How to Install Mods on an Icarus Server (Pak Files and IMM)

Q: What is the purpose of IMM_Merged_Mod.txt?

It accompanies IMM_Merged_Mod_P.pak as an identifier for the mod set installed on the server. Keeping the text file beside the merged package makes it easier to determine which set was deployed when you revisit the server later.

Q: Can I leave the ZIP file in the mods folder?

No. Extract the archive first and upload the actual .pak directly into the lowercase Icarus/Content/Paks/mods directory. A compressed archive or an extra nested folder will not be loaded as the mod package.

To install a mod on an Icarus dedicated server, stop the server, back up its files and prospect saves, create the exact lowercase Icarus/Content/Paks/mods folder, and upload the mod’s extracted .pak file. Start the server again, then give every player the identical mod file. For several mods, build one merged package with Icarus Mod Manager (IMM) and copy that same output to the server and every client.

Icarus has no official Workshop-style mod system. RocketWerkz’s 2024 FAQ states, “We don’t provide official mod support for Icarus.” Community packages can work, but weekly game updates may break them and a mod can affect save data, so treat installation as a change that requires version checks and a restorable backup.

What should I prepare before installing an Icarus server mod?

Have server file access, a compatible community mod, and a backup before changing anything. The safest setup also includes an unmodded client or a test copy so you can verify the package before other players join.

Confirm access and a recovery point

Use the host’s control panel and file manager, an SFTP account, or direct access to the Windows dedicated-server installation.
Download the mod from its author’s community distribution source, such as ProjectDaedalus or Nexus Mods, and read its installation notes.
Back up the complete server configuration and relevant prospect/save data. Mod readmes warn that item, recipe, inventory, or other gameplay changes can affect saves; the backup is your recovery path if the mod is removed or fails.

Check the mod’s game-week compatibility

Icarus updates weekly. A package made for an earlier game week can stop loading or cause errors after a patch. Check the release label or readme before installing, and check again after every game update. Community collections commonly identify builds by week and instruct players to update after patches.

Choose the installation method

Situation	Best approach	Why
One standalone `.pak`	Manual upload	Fewest moving parts; you place the extracted file directly in the server’s mods folder.
Several mods or IMM-format downloads	IMM merged set	A single merged package gives the server and clients one identical mod file and reduces conflicts between separate packages.
Hosted Linux/container server	Control-panel file manager or SFTP	The panel commonly exposes the container path directly.
Self-hosted Windows server	Windows Explorer or SFTP	The server uses the same relative `IcarusContentPaksmods` structure with Windows separators.

What does Icarus’s lack of official mod support mean?

There is no RocketWerkz Workshop, official mod browser, or supported one-click synchronization service for these packages. The developer FAQ’s wording is explicit: “We don’t provide official mod support for Icarus.” In practice, administrators install community-created files and are responsible for checking compatibility, distributing them to players, and restoring a backup if a package damages a prospect.

That status does not mean every community mod is unusable. It means installation details come from the author, not from a guaranteed game-wide standard. One author may provide a single pak; another may require configuration entries; a third may publish an IMM-ready collection. Always follow the readme accompanying the exact release you downloaded.

Where is the Icarus server mods folder?

The folder is below the server’s Icarus/Content/Paks directory. Create it yourself if it does not exist, and spell it mods in lowercase; Mods and MODS will not load.

Installation	Path
Hosted Linux or container panel	`/home/container/Icarus/Content/Paks/mods`
Windows dedicated server	`IcarusContentPaksmods`
Local Steam client	`SteamsteamappscommonIcarusIcarusContentPaksmods`

Your host may place the first part of the path elsewhere, but the ending must remain Icarus/Content/Paks/mods. Do not create mods beside Content, inside another mods folder, or under an archive’s temporary directory.

How to recognize the correct directory

Start from the directory that contains the server’s Icarus folder, then open Content and Paks. The destination should be a normal folder named mods, not a compressed file and not a second game installation created by an SFTP upload. If a hosting panel hides the installation root, use its search or ask for the server’s SFTP root; do not guess by creating a parallel directory.

How do I manually install one .pak mod?

Manual installation is the clearest option when the author supplies a single standalone .pak. Perform the file change while the server is stopped, and do not let a ZIP file or an extra directory remain between the package and the mods folder.

Stop the server. Use the panel’s Stop control or shut down the Windows service/process. Wait until it is fully offline so it cannot overwrite files while you are changing them.
Back up the server. Save the server files and the relevant prospect data in a separate location. Name the backup with the date and the mod/version you are about to install.
Download a compatible release. Obtain the author’s .pak for your current game week. If the download is a ZIP or another archive, extract it on your computer first.
Inspect the extracted contents. Confirm that the package you intend to upload is the actual .pak. If the archive contains a readme, keep it with your deployment notes and apply any additional instructions it lists.
Open the Paks directory. In the panel or SFTP client, open Icarus/Content/Paks. On Windows, browse to the equivalent IcarusContentPaks directory.
Create the folder if needed. Add a directory named exactly mods, all lowercase. Case differences can prevent detection.
Upload the actual package. Place the .pak directly in mods. Do not upload the ZIP itself, leave the file in a nested folder, or add an extra archive layer.
Apply any configuration required by the author. Some mods also require entries in Icarus/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/Game.ini or Engine.ini. Copy those entries exactly as documented; a .pak alone is not sufficient for those packages.
Start and test. Restart the server, join with a client carrying the same file, and test the mod’s affected feature before inviting the rest of the group.

For a hosted service, the upload may finish before the panel has written the file completely. Wait for the file manager to show the upload as complete, then restart. On a self-hosted machine, make the same change only in the directory used by the running dedicated-server executable.

How do I install several mods with Icarus Mod Manager?

IMM is useful when you have more than one mod or when downloads are supplied in the manager’s format. Build the set on a client PC with Icarus installed, test it locally, and then distribute the resulting files rather than asking each player to assemble the set independently.

Install or obtain Icarus Mod Manager on the client PC.
Run IcarusModManager.exe.
Download or import the required mods through the manager.
Double-click each selected mod to add it to the install list.
Choose the manager’s install/merge action to create one combined package.
Confirm that IMM produced IMM_Merged_Mod_P.pak and IMM_Merged_Mod.txt.
Stop the dedicated server and back it up before changing its files.
Copy both IMM output files into the server’s lowercase Icarus/Content/Paks/mods directory. Keeping the text file with the package lets you identify the server’s mod set later.
Give every player the same merged .pak built by IMM. Test the merged set locally before the group joins.

Separate packages can conflict when several mods alter the same game assets. Merging the chosen set provides one distribution artifact; it does not make an incompatible mod compatible with a new game week, so retain the compatibility checks and backup process.

When to rebuild the merged file

Rebuild whenever you add, remove, or replace one component, or when a mod author publishes a new release for a later game week. Do not edit the merged pak by hand or let one player update only one component. Replace the server’s pair of IMM files and redistribute the new pair as a single coordinated change.

Do players need the same mods as the server?

Yes. Every connecting player should have the same mod files as the server. A server-side upload does not automatically install files on players’ computers, and a client with a different package can fail to join or produce errors.

Distribute a single standalone mod

Send the exact .pak that is in the server’s mods folder to each player. Have everyone place it in their local Steam path, SteamsteamappscommonIcarusIcarusContentPaksmods, using the same lowercase folder name.

Distribute an IMM set

Give each player the merged package generated from the same IMM install list. Do not let different players add, remove, or update individual components after the server package has been built; rebuild the merged file and redistribute it when the set changes.

Keep a simple deployment record

Record the mod name, author release, and game-week target.
Keep the exact server filename and the copy distributed to players together.
When troubleshooting, compare the server’s file with every player’s file instead of relying on a recollection of which release was downloaded.
For IMM, retain IMM_Merged_Mod.txt beside the pak so the selected set can be identified later.

What is the difference between a hosted panel and a Windows server installation?

The file operation is the same, but the way you reach the directory differs. A hosted panel usually provides Stop, Start, and file-manager controls; a self-hosted Windows installation requires you to stop the dedicated-server process and edit the installation directory directly.

Task	Hosted Linux/container panel	Self-hosted Windows
Stop before editing	Use the panel’s server stop control	Stop the service or dedicated-server process
Mods directory	`/home/container/Icarus/Content/Paks/mods` is commonly exposed	`IcarusContentPaksmods`
Upload method	Panel file manager or SFTP	Windows Explorer or SFTP
Restart	Use the panel’s start/restart control	Launch or restart the dedicated-server service
Configuration files	Use the server’s exposed `Icarus/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/` path	Edit the equivalent `IcarusSavedConfigWindowsServer` files

Some hosts hide the installation root, so search within the server’s file manager for Icarus and then follow the relative path. If the panel does not expose file access, use the SFTP credentials supplied by the host rather than creating a second, unrelated game directory.

What a managed host can and cannot do

Managed Icarus hosting services commonly provide the stop/start controls, file manager, and SFTP access needed for this procedure. They do not turn community paks into officially supported content. You still need to select a compatible release, retain backups, and distribute the client copy. Before purchasing a service, verify that its current panel exposes Icarus/Content/Paks/mods and permits the configuration-file edits a particular mod requires.

Why are my Icarus mods not loading?

Check the following in order. Most failures come from a wrong directory name, an archive that was never extracted, a server that was not restarted, mismatched client files, or a package made for a different weekly build.

Verify the directory name. The final folder must be lowercase mods under Icarus/Content/Paks. Rename Mods or MODS.
Verify the file type and location. The folder must contain the actual .pak, not a ZIP, RAR, or another directory containing the package.
Restart after every file change. Stop the server, make the change, and start it again. A running process may not detect a newly uploaded package.
Compare client and server files. Ensure every player has the identical standalone or merged file. A missing or different copy can block joining or trigger errors.
Check the compatibility week. Read the mod’s release notes and update it after an Icarus patch. If the author has not released a build for the current week, remove the package only after preserving the backup.
Read the mod-specific instructions. Add required Game.ini or Engine.ini settings under Icarus/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ when the author calls for them.
Test the set, not just one file. If you installed multiple standalone paks, rebuild and deploy one IMM merged set to rule out asset conflicts.
Check that you edited the active server. A common panel mistake is uploading to a neighboring or test instance. Confirm the server name and its Icarus root before restarting.

How do updates and save data affect a modded server?

Handle a weekly game patch as a compatibility event. Before updating the server, note the current mod release, preserve the pre-update backup, and check whether the author has published a package for the new week.

After an Icarus patch

Stop the server before applying the game update or changing mod files.
Keep the last known-good server and prospect backup.
Check each mod’s current-week release notes.
Update the server and client files as one coordinated change.
Test with one player before the entire group resumes the prospect.

Before removing a mod

If the mod added items, recipes, inventory changes, or other content to an existing prospect, do not assume the save is safe to load after removal. When the author warns that save data may be affected, restore the backup made before installation instead of experimenting with the live prospect.

Rollback procedure

Stop the server and prevent players from launching the affected prospect.
Save the current mod files and configuration separately for diagnosis.
Restore the backed-up pak set and any changed Game.ini or Engine.ini entries.
Restore the pre-change prospect data if the mod author warns that the save was altered.
Restart and test with the same client files that match the restored server set.

Does modding change the Icarus player limit?

No player-capacity increase is established by the mod installation process. RocketWerkz’s FAQ figure of up to seven other people describes the game’s peer-to-peer capacity, not a special limit or expansion created by dedicated-server mods. Mods change the files and configuration used by the game; they do not turn that contextual player figure into a larger supported capacity.

What is the safest repeatable workflow?

Use the same sequence whenever you add, update, or remove a package:

Record the mod release and target game week.
Stop the server.
Back up server files and prospect data.
Build and test an IMM merged set when more than one mod is involved.
Place the extracted package directly in the lowercase mods directory.
Apply documented configuration-file changes.
Deploy the identical files to every client.
Restart the server and test before opening it to the full group.
Keep the backup and deployment record until the new set has survived a normal play session and the next game update.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Icarus Mod Manager when the dedicated server runs Linux?

Yes. IMM is run on a client PC with the game installed, so the server operating system does not prevent you from building the merged package. Transfer the generated files to the Linux server’s lowercase mods directory and give the same package to the players.

What is the purpose of IMM_Merged_Mod.txt?

It accompanies IMM_Merged_Mod_P.pak as an identifier for the mod set installed on the server. Keeping the text file beside the merged package makes it easier to determine which set was deployed when you revisit the server later.

Will installing a mod let more than seven other players join?

No. The often-quoted “up to 7 other people” figure is a peer-to-peer capacity reference from the developer FAQ, not a benefit of adding server paks. Mod files should be treated as gameplay changes, not as a player-slot expansion.

Where should I look when a mod author publishes a replacement after a patch?

Start with the same community page or distribution source from which you obtained the package, then read the release note for its target game week. Replace the server and client files as one coordinated deployment rather than updating only the server.

Can I leave the ZIP file in the mods folder?

No. Extract the archive first and upload the actual .pak directly into the lowercase Icarus/Content/Paks/mods directory. A compressed archive or an extra nested folder will not be loaded as the mod package.

Do I need to restart after uploading a pak?

Yes. Stop and start the server after every mod-file or configuration change, then connect with a client carrying the identical files.

What if the mod requires Game.ini or Engine.ini changes?

Follow the author’s readme and add the specified entries under Icarus/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/. Uploading the pak alone will not satisfy a mod that documents additional configuration.

Is there a central official download or Workshop for Icarus mods?

No. RocketWerkz says it does not provide official mod support. Community authors distribute packages through sources such as ProjectDaedalus or Nexus Mods, so use the author’s page and instructions for the release you install.

The Bottom Line

Install community Icarus mods as a controlled file deployment: stop the server, back up the server and prospect data, use the exact lowercase Icarus/Content/Paks/mods path, upload extracted .pak files, and restart. Keep server and client files identical; for multiple mods, build and distribute one IMM merged set. Recheck compatibility after every weekly patch and retain the backup before removing a mod that may have changed a save.