check that everyone’s on the same page.

The peer-to-peer nature of RoR2’s multiplayer means you have more control than in most games, but it also means more can go wrong. Once you’ve got your network dialed in, though, you’ll rarely have issues again. Now get back out there and loop.