{"id":1092,"date":"2021-09-28T14:44:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T14:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xgamingserver.com\/blog\/?p=1092"},"modified":"2026-06-15T11:31:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T11:31:49","slug":"how-to-disable-easy-anti-cheat-eac-on-7-days-to-die-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xgamingserver.com\/blog\/how-to-disable-easy-anti-cheat-eac-on-7-days-to-die-server\/","title":{"rendered":"How to disable Easy Anti-Cheat, EAC on 7 Days to Die Server"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have ever tried to load a big overhaul mod onto your 7 Days to Die server only to watch every player get kicked the moment they connect, you have already met EasyAntiCheat (EAC). EAC is the anti-cheat layer that ships with 7 Days to Die, and while it does a useful job on vanilla servers, it actively blocks most of the mods and overhauls that make a private server worth running. The good news is that disabling it is a documented, fully supported one-line change in serverconfig.xml<\/code> \u2014 but there is a client-side half of the process that catches almost everyone out the first time. This guide walks through both halves, explains the trade-offs honestly, and covers the gotchas for the current 1.0-and-beyond builds (the 2.x series, current as of 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What EasyAntiCheat does and why you would turn it off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

EasyAntiCheat is a kernel-level anti-cheat system that validates the game files and memory on each connected client. On a vanilla, unmodded server it works silently and keeps obvious cheaters out. The problem is that almost any mod that changes game code or assets \u2014 and certainly any large overhaul \u2014 fails EAC’s integrity checks. When EAC sees a modified client, it does not warn; it kicks. So if you run a modded server with EAC left on, legitimate players who have installed the mod will be unable to stay connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The single most common reason admins disable EAC is to run overhaul mods. Darkness Falls<\/strong> is the textbook example: it is incompatible with EAC, and players are kicked otherwise. The same applies to most content mods that touch the game’s code, the kind of mods covered in our roundup of the best 7 Days to Die mods<\/a>. If your server is staying vanilla, leave EAC on \u2014 there is no reason to disable it. The instant you want to run a code-changing mod, EAC has to come off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The server-side switch: EACEnabled in serverconfig.xml<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every dedicated 7 Days to Die server is driven by a file named serverconfig.xml<\/code>. It is a plain XML file where each setting is written as a single <\/code> line. The setting that controls anti-cheat is EACEnabled<\/code>, and by default it is set to true<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To turn anti-cheat off, find that line in serverconfig.xml<\/code> and change the value to false<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
That is the entire server-side change. There is no second flag, no separate toggle, and no extra file to edit. You may see references online to a dedicated command-line launch flag as an alternative, but that approach is unconfirmed and unnecessary \u2014 the XML property is the documented, reliable method, so use it and ignore the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One critical detail: the server must be fully restarted for the change to take effect.<\/strong> 7 Days to Die reads serverconfig.xml<\/code> once at startup, so editing the file while the server is live does nothing until you stop and start it again. On a managed host this is a single “Restart” button; on a self-hosted box it means stopping the dedicated server process and relaunching it. Always confirm the restart completed before you tell players to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where to find serverconfig.xml<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On a managed game host, serverconfig.xml<\/code> is usually exposed through a configuration editor or a file manager in the control panel \u2014 you open it, change the value, save, and restart. If you run the server yourself, the file lives in the dedicated server’s install directory alongside the other config files such as serveradmin.xml<\/code>. We cover the full file structure and the panel workflow in the 7 Days to Die server documentation<\/a>, which is worth bookmarking before you start editing anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The half everyone forgets: the client side<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here is the step that trips up most admins. Disabling EAC on the server is only one side of the handshake. Players connecting to an EAC-disabled (modded) server must also launch the game without EAC on their own machine.<\/strong> If the server has EAC off but a player launches the game with EAC on, the connection will fail \u2014 and the player will usually blame your server config when nothing is actually wrong with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fix is built into the game’s launcher. On Steam, the steps are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
  1. In your Steam library, click Play<\/strong> on 7 Days to Die.<\/li>
  2. When prompted, choose “Show Game Launcher”<\/strong> instead of launching the game directly.<\/li>
  3. In the launcher, select the non-EAC launch option<\/strong> (the launch profile that runs the game with EasyAntiCheat disabled).<\/li>
  4. Launch from there, then connect to your modded server as normal.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    If a player has previously dismissed the launcher and set Steam to skip it, they will need to re-enable the launcher prompt in the game’s Steam properties so they can pick the non-EAC profile. It is good practice to put a short “How to join” note in your Discord or MOTD telling players to use Show Game Launcher \u2192 non-EAC; it saves a lot of “I can’t connect” tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    The trade-off: what you give up by disabling EAC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Turning off EAC is a deliberate trade, and it is worth understanding both sides before you flip the switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n