Why does my server shut down after 2 minutes?

If you see the message Server can't be reached by UDP messages, the game backend couldn’t reach your server. This isn’t caused by your configuration. Restart the server, and contact support if the message appears again.

Why have my track and cars reset to their defaults?

Your server_launcher.json was empty or wasn’t valid JSON when the server started, so the server recreated it with the default settings. Fix your copy of the file, upload it again, and restart the server.

Assetto Corsa Evo: Server Won't Start

Learn how to identify and quickly fix Assetto Corsa Evo game server startup issues using the console → Find out more

10 November 20264 min read0 Views0 helpful

Introduction

Is your Assetto Corsa Evo game server failing to start, shutting down shortly after startup, or suddenly running with completely different settings? In most cases, the console will tell you exactly what’s causing the problem. In this guide, we’ll show you how to read your server’s messages and fix the most common startup issues yourself.

Find the cause

Open your server in ZapX and switch to the Console tab. For Assetto Corsa Evo, the console is read-only, but it shows you everything your server does during startup.

Here’s how to tell if your server is running properly:

Shortly after startup, it displays sent lobby handshake. This means it has connected to the Assetto Corsa Evo game backend.
After that, a line containing BackendHeartbeat (Success: true) appears about every 2 minutes.
When drivers can see your server in the Server Browser or join it, lines containing Received Ping from appear.

If these lines are missing or your server shuts down, you’ll find the right solution below.

Problems and solutions

The first startup takes longer than expected

During the first startup and after a reinstall, your server first sets up its runtime environment. Assetto Corsa Evo is a Windows server that runs on ZapX in a compatible environment under Linux. This takes a little longer the first time. Let your server finish starting up, and don’t restart it while it’s doing so.

If the console displays the message Wine prefix could not be initialized after 3 attempts, your server couldn’t set up this environment. Restart it once. If the message appears again, contact our support team.

Message “Game mode RACE_WEEKEND selected but required data is missing”

If your server stops with the message Game mode RACE_WEEKEND selected but required data is missing or Fatal error, gamemode not found, the server_launcher.json contains a game mode that ZapX does not currently support. Your server runs in Training mode on ZapX.

Open server_launcher.json in the Configuration tab using Edit directly.
In the section, reset to .

Preventive measures

Download server_launcher.json from the Files tab before making any major changes. That way, you can always go back to your last working version.
Change only a few values at a time and restart your server afterward. If it stops starting, you’ll know right away which change caused the issue.
We automatically back up your game server every day. With the ZapX Pass, you can also create your own backups at any time and restore them with one click.

Still can’t find a solution?

Have you checked everything, but your server still won’t start? No worries—our support team is here for you every day. Just create a support chat in your ZapX customer account and describe the issue in as much detail as possible. The last few lines from your console are especially helpful.

Conclusion

With a valid server_launcher.json, your server will usually start without any issues and appear in the Server Browser shortly afterward. You can find more solutions, such as for connection issues, in our Common problems guide. If you have any other questions, our support team is available every day! 🙂

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

It’s usually due to an issue in server_launcher.json, such as an unsupported game mode or an invalid value. The console shows you what’s wrong during startup.

Shortly after startup, the console displays sent lobby handshake, followed by BackendHeartbeat (Success: true) about every 2 minutes.

The server_launcher.json is set to a race weekend, which ZapX doesn’t currently support. In the Event section, reset SelectedSessionTypeValue to GameModeType_PRACTICE and restart the server.

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