Conan Exiles 2.2.0: Iris Delivers Funcom's Biggest Server Performance Improvement Yet

Conan Exiles Enhanced Update 2.2.0 is now live, bringing what Funcom describes as the biggest server performance improvement it has made so far. Released on September 15, the update completes the move to Unreal Engine 5.8.2 and activates Epic Games' Iris networking replication system.

The change is particularly relevant for multiplayer communities. Iris replaces the older Unreal Engine 4 replication model and is designed to reduce the amount of work servers need to perform when keeping players, structures and other replicated objects synchronized.

Why Iris matters for Conan Exiles servers

Replication is one of the fundamental jobs performed by a multiplayer server. It determines which changes in the game world need to be sent to each connected player so that everyone remains synchronized.

On a persistent Conan Exiles server, that can involve an enormous number of actors: players, NPCs, buildings, crafting stations, decorations and other placeable objects.

Under the older networking model, the server could repeatedly evaluate very large numbers of replicated objects for every connected player. Iris is designed to handle this process more efficiently by identifying which data has actually changed and which clients need to receive it.

In its official Update 2.2.0 announcement, Funcom says its internal tests show that Iris represents “the biggest server performance improvement we've made so far.”

Unreal Engine 5.8.2 makes the networking upgrade possible

Update 2.2.0 also completes Conan Exiles Enhanced's upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.8.2.

The engine migration is important because it gives Funcom access to newer Unreal Engine systems, including Iris. For players, the engine upgrade also brings additional graphics options and other improvements, but for dedicated server administrators the replication change is arguably the most significant part of this release.

Funcom has not published a universal percentage improvement, so server owners should not expect the same performance gain in every environment. Player count, mods, world complexity and the amount of player construction can all influence the final result.

Huge player-built bases can still affect performance

Funcom is careful not to present Iris as a solution to every source of server slowdown. Conan Exiles allows players to create extremely large bases and settlements containing huge quantities of building pieces and placeables.

Servers containing particularly dense construction areas may therefore continue to experience performance limitations. Iris reduces the cost of replication, but it does not remove the CPU, simulation or mod workloads generated by the rest of the game.

What Update 2.2.0 means for VeryGames server owners

For VeryGames customers, the important point is that the networking improvement comes directly from the game server software itself. Once Conan Exiles Enhanced is updated to version 2.2.0, Iris becomes part of the server's normal operation.

There is therefore no additional Iris plugin, mod or server-side configuration required. Communities running persistent worlds with many players and large quantities of placeables are likely to be the most interesting environments in which to observe the new replication system.

Update 2.2.0 may not eliminate every performance bottleneck, but Funcom's own assessment makes it one of the most important technical server updates Conan Exiles has received to date.

Source: Funcom — Conan Exiles Update 2.2.0, September 15, 2026.