V Rising server settings live in two JSON files: ServerGameSettings.json for the game rules (PvP, clan size, loot, decay, day length) and ServerHostSettings.json for the server itself (name, password, ports, player cap). On a dedicated server you edit them, restart, and the change applies. On a private game, the settings are saved with the world, which is why changing them after creation trips people up. Below: where the files are, what every important setting does, good values for solo and PvE, and how to change settings mid-game.
Game settings vs host settings: which file?
Most “my setting isn’t working” problems come from editing the wrong file. The split is simple. Anything about how the world plays goes in ServerGameSettings.json. Anything about how the server runs and who can join goes in ServerHostSettings.json. Put a gameplay value in the host file, or the other way round, and the server ignores it.
| You want to change… | File | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| PvE or PvP | Game | GameModeType |
| Clan size | Game | ClanSize |
| Loot, resources, crafting speed | Game | DropTableModifier_General, MaterialYieldModifier_Global, CraftRateModifier |
| Castle decay | Game | CastleDecayRateModifier |
| Day length, sun damage | Game | GameTimeModifiers, SunDamageModifier |
| Teleporting with items | Game | TeleportBoundItems |
| Server name, password | Host | Name, Password |
| Max players | Host | MaxConnectedUsers |
| Ports, server list | Host | Port, QueryPort, ListOnSteam, ListOnEOS |
| Auto-saves, scheduled wipes | Host | AutoSaveInterval, ResetDaysInterval |
| Load a preset | Host | GameSettingsPreset, GameDifficultyPreset |
Where the V Rising server settings files are
The server ships its defaults in VRisingServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Settings/. Don’t edit those; server updates overwrite them. Your own settings go in the override folder:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Stunlock Studios\VRisingServer\Settings\If you start the server with -persistentDataPath, it’s the Settings folder inside that path instead. You can put a full copy of each file there, or just the values you change. The server reads the defaults first, then applies yours on top. On V Rising server hosting, both files are in the panel’s file manager.
A minimal ServerGameSettings.json override for a relaxed PvE server could be as short as this:
{
"GameModeType": "PvE",
"ClanSize": 6,
"MaterialYieldModifier_Global": 1.5,
"CastleDecayRateModifier": 0.5
}It’s JSON, so text goes in quotes, numbers and true/false don’t, and every line but the last ends with a comma. One missing comma and the server can’t read the file.
V Rising server game settings explained
These are the settings people change most. Defaults are what the server ships with. Multipliers are 1.0 for normal; most go from 0 or 0.25 up to 3.
Game mode and PvP
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
GameModeType |
PvP | PvE: players can’t damage each other or each other’s castles. PvP: they can, depending on the two settings below |
PlayerDamageMode |
Always | Always, or TimeRestricted for PvP only in scheduled windows |
CastleDamageMode |
Never | Whether players can damage other players’ castles, and when |
CastleHeartDamageMode |
CanBeDestroyedByPlayers | Whether castle hearts can be destroyed or taken over |
PvPProtectionMode |
Medium | How long new vampires are immune to PvP damage |
DeathContainerPermission |
Anyone | Who can loot the bag a player drops on death |
CanLootEnemyContainers |
true | Whether players can loot enemy stashes and workstations |
ClanSize |
4 | Maximum players in one clan |
Travel and items
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
TeleportBoundItems |
true | Some items block waygates while you carry them. Set false to teleport with all items |
BloodBoundEquipment |
true | Most equipment stays on you when you die and can’t be traded |
AllWaypointsUnlocked |
false | Unlocks every waygate for everyone from the start |
InventoryStacksModifier |
1.0 | Multiplies stack sizes |
RelicSpawnType |
Unique | Whether each Soul Shard can exist only once in the world |
Resources, crafting and progression
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
MaterialYieldModifier_Global |
1.0 | Resources from trees, ore and plants |
DropTableModifier_General |
1.0 | Loot from enemies and containers |
BloodEssenceYieldModifier |
1.0 | Blood Essence from kills |
CraftRateModifier / RefinementRateModifier |
1.0 | Crafting and refining speed (higher is faster) |
BuildCostModifier / RecipeCostModifier / ResearchCostModifier |
1.0 | Material costs to build, craft and research |
ServantConvertRateModifier |
1.0 | How fast humans become servants |
StartingProgressionLevel |
0 | Auto-completes quests and research below this gear level, for new characters only |
Survival pressure
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
BloodDrainModifier |
1.0 | How fast your blood pool drains |
SunDamageModifier |
1.0 | How hard the sun hits |
GarlicAreaStrengthModifier / HolyAreaStrengthModifier / SilverStrengthModifier |
1.0 | Strength of garlic, holy radiation and silver |
DurabilityDrainModifier |
1.0 | Equipment wear |
GameTimeModifiers.DayDurationInSeconds |
1080 | Length of a full day in real seconds (18 minutes) |
GameTimeModifiers.DayStartHour / DayEndHour |
9 / 17 | When daylight, and sun damage, starts and ends |
GameTimeModifiers.BloodMoonFrequency_Min / _Max |
10 / 18 | In-game days between Blood Moons |
Castles and decay
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
CastleDecayRateModifier |
1.0 | How fast a castle decays when its heart runs out of Blood Essence (0 turns decay off) |
CastleBloodEssenceDrainModifier |
1.0 | How fast the castle heart burns Blood Essence |
CastleRelocationEnabled |
true | Lets players move their castle |
InactivityKillEnabled |
true | Removes vampires that stay offline too long, from 1 hour to 7 days depending on gear level |
Decay matters for server load as well as for fairness. Abandoned castles that never decay keep costing the server memory, so on a long-running public server, leave decay on.
Presets
Instead of setting everything by hand, you can load a ready-made preset in ServerHostSettings.json: GameSettingsPreset (for example StandardPvP; the full list is in the server’s StreamingAssets/GameSettingPresets folder) and GameDifficultyPreset (Difficulty_Easy, Difficulty_Normal or Difficulty_Brutal). A difficulty preset overrides several modifiers, including blood drain, sun damage, loot and enemy health. If you set those by hand and nothing changes, check for a preset first.
Best V Rising server settings for solo, duo and PvE
There’s no single best setup. These are sensible starting points, so adjust after a few evenings.
| Setting | Solo / single player | Duo or small PvE group | Public PvE |
|---|---|---|---|
GameModeType |
PvE | PvE | PvE |
MaterialYieldModifier_Global |
2.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 to 1.5 |
CraftRateModifier / RefinementRateModifier |
2.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
BloodDrainModifier |
0.5 | 0.75 | 1.0 |
CastleDecayRateModifier |
0 (no decay) | 0.5 | 1.0 |
TeleportBoundItems |
false | false | true |
ClanSize |
4 | 4 | 4 to 6 |
Solo players mostly fight the grind: gathering, refining and running back to base. Double the yields and refine rates, halve blood drain, and switch off decay so a week away doesn’t cost you your castle. On a public PvE server, keep the defaults close so progression still means something.
How to change V Rising server settings after creation
On a dedicated server
- Stop the server, or warn players first with the RCON
announcerestartcommand. - Edit
ServerGameSettings.json(or the host file) in theSettingsoverride folder. - Start the server. The new settings apply to the existing world.
So yes, you can change server settings mid-game. A few settings only affect what happens next, though. StartingProgressionLevel, starter equipment and pre-unlocked research only apply to characters created after the change. Enemy health changes need the enemies to respawn.
On a private game (hosted from your client)
A private game keeps its settings inside its save folder. To change them after creation:
- Open the world’s save folder: pick it under Load Game and use Go to Directory.
- Quit the game, then back up that folder.
- Open the
ServerGameSettings.jsonin that folder, change the values and save it. - Start V Rising and load the world.
If you’d rather not touch files, moving the world to a dedicated server gives you the normal edit-and-restart flow. The V Rising dedicated server guide covers that transfer step by step.
Private server settings: password and inviting friends
To make a V Rising private server, set Password in ServerHostSettings.json. To invite friends, give them the server name, so they can search the list, plus the password. Or give them your public IP and game port for direct connect. If you don’t want the server listed at all, set ListOnSteam and ListOnEOS to false and have friends use direct connect. You can change the password without a restart through RCON (password).
V Rising server settings on PS5
A dedicated server for PS5 players uses the PS5 server build (the ce-1 branch of the server download), and it reads the same ServerGameSettings.json and ServerHostSettings.json. The game rules on this page apply the same way. One host difference: Stunlock’s PS5 instructions only list the EOS server list (ListOnEOS), with no ListOnSteam option.
Server settings not working? Check these
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Change has no effect | Edited the default file in StreamingAssets, or the wrong file |
Edit the copy in the override Settings folder; check game vs host |
| Some multipliers ignored | A GameDifficultyPreset or GameSettingsPreset overrides them |
Clear the preset, or set the values in a custom file |
| Server won’t start after editing | JSON syntax error | Check commas and quotes; the log says where it failed |
| Change only affects some players | The setting applies on character creation | Expected; new characters get it |
Settings posted on Reddit or in older guides can use names from earlier versions of the game. Check any setting name against your own default file before you copy it.
Skip the JSON: tell the copilot
Two files, a dozen nested sections and presets that silently override you: that’s a lot to keep straight for a game about being a vampire. V Rising server hosting on GameTeam puts the settings in plain words. Tell the AI copilot “double resource yield, let us teleport with items, turn off castle decay and make clans 6 players”. It changes MaterialYieldModifier_Global, TeleportBoundItems, CastleDecayRateModifier and ClanSize in ServerGameSettings.json, checks no preset overrides them, and restarts the server. It backs up the world first if you ask. Plans are priced per GB of RAM with unlimited slots, at $0.49/GB a week on Budget, or $1.99/GB billed monthly.
FAQ
How do I adjust server settings in V Rising?
On a dedicated server, edit ServerGameSettings.json in the server’s Settings folder and restart. On a private game, edit the same file inside the world’s save folder with the game closed.
Can you change V Rising server settings mid-game?
Yes. Most settings apply to the existing world after a restart. A few, like starting progression and starter kits, only apply to new characters.
Can you play V Rising on your own?
Yes. Start a private game and play solo, or run a dedicated server with a password. Solo players often raise resource yields and lower blood drain.
Can I play V Rising with only friends?
Yes. Set a Password in ServerHostSettings.json, and optionally turn off the server list settings so only people you give the IP to can find it.
How do I let players teleport with items?
Set "TeleportBoundItems": false in ServerGameSettings.json and restart.
What’s the default clan size?
4. Change it with ClanSize in ServerGameSettings.json.