Knowledgebase DayZ DayZ Server Configuration

DayZ Server Configuration

Your DayZ server's core behavior is controlled by serverDZ.cfg, a configuration file that sets everything from your server name and player limit to voice chat and anti-cheat checks.

On your MintServers panel, most of the settings you'll actually want to change are exposed as fields on the Game Settings tab, so you rarely need to touch the file directly. This guide covers which settings live on that tab, and how to edit the rest by hand.

⚠️ Important Warning: Always stop your server on the MintServers panel before editing configuration files directly. If a setting is also controlled by a field on the Game Settings tab, whatever value is saved there will overwrite anything you type into the file by hand the next time the server starts.

Settings Controlled By The Game Settings Tab

The Game Settings tab covers most of the parameters players notice day-to-day. Use these fields instead of editing serverDZ.cfg for anything on this list, since manual edits here will be overwritten.

Panel Field → Config Equivalent

  • Server Namehostname, the name shown in the server browser.
  • Max PlayersmaxPlayers.
  • Server Passwordpassword. Leave blank for no password.
  • Admin PasswordpasswordAdmin, used to become a server admin in-game.
  • Query PortsteamQueryPort, the UDP port that makes your server visible in the Steam server browser. This is separate from the game port players actually connect with.
  • Verify SignaturesverifySignatures, which checks mod files against their signature keys. DayZ only supports a value of 2 here.
  • Enforce Game VersionforceSameBuild. When on, only clients running the exact same build as the server can connect.
  • Disable VONdisableVoN, turns off in-game proximity voice chat entirely.
  • VON QualityvonCodecQuality, the voice codec quality. Higher is better audio, at the cost of more bandwidth.
  • Disable Third Persondisable3rdPerson, forces first-person-only view.
  • Disable CrosshairdisableCrosshair.
  • Disable Personal LightdisablePersonalLight, removes the faint light that normally follows players at night.
  • Additional Mods → equivalent to the server's -mod= launch parameter, for manually uploaded mod folders.
  • Modlist File → a MintServers-specific field that loads mods automatically from an HTML modlist exported by the DayZ Launcher.
  • RCON Password → this maps to RConPassword in the server's separate BattlEye configuration, not serverDZ.cfg itself, and is what tools like BattleMetrics use to manage your server remotely.
💡 Note On VON Quality's Range: Bohemia Interactive's own documentation lists vonCodecQuality as a 0–20 scale, while the MintServers panel field is currently labeled as accepting 0–30. We haven't confirmed which range the server actually enforces, so treat values above 20 as unverified until this is checked internally.
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Editing serverDZ.cfg Directly

Plenty of useful settings aren't exposed on the panel and can only be changed by editing the file itself.

  1. Stop your server from the Console tab.
  2. Open the Files tab and locate serverDZ.cfg in your server's root directory.
  3. Click the file to open it in the text editor.
  4. Make your changes, then save.
  5. Start your server.

Commonly Adjusted Settings Not On The Panel

  • description — the longer server description shown in the client browser (max 255 characters).
  • respawnTime — how many seconds a player must wait before spawning a new character after dying.
  • serverTimeAcceleration / serverNightTimeAcceleration — multipliers that speed up in-game day and night length.
  • serverTimePersistent — when enabled, the in-game time is saved and carried over between restarts instead of resetting.
  • motd[] and motdInterval — a rotating message of the day shown in chat, and how often (in seconds) it repeats.
  • disableBaseDamage / disableContainerDamage — prevent fences and watchtowers, or tents, barrels, and storage containers, from being damaged or destroyed.
  • MaxPing — the ping value, in milliseconds, above which a player is automatically kicked.

For the complete list of every available serverDZ.cfg parameter, including launch parameters and BattlEye options, see Bohemia Interactive's official Server Configuration reference.

If you're not sure whether a setting belongs on the panel or in the file, or a change isn't taking effect the way you expect, no worries! Just open a support ticket and our team will be happy to take a look.

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