Sandstorm splits its configuration between a Game.ini file and a folder of plain text server files. Knowing which holds what saves a lot of hunting.
1. Gameplay settings in Game.ini
- Stop the server in the Game Panel.
- Open the Files tab and browse to the config folder under
Insurgency/Saved/Config/. On a Linux build the folder inside isLinuxServer. - Open
Game.ini.
This file holds the bot count and difficulty, round times, respawn rules and the friendly fire settings. Each setting belongs under a section header, and a line placed under the wrong one is ignored without an error.
2. Server name, password and slots
These are launch values rather than file settings, so they are set on the Startup page of your server. That page is not linked in the sidebar, so open your server in the panel and add /startup to the end of the address. If a field you need is not there, open a ticket and tell us the value you want.
3. The server files folder
Under Insurgency/Config/Server you will find the plain text files that drive the server day to day:
| File | What it does |
|---|---|
Admins.txt | Steam64 IDs allowed to use admin commands. |
MapCycle.txt | The rotation of scenarios the server plays. |
MOTD.txt | The message shown to players as they join. |
Mods.txt | The mod.io IDs the server should load. |
Bans.json | The ban list. |
4. Building a map rotation
- Open
MapCycle.txt. - Add one entry per line, naming the scenario exactly as the game names it.
- Scenario names carry both the map and the mode, so a typo means the server skips that entry.
- Save and restart the server, then watch the console for the scenario it loads.
5. Apply the changes
- Save your files.
- Start the server.
- Read the console for the scenario name and any config warnings.
Editing while the server is running does not work reliably, since the game rewrites its config on shutdown. Stop it first.





