How to fix the Project Zomboid failed to establish p2p connection Error

To fix the Project Zomboid failed to establish p2p connection Error, you will need to attempt a few troubleshooting steps. The first is to locate and delete the server and save config files inside the Zomboid folder.

However, this is not guaranteed to work, but has been confirmed to work for some players. Because of this we only recommend this option if you are out of other options. If you choose to use this method, make sure to backup everything before deleting any files.

Related: How to fix Project Zomboid workshop item version is different than server’s error

That said, you can find both the server and save folders inside the Zomboid folder on your main hard drive.

• C:\Users\yourusernamehi:D\Zomboid

Inside this folder, look for the server and save folders. You will need to delete both the config files located inside save and server in both folders. Under saves, you will need to delete the multiplayer folder's config files. In the server folder, you will need to delete the server config.

That said, here's the exact address for both folders:

• C:\Users\yourusername\Zomboid\Saves\Multiplayer
• C:\Users\yourusername\Zomboid\Server

Once you have deleted both config files, you will need to download the server again. After downloading the server, it should load up and start as expected.

Another method you can try if you don't want to go with the nuclear option is to launch either StartServer32 or StartServer 64. You can find both bat files inside the steamapp folder, and launching them should allow you to load the server up.

The last method we recommend trying is to open the Steam UDP port 8766 manually. Doing so should allow the server through your firewall, and start up as normal.

If nothing fixes the server, it may be due to the Steam’s p2p network being overwhelmed. Because of this, it may be wise to wait and check back later to see if anything has improved on Steam's end.

For more on Project Zomboid, we at PGG have you covered.