Since V3.0 “Dead Hot Summer” (June 2026), 7 Days to Die keeps its game rules as sandbox options. Blood moons, zombies, loot, XP and day length are all saved together in one SandboxCode value in serverconfig.xml. The old lines like BloodMoonFrequency no longer do anything. To change any of them, you make a code in the game and paste it into your server.
The panel can’t build a SandboxCode for you yet, because how the code is made isn’t documented. Until it can, make the code in the game as shown below. It takes a minute or two.
Make a SandboxCode in the game
-
Start 7 Days to Die and go to the screen for a new game.
-
Open the Sandbox Options.
-
Pick a preset to start from, or start from the default. Change the options you want.
-
Use the copy code button. The code is a short string of capital letters, like
AAAJABJACJADJARFBNC. -
In the panel, open Settings, then More settings, and paste the code into Sandbox code. Or open
serverconfig.xmlunder Advanced and paste it intoSandboxCode:<property name="SandboxCode" value="PASTE-YOUR-CODE-HERE"/> -
Save and restart the server.
To check what the server is using, type getsandboxoptions (or gso) in Console. The server also prints its sandbox settings to the log when it starts.
Blood moon settings
The first column is the option’s name in the game. The second is the old serverconfig.xml name, which still works on V2.6 and earlier servers and shows up in older guides.
| Sandbox option | Old serverconfig.xml name | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Moon Frequency | BloodMoonFrequency |
Every 7 days | How often blood moons come. 0 turns them off |
| Blood Moon Range | BloodMoonRange |
0 days | Adds a random number of days, so you can’t be sure of the night. Frequency 7 with range 3 means between day 7 and day 10 |
| Blood Moon Warning | BloodMoonWarning |
Hour 8 | The hour on blood moon day when the day counter turns red |
| Blood Moon Count | BloodMoonEnemyCount |
8 | How many horde zombies each player faces at one time. MaxSpawnedZombies and the players’ game stage can lower it |
| Zombie BM Speed | ZombieBMMove |
Sprint | How fast zombies move on blood moon nights |
| BM Block Damage | BlockDamageAIBM |
100% | How hard horde zombies hit your blocks |
For a first server with new players, try Blood Moon Range 0 and Blood Moon Count 6. Everyone knows when the horde comes, and it’s still scary.
Zombie settings
| Sandbox option | Old name | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enemy Spawning | EnemySpawnMode |
On | Turns zombies and hostile animals on or off |
| Zombie Day Speed | ZombieMove |
Walk | How fast zombies move in daylight |
| Zombie Night Speed | ZombieMoveNight |
Sprint | How fast zombies move at night |
| Zombie Feral Speed | ZombieFeralMove |
Sprint | How fast feral zombies move |
| Zombie Feral Sense | ZombieFeralSense |
Off | When every zombie gets a feral’s sharp senses: off, by day, by night or always |
Speeds run from walk, jog and run to sprint and nightmare. V3 adds more zombie options with no old name, such as Enemy Density, Zombie Rage and Zombie Digging.
The total number of zombies alive at once is still set in serverconfig.xml as MaxSpawnedZombies (default 64). It matters a lot for performance. See performance.
Loot and XP
| Sandbox option | Old name | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| XP Multiplier | XPMultiplier |
100% | How fast players level up |
| Loot Abundance | LootAbundance |
100% | How much you find in each container |
| Loot Respawn Days | LootRespawnDays |
7 days | How long until looted containers refill |
| Air Drops | AirDropFrequency |
Every 72 hours | How often supply crates fall |
| Death Penalty | DeathPenalty |
XP penalty | What you lose when you die |
| Drop On Death | DropOnDeath |
Everything | Which items you drop when you die: nothing, everything, toolbelt only or backpack only |
V3.0 also split loot into separate amounts for food, drink, medical, ammo, resources, armour, weapons, currency and magazines. Each has its own option.
Day length
| Sandbox option | Old name | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day cycle length | DayNightLength |
60 minutes | Real minutes in one full in-game day |
| Daylight Length | DayLightLength |
18 hours | In-game hours of daylight in each day |
Longer days give more time to loot and build between blood moons. With a 120-minute day, a 7-day cycle takes 14 hours of play.
Difficulty presets
The old GameDifficulty setting ran from 0 to 5: Scavenger, Adventurer, Nomad, Warrior, Survivalist and Insane. Mostly it changed how much damage you deal and take.
In V3 the Sandbox Options screen has presets instead. You’ll find the classic difficulties plus new official presets such as Undead Matinee, 7 Days Later and Bite Club. Pick one, change what you like, and copy the code. The default SandboxCode on a new server, AAAJABJACJADJARFBNC, matches the classic Adventurer difficulty.
Settings that stop console players joining
Crossplay servers only accept game rules within limits that consoles allow. The Fun Pimps’ crossplay page lists some of them, like XP between 25% and 300% and loot abundance of 200% or less. If your code goes outside the limits with crossplay on, the server writes a warning in Console when it starts. PC players can still join. See crossplay.
Continuing a V2.6 world
A V2.6 world can keep going on V3, but its old settings don’t carry over by themselves. The Fun Pimps’ advice for server owners:
- Look up your old values in your V2.6
serverconfig.xml, or in a backup. - In the game’s Sandbox Options, set the same values.
- Copy the code and paste it into
SandboxCodeon your server. - Restart.
If you skip this, the server runs with the default code, which matches Adventurer. New V3 places only appear in worlds generated on V3, so a fresh random world shows off more of the update.
Questions
How do I change the blood moon frequency on my 7 Days to Die server?
Open the game's Sandbox Options, set Blood Moon Frequency and copy the code. Paste it into Sandbox code under More settings in the panel's Settings, then restart the server.
Why does BloodMoonFrequency in serverconfig.xml do nothing?
Since V3.0, BloodMoonFrequency and many other game rules moved into one SandboxCode property. The game ignores the old lines. Set the frequency in the game's Sandbox Options and paste the new code instead.
What is the default blood moon frequency in 7 Days to Die?
Every 7 days, with no random range, and the warning starting at hour 8 on blood moon day. Each player's horde is up to 8 zombies at a time.
Can I turn off blood moons on my server?
Yes. Set Blood Moon Frequency to 0 in the Sandbox Options, which turns them off, then paste the new code into SandboxCode and restart.
Sources we checked
- V3.0 Dead Hot Summer release notes (sandbox options and legacy property removal)The Fun Pimps
- Crossplay server requirementsThe Fun Pimps
- Server (V2 and earlier settings)7 Days to Die Wiki (official)
