V Rising Server Settings for Solo or Group Play

V Rising server settings live in two JSON files: ServerHostSettings.json (name, password, player slots, ports, saves and server list) and ServerGameSettings.json (the gameplay rules). To set up a server for solo or for a group, you mostly change five things: a game preset (PvE or PvP), a difficulty preset, the player cap, a password and whether the server is listed. This guide shows each setting from Stunlock Studios' official instructions and two ready-to-copy examples.

Where V Rising server settings are stored

According to the official V Rising dedicated server instructions for 1.1.x (PC), the server reads its default files first and then looks for local overrides:

On Windows the default persistentDataPath is %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Stunlock Studios\VRisingServer\, and the -persistentDataPath launch parameter changes it. Stunlock recommends setting it, and it is a must if you run several servers on one machine.

A useful detail: the override file does not need to be complete. You can write only the keys that differ from the default, which keeps your changes easy to read and safe across updates.

ServerHostSettings.json: the settings that matter

The official docs give an example value for most settings rather than a default, so the right column shows what Stunlock uses as an example. Each setting can also be set with an environment variable or a launch parameter (for example -maxUsers or -preset).

V Rising server settings for solo play

V Rising already runs a server in the background when you start a local private game, so you do not need a dedicated server to play alone. A dedicated one makes sense when you want the same world on more than one PC, want to invite a friend now and then without handing over your save, or do not want the server eating memory while you play.

For a private solo world, the goal is simple: hide it, lock it, and let it idle cheaply when you are offline.

{
  "Name": "Night Hunt (private)",
  "Password": "pick-a-password",
  "MaxConnectedUsers": 4,
  "MaxConnectedAdmins": 2,
  "ListOnSteam": false,
  "ListOnEOS": false,
  "GameSettingsPreset": "StandardPvE",
  "GameDifficultyPreset": "Difficulty_Normal",
  "LowerFPSWhenEmpty": true,
  "LowerFPSWhenEmptyValue": 5,
  "AutoSaveCount": 20,
  "AutoSaveInterval": 120
}

• ListOnSteam and ListOnEOS set to false keep the server out of public lists. You join by address.
• Password stops strangers who find the IP.
• StandardPvE removes the pressure of raids; switch the difficulty preset to Difficulty_Brutal if you want a harder run alone.
• LowerFPSWhenEmpty lets the server slow down while nobody is connected.

V Rising server settings for group play

With a group, decide two things first: PvE or PvP, and private or public. A clan of friends usually wants a private PvE or PvP world with a password. A public community server wants listing, VAC, reconnect slots and a wipe schedule.

{
  "Name": "Night Hunt PvP",
  "Description": "Clan PvP. Wipe every other Saturday. Be nice.",
  "Password": "",
  "MaxConnectedUsers": 40,
  "MaxConnectedAdmins": 4,
  "ListOnSteam": true,
  "ListOnEOS": true,
  "Secure": true,
  "GameSettingsPreset": "StandardPvP",
  "GameDifficultyPreset": "Difficulty_Normal",
  "SafeReconnectSlots": 10,
  "SafeReconnectTime": 300,
  "ResetDaysInterval": 14,
  "DayOfReset": "Saturday"
}

• MaxConnectedUsers: set it to your real group size plus a little margin. More players means more CPU and memory.
• SafeReconnectSlots and SafeReconnectTime keep a seat for someone whose connection dropped, so a full server does not lock them out.
• ResetDaysInterval + DayOfReset: with 14 and Saturday, the server checks at startup and starts a new save every other Saturday; the old save is backed up.
• Private group: same file, but with a password and both list options set to false.

For port forwarding at home, Stunlock says opening the game port is enough for direct joins, while showing up in the server list needs both the game port and the query port open and forwarded.

V Rising server settings on TheGameHosting

Everything above is plain JSON, so on a V Rising server from TheGameHosting you edit it in the browser from Files in the panel, or over SFTP if you prefer your own editor. No router, no firewall rules and no PC left on overnight.

• Online 24/7, with the IP and port on your server page; friends join without you opening ports.
• Schedules for the daily restart Stunlock recommends, at the hour your server is emptiest.
• Backups before every patch, which the official guide also recommends.
• Startup tab to review launch settings; if you need a parameter that is not there, ask us on the live chat.
• Hardware: AMD Ryzen 9950X / 7950X3D up to 5.7 GHz, DDR5 RAM, Samsung NVMe, a 10 Gbps network and DDoS protection included.
• Dallas (US) or Amsterdam (Netherlands), with the Location Changer if your clan moves.

V Rising needs at least 12 GB on our plans, from $9.99/month, with unlimited slots and no setup fee. For a busy public PvP server, the 16 GB plan ($12.89/month) leaves headroom. See all sizes on the plans and pricing page.

Fine-tuning gameplay with ServerGameSettings.json

Presets cover most groups. When you want to change individual rules, open the default ServerGameSettings.json in VRisingServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Settings/, copy only the keys you want to change into Settings/ServerGameSettings.json in your data path, and edit them there.

How to become admin

1. Add your SteamID to adminlist.txt in the Settings folder, one per line. No restart is needed.
2. In the game, enable the console in the options menu.
3. Open it with ~ and type adminauth.
4. Use admin commands such as kick, banuser, bancharacter, banned and unban. Bans are written to banlist.txt.

Move a private world to the dedicated server

Started solo and now your friends want in? In the game, open Load Game, select the save and use Go to Directory. Back up that folder, then copy it into Saves/v4/ on the server (on TheGameHosting, upload it through Files or SFTP). Point the server at it with SaveName (or -saveName) and leave GameSettingsPreset empty so your original rules load. Remove the local copy from inside the game afterwards, otherwise Cloud Sync can restore it.

Restarts, autosaves and RCON

Stunlock recommends a daily restart and frequent backups, especially before and after patches. AutoSaveSmartKeep keeps a spread of older autosaves (recent minutes, last hour, last day) so you can roll back further than the last few saves. For remote messages, RCON can be enabled in ServerHostSettings.json with a required password; the example port is 25575 TCP and it supports announce, announcerestart, shutdown and a few more commands.

"Rcon": {
  "Enabled": true,
  "Password": "somepassword",
  "Port": 25575
}

Summary

Solo: private list settings, a password, StandardPvE or a harder difficulty preset, and a low idle frame rate. Group: the right player cap, PvE or PvP preset, reconnect slots and, for public servers, a wipe schedule. If you want those settings on a server that stays up for your clan every night, compare plans on our game server pricing page and use FULL2026 for 15% off for life. Running more than one game? Our guides on the Satisfactory encryption token error and what a dedicated server means are a good next read.

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Hosting for these games

• V Rising hosting12 GB plan from $9.99/month
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