7 Days to Die V3 Server Settings: Best Config for Groups

For a current V3 server, use serverconfig.xml for identity, access, world, networking, crossplay, claims, and performance limits. Set difficulty, day length, loot, XP, zombie behavior, death penalties, and Blood Moon rules in the game’s Sandbox Options, then paste the generated value into SandboxCode. Editing an old gameplay line such as BloodMoonFrequency in the XML will not change a V3 game.

The best group configuration is a starting point rather than a universal preset. Begin with private access, no PvP, enough slots for regular players plus a small reserve, and moderate pacing. Adjust threat and performance after your group has played a few sessions.

What changed in V3 server configuration?

V3.3.0 changed where many gameplay settings live. The current server reference lists 69 properties in serverconfig.xml, compared with 98 in the 2.x model. Thirty legacy gameplay properties were removed from the XML; their values are now represented by the encoded SandboxCode property.

This split explains the most common configuration failure: an administrator adds a familiar 2.x line, restarts the server, and sees no change. The server is reading the file correctly, but that line is no longer the control for the gameplay rule.

Configuration area	Where to set it in V3	Examples
Server identity and access	`serverconfig.xml`	Server name, password, visibility, region, port, player slots
World selection and saves	`serverconfig.xml`	Navezgane or RWG, world name, save behavior
Social rules	Mostly `serverconfig.xml`	PvP mode, claims, bedroll dead zones, shared-kill range
Performance limits	`serverconfig.xml`	Zombie and animal caps, client view-distance cap
Gameplay pacing and difficulty	Sandbox Options, exported to `SandboxCode`	Difficulty, day length, XP, loot, zombie speed, feral sense
Blood Moon rules	Sandbox Options, exported to `SandboxCode`	Frequency, range, enemy count, block damage

Keep a human-readable record of your slider choices. SandboxCode is intentionally opaque, so a note or screenshot is the practical way to remember what each code means.

How do I apply V3 gameplay settings with SandboxCode?

Use the game’s Sandbox Options screen to create the code; do not try to reconstruct it by hand. Settings are read when the server starts, so stop the server before editing and restart it afterward.

Open the game’s New Game or world-creation flow and enter Sandbox Options.
Set the gameplay sliders and toggles you want: difficulty, 24-hour cycle length, XP multiplier, loot abundance, loot-respawn days, zombie speeds, feral sense, death penalty, Blood Moon cadence and count, block damage, and quest limits.
Use the screen’s option to copy the generated sandbox code. Save a separate note listing the human-readable choices.
Stop the dedicated server completely. Do not edit a live file while the process is still running.
Open serverconfig.xml, find SandboxCode, and replace its value with the copied code.
Save the file, start the server, and join to verify the result. The startup log and the getsandboxoptions console command can help confirm which options were loaded.

If a V2.6 save is being carried into V3, rebuild its gameplay choices in Sandbox Options and paste a new code. V3.1.0 changed sandbox options; an older code can become invalid, causing some or all options to fall back to defaults. Re-copy the code after an upgrade instead of assuming that an old value remains compatible.

What should a small private group use as its baseline?

A cooperative server for a handful of regular players should be easy to find, difficult for strangers to enter, and forgiving enough that a missed session does not permanently ruin progress. Use these values as a starting framework, then change one category at a time.

Access and player slots

Give the server a recognizable ServerName so players can identify it in the list.
Set a password when the world is for friends only. A password is more reliable than hoping an obscure server name remains undiscovered.
Set ServerMaxPlayerCount to the number of regular players plus a small reserve for occasional guests. The shipped default is 8; do not leave a large unused capacity if the host is limited.
Choose private or public visibility deliberately. A private group normally wants a password and does not need public discovery.

Cooperative social rules

Set PlayerKillingMode to 0 for a no-PvP PvE world.
Choose LandClaimSize, LandClaimDeadZone, and LandClaimExpiryTime according to how often the group plays. Weekly players can tolerate shorter expiry; an occasional group needs longer protection.
Review claim and block-decay behavior together. Large claims and long expiry protect a base but can reserve valuable space indefinitely on a shared map.
Set PartySharedKillRange so players who fight together receive shared kill XP and quest-party credit without having to stand on the same block.

World choice

Choose Navezgane for the handcrafted map or RWG for a generated world. For a new RWG world, record the seed and size so the group can reproduce the same map if necessary. Changing a seed or size in the configuration does not rebuild an existing save; it only matters when a new world is created.

A balanced starting pace

A July 2026 hosting guide described difficulty 2, a 60-minute day, and a seven-day Blood Moon as balanced starting points under the older property model. In V3, create the equivalent choices in Sandbox Options and store them in SandboxCode, rather than copying obsolete XML lines.

Longer days and more abundant loot give a new or irregular group more preparation time. Faster zombies, shorter loot-respawn intervals, stronger block damage, and harsher death penalties increase pressure. Decide whether the group wants a relaxed building loop or a survival challenge before changing several of these at once.

Which settings control pacing, threat, social play, and reliability?

Comparing servers by four separate axes makes trade-offs clearer than calling one preset “easy” or “hard.”

Axis	Settings to compare	Where to change them	What changing them does
Pacing	24 Day Cycle, XP Multiplier, Loot Abundance, Loot Respawn Days	Sandbox Options and `SandboxCode`	Changes how quickly players progress and how often useful supplies return
Threat	Difficulty, day/night zombie speed, feral sense, Blood Moon frequency/range/count, block damage	Sandbox Options and `SandboxCode`	Changes combat pressure, horde size, detection, and base vulnerability
Social rules	`PlayerKillingMode`, claim size and expiry, bedroll dead zones, shared-kill range	Mostly `serverconfig.xml`	Defines cooperation, territory protection, and party credit
Reliability	Player slots, world size, zombie and animal caps, view distance, crossplay eligibility, restart discipline	XML plus Sandbox Options for gameplay portions	Determines who can join and how consistently the host performs

How do I make the server private PvE?

Combine access controls with explicit no-PvP and claim settings; a password alone does not change combat rules.

Set a clear server name and a password in the server configuration.
Set PlayerKillingMode=0.
Choose claim size, dead zone, expiry, and decay values that match the group’s attendance pattern.
Set the shared-kill range so party members can split during a fight without losing credit.
Choose the desired Blood Moon and death-penalty rules in Sandbox Options, export the code, and place it in SandboxCode.
Stop and restart the server, then have a second player test joining with the password and confirm that PvP damage is disabled.

Claims are a social policy as much as a technical setting. A very large claim or permanent expiry can prevent other group members from building nearby, while an aggressive expiry can remove protection from a player who misses a few weeks.

How can I reduce lag without making the whole game easier?

Change the limit that matches the symptom. Exploration stutter, Blood Moon spikes, and constant server overload have different causes.

When ordinary exploration stutters

First reduce ServerMaxAllowedViewDistance, which caps the distance clients may request. Also review MaxSpawnedAnimals if wildlife is unusually dense. These changes reduce routine simulation and rendering pressure without changing the group’s progression rules.

When only Blood Moon causes a spike

Lower the Blood Moon enemy count or other horde-intensity choices in Sandbox Options, regenerate SandboxCode, and restart. The Blood Moon count cannot exceed the effective server-wide zombie cap, so raising the horde number above that cap does not create more active enemies.

When the entire server remains overloaded

MaxSpawnedZombies is a server-wide cap with a documented default of 64 and a large performance impact. Lower it if the host is consistently saturated, or reduce player slots if the load is tied to simultaneous activity. The trade-off is fewer active enemies and potentially less intense hordes, not merely lower visual quality.

Use a staged process: view distance or animal caps first, Blood Moon intensity second, and zombie cap or slots last. Record every change and test the same activity after each restart so the group can identify which adjustment solved the problem.

What settings are required for PC-to-console crossplay?

Crossplay has stricter eligibility than a PC-only server. The pinned Steam support guidance lists four core requirements: ServerMaxPlayerCount no higher than 8, ServerAllowCrossplay=true, EACEnabled=true, and IgnoreEOSSanctions=false.

Current hosting guidance also calls for public visibility, a vanilla server with no mods, and a world size no larger than 8192 for console crossplay. The supported crossplay platforms identified for this setup are PC Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Keep the slot limit at 8 or fewer.
Enable crossplay and Easy Anti-Cheat.
Leave EOS sanctions enforcement enabled by setting IgnoreEOSSanctions=false.
Use public visibility if the console join flow requires the server to be discoverable.
Run an unmodded, vanilla server.
Use a world size of 8192 or smaller.
Ask a console player to join before publishing the server details.

A Steam moderator summarized the risk precisely: “Steam will be able to play on the servers regardless of settings, consoles will not.” A successful Steam connection therefore does not prove that a PlayStation or Xbox player can join.

PC-only groups can prioritize mod support, larger slots, or settings outside console eligibility. A mixed PC/console group should test the console connection first and treat the crossplay limits as hard requirements.

Why did editing serverconfig.xml do nothing?

The usual cause is that the edited property belongs in SandboxCode, not the XML. Use this troubleshooting sequence before changing unrelated values.

Identify whether the setting is gameplay-related. Difficulty, day length, XP, loot, zombie speeds, feral sense, death penalties, Blood Moon rules, block damage, and quest limits belong to Sandbox Options.
Open Sandbox Options, set the value, and copy a fresh code.
Confirm that the code was pasted into the correct SandboxCode entry without extra quotation marks or truncated characters.
Verify that the server process was stopped before the file was saved.
Restart and inspect the startup log or run getsandboxoptions.
If the save was upgraded from V2.6 or the server was updated through V3.1.0, regenerate the code because an older code may be invalid.

If identity, slots, claims, crossplay, or performance limits are not taking effect, check the XML property name and value, then confirm that the server is loading the file you edited. A restart is required for both XML and SandboxCode changes.

What should I back up before changing settings?

Keep the save, the current XML, the active sandbox code, and a readable settings note together. Stop the server before copying files so the save is not captured mid-write.

Make a dated copy of the world save before changing world generation or major gameplay rules.
Save the previous serverconfig.xml so you can restore access, claims, ports, and caps.
Record the sandbox sliders in plain language alongside the opaque code.
After a game update, rebuild the sandbox code and retain the old code in the backup folder for comparison, not as the value to reuse automatically.
Change one category at a time and tell players when a restart will occur.

World-generation changes are not retroactive. A new seed or map size affects a newly created world; it does not regenerate the terrain of an existing save.

How should I choose between a relaxed, standard, and demanding group setup?

Use the same four axes to build a profile instead of copying a one-size-fits-all file.

Group profile	Pacing choices	Threat choices	Reliability and social priorities
Relaxed or irregular group	Longer day, generous loot, longer claim expiry	Moderate zombie speed and death penalty; manageable Blood Moon	Private password, no PvP, conservative view distance and caps
Regular cooperative group	Start around a 60-minute day, normal progression, and seven-day Blood Moon, expressed through Sandbox Options	Default-like threat, then adjust after several sessions	Slots equal regulars plus a small reserve; claims sized for shared building
Challenge-focused group	Shorter days or scarcer loot	Faster zombies, stronger block damage, harsher death rules, more demanding Blood Moon	Raise limits only if the host remains stable; do not confuse more enemies with better performance
PC/console mixed group	Any values that remain valid in the shared sandbox	Test the chosen horde settings on the console-eligible server	Eight slots or fewer, crossplay enabled, EAC enabled, sanctions enforced, vanilla, public, world size 8192 or less

These are decision patterns, not promises about difficulty. The same Blood Moon can feel very different depending on player count, base design, weapons, and whether the server cap is reached.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change these settings while players are online?

Stop the dedicated server before editing either file. Changes made while the process is running can be overwritten or ignored, and both XML and SandboxCode are applied on the next startup.

What happens if my SandboxCode is invalid?

V3 may fall back to default values for some or all sandbox options. Generate a fresh code from the current Sandbox Options screen, replace the old value, restart, and check the startup log or getsandboxoptions output.

Can I use mods on a PC server that console players join?

The crossplay guidance calls for a vanilla server with no mods. A modded PC-only server can use a different configuration, but a Steam test alone cannot establish console compatibility.

Will changing the world seed rebuild my existing map?

No. Seed and world-size values matter when creating a new world. An existing save keeps its generated terrain, so make a backup and create a new save if you need a different map.

7 Days to Die Server Settings Explained: Best V3 Config for Your Group