Insurgency Sandstorm Updated April 26, 2026

How to Configure Your Insurgency Sandstorm Server

Insurgency Sandstorm splits its settings across two config files. Here's where to find them and which settings actually matter.

Insurgency SandstormconfigurationGame.iniEngine.ini

The Two Config Files

Insurgency Sandstorm uses two separate INI files, and it's important to know which setting goes in which file:

  • Game.ini — game rules, player limits, scoring, warmup timers, vote settings
  • Engine.ini — networking, ports, RCON, console settings

Both files live in:

Insurgency/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/

You can edit them through the file manager in your control panel. Always stop your server before editing config files — changes made while the server is running will be overwritten on shutdown.

Editing the Files

  1. Stop your server from the control panel.
  2. Open the file manager and navigate to Insurgency/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/.
  3. Open the file you want to edit.
  4. Make your changes, save the file.
  5. Start your server.

If either file doesn't exist yet, the server will create default versions on first launch. You can then edit from there.

Game.ini — Key Settings

Here's a minimal working Game.ini with the most commonly adjusted settings:

[/Script/Insurgency.INSGameMode]
MaxPlayers=16
RoundTime=180
WarmupTime=30
MusicVolume=0.0
bVoteKickEnabled=True
RespawnTime=10
FriendlyFireModifier=0.0

Setting breakdown:

Setting What it does
MaxPlayers Hard cap on player slots (up to your plan's limit)
RoundTime Seconds per round before time runs out
WarmupTime Seconds of warmup before the first round
MusicVolume Server-side music volume (most players mute this anyway)
bVoteKickEnabled Allows players to vote-kick others
RespawnTime Seconds between respawns in wave-based modes
FriendlyFireModifier 0.0 = friendly fire off, 1.0 = full damage

Engine.ini — Key Settings

[URL]
Port=27102

[OnlineSubsystemSteam]
bEnabled=True

The Port value under [URL] sets your game port. The default is 27102 — only change this if you have a specific reason (such as running multiple servers). Your query port is automatically set to 27131 by default.

If you plan to use RCON, see How to Set Up RCON on Your Insurgency Sandstorm Server for the additional Engine.ini entries required.

Common Mistakes

  • Wrong section header — settings placed under the wrong [Section] are silently ignored. Double-check brackets.
  • Editing while the server is running — the server overwrites the file on shutdown, undoing your changes.
  • Case sensitivity — INI keys in IS are case-sensitive. maxplayers won't work; it must be MaxPlayers.
Back to Knowledgebase
Need help? Submit a Ticket →