7 Days to Die V3.2.0 Server Admin Patch Notes (August 2026)

V3.2.0 went Stable on 26 August 2026 (its experimental line was on b9 by 19 August), and the b10 hotfix followed. It was the stable release until V3.3.0 replaced it on 5 October 2026, and it stays available on the pinned v3.2.0 branch. This page covers only what changes for someone running a dedicated server - the full player-facing changelog is on the official forum, linked under Sources.

The release also came with a statement of intent worth knowing about: The Fun Pimps have stood up a separate team dedicated to these smaller releases, working in parallel with the teams building major versions. In their words, the goal is "delivering bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements more consistently between our major releases", and work on v4.0 continues alongside it. Practically, that means the 3.x line will move more often than the 2.x line did - plan your update cadence for it.

TL;DR for server admins

  • The "Failed to search EOS servers" popup is fixed. If your players were intermittently unable to see servers in the browser, this was a client-side EOS bug, not your server.
  • Custom POIs are now pushed from the server to the client - the server sends a minimal metadata package. Custom-prefab servers no longer need every player to install the POIs by hand.
  • Screamer scout groups are commented out in entitygroups.xml to stop screamers calling more screamers. If you patch that file, re-check your diff against the new stock version.
  • Two prefab properties changed: AllowTopSoilDecorations is removed as obsolete, and a new AllowDecorations separates world decoration in POIs from the TraderArea setting.
  • Sleeper spawn checks are optimised for player visibility when players are far away - a server-side CPU win on large or busy maps.
  • No breaking serverconfig.xml changes are listed in the changelog. A working V3.1 server config loads on V3.2.0.
  • Client and server must match. As always, a V3.1 client cannot join a V3.2.0 server - see Version Mismatch.

The EOS server-search fix

The single most support-relevant line in the changelog is "Failed to search EOS servers popup" under Fixed. 7 Days to Die uses Epic Online Services for its server browser, and this popup left players unable to find any server - which reliably gets reported to the host as "your server is down" when the server is running perfectly.

If you fielded that complaint on V3.0 or V3.1, the fix ships in V3.2.0 and the correct answer is to have the player update. Before blaming a browser problem on your own machine, confirm the server is actually registered and listening; the server not showing in list guide walks the elimination in order.

Custom POIs pushed from server to client

Under Added: "Custom POI's should be pushed to client from server (server pushes a minimal metadata package to client)".

This is the meaningful change for anyone running custom prefabs. Previously a custom-POI world effectively required every connecting player to have the same POI files locally, which is a real barrier for a public server. The server now pushes a minimal metadata package instead. Treat it as new behaviour to test rather than a solved problem: verify with one player on a clean install before you advertise a custom-prefab map.

XML and prefab property changes

Three changes touch files a server admin may have edited:

  • entitygroups.xml - screamer spawns in screamer scout groups are commented out, to prevent screamers from calling other screamers. If you maintain a modified entitygroups.xml, diff it against the stock V3.2.0 file rather than carrying your old copy forward, or you will reintroduce the cascade.
  • AllowTopSoilDecorations removed - an obsolete prefab property. Custom prefabs still carrying it should drop it.
  • AllowDecorations added - separates world decoration in POIs from the TraderArea setting, which gives prefab authors control that previously came bundled with trader behaviour.

Nothing in the changelog indicates a breaking change to serverconfig.xml itself. The full property list is in the serverconfig.xml reference.

Performance and stability

  • Sleeper spawn checks optimised when players are far from the POI - less wasted work on a populated map.
  • b10 hotfix: player gear textures using too much memory - a memory fix that matters most on memory-constrained boxes.
  • Entities can cause blocks to collapse during chunk resets - fixed. This class of bug shows up on long-running servers that reset chunks.
  • Demolition zombies not exploding from client damage - fixed; a multiplayer-only defect.
  • NRE when exiting game after client drops Chicken - fixed.

Gameplay changes your players will ask about

  • Trader doors open with a vehicle horn. Outer trader doors now react to the horn, with on-screen text when you are close enough. Not every door fits every vehicle. A new interior door variant oldWoodDoorNoHonk was added and swapped into Trader Rekt, Hugh and Joel so interiors do not open this way.
  • Combine Station UI reworked - the result and its final stats are shown before you commit, a plus marks a combined item, and combining is now an explicit button press.
  • Auto turrets no longer support stability and can no longer be placed on walls. This will break existing base designs; expect complaints from players whose turret placements are now invalid. See base defense and AI pathing.
  • Cotton is now available from the junk loot list when Crop Yield is set to none, and from general trader inventory - relevant if you run low-yield settings.
  • Permadeath now grants Base Skill Points on death (previously did not) - matters on permadeath servers.
  • Trader progression getting stuck is fixed, as is being unable to craft lower-tier items after unlocking them.
  • Timid animals have improved threat detection; rabbits are no longer too slow; chicken handling bugs fixed.

What comes next

The Fun Pimps have said a player survey is coming to let players prioritise which quality-of-life improvements this team tackles next. Update, 5 October 2026: V3.3.0, which opened on the experimental branch on 24 September, went stable on 5 October and is now the default build. Nothing in its notes forces a wipe; the 2026 roadmap has what 3.3 changes and its known issues. A server staying on 3.2 has to pin the v3.2.0 branch, and so do its players.

Frequently Asked

Do I need to wipe for V3.2.0?

Nothing in the changelog requires a wipe. It is a smaller release between majors, with no listed save-format or serverconfig.xml breaking change. Back up the save directory before updating anyway - see wipe or continue for how to make that call properly.

Can a V3.1 client join my V3.2.0 server?

No. Client and server must be on the same build. Players will see an incompatible-version error; the fix is for them to update, or for you to pin the server branch. See Version Mismatch.

My players could not see any servers - was that this bug?

Possibly. "Failed to search EOS servers" is fixed in V3.2.0 and it prevented the browser from listing servers at all. If it persists after both sides update, the cause is elsewhere.

Do custom POIs still need to be installed by every player?

V3.2.0 adds server-to-client pushing of custom POIs, where the server sends a minimal metadata package. Test it with one player on a clean install before relying on it for a public custom-prefab server.

Do I have to redo my entitygroups.xml edits?

If you maintain a modified copy, yes - diff it against the stock V3.2.0 file. The stock file now has screamer spawns commented out inside screamer scout groups, and a carried-forward copy will silently restore the old cascading behaviour.

Sources