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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted 7 Days to Die servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
The quickest way to play 7 Days to Die with friends is to host a world from the game itself. Choose New Game or Continue Game, set Server Visibility to Friends Only, and invite friends through Join a Game or Steam. That world is available only while the host remains in the game.
For a world that stays online when the owner is away, run the separate 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server application (Steam app 294420) on Windows or Linux. You will need to edit a server configuration, forward the game port, allow the server through the firewall, and keep the server and every client on the same game version and Easy Anti-Cheat setting. A managed server removes most of that administration in exchange for a recurring hosting charge.
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All three approaches can support a private group, but they solve different problems. Decide first whether the world must remain available when the owner is offline.
| Hosting method | Available while owner is offline | Setup effort | Control over settings and mods | Cost model | Network and hardware responsibility | Crossplay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game-client hosting | No. The host must be playing. | Lowest; configure a world and invite friends. | World and session options available in the game; client-file mods still have to match. | No separate server rental. | The host PC runs both the game and the world and needs a stable connection. | Suitable for supported players on the same compatible build; console crossplay requires the documented dedicated-server settings. |
| Self-hosted dedicated server | Yes, while the server process and machine are running. | Highest; install the separate server, configure it, forward ports, and maintain it. | Most control over world, player slots, passwords, branches, saves, and server-side administration. | No rental fee, but you supply the machine, storage, electricity, and connection. | You administer the router, firewall, updates, backups, and hardware. | Can support PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S when the server uses the required settings. |
| Managed hosting | Yes, subject to the provider’s service and your subscription. | Lower than self-hosting; panels commonly provide one-click installation. | Panel-based settings, console access, backups, scheduled updates, and branch selection; available mod and crossplay options vary. | Recurring hosting charge; exact offers and regions change. | The provider operates the machine and network; you manage the game configuration and access. | Verify current console and crossplay support before purchasing. |
Use game-client hosting for occasional sessions
This is the practical choice when one person is reliably present for every play session and the group wants to start immediately. The save belongs to the host’s game installation. If the host quits, loses the connection, or closes the game, friends are disconnected and cannot continue in that world until the host starts it again.
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Use a dedicated server for a persistent shared world
A dedicated server is a separate process rather than a multiplayer session inside the game client. Friends can connect while the owner is playing another game or is away, provided the server computer and network remain online. It also gives you direct control over player slots, the world choice, the save location, passwords, and update branches.
Use managed hosting when administration is the problem
Managed panels typically offer one-click installation, a web console, scheduled updates and backups, and a choice of supported branches. They are useful when nobody in the group wants to administer SteamCMD, router forwarding, firewall rules, restart jobs, and storage. Availability, pricing, locations, supported versions, and crossplay options are time-sensitive, so check those items on the service’s current documentation rather than assuming that every plan supports them.
Hardware and connection planning
Steam’s current Windows listing names these baseline figures:
| Resource | Steam listing figure | How to interpret it for hosting |
|---|---|---|
| System memory | 8 GB minimum; 12 GB recommended | Those are the listed game requirements. Steam warns that running a dedicated server and the game client on the same computer doubles the RAM requirement, so a combined machine needs substantially more headroom than a client-only PC. |
| Processor | 2.8 GHz quad-core minimum | For a small vanilla group, stable single-core performance and cooling matter as much as the nominal core count. Larger worlds and overhaul mods need additional headroom; the baseline is not a guarantee for every mod pack. |
| Storage | 15 GB | Keep additional free SSD space for save growth, logs, updates, and backups. An SSD generally reduces loading and restart times. |
For a small unmodified group, prioritize a reliable upload connection, a fast processor, sufficient free memory, and SSD storage. More players, larger saves, frequent backups, or overhaul mods increase the margin you need. A wired Ethernet connection is more stable than Wi-Fi for the host; a Cat6 cable is a reasonable optional connection between the host PC and router. Test the machine under the same load you expect during play rather than relying only on the minimum figures.
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Start a private game from the client
- Launch 7 Days to Die and choose New Game to create a world or Continue Game to use an existing save.
- In the multiplayer or server options, set Server Visibility to Friends Only. Choose Public only if you intend strangers to find the session.
- Set a password if the group wants an additional barrier. Give the password to friends through a private channel.
- Confirm that every player is running the same game version or Steam branch. The host and clients must also use the same Easy Anti-Cheat state.
- Start the world and remain in the game while friends connect. The host computer is running simulation, networking, and the game client at the same time, so close bandwidth-heavy applications and monitor memory use if the session stutters.
- Tell friends the exact server name and whether a password is required. They can locate it through Join a Game or use Steam’s Join Game action from the host’s friend profile when joins are allowed.
Before building a long-term base, have everyone join once and confirm that they can see the world, interact with containers, and reconnect after a short restart. This catches version, anti-cheat, and invitation problems while the save is still new.
Set up a self-hosted dedicated server
Install the separate server application
- Install SteamCMD on the Windows or Linux machine that will remain online.
- Use SteamCMD to install Steam app 294420, named 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server. This is separate from the game client, whose Steam app is 251570.
- Keep the server files in a location with enough free SSD space for the installation, world saves, logs, and backups.
The exact SteamCMD command syntax and supported branches can change with the server’s current documentation. Use the current SteamCMD and dedicated-server instructions for your operating system rather than copying an old command from an outdated guide.
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Make a separate configuration file
- Find the shipped
serverconfig.xmlin the dedicated-server installation. - Copy it to a custom name such as
myserver.xml. - Edit the copy and start the server with that file. Keeping your settings in a separate file prevents an update from replacing the values you deliberately changed.
Use a text editor that preserves XML syntax. A malformed tag or value can prevent the server from starting, so change one group of settings at a time and inspect the startup log after each restart.
Set the core server values
| Setting | Purpose | Practical choice for a private group |
|---|---|---|
ServerName |
Name displayed in the server browser. | Use a distinctive name that friends can search without confusing it with public servers. |
ServerPassword |
Password required to join. | Set one for a private world and share it only with the group. |
ServerMaxPlayerCount |
Maximum simultaneous players. | Set it to the number of people you actually want to admit. Cross-platform settings require 8. |
ServerPort |
Main game connection port. | The default is 26900. Change it only when another service requires that port and update every firewall and connection entry accordingly. |
GameWorld |
World selection. | Choose the handcrafted Navezgane world or a random-generation option supported by the current server build. |
WorldGenSeed |
Seed used for random world generation. | Use a memorable seed if the group wants to reproduce the same generated world; the resulting map depends on the supported game version. |
SaveGameFolder |
Location of the world save. | Place it on a backed-up drive and make sure the service account can read and write that directory. |
Open the network path
- Give the server computer a stable address on your home network, preferably through a router DHCP reservation, so a reboot does not change the forwarding target.
- Forward the game’s main port, normally 26900 TCP and UDP, from the router to the server computer.
- Allow the dedicated-server executable through the operating-system firewall on the required private and public profiles. A firewall exception without router forwarding, or forwarding without a firewall exception, can both produce a server that appears offline.
- The joining guidance identifies 26902 as the Steam query port and mentions additional adjacent ports for discovery. Confirm the current server configuration before publishing exact firewall rules for those extra ports; do not assume every release uses an identical discovery layout.
- Start the server and wait for initialization to finish before testing from outside your home network. A browser entry can take longer to appear than the process takes to open its window.
Port forwarding exposes a service to the internet. Use a strong, unique password, limit the player count, keep the operating system and server branch updated, and remove the forwarding rule if you stop running the server.
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Plan updates and backups
Choose who owns the machine, configuration, and save. Before changing the game branch, server files, or major mods, stop the server cleanly and copy the save directory and custom XML file to separate storage. Keep at least one backup that is not mounted as the live save location. Schedule restarts during agreed quiet hours if the machine is used continuously, and tell players when updates may make the server temporarily unavailable.
How friends join your server
Server browser
- Each friend opens Join a Game.
- They wait for the list to populate and search for the exact
ServerName. - They select the entry and connect.
- They enter
ServerPasswordwhen prompted.
For a newly started dedicated server, wait until initialization is complete before searching. If the name is common, include a distinctive word or group tag in the server name.
Direct IP connection
- Choose Connect to IP in the multiplayer menu.
- Enter the server’s public IP address or a DNS name and the game port, normally
26900. - Submit the password when requested.
Friends outside your home network need the public address, not the server computer’s private address such as 192.168.x.x. Do not publish the address and password together in a public forum.
Steam Friends join
While the host is playing, a friend can open the Steam overlay or Steam client, right-click the host, and choose Join Game. This works only when Steam joins are permitted and the server is not full. It is most convenient for a client-hosted session; a dedicated server may not expose a joinable Steam presence in the same way.
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Steam Game Servers favorites
- In Steam, open View → Game Servers.
- Select Favorites and choose Add Server.
- Enter the server address and query port, normally
26902. - Save the entry, refresh it, and connect when the server responds.
Troubleshoot the common connection failures
| Symptom | Checks and fixes |
|---|---|
| Server does not appear in the browser | Confirm the server process is running and has finished startup; verify the configured game port; check the operating-system firewall; verify router forwarding; wait several minutes and refresh. Test with a direct IP connection to distinguish discovery delay from a real connectivity problem. |
| Connection times out | Confirm friends are using the public IP or DNS name, not the server’s private LAN address. Recheck that TCP and UDP forwarding for port 26900 targets the correct machine and that the firewall rule allows the executable. |
| Version Mismatch | Update the game and server, or select the same Steam branch on every client and the server. A client that updated while another stayed on an older branch cannot reliably connect. |
| EAC Authentication Failed | Make the Easy Anti-Cheat setting match between server and clients, then verify the game files on affected clients. Restart after changing the setting. |
| Friends are rejected because the server is full | Increase ServerMaxPlayerCount only within the capacity of the machine and the group’s plan, then restart if the server requires a restart for the change. For crossplay, do not exceed the required eight-player cap. |
| One player can join but another cannot | Compare that player’s game version, Steam branch, EAC state, and installed client-file mods with the working players. Have the player test a vanilla client before changing server settings. |
| Players lose progress after a crash | Stop the server cleanly when possible, keep scheduled and manual backups of the save directory, and restore a known-good copy only after stopping the server process. |
Enable PC and console crossplay
The documented cross-platform setup supports PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S clients on a correctly configured dedicated server. It is not enough for the players to own compatible hardware; the server must advertise the required crossplay settings and every client must be on the supported build.
Set these values in the dedicated server configuration:
ServerMaxPlayerCount=8ServerAllowCrossplay=TrueEACEnabled=TrueIgnoreEOSSanctions=False
Restart the server after saving the configuration, then test with one PC player and one console player before inviting the full group. Keep the initial test world vanilla. Client-file mods or mismatched versions can prevent console players from joining, so add modifications only after the unmodified crossplay path works and you have confirmed that the specific mod is supported for every platform involved.
Crossplay certification and supported builds can change. If a console update has just shipped, verify that the dedicated-server branch and PC clients have reached the same supported version before troubleshooting ports.
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Keep a private server manageable
Assign ownership
Agree on one or two administrators who control the machine, configuration, passwords, backups, and invitations. A client-hosted save is tied to the host’s installation, while a dedicated save is tied to the server’s SaveGameFolder; changing ownership without copying the save can strand the group’s progress.
Separate configuration from game files
Keep the custom XML outside the shipped template and record the values you changed. When an update replaces default files, compare the new template with your custom file and add newly required settings rather than blindly overwriting the working configuration.
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Forward only the ports required by the current server build, allow only the server executable through the firewall, and use a password even for a small group. If you move the server to another computer, remove the old forwarding rule and firewall exception.
Match the maintenance window to the players
Tell the group when updates, backups, and restarts occur. A dedicated world is persistent only when the host machine is powered on, connected, and running the server process; persistence does not mean the server is maintenance-free.
Which setup fits your group?
- Choose client hosting if you play together at scheduled times, want nearly no setup, and can accept that the world disappears from the network when the host quits.
- Choose self-hosting if the group wants a persistent world, full configuration control, no rental fee, and someone is comfortable with SteamCMD, port forwarding, firewall rules, updates, and backups.
- Choose managed hosting if persistence matters but nobody wants to operate the machine and network. Confirm the current plan’s game branch, region, backup policy, player slots, mod support, and PC-console crossplay before committing.
Whichever method you choose, make the first session a connectivity test: connect every intended platform, verify the password and player limit, check that the save is written where expected, and only then invest in a long-running shared base.
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