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Fix “This server requires you to connect with Velocity.”

Applies to: Velocity modern forwarding to a supported backend for Minecraft 1.13+; current Paper structure differs from Paper 1.18.2 and older.
Documentation checked .

This server requires you to connect with Velocity. is a documented refusal associated with Velocity modern forwarding. It can appear when a client reaches a backend directly or when the proxy and backend disagree about forwarding. The right fix is to restore the intended authenticated proxy path, not to disable backend protections so any connection succeeds.

Establish which endpoint was used

Record the public hostname and port the player entered, the time of the attempt and the backend named in the proxy log. Compare the hostname's DNS/SRV route with the address advertised for the proxy. A saved client entry pointing to an old backend can produce a different result from the current public address.

Ask whether the player can reach the proxy and whether the failure occurs only while switching to one backend. If every player fails before reaching any backend, investigate the shared entry path. If one destination fails, compare that backend's configuration with a working destination without copying secrets into a ticket.

Compare the forwarding mode

Use the documentation for your exact Velocity and backend releases. Modern forwarding is intended for supported Minecraft 1.13+ connections, with additional backend requirements. Paper 1.21.11 and current 26.x releases use the modern Paper configuration structure, while Paper 1.18.2 and older place the related options elsewhere.

Check the effective player-info-forwarding-mode in velocity.toml. For a network deliberately using modern forwarding, it should select modern. Then inspect whether the backend enables Velocity forwarding and uses the matching shared secret. Compare secrets privately; do not print them in screenshots, public logs or a support message visible to other customers.

Also check whether legacy BungeeCord forwarding was left enabled alongside the modern arrangement. Forwarding modes are not interchangeable. A related complaint that the backend did not request forwarding may point to the opposite side of the same configuration mismatch. Follow the documented mode consistently rather than toggling options until a connection happens to pass.

Keep the trust boundary intact

A proxy-backed backend normally delegates account authentication to the proxy under the documented configuration. That arrangement depends on restricting direct backend access and preserving forwarding verification. Do not turn off authentication on the public proxy, expose an unauthenticated backend or remove the shared secret as a shortcut.

Game hosting users should ask support to confirm backend reachability restrictions instead of running host firewall commands. If the network was intended to be a standalone server rather than a proxy backend, have the administrator review the whole authentication design before removing forwarding requirements. That is a different deployment decision, not a one-line universal fix.

Apply and verify a coordinated correction

Save private copies of the relevant configurations and arrange a maintenance window. Correct the identified route or forwarding mismatch and restart only the components that require it through their normal management workflow. Do not change world data or player UUID handling speculatively.

Connect through the public proxy with an ordinary authenticated account, switch to the affected backend and verify the expected identity, permissions and inventory. Ask support to confirm that unintended direct backend access remains blocked. A successful proxy join alone does not prove that restriction.

If the trial fails, restore the saved matched configuration and retain both sides' logs. Stop making further identity-related changes until the route, mode and secret are understood. No reinstall or world reset is required to diagnose a forwarding refusal.

Official references

Velocity documented forwarding refusal. Velocity modern forwarding configuration. Velocity backend security.

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