EQOA Sandstorm

Install & Connect

Play EverQuest Online Adventures on the Sandstorm server

Connecting to the Sandstorm server takes one small patch to the game. The original game required DNAS authentication from Sony, and Sony shut that service down years ago — the patch replaces the DNAS check so the game can reach our server instead.

You'll need three things: a game disc image (.iso) made from your own copy of EQOA, the Sandstorm patch, and either the PCSX2 emulator or a real PlayStation 2. The whole setup takes about ten minutes.

Which disc works: the patch on this page is for the Frontiers (US) version. If you have the European/PAL disc, skip to the PAL / alternative method at the bottom of this page. The original pre-Frontiers US version is not supported at this time.
1Get an ISO of your game disc

EQOA was released in 2003 (original) and 2005 (Frontiers). Used copies still turn up on eBay and similar sites fairly regularly. We can't legally distribute the game, so you'll need to make an .iso image from a disc you own.

On Windows, ImgBurn is a long-standing free tool that can read a PS2 disc into an ISO file (choose "Create image file from disc"). On macOS and Linux you can use the built-in dd command, or a graphical tool like Brasero (Linux) or Disk Utility (macOS).

You should end up with a single file around 3–4 GB. Keep it somewhere easy to find — you'll point the patcher at it in the next step.

2Download the Sandstorm patch

sandstorm.xdelta — right-click and choose "Save link as…" to save the file.

This is a small patch file (a few hundred kilobytes) in the standard xdelta / VCDIFF format. It tells a patching tool how to transform your original ISO into one that can connect to Sandstorm. Your original ISO file isn't overwritten — the patcher produces a new file alongside it.

3Apply the patch to your ISO

Pick whichever of these three options sounds easiest. They all do the same thing.

Easiest — no install

Online patcher

Open kotcrab.github.io/xdelta-wasm in your browser. Pick your original ISO as the source, pick sandstorm.xdelta as the patch, and click to apply. The patched ISO will download automatically. Everything happens in your browser — your files are not uploaded anywhere.

GUI app

Delta Patcher

A free, open-source app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Download it from the releases page. In the "Apply patch" tab, choose your ISO as the Original file and sandstorm.xdelta as the XDelta patch, then press Patch.

Command line

xdelta3

If you're comfortable with a terminal: 

xdelta3 -d -s eqoa.iso sandstorm.xdelta eqoa-sandstorm.iso

Install with brew install xdelta on macOS, your distro's package manager on Linux (e.g. apt install xdelta3), or from xdelta.org on Windows.

Tip: if the patcher complains that the checksum doesn't match, your source ISO is a different version than the patch expects. Double-check that you have the Frontiers (US) or PAL disc, and that the ISO was dumped cleanly from the original disc.
4Boot the patched ISO

You have two options for actually playing:

Recommended

PCSX2 (emulator)

A free PlayStation 2 emulator for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Download it from pcsx2.net. Once PCSX2 is set up (it will ask you for a PS2 BIOS, which you have to dump from your own console), open your patched ISO with File → Run ISO. See the PCSX2 setup guide on YouTube if you get stuck.

Real hardware

PlayStation 2

You'll need a way to boot a burned disc or a disc-image from a USB drive or internal hard drive. The common route is FreeMCBoot plus OPL (Open PS2 Loader). This is outside the scope of this page, but there are many up-to-date guides on YouTube.

Whichever option you pick, you'll need to configure the PS2's internet connection settings the first time you launch the game (just as it worked when the game was new). Any DNS — or the default — is fine; the patch no longer relies on DNS to find the server.
5Create a character and play

Once in the game, create a new account through the in-game login screen, then make a character. See you in Tunaria!

Need help? Come say hi on the Sandstorm Discord — it's the most active spot for EQOA questions and there is usually someone around to help with setup.

Alternative: PCSX2 cheat files (.pnach)

If you have the European/PAL disc, or if you'd rather not patch your ISO at all, you can use a PCSX2 cheat file (.pnach) that does the same job at runtime. This only works with the PCSX2 emulator (or a real PS2 if you can load cheats another way). Drop the file in your PCSX2 cheats folder and enable cheats in PCSX2 settings.

The latest Frontiers .pnach does not work on a real PlayStation 2. If you're playing on real hardware, use the previous version instead.

EverQuest is a registered trademark of Daybreak Game Company LLC.

Sandstorm is not associated with or affiliated with Daybreak Game Company LLC in any way.