Best 7 Days to Die Server Settings for 2026

7 Days to Die gives you a lot of knobs to turn in serverconfig.xml, and most guides just list every setting without telling you what actually matters for your playstyle. This guide cuts through the noise - organized by how you want to play, not alphabetically.

All settings reference V2.5 (Survival Revival). If you’re on an older version, some options may differ.

Quick Reference: Settings Most People Change

Everything else is either fine at defaults or only matters for specific situations.

Core Server Settings

These are the settings every server admin should know about, regardless of playstyle.

Server Identity

<property name="ServerName" value="My 7DTD Server" />
<property name="ServerDescription" value="A 7 Days to Die server" />
<property name="ServerPassword" value="" />
<property name="ServerMaxPlayerCount" value="8" />
<property name="ServerPort" value="26900" />

ServerMaxPlayerCount determines the maximum simultaneous players. Keep this realistic for your server’s RAM - each player adds load, especially during blood moons. See our RAM guide for sizing recommendations.

World Generation

<property name="WorldGenSeed" value="asdf" />
<property name="WorldGenSize" value="6144" />
<property name="GameName" value="My Game" />

WorldGenSize controls the map dimensions. Options range from 4096 to 10240. Larger maps need more RAM and take longer to generate. The default 6144 is a solid choice for most groups - big enough to explore without feeling cramped, small enough to run well.

Difficulty and Damage

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2" />
<property name="BlockDamagePlayer" value="100" />
<property name="BlockDamageAI" value="100" />
<property name="BlockDamageAIBM" value="100" />

GameDifficulty scales from 0 (Scavenger) to 5 (Insane). This affects zombie damage, zombie health, loot quality, and XP gains. The scale isn’t linear - difficulty 5 zombies hit much harder and take significantly more damage to kill.

BlockDamageAIBM specifically controls how much damage zombies deal to blocks during blood moons. Lowering this makes base defense easier; raising it makes horde nights genuinely destructive.

Settings by Playstyle

PvE Casual (Friends Just Having Fun)

This is the most common setup - a small group that wants to explore, build, and survive without the game punishing them too hard.

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2" />
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="0" />
<property name="LootAbundance" value="125" />
<property name="DayNightLength" value="90" />
<property name="DayLightLength" value="20" />
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="8" />
<property name="LandClaimSize" value="41" />
<property name="LandClaimDeadZone" value="30" />
<property name="AirDropFrequency" value="48" />

Key adjustments: Longer days give more time to scavenge and build before nightfall. Slightly boosted loot means less grinding for basic materials. Default blood moon settings are manageable at difficulty 2.

PvE Hardcore (Survival Is the Point)

For groups that want 7DTD to actually feel dangerous. Resources are scarce, zombies are lethal, and blood moons are something you prepare for all week.

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="4" />
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="0" />
<property name="LootAbundance" value="75" />
<property name="DayNightLength" value="60" />
<property name="DayLightLength" value="16" />
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="12" />
<property name="BlockDamageAIBM" value="125" />
<property name="XPMultiplier" value="75" />
<property name="AirDropFrequency" value="0" />
<property name="BedrollDeadZoneSize" value="15" />

Key adjustments: Reduced loot and XP means every find matters. Higher BloodMoonEnemyCount with increased block damage makes horde nights the main event. No airdrops removes the safety net.

PvP (Player vs. Player)

PvP servers need settings that balance combat fairness, resource competition, and prevent griefing from getting out of hand.

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2" />
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="3" />
<property name="LootAbundance" value="100" />
<property name="LandClaimSize" value="41" />
<property name="LandClaimDeadZone" value="30" />
<property name="LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier" value="4" />
<property name="LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier" value="4" />
<property name="MaxSpawnedZombies" value="50" />
<property name="EnemySpawnMode" value="true" />
<property name="ServerMaxPlayerCount" value="16" />

Key adjustments: PlayerKillingMode 3 enables full PvP. High LandClaimDurabilityModifiers protect bases from being easily raided while the owner is offline - this is critical for PvP server longevity. Moderate zombie count keeps the PvE element present without overwhelming PvP-focused players.

Blood Moon Focused (Horde Every Night)

For groups who think blood moons are the best part and want more of them.

<property name="BloodMoonFrequency" value="1" />
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="12" />
<property name="BloodMoonRange" value="0" />
<property name="MaxSpawnedZombies" value="64" />
<property name="GameDifficulty" value="3" />
<property name="LootAbundance" value="150" />
<property name="BlockDamageAIBM" value="100" />

Key adjustments: BloodMoonFrequency 1 means every single night is a horde night. Higher loot compensates for the constant combat drain on resources. Watch your server performance closely with this setup - nightly blood moons are significantly harder on the server than the default weekly cycle. See our blood moon performance guide for optimization tips.

Performance Settings

These settings directly affect server load. Tune them based on your server’s resources and player count.

<property name="MaxSpawnedZombies" value="64" />
<property name="MaxSpawnedAnimals" value="50" />
<property name="ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance" value="12" />

MaxSpawnedZombies is the total zombie cap across the entire server (not per player). The default of 64 is fine for small groups. Large servers may want to reduce this to 40-50 to keep things smooth.

ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance limits how far chunks are loaded. Reducing this from the default 12 to 8-10 can noticeably improve performance on servers with many players, at the cost of shorter draw distance.

For a deeper dive on performance settings, our blood moon performance guide covers the settings that matter most during peak load.

How to Edit serverconfig.xml

On WinterNode, you have two options:

1. File Manager - Navigate to the root directory in your Game Control Panel, find serverconfig.xml, and click to edit it directly in the browser
2. SFTP - Connect via SFTP and edit the file locally with a text editor

After making changes, restart the server through the control panel for them to take effect.

For a complete reference of every setting, see our serverconfig.xml reference guide.

Getting Started

If you’re setting up a new 7 Days to Die server, start with the PvE Casual preset above and adjust from there. It’s easier to make the game harder after a few sessions than to convince your group to start over because the first blood moon wiped everyone.

Get your 7 Days to Die server → All servers include full file access, no CPU limits, and automatic backups. Our help center covers connecting, admin setup, and more.