HumanitZ Server Hosting

Why Run HumanitZ on a Dedicated Server

When one player hosts a HumanitZ game, the world only exists while that player is online. Everyone else is a guest, and the moment the host closes the game the session ends. That is fine for a couple of friends on a Saturday, but a group of eight, sixteen or twenty-four people never plays at the same times, and the host quickly becomes the bottleneck.

Yodubzz Studios added dedicated server support in December 2023, with a maximum player setting and the same 24 player ceiling the game still has. The official FAQ tells self-hosters to use SteamCMD to download HZ_Server. You could run it on a spare PC at home, but that machine then has to stay on all day, your router needs the right ports open, and your upload has to carry every player. Renting the server puts it in a data centre with steady bandwidth, a fixed address and DDoS filtering instead.

A dedicated server also changes how the game feels. Bases and vehicles stay exactly where they were left, a PvP rivalry can run for weeks, and new players can join a living world rather than waiting for an invitation from whoever happens to be hosting tonight.

Working with gameserversetting.ini

HZ_Server keeps its options in gameserversetting.ini, the spelling Yodubzz uses in its own posts. A readme.txt shipped with the server explains each option. On our servers you open both in the panel's config editor, change a value, save and restart.

What the 1.1 Spooky Update Means for Server Owners

The HumanitZ 1.1 Major Update landed on 19 October 2026, and several of its changes are aimed squarely at people running servers. The new options give you more say over how punishing your world is and how tidy it stays over time.

• Headshot Only: a game mode and a server setting where only shots to the head drop a zeek. Expect players to burn more ammunition early on.
• Dead players become zeeks: a fallen survivor rises as one of the infected, which makes looting a friend's last stand a little more tense.
• Walkie-talkies: a new way for groups to coordinate across the map.
• Weapon durability setting: soften or harden wear on weapons to suit a casual or a hardcore crowd.
• Car recycle days and backpack cleanup: decide how long abandoned vehicles and dropped packs hang around, which keeps a long-running map from filling with clutter.

NPC recruitment is the headline feature, but the notes limit it to single-player and hosted multiplayer, so do not promise it to the players on your dedicated server. A day later the 1.1A hotfix arrived and asked server owners to restart, which on our panel means Steam Update followed by a restart.

Choosing Between 8, 16 and 24 Slots

Because HumanitZ currently tops out at 24 players, paying for more than 24 slots would buy nothing. Our three plans step up in eights: 8 slots for a tight squad, 16 for a small community and 24 for a server that uses every seat the game allows. If Yodubzz raises the cap, as its FAQ says it hopes to, we will review the plans.

Memory is our own sizing, since no official RAM guidance exists: 5GB on 8 slots, 8GB on 16 and 12GB on 24. What tends to fill memory is the world itself, meaning the number of vehicles, bases and loose items, more than the number of people online. The 1.1 cleanup settings help here, because recycling abandoned cars and clearing dropped backpacks stops a world from slowly bloating.

Keep an eye on the memory graph in the panel during your busiest evening. If it hovers near the limit, step up a tier from the client area; the order form goes as far as 32GB and the upgrade leaves your world in place.

Admins, Moderation and Scheduled Restarts

Admin rights start with the auto-admin list documented in the readme. Anyone on it is made admin the moment they join and does not show up in the player list, which is handy for quietly watching a public PvP server. Since 1.0 there are extra admin console commands, anti-cheat and bans, and the 1.02 patch in February 2026 added a brand-new admin panel and server logs.

1. Open the readme in the File Manager and find the auto-admin option.
2. Add the Steam accounts of your admins as the readme describes and save.
3. Restart the server so the list is read.
4. Join the game and use the admin panel to watch players, read logs and act on trouble.

Regular restarts keep a long session healthy. Our knowledge base has a step by step guide: Server Details shows the RCON password, and Scheduled Tasks can run a Console or RCON Command task. A common pattern is a restart every 12 hours with a 30 minute warning broadcast first, so players have time to get somewhere safe.

Wipes, Backups and Keeping Up with Patches

HumanitZ has had two very different update moments. Version 1.0 in February 2026 required a new save, wiped the official servers and reworked the map. Version 1.1 does not require a new save, although the developers highly encourage server owners to wipe fully. That leaves the call with you and your players.

Whatever you decide, take a snapshot in Backup Manager first. Offsite copies of the last 7 days sit underneath as a safety net, so even a wipe you regret can be undone. If you want the best of both, archive the old world, start a fresh one for 1.1 and keep the backup in case the group misses their old base.

Patches follow one rule: the server and every client must match. When a new build reaches Steam, players who update first cannot join an older server. Run Steam Update in the panel and restart, and everyone is back in. FreezeTime is worth switching on for quieter servers, since it stops the clock while the map is empty and nobody returns to a world that moved on without them.

What to Check Before Renting a HumanitZ Server

Offers can look alike at first glance. These points decide how the server behaves after a month of hordes and car chases.

1. Slots up to the capHumanitZ allows 24 players today. Seats beyond that cannot be filled, so there is no reason to pay for them.
2. Memory in the headline priceFind out how much RAM the quoted price includes and what the next tier costs before your map fills up.
3. Direct settings accessYou should be able to edit gameserversetting.ini and read the readme yourself, including the new 1.1 options.
4. RCON and scheduled restartsCheck that you can automate restarts with in-game warnings, not just a bare reboot.
5. Backups under your controlBefore a wipe you want a snapshot you can restore yourself, plus several days of offsite history.
6. A data centre near your playersPing matters in a shooter. Test a location close to most of the group before ordering.

HumanitZ Server Glossary

HZ_Server

The dedicated server software for HumanitZ, downloaded through SteamCMD.

gameserversetting.ini

The settings file that controls the player limit, vehicles, time and 1.1 options.

Zeek

The game's name for its zombies.

Headshot Only

A 1.1 mode and server setting where only hits to the head kill a zeek.

Auto-admin list

Players on it become admin on joining and are hidden from the player list.

FreezeTime

An option that pauses the world clock while no players are online.

Query port

The Steam port players use alongside the IP to connect directly.

RCON

Remote console access used by scheduled tasks to send warnings and commands.

Wipe

Starting the server on a brand new save, discarding the old world.

HumanitZ Server Help and Next Steps

Handy links for setting up and running your server.

• HumanitZ FAQPlayer cap, server download and console plans from the developer.
• HumanitZ news on SteamPatch notes including 1.1 and 1.1A.
• Automatic restarts with warning messagesOur knowledge base guide to RCON restart tasks.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelA tour of the panel and how to sign in.
• Contact supportAround the clock help with settings, wipes and saves.