Short answer
Do I have to rebuild my FS25 server for Beans & Alpacas?No. Your existing save carries on and the new machines appear at the dealer after the update. Only the new map Catuai needs a new savegame - the old one stays intact.
What to do and when
The Beans & Alpacas Expansion releases on 27 October 2026. For a multiplayer server, release day is rarely the calmest moment: start then and you may end up hunting for a backup while impatient players wait. The preparation takes about half an hour and can be done any time beforehand.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Now | Back up the savegame, review your mods, decide about the map |
| Shortly before 27 Oct | Fresh backup, let your players know |
| On 27 Oct | Bring game and server to the same version, only then join |
Back up the savegame
The most important step, and the only one you cannot catch up on afterwards. A backup takes two minutes and can save months of progress.
Stop the server
A savegame that is written while you copy it can end up unusable. Stop first, then back up.
Download the savegame folder
Use FTP to pull the complete savegame1 folder (or whichever number your save uses) to your own computer — not just individual files.
Put the date in the name
For example savegame1_before_beans_2026-10-26. By the third backup nobody remembers which one is the good one.
Automatic backups are not always enough. Many run overnight and overwrite each other. If the update goes wrong in the morning, the most recent automatic backup may already be the one from afterwards.
Review your mods
With expansions, mods are the most common reason a server refuses to start. Two things are worth clarifying in advance.
First: which mods do you actually need? Every expansion brings its own machinery, and some mods become redundant. The fewer mods you run, the smaller the margin for error.
Second: are your mods up to date? With update 1.24.0.0 of 29 September 2026, GIANTS disabled the Lua function loadstring for security reasons and added a warning for getUniqueUserId(), which is due to be removed in a later update. Mods relying on those either no longer work or will stop working soon. If you have not updated your mods since late September, do it before the expansion.
Test without mods: If the server will not start after the update, disable all mods and start again. If it runs, switch them back on in groups — that finds the culprit in minutes instead of hours.
New map or existing save?
Catuaí is a map of its own. Your existing savegame will not suddenly move to South America. You have two options.
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Keep the existing save | You carry on as before. The new machines appear at the dealer, but coffee and alpacas need the new map. |
| New save on Catuaí | A fresh start with everything new. The old save stays intact as long as you do not delete it. |
Switching maps is not a move: progress, buildings and machinery stay in the old save. If you want to start fresh on Catuaí, create a second savegame and keep the old one.
Everyone on the server needs the expansion
As with every FS25 DLC: anyone who wants to see and use the new content has to own the expansion. For your game night, settle that question beforehand rather than on release evening. The expansion costs EUR 26.99 and is also part of the Year 2 Season Pass at EUR 34.99, together with the Vredo Pack and the SKY Agriculture Pack.
On release day
Take a fresh backup
Even if you made one two weeks ago — nobody wants to lose two weeks of progress.
Get server and game onto the same version
Client and server must run the same game version, otherwise nobody gets in. To check: whether the dedicated server needs an update of its own on release day was not officially confirmed when this guide was written — look at the server's version on 27 October and compare it with the game's.
Test first, invite afterwards
Join on your own, look around for two minutes, save the game. If that works, let the others in.
Everything about the contents of the expansion — coffee, alpacas, Brahman cattle, machines and prices — is in the guide FS25 Beans & Alpacas Expansion.
Checklist
- Savegame downloaded and named with the date
- Mods up to date, unused ones removed
- Decided whether a new save on Catuaí is created
- All players know they need the expansion
- On 27 Oct: fresh backup, versions matched, tested alone
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to rebuild my FS25 server for Beans & Alpacas?
Does every player need the Beans & Alpacas Expansion?
What happens to my mods?
How do I back up the savegame properly?
Questions about this guide?
Stuck on a step? Get in touch – we're happy to help.
Last updated: 2026-10-03 · Written by the Agrar Chaoten team