The serverDZ.cfg file is the control panel for your DayZ server — it sets the name players see in the browser, the player cap, day/night length, third-person rules, and the security settings that keep cheaters out. This guide explains the settings that actually matter so you can configure a server with confidence.
Server identity
hostname = "My DayZ Server | Loot+ | PvE";
password = ""; // join password, leave empty for public
passwordAdmin = "useALongRandomString"; // grants #login admin access
maxPlayers = 60; // hard player capKeep the hostname under 64 characters and skip colour codes for a clean Steam listing. The passwordAdmin lets anyone who knows it run #login and gain console admin commands — treat it like a root password.
Map selection (Mission)
The map is set by the mission template at the bottom of the file:
class Missions
{
class DayZ
{
template = "dayzOffline.chernarusplus"; // Livonia: dayzOffline.enoch
};
};Time and persistence
serverTimePersistent = 1; // remember world time across restarts
serverTimeAcceleration = 6; // daytime speed multiplier
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 8; // night runs faster than daySetting night acceleration higher than day is the standard trick for keeping nights short without speeding up the whole day.
Gameplay rules
disable3rdPerson = 0; // 1 = first-person-only server
disableCrosshair = 0; // 1 = hardcore, no crosshair
disablePersonalLight = 1; // remove the personal "flashlight halo"
enableCfgGameplayFile = 1; // enable cfggameplay.json tweaksSecurity — don’t skip these
verifySignatures = 2; // only value 2 is supported; keep it on
forceSameBuild = 1; // clients must match the server's game version
BattlEye = 1; // anti-cheat, keep enabledPerformance and login queue
loginQueueConcurrentPlayers = 5; // players processed at once on join
loginQueueMaxPlayers = 500; // queue size
maxPing = 200; // kick players above this pingThe login queue settings prevent the big frame drop that happens when a crowd connects at once after a restart.
Render distance
defaultVisibility = 1375; // terrain view distance
defaultObjectViewDistance = 1375; // object view distanceHigher values look better but cost server performance — tune them to your hardware.
Apply your changes
Edit the file, save, and restart the server — changes are read at startup. To avoid a typo stopping the boot, start from a known-good base: our ready-to-use serverDZ.cfg generator gives you a valid file, and the DayZ server config documentation covers every field in detail. Looking to also rebalance loot? Pair this with the types.xml loot editor.
FAQ
Where is serverDZ.cfg? In the server root directory; the launch line points to it with -config=serverDZ.cfg.
My server won’t start after editing it. Check for a missing semicolon or unmatched quote — serverDZ.cfg is strict about syntax.
How do I make it first-person only? Set disable3rdPerson = 1; and restart.
