How to Fish Multiplayer Not Working: Official Checks

Run low-risk checks grounded in official notes

A lobby failure can look identical even when the underlying conditions differ. Collect the version, lobby type, host/join role and Relay result before you retry. That turns “multiplayer is broken” into a report the developer can act on.

1. Install the same current game update on every PC, then fully restart Steam.
2. Confirm whether the host is using a public, friends or invite-only private session.
3. If you changed session type in the server settings, restart as required by the official patch note.
4. Open the main-menu Steam connection diagnostic and note whether Steam Relay turns red.
5. Retry once with the same host and once with another player hosting; record which direction fails.

When Steam Relay is red

Patch 1.0.9 added a brief connection check to the main menu. The official note directs players with a red Relay result to the Community Discord common-bugs channel; it does not publish a single local fix.

Include the screenshot or exact Relay wording, game version, lobby type, region and whether the problem affects hosting, joining or both. Avoid deleting saves, changing router security or disabling protection software as a first response.