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Finding Sessions

This guide explains how to discover available multiplayer sessions in Unreal Engine using the SteamCore plugin. The Find SteamCore Sessions node allows you to retrieve a list of active sessions, with the option to apply Search Settings filters to refine the results and exclude unwanted sessions.

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A Video Tutorial is available to guide you through the process: Setting Up Steam Multiplayer.

Finding Sessions​

To locate multiplayer sessions, use the following approach:

  1. Use the Find SteamCore Sessions Node:

    • In your game logic (e.g., Game Instance or Menu Blueprint), add the Find SteamCore Sessions node.
    • This node queries Steam servers for available sessions and returns a list of sessions that can be joined.

    Find SteamCore Sessions Example

  2. Create a Server List UI:

    • Populate a list of widgets with the found sessions to allow players to select a server to join.
    • For a working example, refer to the Blueprint sample project included with SteamCore, which demonstrates a functional server list UI.

    Server List Widget Example

Example Workflow​

  • Add the Find SteamCore Sessions node to your menu Blueprint.
  • On success, loop through the returned session list and create widget instances to display server details (e.g., name, player count).
  • Connect a Join Session node to the player’s selection event to join the chosen server.

Search Filtering Options​

You can refine the session search results using Search Settings to filter out unwanted sessions based on custom criteria.

  1. Configure Search Settings:

    • Add a Search Settings structure to the Find SteamCore Sessions node.
    • Set filters such as boolean flags, session names, or other metadata defined by your game.

  2. Example Filter:

    • The example below filters sessions to only include those with the "UsingSteamCore" boolean set to true.

    Search Settings Filter Example

Steps​

  • Create a Search Settings variable and set the UsingSteamCore key to true.
  • Pass this structure to the Find SteamCore Sessions node before executing the search.
  • Verify that the returned session list matches your filter criteria.