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 serverconfig.xml On WinterNode, you can edit serverconfig.xml through:
File Manager - Navigate to the root directory in your Game Control Panel , find serverconfig.xml, and edit in-browserSFTP - Connect via SFTP and edit locallyAfter making changes, restart the server for them to take effect.Always back up serverconfig.xml before editing. A syntax error (missing quote, unclosed tag) can prevent the server from starting.
Server Settings Setting Default Description ServerName”My Game Host” Name shown in the server browser ServerDescription"" Description shown in the server browser ServerPassword"" Password required to join (blank = no password) ServerMaxPlayerCount8 Maximum simultaneous players ServerPort26900 Game connection port (TCP) ServerVisibility2 0 = not listed, 1 = friends only, 2 = public EACEnabledtrue Easy Anti-Cheat. Must be true for crossplay, false for mods ServerAllowCrossplayfalse Enable crossplay with PS5/Xbox. Requires EAC on
World Generation Setting Default Description WorldGenSeed”asdf” Seed for procedural world generation WorldGenSize6144 Map size (4096-10240). Larger = more RAM needed GameName”My Game” World save name. Changing this loads/creates a different world GameWorld”RWG” RWG (Random World Gen) or a pre-made map name like “Navezgane”
WorldGenSeed, WorldGenSize, and GameWorld are set at world creation. Changing them after the fact creates a new world - your existing progress won’t carry over.
Gameplay Settings Setting Default Description GameDifficulty2 0 (Scavenger) to 5 (Insane). Affects zombie HP/damage and loot PlayerKillingMode3 0 = no PvP, 1 = allies only, 2 = strangers only, 3 = everyone DayNightLength60 Real minutes per in-game day DayLightLength18 In-game hours of daylight (out of 24) XPMultiplier100 XP gain percentage (50 = half, 200 = double) LootAbundance100 Loot spawn amount (50 = half, 200 = double) LootRespawnDays7 Days before looted containers respawn AirDropFrequency72 In-game hours between airdrops (0 = disabled) DropOnDeath1 0 = nothing, 1 = everything, 2 = toolbelt only, 3 = backpack only, 4 = delete all DropOnQuit0 Same options as DropOnDeath, triggered on disconnect
Blood Moon Settings Setting Default Description BloodMoonFrequency7 In-game days between blood moons BloodMoonRange0 Random variance in days (0 = exact, 2 = +/- 2 days) BloodMoonWarning8 In-game hour when the sky turns red (warning) BloodMoonEnemyCount8 Max alive zombies per player during blood moon
See our blood moon performance guide for tuning recommendations.
Zombie and Spawn Settings Setting Default Description MaxSpawnedZombies64 Global maximum zombies on the server at once MaxSpawnedAnimals50 Global maximum animals on the server at once EnemySpawnModetrue Enable/disable zombie spawning entirely EnemySenseMemory60 Seconds zombies remember a player after losing line of sight BlockDamagePlayer100 Player block damage multiplier (%) BlockDamageAI100 Normal zombie block damage multiplier (%) BlockDamageAIBM100 Blood moon zombie block damage multiplier (%)
Setting Default Description ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance12 Max chunk view distance. Lower = less server load MaxQueuedMeshLayers1000 Mesh generation queue size. Lower if lag is constant
Land Claim Settings Setting Default Description LandClaimSize41 Protected area size (blocks) around a land claim LandClaimDeadZone30 Minimum distance between land claims LandClaimExpiryTime7 Days before an offline player’s claim expires LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier4 Block durability multiplier when owner is online LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier4 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 .
7 Days to Die