Dead Matter Server Hosting

What should you know before renting a Dead Matter server?

Before renting a Dead Matter server, you should know the game is still in Early Access and development has slowed considerably. Built by Quantum Integrity Software on Unreal Engine, it is an open-world zombie survival game set in the Kananaskis region of Alberta, Canada. The current build offers a playable slice of about 6x6 km, and the Steam store page itself notes that the developers have not posted an update in a long time.

We would rather say this openly than bury it, because setting the right expectations matters when you pay for a server. The upside is that the build has been stable for a long time, so the server configuration is settled and you are not fighting compatibility issues after a weekly patch.

With your own server, you can run a whitelisted PvE experience for your friends, a hardcore server with high zombie density or a classic PvP combat server. You decide the player count, the rules and who gets admin rights.

How much RAM does a Dead Matter server need?

For a small to mid-sized Dead Matter server, 8 GB of RAM is a good starting point, which is why our plans begin at Gold 8GB. On an Unreal Engine server, AI density drives memory and CPU needs as much as player count does. MaxZombieCount in Game.ini appears in sample configs at values as high as 2048, and once you add animals and bandits, the number of entities the server tracks at any moment climbs fast.

Once you pass twenty players or raise zombie density, Platinum 10GB or Diamond 12GB is a better balance. The 6 vCores on Emerald 16GB keep the server responsive during crowded town fights.

On Dead Matter servers that stay up for long stretches, memory use can creep up over time, which is why regular restarts are a common habit on community servers. The restart button in the panel makes this easy, and you can warn players ahead of time through the MOTD or Discord.

Which settings live in Game.ini and Engine.ini?

Dead Matter's server config files sit in the DeadMatter/Saved/Config/WindowsServer folder. Almost everything gameplay-related is in Game.ini, while Engine.ini mostly holds technical values such as networking and ports.

In Game.ini, ServerName sets the name in the server list, MaxPlayers the player cap and MOTD the message players see on joining. You can add a server password and set PVP to true or false to decide whether players can damage each other. bIsHardcore switches on a harsher survival ruleset, and finer tweaks such as the fall damage multiplier live in the same file.

On the AI side, MaxZombieCount, MaxAnimalCount and MaxBanditCount decide how crowded the map is. If your friends want a tense but smooth experience, lowering the zombie count a little eases the load on the server.

Stop the server from the panel before editing, since changes made while it is running can be overwritten on shutdown.

How are admins, whitelists and updates handled?

Admin rights in Dead Matter are granted through lists in Game.ini. Add your own Steam64ID with a +SuperAdmins= line to get the widest permissions, and define moderators with +Admins= lines. Each person needs a line of their own.

For a closed server, set WhitelistActive=true and add every player you want to allow with a +Whitelist= line using their Steam64ID. This is the cleanest protection for friend groups and small communities; even if the server shows up in the list, strangers cannot get in.

Server software updates have been reported to reset config files to their defaults. Keep a separate copy of Game.ini and Engine.ini, and if your settings vanish after an update, simply restore the file from that copy.

Dead Matter does not currently have official mod or Steam Workshop support; the developer lists it among its goals for the full release. For now, you shape your server through the ini settings rather than mods.

How do players connect to a Dead Matter server?

Players connect by finding your server by name in the in-game online server list, or by entering its IP address through the direct connect option. If you set a password, they need to enter it when joining. The address and port to use are shown in your panel.

With the whitelist enabled, only players whose Steam64ID you added can join a server that appears in the list; everyone else gets turned away. Before inviting someone new, ask for their Steam64ID, add it to Game.ini and restart the server.

Because the server is hosted in İstanbul, players in Türkiye enjoy low latency, and players from Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasus generally get a good connection as well. Put your Discord link and basic rules in the MOTD so newcomers know what to expect the moment they spawn.