How to host a HumanitZ server (2026)

Short answer. You can host a HumanitZ server yourself for free: install Steam app 2728330 (the HumanitZ dedicated server) from its linuxbranch with SteamCMD, start it with HumanitZServer.sh, and open the game port, 7777 by default according to the ReadMe that ships with the server. Or rent a HumanitZ server and skip the install and the networking.

Players find the server by its name in the in-game server list. On PlayNHost the address is on the server's Overview page.

Checked on 5 November 2026 against HumanitZ Hotfix 1.1X, the newest patch the developers had announced on Steam (30 October 2026).

The developers ship two files with the server download that act as its manual: ReadMe.txt in the server folder and HumanitZServer/REF_GameServerSettings.ini, a reference settings file with a comment on most keys. This guide uses those files, the Steam data for the server app, the developers' patch notes on Steam, and the setup we run on our HumanitZ servers. Where we could not check something, it says so. To skip to the rental route, go to Option 2.

What you need

• The server software: "HZ_SERVER", Steam app 2728330. It is free and downloads with an anonymous Steam login. The default branch carries the Windows server files; the Linux files are on the linuxbranch branch, which is the one we install.
• A machine that stays on: a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine. The server app is 64-bit. This guide uses Linux, which is what we run. The developers announced in December 2023 that Windows server files are on the default branch, but we have not tested a Windows server.
• RAM and CPU: the developers do not publish server requirements: the server's ReadMe lists none, and Steam's page for the server app only asks for a 64-bit system. Treat any figure you read elsewhere as an estimate.
• A player cap: set with MaxPlayers in the settings file (16 in the developers' reference file).
• Network: the game port (7777 by default) reachable from the internet.

Option 1: host it yourself

These steps are for Debian or Ubuntu. The download command is the one our servers use.

Install the server

1. Install the libraries SteamCMD needs.

   sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install wget tar lib32gcc-s1 libc6:i386 libstdc++6:i386 -y

2. Create a user for the server and switch to it.

   sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash -U humanitz
   sudo su - humanitz

3. Install SteamCMD and let it update itself once.

   mkdir -p ~/steamcmd ~/server
   cd ~/steamcmd
   wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
   tar -xf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
   ./steamcmd.sh +quit

4. Download the server from the Linux branch. Without -beta linuxbranch you get the Windows files.

   ~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/humanitz/server +login anonymous +app_update 2728330 -beta linuxbranch validate +quit

   Then check that steamapps/appmanifest_2728330.acf exists in the server folder. SteamCMD can end a failed download without an error, so if the file is missing, run the command again. Our own install makes the same check.
5. Copy the Steam client libraries where the server looks for them, as our install does:

   mkdir -p ~/.steam/sdk32 ~/.steam/sdk64
   cp ~/steamcmd/linux32/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk32/
   cp ~/steamcmd/linux64/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk64/

Write the settings

The server reads its settings from GameServerSettings.ini. The ReadMe says to rename REF_GameServerSettings.ini to GameServerSettings.ini, which puts it in the HumanitZServer folder, and that the server creates the file if it is not found. Edit it while the server is stopped. It has two sections, [Host Settings] and [World Settings]. A few of the keys, with the values in the developers' reference file:

[Host Settings]
ServerName="HumanitZ [Dedicated]"
Password=""
SaveName="DedicatedSaveMP"
SearchID="HumanitZ_Dedicated"
AdminPass=""
MaxPlayers=16
RCONEnabled=false
RConPort=8888

[World Settings]
SaveIntervalSec=300
PermaDeath=false
OnDeath=2
PVP=true
RarityFood=2
ZombieDiffHealth=1
ZombieDiffSpeed=2
ZombieDiffDamage=3
StartingSeason=1
DaysPerSeason=5
DayDur=40
NightDur=20

The reference file has many more keys, among them loot and respawn timers, air drops, zombie and bandit amounts, dogs, building health, decay, vehicle ownership and weather, each with a comment saying what it does. The comments warn that a server name with the word "Official" may not start or show up in the server list, and that changing SearchID takes your server out of the default list. Leave Password empty for an open server. Set AdminPass before you share the server: in game, /AdminAccess followed by that password gives admin rights.

Open the ports

• Game port: 7777 by default. The ReadMe says to forward it and add a firewall rule, and to pass -port=7777 to force it if the server cannot be found.
• Query port: the number you pass with -queryport. The ReadMe's example uses 27015.
• RCON: only if you set RCONEnabled=true. It uses TCP on RConPort (8888 in the reference file).
• The ReadMe does not say which protocol the game and query ports use. If players cannot connect, allow both TCP and UDP on them.

Start it and join

1. Start the server from the server folder with the developers' launch script, your own ports and name:

   ./HumanitZServer.sh -log -port=7777 -queryport=27015 -steamservername="My HumanitZ server"

   The script makes the server binary executable and starts it. On our servers the log prints Success => Session created! when it is ready. Run it under a service manager such as systemd so it restarts after a crash.
2. Join it from an up-to-date game, by the server's name in the in-game server list. If you changed SearchID, players search with that ID.
3. Update by stopping the server and running the step 4 download command again. With each patch the developers ask server owners to restart their servers to pull it, and they have asked that all players are fully updated too.

After a major update

When version 1.1 shipped in October 2026, the developers wrote that it is "highly encouraged for server owners to do a full wipe" of their servers, to take in server-side changes that may conflict with old assets. They wiped their own official servers. Take a backup of your save before any major update, and decide on a wipe with your players.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the install, the ports and the update routine.

1. Pick a plan. Open the HumanitZ server hosting page and compare the plans: MILITIA (8 players), ELITE (14) and TITAN (25) at the time of writing. Press Create Server (Customize Plan on TITAN) and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
2. Wait for the install. The server appears in the panel. Its Console prints Success => Session created! when it is ready.
3. Name it. On the Settings tab, under Game Settings, set the Server Name. Then restart.
4. Invite your players. The Play with friends card on Overview has the Server Address, and Copy invite message copies the invitation. See How to join your HumanitZ server.

What the panel does for you:

• Your game port and query port are assigned and open from the start, for TCP and UDP. See HumanitZ ports and firewall explained.
• The install tries SteamCMD up to three times and only continues when the game files are really there, so a download that ends without files does not reach your server.
• With Auto Update on (the default, under Show advanced on the Settings tab), the server checks for the newest build when it starts, so a restart is an update. Restart after each patch.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

• Cost: the server software is free. Self-hosting costs power, hardware and bandwidth, or a cloud machine. Renting is a monthly fee set by the plan.
• Uptime: a home server is only up while your PC, power and internet are. A rented server runs on the host's hardware.
• Exposure: at home, players connect to your public IP address and you look after the firewall and router. A rented server keeps your home IP out of it.
• Setup: self-hosting needs the command line, port forwarding, the right Steam branch and a settings file. Renting needs a plan and a server name.
• Control: self-hosting gives you every file. On our servers you also have the Files tab.

Ready to skip the setup? See the HumanitZ server plans. Already have a server? Start with How to join your HumanitZ server.