How to Enable Steam GOG Crossplay in Atre: Dominance Wars (A Complete Guide)

Yes, full Steam GOG crossplay is live in Atre: Dominance Wars, letting you team up for brutal Nexus Siege runs regardless of which PC storefront you or your friends use. The entire system hinges on generating and sharing a unique in-game 'Aethernet ID' to bridge the two platforms. It's a one-time setup that, once completed, allows seamless invites between Steam and GOG players.

This guide breaks down the exact steps to find your ID, invite friends across launchers, and troubleshoot the handful of errors that can pop up. There are no platform-exclusive servers or player pools; once linked, it's a unified battlefield.

01

First, The Ground Rules: What You Need for Cross-Platform Playtag

Before you can start sending invites, you need to ensure a few prerequisites are met. The system is robust, but it assumes both players have their houses in order. Mis-matching any of these is the source of 90% of all connection problems.

• Identical Game Versions: Both the Steam and GOG player must be on the same major game version. For crossplay to function, you need to be running at least version 2.7 (the "Nexus Fall" update) or later. If one player is on v2.7 and another is on v2.6, the invite system will fail. The game usually updates automatically, but you can force a check for updates in your Steam library or the GOG Galaxy client.
• The Aethernet ID: This is the core of the system. Atre generates a permanent, unique alphanumeric code for your account (e.g., Kaelon-Syndicate-7B4F). This is not your SteamID64 or your GOG username. It is a specific in-game identifier used to bypass the platform-level friends lists and connect players directly. You will need to ask your friend for their ID and provide them with yours.
• Network Configuration: While not strictly required, having an "Open" NAT (Network Address Translation) type will make hosting and connecting significantly smoother. Players with "Strict" NAT types may be able to join lobbies hosted by those with Open NAT, but they will likely be unable to host lobbies themselves. This is particularly relevant for the peer-to-peer connection used in custom Annihilation matches.

02

How to Generate and Find Your Aethernet IDtag

Your Aethernet ID is created automatically the first time you launch Atre: Dominance Wars after the Nexus Fall v2.7 update. You don't need to manually generate it, only find it. Luckily, the developers at Iron Spire Studios placed it in an obvious, easy-to-access location within the game's UI.

Where to Look in the Menustag

1. Launch Atre: Dominance Wars and wait for the main menu to load (the screen showing your Javelin in the hangar bay).
2. Navigate to the "Social" tab, located in the top navigation bar between "Barracks" and "Settings."
3. Your Aethernet ID is prominently displayed in the top-left corner of the Social screen, directly under your in-game commander name and player banner. It is a non-editable field.

You can click a small copy icon next to the ID to instantly copy it to your clipboard, making it easy to paste into a Discord message or chat window for your friend. This ID is case-sensitive, so copying it is always better than re-typing it manually.

03

Inviting Friends: The Step-by-Step Processtag

Once you and your friend have exchanged Aethernet IDs, the process of adding them and launching a game is identical regardless of who is on Steam and who is on GOG. The in-game UI is the same for both versions. For this example, let's assume you are on Steam and want to invite your friend who owns the game on GOG.

Adding an Aethernet Friendtag

1. Get Their ID: Your GOG-based friend follows the steps above to find their Aethernet ID and sends it to you.
2. Navigate to the Social Tab: In your game, go to the "Social" tab from the main menu.
3. Add Friend: Click the "Add Aethernet Friend" button. A text box will pop up.
4. Enter the ID: Paste your friend's Aethernet ID into the box and click "Confirm." A friend request will be sent in-game.

Your friend will receive a notification in their own Social tab under a new "Requests" sub-tab. Once they accept, they will be permanently added to your "Aethernet" friends list, which is separate from your default Steam or GOG friends list.

Creating a Lobby and Sending the Invitetag

With your friend added, you can now invite them to a game lobby.

1. Create a Lobby: From the main menu, select your game mode (e.g., "Nexus Siege" or a custom "Annihilation" match) and create a private lobby.
2. Open the Friends List: Inside the lobby screen, you'll see empty slots for your fireteam. Click on an empty slot or the "Invite Players" button.
3. Invite from Aethernet List: Your Social overlay will appear. Make sure you are on the "Aethernet" tab, not the default "Steam" tab. You should see your GOG friend's commander name listed there.
4. Send Invite: Click their name and select "Invite to Lobby." They will receive a pop-up invitation directly in their game client, which they can accept to join your session.

That's it. Your GOG-based friend will now load into your lobby, and you can begin matchmaking or launch your private game as a unified squad.

04

Common Crossplay Problems and How to Fix Themtag

Even with a solid system, issues can arise. Most are simple user errors or environmental factors that are easy to correct. Here are the most common error messages and blockers players encounter and their solutions.

"Aethernet Friend Not Found" Errortag

This is the most frequent issue and almost always means the ID was entered incorrectly. The fix is simple:

• Solution: Have both players re-copy their Aethernet IDs directly from the in-game Social tab and send them again. Do not manually type the ID, as it's easy to mix up a 0 for an O or mistake the case of a letter. The ID Kaelon-Syndicate-7B4F is different from kaelon-syndicate-7b4f.

"Version Mismatch Detected" Errortag

This error appears when one player tries to join another who is on a different version of the game. This often happens right after a major patch is released.

• Solution: Both players must close the game completely. Open your respective launchers (Steam or GOG Galaxy) and manually check for updates for Atre: Dominance Wars. Do not relaunch the game until the launcher confirms you are on the latest version (e.g., v2.7.1).

Can't Join Lobby / "Sync Error 7"tag

This is a more generic network-related error. It means the initial handshake between your two game clients failed. It's almost always caused by a firewall or NAT type incompatibility.

• Solution: The player with the more open network configuration should host. If you have an "Open" NAT and your friend has a "Strict" NAT, you must be the one to create the lobby and send the invite. If both players have a Strict NAT, you may be unable to connect directly. You can also try adding an outbound rule for Atre.exe in your Windows Defender Firewall settings, though this is less commonly the issue than NAT type.

05

Frequently Asked Questions About Atre Crossplaytag

Here are quick answers to some of the most common follow-up questions about how the cross-platform features work.

Is there cross-progression between Steam and GOG? Yes, but it requires a manual one-time link. On first launch, the game prompts you to create or log into an Iron Spire account. If you use the same Iron Spire account on both Steam and GOG installations, all your progression—including commander level, weapon unlocks, and faction allegiance—will sync between them. However, you must own the base game on both platforms.

Does my DLC transfer between platforms? No. Any purchased DLC, like the Aethelgard Hegemony Javelin Pack or future expansions, is tied to the storefront where it was purchased. If you own the DLC on Steam, you can only use those items when launching the game through Steam. They will not be available if you play on the GOG version, even with a linked Iron Spire account.

Does in-game voice chat work with crossplay? Yes. The built-in voice chat in Atre: Dominance Wars is handled by Iron Spire's own servers and functions perfectly between Steam and GOG players in the same lobby. However, platform-level chat systems, like the Steam Voice Chat overlay, will not work with your friends on GOG.

Is there a performance difference between the Steam and GOG versions? No. The game builds are identical. They receive patches at the same time and have the same graphical and performance profiles. The only difference is the social overlay and achievement system they hook into.

The Final Wordtag

While it requires a quick dive into a menu to swap codes, the Steam and GOG crossplay in Atre: Dominance Wars is fully featured and works reliably once you've added your friends. The use of the Aethernet ID system is a smart, platform-agnostic solution that ensures no part of the PC player base gets left behind. Keep your game client updated, double-check the IDs you enter, and you'll be able to focus on the only thing that matters: dominating the battlefield together.