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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To install Darkness Falls, use the dedicated-server build of 7 Days to Die, pin the server and every player to the same supported game branch, copy the mod’s three server folders into the dedicated-server root, disable Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) everywhere, and generate a new Darkness Falls world. A vanilla save, mismatched mod files, enabled EAC, or an unsupported game branch will usually prevent the server from loading correctly.
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The current compatibility guidance describes Darkness Falls V6 as a PC-only overhaul for the 7 Days to Die 1.0/v1.4 line. It warns that V6 does not load on the 2.x or current 3.x lines. Because branch support can change as the mod and game are updated, verify the release’s compatibility statement before you download files.
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What you need before installing
Darkness Falls changes the world, progression, enemies, quests, and server workload far beyond a normal mod. Prepare the server and clients before copying anything.
Use a supported, identical game branch
The server and every connecting PC must run the same 7 Days to Die branch and the same Darkness Falls build. The current guide identifies Darkness Falls V6 with the 1.0/v1.4 game line and says it will not load on 2.x or 3.x. Do not let Steam update one machine while another remains pinned to an older branch.
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| Component | Required state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated server | Supported 1.0/v1.4 branch for the selected Darkness Falls build | The mod’s assemblies and assets must match the server executable. |
| Every client | Exactly the same branch as the server | A client on another branch cannot reliably load the server’s world or assets. |
| Darkness Falls files | One matching build on the server and all clients | Mixing files from different builds produces missing assets, errors, or failed connections. |
| EAC | Disabled on the server and every client | The overhaul requires EAC to be off and is not crossplay-capable. |
Use a separate test world
Darkness Falls needs a fresh world. It is not a drop-in ruleset for a vanilla save. Back up existing saves, then create a new world after the mod is installed. Keep the backup outside the active server directory so an update or reinstall cannot overwrite it.
Plan hardware and network capacity
The dedicated-server guidance lists 6 GB of free RAM as a vanilla minimum, but recommends 10–16 GB for overhauls and four or more players. Storage guidance lists a 15 GB SSD minimum and 25 GB or more as a comfortable target. Darkness Falls also benefits from a fast SSD because the server streams many assets while players explore.
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Install the dedicated 7 Days to Die server
Steam installation
The dedicated server is a separate Steam tool, app 294420. It is free to download and does not require a game license on the machine that hosts the server. In the Steam client, open the Tools section, find 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server, and install it to a location with sufficient SSD space.
For a headless Linux or Windows installation, SteamCMD can install or validate the tool with:
+login anonymous +app_update 294420 validate +quitRun the command from your SteamCMD directory. After installation, the server directory normally contains the executable, serverconfig.xml, 7DaysToDieServer_Data, Data, and Mods.
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Keep your configuration separate from updates
Copy the supplied serverconfig.xml to a separate name such as myserver.xml. Start the server with that copy so a future dedicated-server update does not replace your settings. Make a dated backup of the custom file before each branch change or mod update.
Copy the Darkness Falls server package
Download the server package that matches the game branch you pinned. The installation instructions for the dedicated build are explicit:
- Open Steam’s Tools section and download 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server.
- Open your Steam
Steamapps/Commondirectory. - Open the 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server folder.
- Open the Darkness Falls server ZIP file.
- Drag all three folders from the ZIP into the dedicated-server folder.
- When the operating system asks whether to overwrite files, confirm the overwrite.
The three folders are 7DaysToDieServer_Data, Data, and Mods. Copy them into the server’s top-level directory, not into a second nested folder. After extraction, paths should resemble:
7 Days to Die Dedicated Server/
├── 7DaysToDieServer_Data/
├── Data/
├── Mods/
├── serverconfig.xml
└── myserver.xmlDo not merge a server package from one Darkness Falls release with client files or assemblies from another release. If your ZIP contains a different folder layout, follow that package’s readme rather than inventing a new path; the important requirement is that the mod’s supplied structure remains intact at the dedicated-server root.
Configure the world and server settings
Select a Darkness Falls world identifier
Edit myserver.xml (or your chosen configuration copy) and set the world to an identifier that exists in the installed package. Common identifiers in the instructions include:
| World type | Identifier examples | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Navezgane | DFalls-Navezgane |
Use the exact spelling supplied by your build. |
| Small maps | DFalls-Small, DFalls-Small2 |
Useful when memory or player count is limited. |
| Medium maps | DFalls-Medium, DFalls-Medium1-NoPEP |
Some releases distinguish PEP and NoPEP variants. |
| Large maps | DFalls-Large1-NoPEP |
Expect higher memory use than a small or medium map. |
| Procedural world | RWG |
Supply a seed; fixed map names do not require one. |
| PEP variants | Names supplied by the installed package | Do not assume a PEP identifier exists in every build. |
Provider documentation lists additional PEP and NoPEP names. The package installed on your server is authoritative: if a name is absent from its world files, choose another listed identifier.
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Set the zombie cap
In the same configuration file, find MaxZombies. The Darkness Falls instructions recommend at least 85 and no more than 100:
<property name='MaxZombies' value='85' />Start at 85 when testing a new installation. Increase toward 100 only after watching memory use, server tick time, and player reports. A higher cap can make a large overhaul feel more active, but it also increases CPU and RAM pressure.
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Set EAC to false:
<property name='EACEnabled' value='false' />The exact property formatting can vary by configuration template, so edit the existing EAC line rather than creating a duplicate. Save the file before launching.
Disable EAC on every client and launch
EAC must be disabled on both sides of the connection. A server with EAC disabled will still reject or fail to load a client that launches with EAC enabled.
- On each PC, open the 7 Days to Die launcher or Steam launch options.
- Choose the launch option that starts the game without EAC, commonly shown as Disable Easy Anti-Cheat or an equivalent prompt.
- Confirm that the client is on the same 1.0/v1.4 branch as the server.
- Install the identical Darkness Falls client build using the mod’s supported distribution method.
- Do not connect until the server has also loaded the same build.
On Windows, start the dedicated server with startdedicated.bat, passing your selected configuration file if the script supports an argument. On Linux, use the equivalent launch script and specify the same configuration. Watch the console for the world-generation and mod-loading messages before attempting to connect.
Connect with a matching Darkness Falls client
Darkness Falls is described as PC-only and not crossplay-capable because EAC is disabled. Every player needs the same game branch, the same mod build, and the client-side mod files. A client that joins a vanilla server may download ordinary map data but will not become a compatible Darkness Falls client automatically.
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For a first test, connect locally from the host machine or from a player on the same LAN. Once the server creates the new world successfully, test an outside connection using the documented ports.
Open the required network ports
The documented default game ports are:
| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 26900 | TCP and UDP | Main game connection |
| 26901 | UDP | Additional game traffic |
| 26902 | UDP | Additional game traffic |
Forward these ports from the router to the server’s local IP when hosting behind NAT, and allow them through the operating system firewall. Web-admin and telnet ports are optional; if enabled, assign them deliberately and restrict access rather than exposing them to the public internet.
After opening ports, test from a network outside the host’s LAN. A successful local connection does not prove that router forwarding or the public firewall is correct.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Docker and LinuxGSM-style deployment
Containerized deployments can automate the same file installation, but they do not remove the need for matching branches, disabled EAC, or a fresh world.
Docker environment settings
The Docker-7DaysToDie documentation exposes these settings:
| Variable | Value or use |
|---|---|
DARKNESS_FALLS |
Set to YES to install the overhaul. |
DARKNESS_FALLS_UPDATE |
Set to YES to update the mod at container startup when updates are enabled. |
DARKNESS_FALLS_URL |
Provide a specific download URL when you need a particular package. |
| Persistent volumes | Map saves, server files, logs, and backups outside the container. |
Pin a known-good image and mod build before enabling automatic updates. An unattended mod update can leave an existing world or client incompatible. Keep separate persistent volumes for the active save and its backups so rebuilding the container does not erase recovery data.
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LinuxGSM or another script-based manager
Script-based managers still need the dedicated server files, the correct Darkness Falls folders, and a configuration with EAC disabled. Use the manager’s stop command before replacing files, then start it with your custom configuration. Confirm that the manager is not regenerating a vanilla serverconfig.xml on every launch.
Memory, map size, and player-count decisions
Use the map-size rule as a starting point, then measure the actual server. The estimate is:
minimum RAM in GB ≈ map size in K + (0.5 × players)Examples:
- An 8K world with four players: 8 + 2 = approximately 10 GB.
- An 8K world with eight players: 8 + 4 = approximately 12 GB.
- A 6K world with four players: 6 + 2 = approximately 8 GB, before operating-system and workload headroom.
These figures are not guarantees. Server-side entities, view distance, generated terrain, automated backups, and other services can raise usage. If zombies stop moving, players experience long pauses, or the process approaches the system’s memory limit, reduce the map size or player load before increasing the zombie cap.
Troubleshoot a server that will not load
The server starts as vanilla
- Stop the server and inspect its top-level directory.
- Confirm that
7DaysToDieServer_Data,Data, andModswere copied there, not inside an extra folder created by the ZIP. - Check that the files belong to the same Darkness Falls build as the clients.
- Review the console for missing assemblies or asset paths.
The world fails during generation
- Verify that the world identifier is present in the installed package.
- Use a fresh save directory; do not point the mod at a vanilla world.
- If using
RWG, provide a seed. Fixed Darkness Falls map names do not need one. - Check available RAM, especially with large maps.
Clients are rejected or disconnect immediately
- Compare the exact game branch on the server and client. The current V6 guidance is for 1.0/v1.4, not 2.x or 3.x.
- Compare the Darkness Falls build, including any PEP or NoPEP package choice.
- Disable EAC on the client as well as the server.
- Remove stale client mod files and reinstall the matching package if the client reports missing assets.
Zombies stand still or the server lags
Insufficient memory is a documented cause of this symptom. First check RAM use and server tick performance. Reduce the map size, lower the player load, or move to a machine with more memory. If the server is stable at a lower MaxZombies, keep that setting rather than immediately adding more hardware.
Players cannot reach the server from outside
- Check that 26900 TCP/UDP and 26901–26902 UDP are forwarded to the correct internal address.
- Allow the same ports through the host firewall.
- Test from a separate internet connection, not only from the hosting LAN.
- Confirm that the server provider or upstream router is not blocking inbound traffic.
Managed hosting workflow
A managed panel can perform the file copy and startup steps, but you still control compatibility and world safety. The documented workflow is:
- Stop the server.
- Open the panel’s Non-Workshop Mods section.
- Install Darkness Falls.
- Edit the generated
serverconfiga21.xmlor the configuration file named by the panel. - Disable EAC.
- Save the configuration and start the server.
Choose a plan with enough memory for the map and player count, enable scheduled backups, and pin the game branch when the panel offers that control. One-click installation does not make a vanilla save compatible; create the new Darkness Falls world after the mod is installed.
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Updating without breaking the installation
Before updating the game or mod, stop the server and make a dated copy of the save, configuration, logs, and current mod package. Check whether the new Darkness Falls release supports your selected game branch. Update the server first, then update every client to the same build. Do not allow a client to update independently while the server remains on an older branch.
After an update, test world loading with the server empty, inspect the console for errors, and verify that the selected world identifier still exists. Keep the previous package and backup until players have connected successfully and the new world has been tested.
Quick Recap
Installation checklist
- Dedicated server app 294420 installed.
- Server and clients pinned to the same supported 1.0/v1.4 branch, unless a newer Darkness Falls release explicitly supports another branch.
- Matching Darkness Falls build downloaded for the server and every client.
7DaysToDieServer_Data,Data, andModscopied into the dedicated-server root.- Existing saves backed up and a new Darkness Falls world selected.
- World identifier verified against the installed package.
MaxZombiesset between 85 and 100, adjusted after performance testing.- EAC disabled in the server configuration and on every client.
- At least 10–16 GB RAM planned for a typical overhaul server with four or more players, with extra headroom for large maps.
- 26900 TCP/UDP and 26901–26902 UDP reachable when using the documented defaults.
- Players connecting with matching branch and mod files.
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