ZSGO DediWorldSettings.json Explained (PvP, Raids, Loot, Time)

DediWorldSettings.json is the file a Zombie Survival Game Online dedicated server reads for its gameplay rules. It lives in ZSGO/Saved/WorldSettings/, and you make it by copying the DefaultWorldSettings.json the server writes there, renaming the copy and changing values. It has five groups: player rules (PvP, PvE, keep loot on death, drain and damage modifiers), AI spawning, raiding, loot and weather/time. Restart the server after every edit.

Where the file lives and how to create it

After the first start, the server folder contains:

ZSGO/Saved/WorldSettings/DefaultWorldSettings.json

The developers' setup guide says to create a separate file with the default settings called DediWorldSettings.json in the same folder. In practice:

1. Stop the server.
2. Copy DefaultWorldSettings.json and name the copy DediWorldSettings.json (exact spelling and capitals).
3. Edit the copy. Leave the default file alone, so you always have a clean reference.
4. Start the server.

Do not confuse this with ZSGO/Content/DedicatedServer/ServerConfig.json. That file holds the server itself (name, password, max players, LAN and listing). DediWorldSettings.json holds the rules of the world.

The full file, as the developers ship it

This is the default file the ZSGO team published with their dedicated server guide:

{
  "globalPlayerSettings": {
    "bAllowPVP": true,
    "bAllowPVE": true,
    "bKeepLootOnDeath": false,
    "hungerDrainModifier": 1,
    "thirstDrainModifier": 1,
    "staminaDrainModifier": 1,
    "damageModifier": 1
  },
  "aISpawnSettings": {
    "bZombieSpawningEnabled": true,
    "bScavSpawningEnabled": true,
    "aISpawnProfile": "Default"
  },
  "raidSettings": {
    "bAllowRaiding": true,
    "bDoorOnlyRaiding": false,
    "bC4OnlyRaiding": false,
    "buildPartDamageMultiplier": 1
  },
  "globalLootSettings": {
    "lootSpawnModifier": 1
  },
  "worldWeatherSettings": {
    "bSimulateTimePassage": true,
    "timeSpeed": 1,
    "startingTime": { "x": 9, "y": 0 },
    "dayLength": 20,
    "nightLength": 10,
    "bAlwaysWinter": false
  }
}

Your server's default file may carry extra keys if it is on a newer build. Treat the file on your server as the source of truth and this one as the reference for what the documented keys mean.

globalPlayerSettings

The drain modifiers work the opposite way to what many people expect. The developers' own notes for the matching in game menu say to increase stamina "if you want your stamina to drain FASTER", so a higher number is harder. For an easier server, go below 1 (for example 0.5), not above.

bKeepLootOnDeath also affects quests. The developers have said that with it on, players keep quest progress when they die, which is the main reason casual groups turn it on.

aISpawnSettings

The developers' guide marks this whole group as still being worked on and strikes the keys out, so do not rely on them turning zombies off. Zombie density is controlled elsewhere: the spawn system reads JSON files in ZSGO/Content/GameSettings/SpawnerSettings, such as POIManagerSettings.json, and the October 2024 Halloween update added a per player zombie limit for server hosts (10 zombies or AI per player by default). That limit's key is not in the published reference, so check your server's current default file for it after an update.

raidSettings

A popular PvP middle ground is bDoorOnlyRaiding: true with bC4OnlyRaiding: true: raids need real effort and a plan, and walls cannot be chipped down with an axe overnight.

globalLootSettings

The in game version of this is a single slider, and the developers jokingly note that turning it all the way up means loot everywhere and is "not dev recommended". Values between 1 and 2 are a sensible range for a friends server that plays a few hours a week.

worldWeatherSettings

The developers' written notes describe timeSpeed 3 as "three times faster than normal", while the shipped default file uses 1. Start from the value in your own file. Players have reported nights not seeming to arrive with some combinations, so change one of these values at a time and watch a full cycle before changing the next.

How the menu names map to the keys

ZSGO also has a World Settings button on the main menu for single player and co-op games, where you save a Settings Profile Name and then pick it from the World Settings Profile dropdown when starting a session. A dedicated server does not use those profiles; it reads the JSON file. The menu labels match the keys like this:

So the easy way to choose values is to try them in a single player world first, then copy the numbers into the server file.

Mistakes that make the file do nothing

• Wrong name or folder. It must be DediWorldSettings.json in ZSGO/Saved/WorldSettings/. A copy anywhere else is not read.
• Broken JSON. True instead of true, a missing comma or a comma after the last entry in a group can stop the file loading. Paste it into any JSON validator before you restart.
• Editing while running. Stop the server, edit, then start it.
• Editing the default file. The default file is the reference the server writes for you and may be rewritten by an update. Make your changes in the Dedi file.

Where to get the current key list

ZSGO is in Early Access and the documented list dates from the dedicated server launch in 2024. To see what your build supports, open the DefaultWorldSettings.json your server writes after its latest update and compare it with the table above; any new key appears there with its default value. The developers' wiki pages on the dedicated server and the AI spawn manager, and the official ZSGO Discord, are where new keys get explained.

For the rest of the setup, see how to host a ZSGO server, and if rules are fine but nobody can find the server, ZSGO server not showing in the server list. If an edit goes wrong, how to restore a backup on a game server gets you back. On a GamezServers ZSGO server you edit this file in the panel's file manager, click Backup first so a bad edit is one click to undo, and restart from the same screen.

FAQ

How do I turn off PvP on a ZSGO server?

Set "bAllowPVP": false in DediWorldSettings.json and restart. Players can still fight zombies, because that is bAllowPVE.

How do I make players keep their items on death in ZSGO?

Set "bKeepLootOnDeath": true. Bodies on that server can no longer be looted by other players.

Why did my ZSGO world settings not change anything?

The file is misnamed, in the wrong folder, not valid JSON, or the server was not restarted. Check all four.

Can I turn zombies off on a ZSGO server?

Not reliably. The zombie spawning keys are marked as still in development. Lower spawns through the spawner settings or the per player limit instead.