How to Change the Map on a 7 Days to Die Server

Change map, 7 Days to Die server edition, takes four moves: stop the server, open serverconfig.xml, set GameWorld to Navezgane, RWG or the name of a custom world, give the save a new GameName and start it again. The old save stays on disk, so you can switch back later.

This guide covers the four properties that decide which map loads, how random generation (RWG) works on a dedicated server, how to upload a custom or pregenerated map, and what changed with the V3.0 Sandbox system.

The four settings that pick the map

Everything about the map lives in serverconfig.xml, the file the dedicated server reads when it starts. If you have not opened it before, our 7 Days to Die server config guide explains the rest of the file. For the map, only these four properties matter:

The official wiki is clear on one detail people miss: GameName is the save, not the map. Two saves can use the same world, and a new GameName on the same world gives you a fresh start on a map players already know.

Change map: 7 Days to Die server step by step

The steps are the same whether you go to Navezgane, a new random world or a custom map. Only the values change.

1. Make a backup first. On TheGameHosting, open your server in the panel, go to Backups and create one. It takes the whole server folder, save included.
2. Stop the server from Console. You can type shutdown so the game saves and closes cleanly, or use the Stop button.
3. Open Files and edit serverconfig.xml in the browser editor.
4. Set GameWorld: Navezgane, RWG, or the exact folder name of your custom world.
5. If you chose RWG, set WorldGenSeed and WorldGenSize. Avoid spaces in names and seeds.
6. Change GameName to something new, for example Season2, so the server starts a new save instead of mixing it with the old one.
7. Save the file, start the server and watch Console. A random world is generated on the first start, which can take several minutes on large sizes.
8. Join, check the map, and tell your players. They download the new world when they connect.

<property name="GameWorld"     value="RWG"/>
<property name="WorldGenSeed"  value="DeadSummer"/>
<property name="WorldGenSize"  value="8192"/>
<property name="GameName"      value="Season2"/>

The four lines above make a new 8192 random world called from the seed DeadSummer and store the save as Season2. To go back to the hand-made map, use these two lines instead:

<property name="GameWorld" value="Navezgane"/>
<property name="GameName"  value="NavezganeRun"/>

Random world generation on a dedicated server

With GameWorld set to RWG, the server builds the world itself from WorldGenSeed and WorldGenSize. A few practical points:

• Same seed, same world. If the server finds a world already generated from that seed and size, it loads it. To get a different map, change the seed.
• Size is a real cost. The wiki notes that larger maps take longer to generate, download and load. A small group rarely needs more than 8192; bigger maps spread players out and make the first join slower.
• Generated worlds are kept. The server stores them in its user data folder (the UserDataFolder property can move it). Old worlds are not deleted when you switch, which is handy and also uses disk space.
• Try the seed first. In your own game you can preview a seed in the world generator before you put it on the server, so nobody spends a week on a map with no trader nearby.

Using a custom or pregenerated map

A custom map is a world folder made with the in-game world generator, the editor tools or downloaded from a map author. The wiki describes GameWorld as accepting any world that already exists in the Worlds folder, so the job is to put the folder there and use its exact name.

1. Get the world folder. Worlds you generated in your own game sit in your game's GeneratedWorlds folder; downloaded maps come as a folder, often zipped.
2. Upload it to the server with SFTP (best for large folders) or zip it and upload it in Files, then unzip it there.
3. Place the folder in the server's worlds location. Generated worlds go in the server's GeneratedWorlds folder; hand-made maps installed with the game sit in Data/Worlds.
4. Set GameWorld to the folder name, letter for letter, and pick a new GameName.
5. Start the server and read the first lines in Console. If the name does not match, the server will not find the world, so check spelling and capitals first.

What changed in V3.0

The V3.0 release notes from The Fun Pimps moved thirty older properties, such as GameDifficulty, BloodMoonFrequency and LootAbundance, out of serverconfig.xml and into a single SandboxCode property. You build that code in the in-game Sandbox Options menu and paste it into the file. The map properties above are not on that list, so changing map works the same way. If you carry a server over from V2.6, the notes say you need to recreate your old settings as a sandbox code. The game also warns when you try to load a save from an older major version, which is a good moment to start a new map.

Keep the old save or wipe it?

Because the save is tied to GameName, a map change does not erase anything. That gives you two clean options:

• Rotate maps: keep the old GameName and world, and switch back whenever the group wants. Good for seasons.
• Clear the space: once the new map is running and the backup is safe, delete the old save folder in Files. Large random worlds and long saves add up.

If players lose their progress after the change, that is expected: characters, land claims and bases belong to the old save. If they cannot connect at all, see 7 Days to Die server disconnected you, and for a new install start with how to make a 7 Days to Die server.

Change maps without fighting your PC

Generating an 8192 world, keeping it online every night and handling a dozen players is heavy work for a home PC. On a 7 Days to Die server from TheGameHosting the server is online 24/7, you get an IP and port from the panel without opening ports, and it runs on AMD Ryzen 9950X / 7950X3D CPUs up to 5.7 GHz with DDR5 and NVMe, which helps a lot when the world generates. You edit serverconfig.xml in Files, upload maps over SFTP, take a Backups snapshot before every map change and restart from Console. DDoS protection is included and you can pick Dallas or Amsterdam.

Plans start at $1.90 per month and you choose the RAM; for 7 Days to Die most groups start at 8 GB. See the plans and pricing and use the code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

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