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Recommended starting profile for a 2–6-player co-op server
Use this profile when your group has mixed experience and wants the normal progression loop without friendly-fire accidents or excessive server pressure. Apply the settings through the configuration method supported by your game version; version 3.x can handle several gameplay options differently from older guides.
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| Setting | Starting value | Reason and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Player killing | Disabled (PlayerKillingMode = 0) |
Prevents accidental or intentional PvP damage in a PvE world. |
| Difficulty | Normal | A neutral baseline for mixed-skill groups; raise it after players understand stamina, healing and horde defense. |
| Day length | 60 real-time minutes per in-game day | Preserves the familiar pace. Choose 90 minutes when building, exploration and quests routinely feel rushed. |
| Blood Moon interval | Every 7 days | Matches the standard weekly rhythm and gives a clear preparation deadline. |
| Blood Moon random range | 0 | Removes date uncertainty so the horde arrives exactly on the configured interval. |
| Day zombie movement | Walk or jog | Leaves time for new players to learn combat and navigation. |
| Night zombie movement | Run | Keeps nights dangerous without making the entire world permanently frantic. |
| Blood Moon enemy count | About 4–8 simultaneous enemies per player | Begin conservatively and increase only after checking CPU use, memory, and client frame rates. This is a per-player simultaneous-spawn limit, not a guaranteed total horde size. |
| Loot abundance | 100% | Preserves normal stack sizes. It does not increase the probability that an item drops. |
| Loot respawn | 5–7 in-game days | Creates a reason to revisit points of interest without making containers feel permanently empty. Cross-platform dedicated servers require at least five days. |
| Party shared-kill range | 100 units (documented default) | Lets nearby members share kill experience and quest-objective credit. |
| Land claims | One claim per player; documented 41-block size | A manageable starting protection area. Review offline expiry if members play on irregular schedules. |
Change one category at a time and record the game version, world, and configuration method. That makes it possible to identify whether a problem comes from pacing, combat pressure, resource flow, or a setting that the server no longer reads.
How to change settings in current 7 Days to Die 3.x
1. Identify the server type and exact build
First determine whether you are hosting a local game, a dedicated server on your own hardware, or a rented cross-platform server. Then record the complete game version, including the minor release. A setting documented for an older build may still appear in an XML file while being ignored at launch.
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2. Do not assume serverconfig.xml is authoritative
A current community technical reference reports that version 3.2.0 no longer reads several former gameplay properties from serverconfig.xml, including BloodMoonFrequency, DayNightLength, LootAbundance, and XPMultiplier. In that build, the equivalent controls are handled through sandbox options, SandboxCode, or the setgamepref command, while some server properties remain in XML. Older tutorials that tell you to edit only those XML lines can therefore appear to work while leaving the loaded world unchanged.
3. Back up before editing or issuing commands
Stop the server cleanly, copy the world save and the active configuration, and note the previous values. A backup is especially important when changing day length, Blood Moon timing, or progression-related options on an established world.
4. Apply the setting using the method your build supports
Use the host panel’s sandbox-options editor when it exposes one. If the build expects a console command, issue the documented setgamepref value from the server console or an authenticated administrator session. Keep options that belong in serverconfig.xml there, rather than moving every value into one file.
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Restart after making changes, then check the live server state rather than trusting a saved form. Confirm the player-killing rule with a harmless test, check the displayed day length, and verify that the next Blood Moon date reflects the configured frequency and random range. If a value reverts, the server likely read a different file, used a different profile, or does not support that property in your version.
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Make the world genuinely PvE
Set the correct player-killing mode
PlayerKillingMode is the decisive PvE rule. The official server reference defines the values as follows:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No killing |
| 1 | Kill allies only |
| 2 | Kill strangers only |
| 3 | Kill everyone |
Use 0 for a cooperative server and verify it after the world loads. A PvE label in a hosting panel is not enough if the underlying value remains different.
Protect bases with claims, but account for absences
One land claim per player and the documented 41-block size are sensible defaults for a small group. Claim settings also govern protected size, spacing, durability and how long protection remains after the owner stops playing. The documented offline expiry is seven real-world days; that can remove protection from a player who is traveling, working shifts or otherwise absent. Discuss the expiry rule before building shared infrastructure, and change only the claim setting that solves the actual problem.
Choose a day and Blood Moon rhythm
Day length
DayNightLength is measured in real-time minutes per in-game day in the server reference. A 60-minute day gives a familiar balance between daylight activity and nighttime danger. A 90-minute day suits groups that spend long sessions constructing, exploring distant regions or completing quests together. On a busy server, extending the day also gives players more usable time between horde events, so consider the effect on progression rather than treating it as a purely cosmetic clock change.
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Blood Moon frequency and randomness
BloodMoonFrequency sets the nominal interval. BloodMoonRange adds random deviation around that interval. Set the range to 0 when the group wants a reliable preparation cycle: every seventh day means the event lands exactly on the configured seven-day interval. Increase the range only when uncertainty is part of the challenge. The Blood Moon event is completed at 04:00, which gives the party a clear endpoint for repairs, looting and recovery.
Three pacing profiles
| Profile | Day length | Blood Moon setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed building | 90 minutes | Every 7–10 days; range 0 for predictability | Casual groups that prioritize construction and exploration. |
| Balanced co-op | 60 minutes | Every 7 days; range 0 | Most mixed-skill parties following the standard progression rhythm. |
| Combat-focused | 60 minutes | Every 5–7 days; add a range only if unpredictability is desired | Experienced players who want more frequent defense events. |
These are editorial starting points. The right interval depends on how quickly your party advances and how much real time it can play between events.
Tune zombie movement and Blood Moon pressure
Movement speeds
Walk or jog during the day and run at night for a readable difficulty curve. Faster settings increase pressure on stamina management, escape routes and ammunition consumption. Reserve the fastest movement options for groups that already handle the baseline comfortably; otherwise, a single mistake can turn routine travel into a repeated death loop.
What BloodMoonEnemyCount actually controls
The value is a simultaneous-spawn limit per player. It is not a promise that each player will always see that many enemies and it is not necessarily the total number attacking the base. Official references note that actual counts are shaped by Game Stage, player count and other game settings. Multiplayer limits can also override the per-player value.
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Start around 4–8 simultaneous enemies per player, then observe one complete horde night. If the server remains well below CPU or memory limits and clients maintain stable frame rates, increase the value in small steps. If players experience rubber-banding, delayed hit registration, long frame times or a server tick-rate drop, reduce the count before changing unrelated settings.
Why party size changes the result
Because the setting is calculated per player, adding players can raise the potential simultaneous population even when the configured number is unchanged. Game Stage can raise the threat as survivors progress, so a horde that was easy in week two may become demanding later. Evaluate the combination of player count, Game Stage and host hardware instead of judging the number in isolation.
Set loot abundance and respawn for a healthy progression loop
Loot abundance changes stacks, not drop odds
LootAbundance is commonly misunderstood. The server reference explicitly states that it changes stack sizes and does not affect the chance for loot to drop. Raising it can reduce inventory friction for materials that already appear, but it will not make a rare item roll more often. Keep 100% while learning the server economy; increase it only when carrying and crafting limits, rather than scarcity, are slowing the group.
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LootRespawnDays controls the refill interval. Five to seven in-game days gives regular players a reason to revisit explored points of interest while preserving the value of new locations. A shorter interval accelerates resource circulation and can make nearby buildings sufficient indefinitely. A longer interval pushes the party toward new towns and biomes but can feel punishing when the group has limited playtime.
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Separate the two knobs
Use abundance to address stack-size friction and respawn days to address how often locations become useful again. Changing both at once hides the cause of an improved or damaged progression curve. For example, if the group has enough items but spends too much time hauling small stacks, adjust abundance first. If containers are permanently empty because the party revisits the same neighborhood, adjust respawn days instead.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Make co-op progression work when players split up
Party-shared kill range
PartySharedKillRange controls the distance required for shared kill experience and quest-objective credit. The documented default is 100 units. Keep that value when players usually travel as a team. If members regularly divide into scavenging and building groups, increase the range only if shared progression is more important than keeping local cooperation meaningful. A larger range can let distant players receive credit for actions they did not witness.
Coordinate claims and shared bases
Decide whether each player needs an individual claim or whether the party will concentrate claims around one headquarters. Keep the one-per-player baseline until you know that protection coverage, spacing or durability is inadequate. Record who owns critical claims so an inactive account does not unexpectedly control a key door, storage room or work area after the seven-real-world-day offline expiry.
Dedicated and cross-platform server limits
The official Help Center states that cross-platform dedicated servers support up to eight players. It also documents the following limits:
| Option | Cross-platform dedicated-server limit |
|---|---|
| Maximum players | 8 |
DayNightLength |
At least 10 minutes |
BloodMoonEnemyCount |
4–64 |
LootAbundance |
No higher than 200 |
LootRespawnDays |
At least 5 days |
These are platform constraints, not recommendations. A value that works in a local or single-platform world may be rejected by a cross-platform host. When renting a server, check the supported game version, player slots, geographic location, backup policy, mod support and crossplay status against these limits before migrating a save.
Choose a preset by the problem you are trying to solve
| If your group needs… | Adjust first | Leave unchanged initially |
|---|---|---|
| More time to build and quest | Raise DayNightLength from 60 to 90 minutes. |
Keep Blood Moon frequency and enemy count stable. |
| More combat challenge | Increase zombie movement or raise BloodMoonEnemyCount gradually. |
Keep loot settings at baseline so difficulty remains combat-focused. |
| Less resource hauling | Raise LootAbundance modestly to enlarge stacks. |
Do not assume rare drops become more common. |
| More reasons to revisit towns | Set LootRespawnDays to 5–7 days. |
Keep abundance separate so you can measure the effect. |
| Credit while splitting into teams | Review PartySharedKillRange. |
Keep movement and horde counts unchanged during the test. |
| Better server performance | Lower BloodMoonEnemyCount and avoid faster movement until stable. |
Do not compensate by raising loot or XP, which changes progression rather than load. |
After each change, play long enough to observe the affected system, note the result, and only then alter another axis. This produces a usable record when a future game update changes how a setting is stored.
Quick Recap
Troubleshooting settings that appear not to work
The server still allows player damage
- Confirm that
PlayerKillingModeis 0 rather than a panel label that merely says PvE. - Restart the world after saving the setting.
- Test with two accounts or trusted players after the world loads.
- Check whether a different server profile or configuration file is being launched.
The Blood Moon arrives on an unexpected day
- Check both the frequency and random-range values; a nonzero range intentionally moves the event.
- Verify that the current build still reads those properties from the place where you edited them.
- Remember that the event finishes at 04:00, so the visible horde night spans the preceding night and early morning.
Changing loot abundance did not produce more rare items
- That is expected: abundance changes stack sizes, not drop probability.
- Check whether you actually need larger stacks or a different respawn interval.
- On cross-platform dedicated servers, keep the value at or below the documented maximum of 200.
The horde causes lag after adding players
- Reduce the simultaneous enemy count before changing other gameplay settings.
- Watch server CPU, memory and each player’s frame rate during a full Blood Moon.
- Remember that the per-player limit, party size and Game Stage can raise the effective population together.
- Increase capacity only in small increments after performance remains stable for an entire event.
A setting keeps reverting after an update
- Record the exact game version and compare it with the documentation for that build.
- For version 3.2.0, test sandbox options,
SandboxCodeorsetgamepreffor gameplay properties formerly stored in XML. - Keep a backup of the world and the prior configuration so you can roll back a failed migration.
Practical first-session checklist
- Write down the game version, server type and intended player count.
- Disable killing with
PlayerKillingMode= 0 and verify it in the live world. - Choose Normal difficulty, a 60- or 90-minute day, and a seven-day Blood Moon with random range 0.
- Set day movement to walk or jog, night movement to run, and begin with 4–8 Blood Moon enemies per player.
- Leave loot abundance at 100% and choose a 5–7-day respawn interval, observing the five-day minimum for cross-platform dedicated servers.
- Keep the 100-unit shared-kill range and one 41-block land claim per player unless the group’s play pattern demands a change.
- Restart, verify every live value, and run one complete Blood Moon while monitoring server and client performance.
- Change only one setting category after that event, documenting the result and the method used to apply it.
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