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How to play the XIII online multiplayer on Windows 10/11 in 2023



Hi XIII fans!

The fact that you found this page in 2023 probably means you’re either quite serious about XIII fandom or just found the original classic XIII from 2003 thanks to the 2020 remake. Anyway, for those who’re not familiar with this website and my work around XIII, my name is Jan Kolařík and I was an active XIII gamer between 2004 and 2008 under the nickname Opaquit. During this period, I also created a couple of unofficial addons and patches for the PC version of the game (notably the patch 1.4 and Opaquit’s Enhanced XIII Server Launcher), mostly focusing on its online multiplayer which had an amazing community at that time. After 2008 I mostly lost track of what was happening around XIII due to the lack of time for video games and focusing on other, more serious work. However, I kept the Opaquit’s XIII Files website running in case someone still needed the downloads.

In 2012 Ubisoft shut down the official server which was keeping track of online multiplayer sessions. A great unofficial community around InsideXIII website quickly reacted and created an unofficial replacement, although the number of online gamers declined significantly as this solution required some extra research for non-hardcore fans. The unofficial server continued to live until 2016 and so did the gaming community itself, apparently.

In early 2018, however, I suddenly received a few emails from XIII fans thanking me for having kept my website running uninterrupted for almost XIII years. I realized that 10 years since I quit playing on a regular basis and stopped following XIII news would be a great time to quickly revisit XIII and do a one-time update to the website with instructions on how to play the online multiplayer. I also decided to launch a 24/7 game server as an experiment of gamers’ interest.

However, unbelievable things happened since 2018. First Arthur Muszynski, another XIII veteran, started the InsideXIII Discord channel and completely resurrected the XIII community while also launching two 24/7 game servers. Then he released a brand new unofficial patch 1.4.2.1 that makes it incredibly easy to join online multiplayer sessions and play the classic XIII on modern hardware with 64-bit Windows 10/Windows 11. More miracles had followed – the classic XIII re-appeared on GOG.com and for the first time ever became available for purchase on Steam... And most importantly – the remake of XIII was announced and got released for the PC and modern consoles in November 2020! Although the remake turned out to be a complete failure in all aspects, at least it is serving a purpose: reminding people how great and timeless the original from 2003 is. Also since the remake doesn’t feature online multiplayer this could be a great opportunity to re-visit the original’s multiplayer. So, here are instructions on how to play XIII online in 2023.

Huge thanks go to the entire community that has kept XIII active for so many years... and mainly to Arthur Muszynski aka Arufuru aka Locke, the biggest XIII hero of all time whose enthusiasm and countless hours of voluntary work resulted in the fact that there’s still such a thing as an active XIII gamers’ community almost 17 years after the original game’s release.


• • •

How to install XIII on Windows 10/Windows 11 and patch it for online multiplayer?
1) Install the classic XIII:
• If got your XIII from GOG.com or Steam, follow the standard installation process of these platforms. If you choose to install the game with advanced options, just make sure you remember which folder you’re installing the game in.

• If you have a retail version on four CDs or a DVD, just prepare the discs and skip to the next step. Do not run the installer from the CD/DVD.

Don’t have the classic 2003 XIII yet? The easiest way to get it is to buy and download a digital version from GOG.com. No DRM or other nasty copy protection methods are used here, your computer is safe.

Already got the retail CD/DVD version installed? Uninstalling it first is recommended (be sure to store your saved games safely). If you decide to keep it (functionality not guaranteed), however, treat it as the digital version in the next step.
2) Apply the latest unofficial patch from Arthur Muszynski:
• Download the patch here. Be sure to really get the one from 2019 by Arthur. My 1.4 patch from 2005 is already obsolete and won’t let you play online without hacking.

• Run the patch installer. Important – regarding the first step: If you have the GOG.com/Steam version of XIII, choose the option “Upgrade the existing XIII installation”, agree with the licensing terms and then select the path to the folder where your game is installed. The default path for the GOG.com edition is C:\GOG Games\XIII; for the Steam edition it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\XIII - Classic.

• Proceed to the next step to choose the installation components. Make sure that “XIII+ (Multiplayer Patch)” and “Optimize Input Settings” check boxes are checked. Also choose one of the three HD patches depending on your monitor’s aspect ratio (the most common full HD, HD ready, 4K and 2K monitors are 16:9; for less common resolutions follow the detailed instructions at Discord under #announcements). Click “Next”.

• If the installer asks you whether your existing XIII.ini file should be removed, click “Yes”.
3) Enjoy the fun!
Launch the game! To find the list of game sessions to join, go to “Multiplayer” > “Online Game Service”.
4) Join the InsideXIII community Discord
The InsideXIII channel is here – without a doubt the interwebs’ most active place for scheduling matches, getting updated patches, discussing technical issues with the game or just re-living the nostalgia through oldschool mid-2000s videos. Even if you don’t have a Discord account yet, creating one is worth it for this.


• • •

More 24/7 game servers than ever before!


I’m keeping two game servers running all the time:

• xiii.opaquit.com_1 – This one runs mostly stock, unmodified deathmatches in 19 different official maps (all of them except for FBI, USS-Patriot, Lost Temple, Platform 03 and SS-419), with occassional unmodified sabotages in Camp or Choland. The matches restart every hour at :00 with a randomly selected map.

• xiii.opaquit.com_2 – This one runs deathmatches in two of the most popular maps: FBI and USS-Patriot. Matches restart every hour at :30.

• InsideXIII.com_1 – For official maps in varying modes.

• InsideXIII.com_2 – For unofficial maps in varying modes. The selection basically covers all community maps ever created.


In order to connect to a game server, simply launch the original 2003 XIII and go to “Multiplayer” > “Online Game Service”. A web client is also available at the InsideXIII website, allowing you to see if there are any players online before launching the game.

Re-live these memorable maps! / Image credit: Arthur Muszynski


• • •

Additional resources


Want to run a dedicated game server too? Check the “How to Host” section of this page. An additional download of server libraries is required but don’t worry, links are on that page. Also be sure to forward ports 7777 and 7099 (both UDP) on your router to the computer you’re using to host. Note that a public IPv4 address is needed to make the servers work – consult your ISP for details.

People can’t connect to your multiplayer sessions created from within the game? The same port forwarding rules as stated above for dedicated servers apply. Public IPv4 address is required for proper functioning. This might be harder to obtain these days than it was in the days of classic XIII’s release. Consult your ISP for details.

Looking for XIIIEd, the official map editing software? Go to the InsideXIII Discord’s #mapping channel and request the installation files from Locke. Tutorials can be also found on this channel.

More links:
InsideXIII Discord – the most active XIII community
The most comprehensive and up to date database of mods, addons and maps
2003 XIII on PCGamingWiki – combine with the InsideXIII Discord for best troubleshooting results
Classic frag videos
XIII community on Steam
r/XIIIthegame subreddit
The original, classic XIII from 2003 for purchase on GOG.com
The original, classic XIII from 2003 for purchase on Steam
The 2020 PC remake of XIII for purchase on GOG.com
The 2020 PC remake of XIII for purchase on Steam
Eddielowfilthslayer’s 2020 fan site


Information about this website:
Opaquit's XIII Files | © 2005–2023 Opaquit | Get Firefox | XIII Game © 2003 Ubisoft