How to Change the Max Players on a Game Server (Every Game)

To change the max players on a game server, stop it, edit the game's player limit (max-players in Minecraft's server.properties, MaxPlayers in Project Zomboid's ini, server.maxplayers in Rust, ServerPlayerMaxNum in Palworld), save, and start it again. Two limits sit above your number: the game's own hard cap (Valheim is always 10, Enshrouded 16) and your host's plan, which often writes its slot count over your edit on every start. Empty slots cost nothing, but players who join use RAM and CPU.

What changes with max players and what does not

Change	Works on the existing world?
Raising or lowering the player limit	Yes, after a restart. The world is untouched
Going above the game's hard cap	No. The game refuses or quietly clamps it
Going above your hosting plan's slots	Usually no, the panel sets the limit. Upgrade the plan instead
Reserved admin slots	Depends on the game, for example admins can join a full Project Zomboid server

Where is the max players setting in each game?

Game	Setting	Where	Game cap or default	On GamezServers
Minecraft: Java Edition	`max-players`	`server.properties`	Default 20	Yours to edit, plans sized for 10 to 120
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition	`max-players`	`server.properties`	Default 10	Set to your plan's slots
Palworld	`ServerPlayerMaxNum`	`PalWorldSettings.ini`	Up to 32	Set to your plan's slots
Project Zomboid	`MaxPlayers`	`Zomboid/Server/<name>.ini`	Default 32	Set to your plan's slots
Valheim	None	Fixed in the game	10	10 on every plan
Rust	`server.maxplayers`	Launch line or `server.cfg`	No fixed cap	Set to your plan's slots
ARK: Survival Ascended	`-WinLiveMaxPlayers`	Launch line	Default 70	Set to your plan's slots
7 Days to Die	`ServerMaxPlayerCount`	`serverconfig.xml`	Default 8, crossplay 8 at most	Plan's slots, 8 on Crossplay
Terraria	`maxplayers`	`serverconfig.txt`	Up to 255	Set to your plan's slots
Enshrouded	`slotCount`	`enshrouded_server.json`	Up to 16	Set to your plan's slots
Satisfactory	`MaxPlayers` under `[/Script/Engine.GameSession]`	`Game.ini`	Default 4	Set to your plan's slots
DayZ	`maxPlayers`	`serverDZ.cfg`	Official servers run 60	Set to your plan's slots
Counter-Strike 2	`-maxplayers`	Launch line	Up to 64	Set to your plan's slots
Factorio	`max_players`	`server-settings.json`	0 means no limit	Set to your plan's slots

Valheim can only go past 10 with BepInEx mods made for it, and every player then needs the mod. Project Zomboid's limit and how it scales is covered in Project Zomboid how many players.

Step 1: Back up the config file

Copy the file you are about to edit, or press Backup on GamezServers. A typo in a JSON or XML file can stop the server from starting, and the copy is how you undo it in seconds.

Step 2: Stop the server

Most games read their config once at start, and some, Conan Exiles and ARK among them, write their settings back to disk on shutdown. Edit a running server and your change can be overwritten when it stops.

Step 3: Change the number

Change only the value, keeping the file's format:

# Minecraft server.properties
max-players=30

# Project Zomboid servertest.ini
MaxPlayers=16

# Satisfactory Game.ini
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=8

For games set on the launch line, such as Rust, ARK and Counter-Strike 2, change the option in your start script instead.

Step 4: Start and check

Start the server and look at its entry in the game's server browser, which shows the player limit as something like 0/30. If it still shows the old number, read the next section.

The gotcha: the setting you edited is not the one the server uses

Two things cause almost every "max players will not change" thread.

A launch option or panel overrides the file. Launch options beat config files in nearly every game, and hosts drive the player limit from their panel. On GamezServers the limit follows your plan: it is written into serverDZ.cfg, enshrouded_server.json, Project Zomboid's ini and Satisfactory's Game.ini on every start, or passed on the launch line for Rust, ARK, 7 Days to Die, Counter-Strike 2 and Palworld. Edit the file and the next restart puts the plan's number back. Minecraft Java is the exception, where max-players is yours to edit.

The game reads a different key than the one you changed. ARK: Survival Ascended is the classic case. Old guides tell you to set MaxPlayers in GameUserSettings.ini, but the ARK community wiki notes that -WinLiveMaxPlayers on the launch line currently replaces it, with a default of 70. Change only the ini and nothing happens.

A group of Rust players at a base, the kind of crowd the max players setting decides

When do more players need more RAM?

A higher limit costs nothing while the slots sit empty. What costs memory and CPU is players actually joining, especially when they spread out, because each one keeps their part of the world loaded and simulated. Rough guide for survival games:

Players online	Typical need
2 to 6	The game's starter size: 2 to 4 GB for Minecraft or Terraria, 6 to 8 GB for survival games
8 to 16	One step up, more with mods
16 to 32	12 to 16 GB for most survival games, or a fast CPU for Rust and ARK
32 and up	The largest plans, and fewer mods

Signs you raised the limit past what the server can carry: rubberbanding when the group is spread out, long saves and lag spikes at peak hours. Our how much RAM for a game server guide has per game numbers.

Common problems

Limit resets after a restart: the panel or a launch option sets it. Change the plan or the launch option, not the file.
Server will not start after editing: broken JSON or XML. Restore the backup and change only the number.
Browser shows a lower limit than the file: the game has a hard cap, or reads another key, like ARK's -WinLiveMaxPlayers.
Console players cannot join a bigger 7 Days to Die server: crossplay servers are limited to 8 players.
Lag since raising the limit: more players online need more RAM and CPU. Lower the limit or upgrade.

Max players on GamezServers

Every GamezServers game sets the player limit to the slots of your plan, which are sized so the server has the memory for that many players. When the group grows, upgrade in Settings: you pay the difference for the rest of the month, the world stays, and the new slots and RAM apply after a restart. You can downgrade later too. Plans and slot counts for each game are on our pricing page.

FAQ

Why does my max players setting keep resetting?

Your host's panel or a launch option writes the limit on every start, overriding the file. On GamezServers it follows your plan, so upgrade to get more slots.

Can I have more players than my plan allows?

Not on games where the panel sets the limit. Upgrading the plan raises the slots and the RAM together, without losing your world.

Does a higher max players make the server lag?

Not on its own. Empty slots cost nothing, but more players online use more RAM and CPU, especially when they spread out across the map.

How do I change max players in Valheim?

You cannot in the vanilla game. Valheim is fixed at 10 players, and only BepInEx mods that every player installs can raise it.