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If Enshrouded settings keep reverting or appear to be ignored, stop the dedicated-server process, edit the enshrouded_server.json file beside the executable that is actually running, set "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom", and restart the server. Settings are loaded at startup, so changing them during play cannot take effect. A wrong file, a running process, a named preset, or invalid JSON accounts for most failures.
Why Enshrouded server settings appear not to change
The dedicated server reads gameplay and difficulty configuration when it starts. Keen Games states in the July 29, 2024 Back to the Shroud update notes: “Difficulty settings can not be changed while playing: you will need to restart the server to change them.” Editing the file while players are connected, then checking the world without restarting, therefore produces no visible change.
The server is still running
A live process may continue using the values it loaded earlier. The current operational guidance also warns that shutdown can rewrite the configuration file. If you edit while the process is running, your changes can be overwritten when the service closes, making the file look as though it “reverted.” Always stop the executable or service completely before opening the file, and do not restart it until the edit is saved.
A named preset is taking precedence
Recent server versions use a gameplay preset as well as individual settings. A named preset defines the overall mode and can make an individual value appear to be ignored. To control individual gameplay values, change the preset to Custom first:
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"gameSettingsPreset": "Custom"
Keep the quotation marks and capitalization exactly as shown. If you leave a named preset selected, changing another property may not alter the behavior you expect.
You edited a different JSON file
The authoritative file is the enshrouded_server.json created beside the dedicated-server executable. A backup, an old installation directory, a downloaded template, or a hosting-panel copy may have the same name but have no effect on the running world. Find the executable launched by the service, then use the JSON in that same directory. If a control panel starts the server from another path, the panel’s working directory—not a local copy on your computer—is the location that matters.
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The JSON contains invalid syntax or a prohibited value
JSON is unforgiving. A missing comma, extra comma, unmatched brace, curly quotation mark, misspelled property, or unsupported value can prevent the server from starting. Keen Games Support explains that, when invalid text is entered, the server does not boot and identifies the incorrectly entered value in the command window. Read that output instead of repeatedly restarting with the same file.
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The file is stale or was generated incorrectly
If the configuration was incorrectly updated or has become unusable, Keen recommends deleting it so the executable can generate a fresh file on the next startup. Make a copy first: the existing file may contain a server password and other custom settings. Regeneration is a recovery step, not a substitute for editing the active file.
Safe procedure for changing difficulty or gameplay settings
Use this sequence for a self-hosted executable or for a managed service that gives you access to the server files.
- Identify the active executable. Locate the dedicated-server executable that your shortcut, service definition, scheduled task, or hosting panel launches. Do not assume the newest installation folder is active.
- Stop the server completely. Use the service’s Stop command or close the dedicated-server process cleanly. Confirm that the process has exited before editing. A window that is still accepting console output, or a process still visible in the operating system’s process list, is not stopped.
- Back up the current configuration. Copy
enshrouded_server.jsonto a separate folder and give the copy a dated name. This lets you recover passwords and working values if a syntax mistake requires regeneration. - Open the JSON beside that executable. Keen’s installation guidance says the file is created after the executable is started once and is edited with a text editor. Open the file in a plain-text editor rather than a word processor that can add formatting characters.
- Select the custom preset. Find the existing
gameSettingsPresetproperty and set it to"Custom". Do not create a second property with the same name. Duplicate keys make the result ambiguous and can leave the server using an unexpected value. - Edit only documented keys and values. Preserve each property name, comma, brace, and quotation mark. Use the value types and allowed ranges supported by the server version you are running. Do not copy a setting from a different release without checking that it still exists.
- Check the JSON before saving. Confirm that the document has balanced braces, straight quotation marks, commas between properties, and no comments or trailing commas. A JSON validator can identify syntax errors, but it cannot tell you whether a game-specific value is permitted.
- Save in the original location. Keep the filename exactly
enshrouded_server.jsonand do not save a second file such asenshrouded_server.json.txt. Verify that the editor did not change the extension or character encoding. - Restart the same executable. Start the service or executable that you identified in step 1. Difficulty and gameplay settings are read during this startup; they are not hot-reloaded into an existing session.
- Read the startup output. Watch the command window or service log for a successful start. If the server refuses to boot, note the property or value it reports, stop it again, correct that item, and repeat the edit-and-restart cycle.
- Verify in a new session. Connect after the server has completed startup and test the changed behavior. Testing before the restart, or testing a different server address, can make a correct edit appear ineffective.
Understanding presets and restart behavior
Why Custom matters
The preset is an overall mode, while the individual properties refine that mode. A named preset can reapply its own values when the server loads, so an individual edit may not win. Custom tells the server to use the individual gameplay values in the JSON. Set it before troubleshooting a particular difficulty option; otherwise you cannot tell whether the value is invalid or simply being superseded.
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Why changing a setting in game does nothing
There is no supported in-session change for these dedicated-server difficulty settings. The official update instruction requires a server restart. Disconnect players, stop the process, edit the file, and start it again. Changing the file while the world is running does not update the already loaded configuration.
Version-sensitive settings
Property names and permitted values belong to the server version that reads the file. The July 2024 update described 30 game settings at that time, but that count is version-sensitive and should not be treated as a permanent list. Use the settings documented for your installed build, and remove or correct a property that the startup output identifies as unsupported.
How to locate the configuration the server really uses
Self-hosted Windows installation
Keen’s cited installation guide documents Windows support. Start the executable once if necessary so it can create enshrouded_server.json, then stop it before editing. The file next to that executable is the one to modify. If you have several copies of the game or server software, compare the full path in the shortcut or service configuration with the folder you opened.
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Services and scheduled tasks may launch an executable from a different working directory than the folder you normally browse. Inspect the configured executable path and any start arguments, stop the service through its normal control, and then open the JSON beside that path. After saving, start the same service rather than manually launching another copy; two processes can otherwise listen on different ports or load different files.
A managed hosting panel
A panel may expose fields that write a template when the instance starts. If your manual edit disappears, stop the instance from the panel, determine whether it offers a file manager or a raw JSON editor, and change the panel’s source configuration rather than an unrelated local download. Some panels regenerate files during updates or restarts, so persistence depends on the panel’s documented workflow. If the panel does not expose the active file or the Custom preset, ask its support team where the executable-generated configuration is stored.
| Remedy | Control over individual values | Persistence risk | Operational effort | Platform and cost considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual JSON editing | Direct control when gameSettingsPreset is Custom and values are valid. |
Edits can be lost if the process is running, shutdown rewrites the file, or the wrong copy is changed. | You must stop and start the process, back up the file, validate JSON, and handle updates. | Keen’s cited installation documentation covers Windows. Hardware, electricity, and administration costs depend on your setup; no universal price is established. |
| Hosting-panel controls | Convenient fields when the panel supports the required setting and custom preset. | The panel may regenerate a template or overwrite manual changes during restart or update. | Less process management, but you must learn the panel’s save and restart behavior and retain backups. | Availability, supported platforms, and recurring charges vary by provider and require current verification. |
Troubleshooting by symptom
The value returns to its old setting after restart
- Stop the process before editing; a shutdown rewrite may have replaced your change.
- Confirm the executable path and open the JSON in that exact directory.
- Check that the panel or startup script is not copying a template over the file.
- Make sure the preset is
Custom; a named preset can restore its own behavior.
The server starts, but the individual option appears ignored
- Verify that
"gameSettingsPreset": "Custom"is present once and spelled correctly. - Confirm that you edited the property supported by your installed server version.
- Test after a full restart and in the correct server session, not in a previously connected instance.
The server will not boot after the edit
- Read the command window; Keen says it identifies the incorrectly entered value when invalid text is detected.
- Check braces, commas, quotation marks, property spelling, and value type.
- Remove comments, trailing commas, duplicate properties, and values outside the documented range.
- Restore the backup if you need the server online immediately, then correct one change at a time.
The JSON file is missing
Start the dedicated-server executable once so it can create the file, then stop it and edit the newly generated copy. If the executable still does not create one, you may be launching a different installation or lack permission to write to that directory; verify the active path and the account running the service.
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Deleting the file did not solve the problem
Deletion only helps when the executable you restart is the one that owns the file. Stop every duplicate process, back up any remaining configuration, delete the incorrectly updated file beside the active executable, and launch that executable once to regenerate it. If a hosting panel restores its own template, use the panel’s reset mechanism or contact its support team instead of repeatedly deleting the generated copy.
How to avoid losing working settings
- Keep a dated backup after every known-good change, especially if the file contains a password.
- Record the full executable path so updates do not silently move the active installation.
- Change one setting at a time and restart, making a failed value easy to identify.
- Do not edit while players are connected or while the process is shutting down.
- After a server update, compare the new generated or documented properties with your backup before restoring old values.
- Retain the startup output from a failed launch; the reported property is more useful than repeated blind edits.
Final verification checklist
Before concluding that Enshrouded is ignoring a setting, confirm every item below:
- The correct dedicated-server executable was identified.
- That process is fully stopped.
- The edited file is
enshrouded_server.jsonbeside the active executable. - The preset is set to
Customfor individual gameplay control. - Only supported keys and values were changed.
- JSON syntax is valid and the filename and extension are unchanged.
- The file was saved before the process was restarted.
- The same executable or service was restarted.
- The command window or log shows a successful startup.
- The behavior was tested after reconnecting to the restarted server.
Following that order resolves the common “settings not changing” cases without replacing a working configuration unnecessarily: stop first, edit the active JSON, use the custom preset, validate the text, and restart before testing.
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