The complete guide · 5 min read
Killing Floor 2 Server Hosting Explained: A Complete Guide
This guide covers running your own Killing Floor 2 server in 2026: what it gives a squad, matching slots to modes, the two ini files, Workshop maps, WebAdmin, cross-play and the honest state of the game. It is written for whoever in the squad ends up holding the admin password.
By Matthew Griffin, Owner, Gaming DeluxePublished · Updated
In this guide
- What Your Own Killing Floor 2 Server Gives a Squad
- Survival, Weekly, Endless and Versus: Choosing Slots
- The Two ini Files Behind the Server
- Adding Workshop Maps Step by Step
- WebAdmin, Map Entries and the Rotation
- Steam, Epic and Ranked Servers
- Is Killing Floor 2 Worth Hosting in 2026?
- What to Compare Before You Rent a Killing Floor 2 Server
- Killing Floor 2 Server Glossary
- Killing Floor 2 Server Help and Next Steps
What Your Own Killing Floor 2 Server Gives a Squad
Public matchmaking drops you into whatever lobby is open, on whatever map and difficulty that host picked. A server of your own turns that around. The squad decides the rotation, the difficulty and how long a game runs, the server stays up between sessions, and friends always know where to find each other.
It is also how you play the maps the base game does not ship. Killing Floor 2 supports the Steam Workshop and comes with a level editor, and years of community maps sit there waiting. A dedicated server can download them by ID and hand them to players as they join.
Survival, Weekly, Endless and Versus: Choosing Slots
Slot choice is simpler here than in most games, because Tripwire built the modes around two sizes.
| Mode | Players | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | Up to 6, co-op | 6 Slots |
| Weekly Outbreak | Up to 6, co-op with a weekly twist | 6 Slots |
| Endless | Up to 6, co-op with no final wave | 6 Slots |
| Versus Survival | 12, two teams of 6 | 12 Slots |
In Versus Survival one team plays the Mercs and the other the Zeds; then they switch, and the team with the higher score wins. If your group only ever plays co-op, six slots is the whole answer. If Versus is on the menu even occasionally, twelve gives it room, and the order form sells every count in between for anything unusual.
The Two ini Files Behind the Server
Almost everything a Killing Floor 2 server does is set in two files, both reachable from Configuration Files in the panel. PCServer-KFGame.ini holds game-side settings, including the map entries WebAdmin reads. PCServer-KFEngine.ini holds engine settings, including the Workshop section and the download managers players use.
Adding Workshop Maps Step by Step
- Find each map on the Killing Floor 2 Workshop and note the number at the end of its page address: that is the Workshop ID.
- Stop the server in the panel.
- In PCServer-KFEngine.ini, add a section named [OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.KFWorkshopSteamworks] with one ServerSubscribedWorkshopItems=ID line per map.
- In the [IpDrv.TcpNetDriver] section, add DownloadManagers=OnlineSubsystemSteamworks.SteamWorkshopDownload as the first DownloadManagers line, so players fetch the files from Steam. Leave the rest of that section as it is.
- Start the server. It downloads the items as it boots, and the log viewer shows the progress.
Joining players then download each map from Steam the first time they meet it. Map packs that rely on other Workshop items need those listed too.
WebAdmin, Map Entries and the Rotation
WebAdmin is Killing Floor 2's built-in browser console for changing the level and settings while the server runs. It only offers custom maps it knows about, and it learns about them from map entries in PCServer-KFGame.ini, one section per map in this shape:
- [kf-yourmap KFMapSummary]
- MapName=kf-yourmap
- ScreenshotPathName=UI_MapPreview_TEX.UI_MapPreview_Placeholder
Keep every map name in lowercase, in these entries and in the map cycle, because the server uses the names exactly as written. One known quirk: moving from one custom map straight to another can leave players on the connecting screen while the second map downloads, with no progress shown. It is a download, not a crash, so give it time.
Steam, Epic and Ranked Servers
Killing Floor 2 has been on the Epic Games Store since July 2020. Tripwire's notes for that release enabled cross-play and cross-friend invites between Steam and Epic players on unmodded ranked servers, and wired Epic Online Services into the dedicated server for it.
The practical rule for a server owner follows from that word unmodded. A stock server with the standard maps is the one to run when friends are split across both stores. Once you build a Workshop rotation, treat the server as a Steam lobby, and keep the mixed group on stock maps.
Is Killing Floor 2 Worth Hosting in 2026?
Honestly, yes, for the right squad. Tripwire's last game update was the version 1150 hotfix in February 2024, and Killing Floor 3 has been announced as the series' next step. Yet the publisher still runs double XP events and seasonal sales, the latest from 25 June to 9 July 2026, so busy weeks still come round.
A quiet patch schedule also suits a server well. Your Workshop maps and ini settings keep working, nothing breaks overnight, and the server you set up this month will behave the same next year. If the squad already loves the game, there is little reason to wait.
What to Compare Before You Rent a Killing Floor 2 Server
Most Killing Floor 2 offers look the same on paper. These points decide whether a server suits your squad.
- Slots that match the modesSix for co-op and twelve for Versus. Slot counts that ignore the modes mean paying for players you cannot fit.
- Ini and WebAdmin accessYou need to edit both ini files yourself and reach WebAdmin, or Workshop maps become a support ticket each time.
- What the price includesCheck that the memory in the price covers the server, and that you are not charged extra for a tier you do not need.
- Locations to testRun a ping test from your own PC before ordering; Zed Time punishes lag.
- Backups you can restoreA snapshot before a new map list saves an evening if a Workshop item misbehaves.
- Billing termsLook for monthly billing without a minimum term, and no setup fee.
Killing Floor 2 Server Glossary
- Zeds
- The specimen clones the squad fights, from small fry to bosses.
- Zed Time
- The slow-motion moments triggered in combat, when a good shot matters most.
- Perk
- A player's class, which levels up with talent choices over time.
- Survival
- The standard six-player co-op mode, wave after wave up to a boss.
- Weekly Outbreak
- A co-op mode with a changing modifier, such as Bounty Hunt or Perk Roulette.
- Endless
- Co-op waves that keep coming until the squad falls.
- Versus Survival
- The twelve-player mode where two teams take turns as Mercs and Zeds.
- WebAdmin
- The game's browser-based admin console for maps and settings.
- PCServer-KFGame.ini
- The server's game settings file, including the custom map entries.
- PCServer-KFEngine.ini
- The engine settings file, home of the Workshop section and download managers.
- Workshop ID
- The number in a Workshop item's page address, used to list it for the server.
Killing Floor 2 Server Help and Next Steps
Pages that help with setup and running the server.
- How to add Workshop mods on your serverOur knowledge base guide for Killing Floor 2.
- Get custom maps to show in WebAdminMap entries and known issues.
- Killing Floor 2 Steam WorkshopCommunity maps and their IDs.
- Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
- Our server locations
- Contact support24/7 help with ini files and Workshop maps.
How this guide was made: researched from the Steam store and Tripwire's announcements on Steam (Tripwire's Killing Floor 2 wiki and killingfloor2.com block automated reads, so neither was used), drafted with AI assistance, checked against our live order form and knowledge base for every plan, price, location and setting, and reviewed by Matthew Griffin before publishing. See something out of date? Tell us.
Sources, checked October 22, 2026:
- Killing Floor 2 on Steam (Tripwire Interactive, 18 November 2016, 6 player co-op, 12 player Versus Survival, Workshop, level editor, 3GB minimum RAM)
- Killing Floor 2 Hotfix Changelog (Game Version 1150), Tripwire on Steam (15 February 2024)
- Killing Floor 2 Winter 2024 Quality of Life Changelog (Game Version 1149), Tripwire on Steam
- Killing Floor 2 Summer 2026 2XP and Sale, Tripwire on Steam (25 June to 9 July 2026)
- Killing Floor 2 Spring 2026 2XP and Sale, Tripwire on Steam
- [PSA] Scheduled Maintenance, Tripwire on Steam (4 June 2026)
- Killing Floor 2 Steam/EGS PC 1099 Changelog, Tripwire on Steam (July 2020: Epic Games Store, cross-play on unmodded ranked servers)
- Killing Floor 2 Autumn Update Changelog, Tripwire on Steam (Weekly Outbreak: Bounty Hunt)
- The Tidal Terror Update Is Here!, Tripwire on Steam (Endless Mode fixes)
- Killing Floor 3 Has Been Announced!, Tripwire on Steam (22 August 2023)
- Tripwire's Killing Floor 2 wiki and killingfloor2.com (both block automated reads, not used)
- How to add Workshop mods on your server, Gaming Deluxe knowledge base (Killing Floor 2)
- Get Custom Maps To Show In Web Admin, Gaming Deluxe knowledge base
- Gaming Deluxe order form, Killing Floor 2 (slots 6 to 12, memory tiers, locations)
