How to Set Up a Project Zomboid Dedicated Server

Project Zomboid Dedicated Server Setup

Project Zomboid's dedicated server runs natively on Linux and is downloaded via SteamCMD with anonymous login — no Steam account required.

Step 1 — Install SteamCMD

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install lib32gcc-s1 -y
mkdir ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
tar -xvzf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

Step 2 — Download the Server Files

Project Zomboid's dedicated server AppID is 380870. Anonymous login is fully supported.

~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh \
  +force_install_dir /home/steam/pz \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 380870 validate \
  +quit

Step 3 — Run the Server for the First Time

The launcher script is located at the root of your install:

cd /home/steam/pz
chmod +x start-server.sh
./start-server.sh -servername servertest

On the very first launch, the server will prompt you in the console to set an admin password. Type a strong password and press Enter. This creates the servertest.ini config file and the servertest_SandboxVars.lua sandbox file.

Tip: The -servername argument controls which config file is loaded. Running without it defaults to servertest.

Step 4 — Directory Structure

After first launch, key files are created under:

~/.local/share/ProjectZomboid/
  Server/
    servertest.ini                 ← Main server configuration
    servertest_SandboxVars.lua     ← Sandbox/difficulty settings
    servertest_spawnregions.lua    ← Spawn region definitions
  Saves/
    Multiplayer/
      servertest/                  ← World save data

Important: Stop the server before editing any config files. Changes do not take effect until the next restart.

Step 5 — Firewall Ports

Open these ports in your firewall:

sudo ufw allow 16261/udp
sudo ufw allow 16262/udp

Keeping the Server Updated

~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh \
  +force_install_dir /home/steam/pz \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 380870 \
  +quit

Run this after each Project Zomboid game update to keep client and server versions in sync. Version mismatches prevent players from joining.