7 Days to Die 1.0 brought the game out of early access with overhauled graphics, bandits and a polished Blood Moon horde system. Hosting your own server gives you full control over difficulty, mods and world size. A HostValues VPS with 8 GB of RAM handles most groups comfortably.
Installation
- Install SteamCMD on your VPS and create a dedicated user.
- Download the server:
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/sdtd/server +login anonymous +app_update 294420 validate +quit - Copy
serverconfig.xmlfrom the server folder and customize it. Key settings includeServerName,ServerPassword,ServerMaxPlayerCountandGameWorld. - Start the server:
./7DaysToDieServer.x86_64 -configfile=serverconfig.xml -logfile output.log -quit -batchmode -nographics -dedicated - Open TCP+UDP port 26900 (game) and UDP ports 26901 to 26903 (Steam networking) in your firewall.
Blood Moon configuration
The Blood Moon horde arrives every 7 in-game days by default. In serverconfig.xml, adjust BloodMoonFrequency to change how often it occurs, BloodMoonEnemyCount to set the maximum zombies per player, and EnemyDifficulty to scale their toughness. Longer day cycles (controlled by DayNightLength) give players more preparation time between hordes.
Mods and Modlets
Server-side mods go into the Mods folder in the server directory. Modlets are small XML overrides that change recipes, loot tables or zombie behavior without replacing core files. Popular overhaul mods like Darkness Falls require all players to install the same mod pack. List compatible mods in your server description so players know what to install.
World generation
Set GameWorld to RWG for a random world, or use Navezgane for the hand-crafted map. The WorldGenSize setting controls the map dimensions, from 4096 to 10240 blocks. Larger maps need more RAM and take longer to generate on first startup.
Server management tips
Run the server inside screen or tmux so it survives SSH disconnects. For automatic restarts, create a systemd service. Enable the -adminlog and -logfile flags to record player activity and errors. The built-in web dashboard (enabled with WebDashboardEnabled in the config) lets you monitor players and performance from a browser without needing third-party tools.
How much RAM does a 7 Days to Die server need?
For 4 to 8 players on a standard map, 8 GB works well. Larger maps (8192+) or heavily modded servers benefit from 12 to 16 GB, especially during Blood Moon nights when many zombies spawn at once.
Can I use EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat) on my server?
Yes. EAC is enabled by default in 1.0. You can disable it in the server config if you run mods that are not EAC-compatible, but this means less protection against cheaters on public servers.