Your friends are already in a server, but your game shows a different list. Or a new dinosaur appears in a video and is missing from your selection screen. Before changing settings, check which version of The Isle everyone is actually using.
For an ordinary EVRIMA session, choose the EVRIMA public branch required by your server. Choose HordeTest when you specifically want to test an experimental build. Agree on the branch and server with friends before switching.
The cover is an AI-generated concept illustration. The two paths represent a choice of versions; they are not actual Gateway routes or screenshots.
Public EVRIMA and HordeTest have different jobs
The public EVRIMA branch is the released EVRIMA build. HordeTest, also called Hordetesting, is used to try changes before a public release. It gives players a chance to find problems and provide useful feedback. It is not a separate game purchase or a promise that everything being tested will reach public play unchanged.
A public release can still contain bugs: The Isle remains an Early Access game. The distinction is where an update is being tried, rather than whether a session can ever go wrong. Testing can involve changing mechanics, fixes and server availability during the same testing period.
| Your aim | Starting choice | Check before joining |
|---|---|---|
| Learn ordinary EVRIMA survival | The EVRIMA public branch | Your intended server uses that build. |
| Join an announced test | The announced HordeTest branch | The current announcement and available test servers. |
| Play with friends | The same branch as the group | Everyone has finished updating and chosen the same server. |
| Try something seen in a video | Check the video's branch first | Its date and whether the feature was released or only demonstrated. |
Pick the session before the download
If you have one evening to meet friends and grow a dinosaur, ask which server they plan to use first. Downloading a test because it sounds newer can leave you unable to join their public session. Choose testing when exploring changes and reporting problems is part of what you want from that evening.
Do not assume a character will follow you between branches or servers. Before leaving a session, follow its normal logout procedure and check any current test announcement for save or wipe information. The safe logout guide covers leaving the game; switching a Steam branch is a separate action.
Check your branch in Steam
- Close The Isle.
- In your Steam Library, right-click The Isle and open Properties.
- Open the version or beta selection section. Depending on the Steam client, it may be labelled Betas or Game Versions & Betas.
- Check the selected entry. Choose the EVRIMA public entry for a public EVRIMA session, or the Hordetesting entry specified by the current test announcement.
- Wait for Steam to finish downloading and installing the selected version before launching.
Do not choose an entry merely because it says “default” or “None.” Identify the version by its description and the server you need. Legacy is another version of The Isle, not another name for HordeTest; the EVRIMA and Legacy comparison explains that separate choice.
Valve documents how Steam branches distribute different builds. A branch change can require a download; it is not just a server-browser filter.
When friends can see a server and you cannot
Compare three details: the selected Steam branch, the game version shown after launching, and the exact server name. “I'm on EVRIMA” is not enough if one person means public EVRIMA and another means its current test.
If those match, check whether Steam has another update waiting and whether the server is restarting or updating. A full server, browser filter or temporary outage can also prevent a join. Avoid repeatedly switching branches without evidence of a mismatch. Use the server guide to work through the remaining checks.
A devblog is not a public release notice
Look for wording such as “in testing,” “work in progress” and “public branch.” For example, the developers' recent Steam updates discuss HordeTest fixes and development work. That does not establish that each mentioned dinosaur, migration change or visual effect is in your public build.
Check the date, named branch and release announcement together in The Isle's official Steam news. This guide explains the choice of versions rather than maintaining a temporary list of every feature in the current test.
Check map compatibility separately
TheIsleMinimap is designed around its supported EVRIMA Gateway map. Selecting HordeTest does not make an existing map image or reference layer automatically match experimental terrain changes. Compare the ground you see with the mapped references, especially after a game update.
The companion does not switch game branches or move characters between servers. Once you are in a compatible session, use a fresh Asset Location reading or coordinate copy to update your marker. The position-reading guide explains that workflow.
Quick answers
Is HordeTest required for public EVRIMA servers?
No. Install the version your intended server requires. Join a test deliberately, rather than as a general fix for connection problems.
Can friends on different branches play together?
Plan to use the same compatible build and server. A shared game title does not make different builds interchangeable.
Should a new player start with testing?
Public EVRIMA is a sensible starting point for learning normal play. Testing is an option when you are comfortable encountering unfinished changes.