How to Fish guide Community-reported / Limited confirmation

How to Fish Version Mismatch Fix

How to Fish Version Mismatch lobby checks: restart Steam, install pending updates for every player, confirm the message and avoid destructive reinstall advice.

Checked 2026-09-16 · Applies to Steam Discussion checked 2026-09-16; exact game build not stated

Quick Answer

If a lobby shows “Disconnected: version mismatch,” have the host and every joining player fully restart Steam, install any pending How to Fish update, then retry the same lobby. This is a limited community observation, not a confirmed universal fix. Do not reinstall Steam or delete saves as a first step.

Safe lobby checks

Have the host and every joining player leave the lobby and exit How to Fish.
Fully restart Steam for each player, then check whether a How to Fish update appears.
Install the update for every participant before the host opens a new lobby.
Retry with the same host and a single joining player first, then add the remaining players.
Record the exact disconnect message, game build if visible, host/client role and whether an update was pending.

What the community report supports

A Steam Discussion includes players who saw the message after a compatibility-mode change and could not join friends. Other replies say restarting Steam revealed a pending update and allowed a later join. This supports checking updates after a restart; it does not prove that compatibility mode, Steam itself, a specific operating system, a save, or every lobby causes the mismatch.

If the message continues

Keep the report concise: include the exact text, affected Steam accounts only if support requests them, game update status, host/client role, compatibility settings changed, and whether a fresh lobby behaves differently. This page does not claim a verified repair beyond the update check.