In a remarkable achievement for retro gaming preservation, Shenmue Passport’s once-defunct online leaderboards have been restored to full functionality, marking their first return since being taken offline more than two decades ago.
The news, confirmed by DreamcastLive and shared widely across the Dreamcast enthusiast community, represents a major milestone for fans of Sega’s influential open-world classic, Shenmue, and for the broader community dedicated to keeping Dreamcast’s online legacy thriving. Originally released alongside Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in 1999 (and internationally by 2000–2001), Shenmue Passport was a companion disc that enriched the player experience with exclusive online features.
It included detailed character biographies, location profiles, in-game messages, progress reviews, and, notably, online leaderboards that tracked user performance in the game’s various mini-games — from the beloved forklift races and QTE challenges to arcade classics like Space Harrier and Hang-On. For the initial years after launch, Shenmue Passport’s online services became an integral part of the Shenmue experience for early Dreamcast adopters.
However, after Sega ceased online support for Dreamcast titles in the early 2000s, these features were rendered inaccessible, even for players with physical copies of the disc.
This remained the status quo for nearly two decades, until determined preservationists within the Dreamcast community began efforts to restore lost online functionality. The breakthrough came in 2021, when Xiden, a prominent contributor on the Dreamcast-Talk forums, announced that several Passport features had been brought back online, though the rankings system still required complex reverse-engineering.
As of February 21, 2026, thanks to the collaborative work of Xiden, Flyinghead, Shuouma, and Jial, the online leaderboards are now fully operational again.
This restoration allows modern Dreamcast owners to once again compete globally for top scores in Shenmue’s suite of mini-games and share their accomplishments, exactly as was possible in the game's original heyday. DreamcastLive outlined that reconnecting to these leaderboards can be achieved with minimal technical know-how.
Users leveraging DreamPi, or by manually setting their DNS to 46.101.91.123, can easily access the new server.
However, there are a few requirements: each user must have a unique Dreamcast ID.
North American players using PlanetWeb must ensure their area code matches their current state to be categorized correctly in rankings, while PAL users need to use Dreamkey 3.0, with Spanish users specifically requiring Dreamkey 3.1 (Spain release).
As a technical note, PAL users playing in 50hz mode will see different leaderboards than those in 60hz mode, due to inherent speed differences—a distinction clearly addressed within the Shenmue Passport interface. The successful revival of Shenmue Passport’s online leaderboards is a testament to both the enduring popularity of Shenmue and the dedication of the worldwide Dreamcast community.
For fans seeking to re-experience the thrill of online competition or new players exploring one of Sega’s most historic titles, the return of these features offers an authentic glimpse into the pioneering days of console online connectivity.
Enthusiasts wishing to bring their Dreamcast back online can find detailed guides and community support at DreamcastLive, ensuring the legacy of Sega’s hardware innovation continues for years to come.
The news, confirmed by DreamcastLive and shared widely across the Dreamcast enthusiast community, represents a major milestone for fans of Sega’s influential open-world classic, Shenmue, and for the broader community dedicated to keeping Dreamcast’s online legacy thriving. Originally released alongside Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in 1999 (and internationally by 2000–2001), Shenmue Passport was a companion disc that enriched the player experience with exclusive online features.
It included detailed character biographies, location profiles, in-game messages, progress reviews, and, notably, online leaderboards that tracked user performance in the game’s various mini-games — from the beloved forklift races and QTE challenges to arcade classics like Space Harrier and Hang-On. For the initial years after launch, Shenmue Passport’s online services became an integral part of the Shenmue experience for early Dreamcast adopters.
However, after Sega ceased online support for Dreamcast titles in the early 2000s, these features were rendered inaccessible, even for players with physical copies of the disc.
This remained the status quo for nearly two decades, until determined preservationists within the Dreamcast community began efforts to restore lost online functionality. The breakthrough came in 2021, when Xiden, a prominent contributor on the Dreamcast-Talk forums, announced that several Passport features had been brought back online, though the rankings system still required complex reverse-engineering.
As of February 21, 2026, thanks to the collaborative work of Xiden, Flyinghead, Shuouma, and Jial, the online leaderboards are now fully operational again.
This restoration allows modern Dreamcast owners to once again compete globally for top scores in Shenmue’s suite of mini-games and share their accomplishments, exactly as was possible in the game's original heyday. DreamcastLive outlined that reconnecting to these leaderboards can be achieved with minimal technical know-how.
Users leveraging DreamPi, or by manually setting their DNS to 46.101.91.123, can easily access the new server.
However, there are a few requirements: each user must have a unique Dreamcast ID.
North American players using PlanetWeb must ensure their area code matches their current state to be categorized correctly in rankings, while PAL users need to use Dreamkey 3.0, with Spanish users specifically requiring Dreamkey 3.1 (Spain release).
As a technical note, PAL users playing in 50hz mode will see different leaderboards than those in 60hz mode, due to inherent speed differences—a distinction clearly addressed within the Shenmue Passport interface. The successful revival of Shenmue Passport’s online leaderboards is a testament to both the enduring popularity of Shenmue and the dedication of the worldwide Dreamcast community.
For fans seeking to re-experience the thrill of online competition or new players exploring one of Sega’s most historic titles, the return of these features offers an authentic glimpse into the pioneering days of console online connectivity.
Enthusiasts wishing to bring their Dreamcast back online can find detailed guides and community support at DreamcastLive, ensuring the legacy of Sega’s hardware innovation continues for years to come.
