serverconfig.xml Settings Reference | WinterNode Help Center

This is a reference guide for the most important settings in your 7 Days to Die server’s serverconfig.xml file. Settings are organized by category with defaults and recommended values.

Editing Your Settings

Many settings can now be changed directly from Server Options in your Game Control Panel, no file editing required. Everything else still requires editing serverconfig.xml through:

File Manager - Navigate to the root directory in your Game Control Panel, find serverconfig.xml, and edit in-browser
SFTP - Connect via SFTP and edit locally

After making changes through File Manager or SFTP, restart the server for them to take effect. Changes made through Server Options apply automatically on the next restart.

Server Settings

These can be edited on the Server Options page:

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`ServerName`	”A WinterNode Server”	Server Options	Name shown in the server browser
`ServerDescription`	”7 Days to Die hosted by WinterNode.com”	Server Options	Description shown in the server browser
`ServerPassword`	""	Server Options	Password required to join (blank = no password)
`ServerLoginConfirmationText`	""	Server Options	Text shown to players in a confirmation prompt before they join
`ServerWebsiteURL`	”winternode.com”	Server Options	Website link shown in the server browser listing
`Region`	NorthAmericaEast	Server Options	Region shown in the server browser. Locked to a fixed list of valid regions
`Language`	English	Server Options	Primary language shown in the server browser listing
`ServerMaxPlayerCount`	8	Server Options	Maximum simultaneous players
`ServerPort`	26900	serverconfig.xml only	Game connection port (TCP)
`ServerVisibility`	2	serverconfig.xml only	0 = not listed, 1 = friends only, 2 = public
`EACEnabled`	true	serverconfig.xml only	Easy Anti-Cheat. Must be true for crossplay, false for mods
`ServerAllowCrossplay`	false	serverconfig.xml only	Enable crossplay with PS5/Xbox. Requires EAC on

Player Slots

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`ServerReservedSlots`	0	Server Options	Number of slots reserved for players with the required permission level
`ServerReservedSlotsPermission`	100	Server Options	Permission level required to use a reserved slot
`ServerAdminSlots`	0	Server Options	Number of slots reserved for admins, usable even when the server is full
`ServerAdminSlotsPermission`	0	Server Options	Permission level required to use an admin slot

World Generation

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`WorldGenSeed`	”asdf”	Server Options	Seed for procedural world generation
`WorldGenSize`	6144	Server Options	Map size. Locked to 6144, 8192, or 10240. Larger = more RAM needed
`GameName`	”My Game”	Server Options	World save name. Changing this loads/creates a different world
`GameWorld`	”RWG”	Server Options	RWG (Random World Gen) or a pre-made map name like “Navezgane”

Gameplay Settings

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`GameDifficulty`	2	Server Options	0 (Scavenger) to 5 (Insane). Affects zombie HP/damage and loot
`PlayerKillingMode`	3	serverconfig.xml only	0 = no PvP, 1 = allies only, 2 = strangers only, 3 = everyone
`DayNightLength`	60	serverconfig.xml only	Real minutes per in-game day
`DayLightLength`	18	serverconfig.xml only	In-game hours of daylight (out of 24)
`XPMultiplier`	100	serverconfig.xml only	XP gain percentage (50 = half, 200 = double)
`LootAbundance`	100	serverconfig.xml only	Loot spawn amount (50 = half, 200 = double)
`LootRespawnDays`	7	serverconfig.xml only	Days before looted containers respawn
`AirDropFrequency`	72	serverconfig.xml only	In-game hours between airdrops (0 = disabled)
`DropOnDeath`	1	serverconfig.xml only	0 = nothing, 1 = everything, 2 = toolbelt only, 3 = backpack only, 4 = delete all
`DropOnQuit`	0	serverconfig.xml only	Same options as DropOnDeath, triggered on disconnect

Blood Moon Settings

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`BloodMoonFrequency`	7	serverconfig.xml only	In-game days between blood moons
`BloodMoonRange`	0	serverconfig.xml only	Random variance in days (0 = exact, 2 = +/- 2 days)
`BloodMoonWarning`	8	serverconfig.xml only	In-game hour when the sky turns red (warning)
`BloodMoonEnemyCount`	8	serverconfig.xml only	Max alive zombies per player during blood moon

See our blood moon performance guide for tuning recommendations.

Zombie and Spawn Settings

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`MaxSpawnedZombies`	64	serverconfig.xml only	Global maximum zombies on the server at once
`MaxSpawnedAnimals`	50	serverconfig.xml only	Global maximum animals on the server at once
`EnemySpawnMode`	true	serverconfig.xml only	Enable/disable zombie spawning entirely
`EnemySenseMemory`	60	serverconfig.xml only	Seconds zombies remember a player after losing line of sight
`BlockDamagePlayer`	100	serverconfig.xml only	Player block damage multiplier (%)
`BlockDamageAI`	100	serverconfig.xml only	Normal zombie block damage multiplier (%)
`BlockDamageAIBM`	100	serverconfig.xml only	Blood moon zombie block damage multiplier (%)

Performance Settings

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance`	12	serverconfig.xml only	Max chunk view distance. Lower = less server load
`MaxQueuedMeshLayers`	1000	serverconfig.xml only	Mesh generation queue size. Lower if lag is constant

Land Claim Settings

Setting	Default	Configurable Via	Description
`LandClaimSize`	41	serverconfig.xml only	Protected area size (blocks) around a land claim
`LandClaimDeadZone`	30	serverconfig.xml only	Minimum distance between land claims
`LandClaimExpiryTime`	7	serverconfig.xml only	Days before an offline player’s claim expires
`LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier`	4	serverconfig.xml only	Block durability multiplier when owner is online
`LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier`	4	serverconfig.xml only	Block durability multiplier when owner is offline

Recommended Presets

PvE Casual

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2" />
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="0" />
<property name="LootAbundance" value="125" />
<property name="DayNightLength" value="90" />
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="8" />

PvE Hardcore

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="4" />
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="0" />
<property name="LootAbundance" value="75" />
<property name="XPMultiplier" value="75" />
<property name="BloodMoonEnemyCount" value="12" />

PvP

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="2" />
<property name="PlayerKillingMode" value="3" />
<property name="LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier" value="4" />
<property name="ServerMaxPlayerCount" value="16" />

For more detailed explanations of each preset, see our server settings blog guide.