[BUG] Steam Connect URL does not work for many different games

[Winston]

Issue

The steam://connect/{ip:port} no longer works the way it used to in both the current Beta and Main branches of Steam. I went through every game option listed in the Steam Game Servers browser and the issue is not game specific, it affects many games but not every game.

Connect link worked fine for (tested)
- Age of Chivalry
- Counter Strike: Source
- Team Fortress 2
- D.i.p.r.i.p Warm Up
- Garry's Mod
- Half-Life
- Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
- Half-Life Deathmatch: Source
- Just Cause 2: Multiplayer Mod
- Left 4 Dead
- Opposing Force
- Synergy

Connect link errors for (tested)
- Arma 3
- Hell Let Loose
- Post Scriptum
- Risk of Rain 2
- Rust
- Spacewar
- Squad
- Squad - Public Testing
- The Ship
- Valheim

OS & Steam Version

Windows 11
Steam Version: 1696019606
Steam Client Build Date: Fri, Sep 29 2:45 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Fri, Sep 29 4:25 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020

Steps

• On the steam window menu bar click View > Game Servers
  
• Search for a game server from one of the erroring games listed above
  
• Right click a game server and click Copy link to clipboard
  
• Open the steam server connect link somehow
  
  • Method A: Open Windows Run (Win+R), paste the connect link, and click OK
    
  • Method B: Create a clickable link with it somewhere and click on it
    

Results

A server info popup appears with an error message:

Unable to connect to server, app id specified by server is invalid

Expected

Any of the following

• A popup asking to install the game
  
• The game launches and attempts to join the server
  
• The game attempts to join the server if already running

Additional

Additional games I did not see in the Steam Browser but give the same error. Verified by copying the ip:port from the BattleMetrics Servers[www.battlemetrics.com] list for each game listed below and using it in the same connect link format.

- 7 Days to Die
- ARK: Survival Evolved
- ArmA 2
- Atlas
- Battalion 1944
- Beyond the Wire
- Conan Exiles
- Dark and Light
- DayZ
- Insurgency
- Insurgency: Sandstorm
- MORDHAU
- Myth of Empires
- PixARK
- Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
- SCUM
- The Front
- Unturned
- V Rising

[Winston]

If anyone could help confirm additional games affected by this issue it may be helpful. Go through the steam server browser like I did and check any I did not list here.

[SwedishNinja]

Just wanted to add my +1 to please fix this issue. I'm mostly interested in Hell Let Loose being fixed.

[Winston]

Same! I've been working on a web server browser for HLL but no point in sharing it with the community when join links don't work haha
https://mattw.io/hll-server-browser/?filter=en

[Kolbasov]

The same trouble with my server browser for HLL.

[Winston]

I noticed a beta update back on Aug 23rd mentioned some fix related to the connect link. I assume this is why some games work fine but apparently it didn't fix it for every game.

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/announcements/detail/3686812408446101892

Issue is still present in the latest beta update today.

Steam Version: 1696971271
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Oct 10 5:37 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Tue, Oct 10 4:29 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020

[Louis Bang Bang]

One solution is to run the "command" first before connecting. This works for my ARK Survival Evolved server:

Syntax: steam://run/<GAMEID>//+connect%20<IP:PORT>

Example:
steam://run/346110//+connect%2023.88.7.42:17000

GameID, see here https://steamdb.info/app/346110/

The disadvantage is that the game itself may not be running yet. If the game is already running, it is not possible to connect to the desired server/IP:port (and no "error message" appears) - at least for ARK Survival Evolved. So we should get a solution from Steam again with "connect" directly.

[Winston]

I did experiment with trying to find a workaround like that but didn't work too well for Hell Let Loose specifically. The +connect launch param did work when manually set in the game property launch options but not dynamically from the browser protocol in that format unfortunately.

[Winston]

I went through servers for all the games listed by BattleMetrics and added many more to the additional affected games list.

[Winston]

Still broken in latest beta update

Steam Version: 1698185488
Steam Client Build Date: Tue, Oct 24 6:22 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Tue, Oct 24 5:47 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020

[Winston]

Still broken in latest beta update

Steam Version: 1698890449
Steam Client Build Date: Wed, Nov 1 8:53 PM UTC -08:00
Steam Web Build Date: Wed, Nov 1 9:31 PM UTC -08:00
Steam API Version: SteamClient020

[VlwaysHim]

Originally posted by Louis Bang Bang:

One solution is to run the "command" first before connecting. This works for my ARK Survival Evolved server:

Syntax: steam://run/<GAMEID>//+connect%20<IP:PORT>

Example:
steam://run/346110//+connect%2023.88.7.42:17000

GameID, see here https://steamdb.info/app/346110/

The disadvantage is that the game itself may not be running yet. If the game is already running, it is not possible to connect to the desired server/IP:port (and no "error message" appears) - at least for ARK Survival Evolved. So we should get a solution from Steam again with "connect" directly.

Can confirm this does work indeed. Ive tried it with Conan Exiles and it worked. When the Funcom launcher loads which theres a seperate work around on that, just click the Continue on the funcom launcher and youll load straight into the game after the intro screen.

[suntrip]

Originally posted by Louis Bang Bang:

One solution is to run the "command" first before connecting. This works for my ARK Survival Evolved server:

Syntax: steam://run/<GAMEID>//+connect%20<IP:PORT>

Example:
steam://run/346110//+connect%2023.88.7.42:17000

GameID, see here https://steamdb.info/app/346110/

The disadvantage is that the game itself may not be running yet. If the game is already running, it is not possible to connect to the desired server/IP:port (and no "error message" appears) - at least for ARK Survival Evolved. So we should get a solution from Steam again with "connect" directly.

You beautiful soul! This worked for my local Rust server as well. For some reason I can't get it to show up in the server browser under LAN so that workaround didn't work, but this new shortcut works just like the old shortcut did. I'm a happy camper :)

[[BWCC] Sli]

When will this be fixed 😭

[Longopy]

Originally posted by Louis Bang Bang:

One solution is to run the "command" first before connecting. This works for my ARK Survival Evolved server:

Syntax: steam://run/<GAMEID>//+connect%20<IP:PORT>

Example:
steam://run/346110//+connect%2023.88.7.42:17000

GameID, see here https://steamdb.info/app/346110/

The disadvantage is that the game itself may not be running yet. If the game is already running, it is not possible to connect to the desired server/IP:port (and no "error message" appears) - at least for ARK Survival Evolved. So we should get a solution from Steam again with "connect" directly.

This worked for me

[LoremIpsum]

This works for me

steam://rungameid/gameid//+connect <IP:Port>