NEW 📢 Limited launch offer: up to 70% off your first month on every game!See plans
Game Panel
See plansUp to 70% off your first month on every game

How to choose a sandbox preset for your Project Zomboid server

Project ZomboidUpdated Oct 18, 20264 min read

In the Sandbox Settings editor, the block Start from a preset applies one of the game's own rule sets in one click: Apocalypse, Outbreak, Rising or Extinction. The preset replaces the sandbox values in the file. Your world is kept. The server must be stopped to apply one.

The four presets

PresetWhat it is
ApocalypseThe game's standard rules, and the ones a new server starts with: a normal zombie population that never respawns, zombies of random speed and normal strength, and water and power cut within the first month.
OutbreakApocalypse with more time to settle in: water and power last up to two months, skills level faster, injuries are milder, crops grow faster and yield more, and generators and fuel are easier to find. The same zombies as Apocalypse.
RisingThe gentlest start: a low population of slow, weak and fragile zombies with poor hearing that respawn slowly, a starter kit, no broken bones, easier climbing, water and power for up to two months, and plenty of tools and building materials.
ExtinctionThe hardest rules: a high population that respawns, some sprinters, zombies with superhuman strength that are hard to kill and can open doors, scarce loot, darker nights, and worse injuries and infections.

Apply a preset

  1. Make a backup if the world has progress: How to back up and restore your Project Zomboid world.
  2. Stop the server. Open Settings, then Sandbox Settings under Config files.
  3. Under Start from a preset, pick the preset in the list. The text above the list describes the preset you picked.
  4. Click Apply preset, read the window that asks to apply the preset by name, and click Apply preset again.
The Start from a preset block of the Project Zomboid Sandbox Settings editor
  1. The editor says which preset was applied and how many settings changed, for example "Rising applied: N settings changed." Start the server.

If the button is greyed out, the page says why: Stop the server to apply a preset. or Save or discard your changes first.

Match the three Game Settings rows

A preset also has values for Zombie Population, Zombie Respawn and Loot Respawn (hours). Those three live under Settings, then Game Settings, and the editor tells you what to set after you apply: "To match it fully, set Zombie Population to ..., Zombie Respawn to ... and Loot Respawn (hours) to ..." The panel text says Startup Parameters, but the rows are on Game Settings. See How to change zombie population, respawn and loot respawn on your Project Zomboid server.

What the preset replaces

Every sandbox setting the preset sets, 264 values in the file, including ones the editor does not list. Settings you changed yourself are overwritten. Most rules apply from the next start. A few, such as the start date and the months since the outbreak, only matter when a new world is created. The preset does not change the world itself.

After applying, fine-tune in the editor: How to change Project Zomboid sandbox settings in the panel. Overview of difficulty: How to change the difficulty of your Project Zomboid server.

Already hosting it somewhere else? Move your server to us

CREATE YOUR GAME SERVER
READY TO GET STARTED?

Save up to 30% on your new game server.
Premium performance, instant activation, and unbeatable reliability all at a better price.

Create AccountRent a Server

OUR LATEST BLOGS

best factorio mods for multiplayer servers in 2026
Factorio

Best Factorio Mods for Multiplayer Servers in 2026

The mods that matter on a Factorio server are the ones that do not cost UPS. Factorio runs its whole simulation on one thread at 60 UPS, and that number, not RA

Max avatarMaxJun 23, 2026
Terraria base with glowing items and characters
Terraria

Terraria Optimization & Hosting Guide 2026: Best Settings, Specs, and Server Tips

A vanilla Terraria server for a handful of friends needs about 1 GB of RAM. A tModLoader server running Calamity or Thorium needs 4 to 6 GB, because mods load a

Max avatarMaxDec 2, 2025
CS2-optimization setup 2025
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 Optimization & System Requirements: Ultimate Performance Guide for 2026

High ping in Counter-Strike 2 and low frames are different problems with different fixes, and treating them as one is why most guides fail. Ping is distance and

Evan avatarEvanNov 27, 2025
See more