KF2 Server Difficulty and Wave Length Settings
Configure Killing Floor 2 server difficulty (Normal through Hell on Earth) and wave length (Short, Normal, Long) using launch URL parameters. Includes advice on picking settings for different community types.
KF2 Difficulty and Wave Settings
KF2 difficulty and wave count are set via URL parameters in your server's launch command — they're not stored in the INI file.
Difficulty Levels
The difficulty= parameter controls ZED health, damage output, and spawn rate:
| Value | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
0 |
Normal | Recommended for new players. ZEDs deal low damage, low health. |
1 |
Hard | A step up — ZEDs hit harder and have more health. |
2 |
Suicidal | Significant challenge. ZEDs are fast and aggressive. Popular for experienced groups. |
3 |
Hell on Earth | Maximum difficulty. ZEDs are extremely fast, aggressive, and deal massive damage. |
Wave Length (GameLength)
Controls the number of waves before the boss encounter:
| Value | Name | Waves |
|---|---|---|
0 |
Short | 4 waves + boss |
1 |
Normal | 7 waves + boss |
2 |
Long | 10 waves + boss |
Setting in Launch URL
./Binaries/Win64/KFGameSteamServer.bin.x86_64 \
KF-BioticsLab?game=KFGameContent.KFGameInfo_Survival?difficulty=2?GameLength=2 \
-log
In a systemd service unit file:
ExecStart=/home/steam/kf2server/Binaries/Win64/KFGameSteamServer.bin.x86_64 \
KF-BioticsLab?game=KFGameContent.KFGameInfo_Survival?difficulty=1?GameLength=1 \
-log
Changing Settings Without Restart
You can change difficulty and wave length between rounds via the WebAdmin panel:
- Log in at
http://YOUR_IP:8080 - Go to Current Game → Change Map
- Pick the same map (or a different one) and choose new difficulty/length settings
- The next round will use the new values
Recommended Settings by Community Type
| Community | Difficulty | GameLength |
|---|---|---|
| Newcomer / casual | 0 (Normal) | 0 (Short) or 1 (Normal) |
| Mixed experience | 1 (Hard) | 1 (Normal) |
| Regular KF2 players | 2 (Suicidal) | 1 or 2 |
| Sweat squad | 3 (Hell on Earth) | 2 (Long) |
Note: Difficulty Doesn't Affect Versus Mode
In Versus Survival (KFGameInfo_VersusSurvival), difficulty settings affect the AI-controlled ZEDs but human-controlled ZEDs are at full strength regardless of the difficulty setting.