7 Days to Die mods are folders you upload to the server, and the Files tab and SFTP are all you need to install them. Before you do, know the trade: a modded server is a PC-only server, many mods need EasyAntiCheat off, and a mod is built for one game version. This page covers where mods go, what they switch off, and how to keep them working through game updates.
Where mods go
Upload each mod as its own folder inside Mods/, at the top of your server's files:
Mods/ SomeModlet/ AnotherModlet/
Mods are usually downloaded as a zip with the mod's folder inside. Upload the folder, not the zip, so each mod sits one level below Mods/. The game also loads mods from a Mods/ folder inside its user data folder, according to TFP's changelog as quoted by a Steam forum moderator, but the top-level Mods/ is the simple place to keep them.
Installing a mod
- Take a backup on the Backups tab.
- Stop the server.
- Upload the mod's folder into
Mods/on the Files tab or over SFTP. - Start the server and watch the console until
StartGame done. If the server does not get there, the console is the first place to look. - Check the mod's own page for anything else it needs: a particular game version, EasyAntiCheat off, or players installing it too.
To remove a mod, stop the server, delete its folder from Mods/, and start again.
Mods and EasyAntiCheat
Not every mod is the same kind. The community modding wiki (7d2dmodding.wiki.gg) separates them roughly like this:
- XML and asset modlets change the game's data files. They do not need EasyAntiCheat turned off.
- Compiled mods ship a
.dll, often using the Harmony library. These need EasyAntiCheat off, although the wiki notes some server-side tools run with it on.
If a mod needs EasyAntiCheat off, turn off EasyAntiCheat on the Server Settings tab, save and restart.
Whether every player has to install a mod as well depends on the mod. TFP does not publish a rule for it, so follow the mod's own page.
Mods turn crossplay off
Console players can only join an unmodded server. A server with mods, or with EasyAntiCheat off, is a PC-only server, and the game switches crossplay off for the session. The Console crossplay card on the Server Settings tab reads that verdict from the last start, so if you add a mod to a crossplay server, the card shows it.
If your group includes PS5 or Xbox players, keep the server vanilla. See Console crossplay.
Mods and game versions
A mod is built for a game version, and the jump to V3.0 was a big one for mods. TFP's V3.0 notes list changes to the modding surface, including:
- mods now reference only
Assembly-CSharp.dll, Localization.txtwas renamedLocalization.csv,XUiwas renamedXUi_InGame,controls.xmlwas renamedtemplates.xml,- and the XUi framework had a "massive internal overhaul".
That is why a mod written for V2.x can break on V3.
Smaller updates can break mods too. When your server is on Latest, a restart after a game update installs the new build, and a mod that has not caught up may stop loading. The Game version card is the fix:
- A V3 mod that has not caught up yet: pin V3.3.0, the previous stable, until the mod's author updates it. Then pick Latest again.
- An overhaul built for an older game: pin the version it needs. The Undead Legacy download page lists its experimental build for game version 2.6, and host guides list Darkness Falls V6 for V1.4. Check the mod's page for the version it needs today.
Each version keeps its own settings and world, so pinning does not touch your Latest save. See Game versions.
One Mods folder for every version
The top-level Mods/ folder belongs to the server's files, not to a version. If you switch versions, the mods in it come along. Before switching, take out mods built for the version you are leaving, and put in the ones for the version you are going to.
Overhauls need room
If you plan to run an overhaul, see Plans & resources for what each plan is sized for.
Related
- Running Darkness Falls or Undead Legacy: Overhaul mods on a dedicated server
- A player stuck loading on a modded server: Players can't join