Multiplayer Setup

Multiplayer Setup

The single most important page. Most "it doesn't work" reports are a setup issue, not a bug.

The rule

The mod must be installed on both the client AND the server, and every player must have it. It is not a client-only mod — the rounds, teams, maps, and tagging all run on the server.

Dedicated / hosted server

1. Install Fabric for Minecraft 1.21.1 on the server.
2. Put Fabric API and the Chameleon jar in the server's mods/ folder.
3. Restart the server.
4. Every player joining also needs Fabric + Fabric API + the Chameleon jar on their client.
5. Make sure the server's mod version matches the players' version. Run /mcinfo — it flags a version mismatch. A stale server jar is the #1 cause of features "not doing anything."

LAN / play with friends

1. The host and every player installs Fabric + Fabric API + the Chameleon jar (same version).
2. The host opens a world to LAN (or you all join one player's world).
3. The host uses /mcadmin to set up teams and start.

Maps & arenas

You don't need a special world — Chameleon works in any world. A "map" is just a saved spawn point.

• Make one: stand where players should spawn and run /mcmap add <name> (or use the Maps row in the /chameleon panel). Set a lobby with /mclobby set. Add a thumbnail by dropping <name>.png into the world's chameleon/thumbs/ folder (it shows up in the map vote).
• Maps live inside the world save (<world>/chameleon/), so your whole setup — arenas, lobby, thumbnails — travels with the world. Copy or zip the world folder and everything comes with it. That's how a ready-made map pack works: unzip a world into your saves/ (or your server's world folder) and it's already set up.
• Worlds from before the 2026-07-23 rename kept this data in a differently-named folder; the mod moves it to chameleon/ automatically the first time it loads such a world.
• No maps yet? You don't even need them — /chameleon play starts a round in place, wherever players are standing.

Common mistakes

• Only the client has the mod → you see the items/keys but rounds don't start or nothing happens on the server. Install it on the server too.
• Version mismatch between server and players → server-side features silently do nothing. Match versions; check with /mcinfo.
• Missing Fabric API → the game crashes on launch or the mod doesn't load. Install Fabric API.
• Wrong Minecraft version → this mod is 1.21.1 only.

Still stuck? See the FAQ or ask in the Discord.