7 Days to Die FAQ: Your Questions Answered

7 Days to Die left Steam Early Access on 25 July 2024 with v1.0, and received its next major overhaul with v2.0 “Storm’s Brewing” on 27 June 2025. Each update significantly changed how the game plays. If you have questions about how it works now, whether servers are worth renting, or how crossplay fits in, this page covers the most common ones.

Game Basics

Is 7 Days to Die a Survival Game?

Yes. You gather resources, build shelters, grow food, and manage hunger, thirst, and body temperature while zombies try to kill you. Every seven in-game days, a coordinated horde attacks your base from dusk until dawn. The loop is open-ended: there are no scripted missions driving you forward, just the pressure of the next horde night.

Is There a Story or Campaign Mode?

No story campaign exists. The game opens with a brief narrative sequence that sets the post-apocalyptic scene, then hands control to you. A quest system connects you to NPC traders who assign missions and point you toward points of interest, but the structure is sandbox-first. The Fun Pimps have indicated a story mode is in development for a future update.

What Platforms Is 7 Days to Die On?

The current version supports PC (Windows via Steam and the Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One versions existed but no longer receive updates. If you are on last-gen hardware, the game will still run but you will not receive patches or new content.

What Languages Does the Game Support?

The game supports 14 languages: English, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. You can switch language in the game’s settings menu.

How Difficult Is the Game Now Compared to Older Versions?

Significantly harder than alpha, and harder again with v2.0. The v1.0 release increased zombie health and changed blood moon hordes to run continuously from dusk until dawn. v2.0 added the Biome Progression system, which restricts high-tier loot and safe habitation outside the starter Pine Forest biome until you complete seven challenges per biome to earn Biome Badges. Dynamic Storms also introduce active environmental hazards – standing outside during an Ember Storm or Radiation Storm without shelter drains your health.

Multiplayer and Crossplay

Can You Play 7 Days to Die With Friends?

Yes. You can join a friend’s game directly through your friends list, connect to a shared dedicated server, or rent a server so your group always has a place to play without relying on one person keeping their PC running. Playing on a dedicated server is the most stable option for groups of more than two or three people.

How Many Players Can Play Together?

The tested and supported maximum is 8 players on a single server. The server configuration allows higher numbers technically, but performance degrades above 8, particularly during blood moon events when the game is generating significant AI activity. For groups renting a server through Nitrado, 8 is the recommended cap.

Does 7 Days to Die Have Crossplay?

Yes. Crossplay between PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S works through dedicated community servers with Easy Anti-Cheat enabled. It requires a vanilla server with no mods installed, and the player limit for crossplay servers is 8. It does not work through direct peer-to-peer connections between platforms. Crossplay was introduced in v1.2 and continues in v2.0.

Can Console and PC Players Play Together?

Yes. PC and console players connect through the same crossplay-enabled dedicated server. The server must be running vanilla 7 Days to Die with no mods and Easy Anti-Cheat active. Once those conditions are met, players on any of the three supported platforms can join the same session. For a guide on setting this up through Nitrado, the crossplay configuration guide covers the full process.

Dedicated Servers and Hosting

Do I Need a Dedicated Server to Play With Friends?

Not strictly. You can host a game from your own PC by opening it to friends, but this has limitations: the session only runs while your PC is on, your connection handles all the traffic, and performance takes a hit on your end. A dedicated server runs independently 24/7 so anyone in your group can log in whenever they want without coordinating who starts the session. If you are playing with more than two people regularly, a dedicated server makes the experience noticeably better.

How Many Players Can a Nitrado Server Support?

Nitrado 7 Days to Die servers support up to 8 players for standard gameplay. Crossplay servers are also capped at 8. If you are running a modded server without crossplay requirements, the theoretical limit is higher, but stability above 8 players is not guaranteed and depends on your server plan’s RAM allocation.

Can I Host a 7 Days to Die Server on My Own Computer?

You can, using the free dedicated server tool available through Steam. It works well for occasional sessions but has practical drawbacks: your computer needs to stay running for the server to stay up, your home internet handles all player connections, and your PC’s performance is split between running the server and playing the game. Renting a server is easier to manage for ongoing play, and Nitrado’s 7 Days to Die server plans include a web-based control panel so you do not need to edit config files manually.

Can I Stream or Upload Videos of the Game?

Yes. The Fun Pimps explicitly allow streaming and content creation. There are no restrictions on uploading gameplay to YouTube, Twitch, or similar platforms.

Mods and Customisation

Can You Mod 7 Days to Die?

Yes. The modding community for 7 Days to Die is active, and the game has supported mods for years. Mods are distributed through Nexus Mods and the official 7DTD mod launcher. Types of mods range from small balance tweaks and UI changes to complete overhauls that change how progression, biomes, and zombies work. For installing mods on a Nitrado server, the mod installation guide explains the process step by step.

Does 7 Days to Die Have Steam Workshop?

Not yet. Steam Workshop support has been discussed by The Fun Pimps but was not part of the v1.0 or v2.0 releases. For now, mods must be downloaded from Nexus Mods or the official mod forum and installed manually.

Can I Use Mods on a Crossplay Server?

No. Crossplay requires a vanilla server with no mods installed and Easy Anti-Cheat active. If you install mods on your server, console players will not be able to join. You need to choose one or the other: a modded experience for PC players, or a vanilla server that lets console players join.

Changes in v2.0

What Is the v2.0 “Storm’s Brewing” Update?

v2.0 “Storm’s Brewing” released on 27 June 2025 and is the biggest update since the game left early access. The headline additions are the Dynamic Storm System and the Biome Progression system. Storms are biome-specific: Ember Storms burn players in the Burnt Forest, Radiation Storms damage anyone caught outside in the Wasteland, and Sand Storms and Snow Storms make the Desert and Snow biomes more hostile. Biome Progression ties loot and safe habitation to a badge system – you need to complete seven challenges in each biome before high-tier gear becomes accessible. The perk system was also overhauled, with each of the five attributes now carrying ten perks plus a Mastery Perk. The Fun Pimps’ official v2.0 release notes have the full list of changes.

Are Saves From v1.x Compatible With v2.0?

No. Save files from v1.x are not compatible with v2.0. The underlying systems changed enough that old saves will not load correctly. Starting fresh is recommended – it also gives you access to the Biome Progression system from the beginning, which is the intended way to experience the new Storm mechanics in sequence.

Playing with friends? The multiplayer setup guide walks through joining and hosting sessions. For server admin tools, the console commands guide and user administration guide cover what you need to manage your server.