Change Map on Dedicated Server - Unturned Wiki

How to Change the Map on an Unturned Dedicated Server

One of the most common questions from new Unturned server operators is simple: the Dedicated Server tool always boots PEI, and typing map Germany into the console just throws an error. The fix is straightforward once you understand when and where the map is set. This guide covers the correct method for official maps, why your server keeps reverting to PEI, and how to load curated Steam Workshop maps like Elver or Greece. If you would rather skip the file editing entirely, managed Unturned server hosting lets you pick a map from a dropdown and handles the workshop downloads for you.

The Map Is Set Before Launch, Not While Running

The single biggest source of confusion is timing. The map cannot be swapped on a live server. If you open the running server console and type a map command, you will get a message that it cannot be changed while the server is running. The map is read once from your configuration when the server process starts.

The correct workflow is always:

1. Stop the server by typing shutdown into the server console, or closing the window cleanly.
2. Edit the Map line in your server's Commands.dat file.
3. Start the server again. It will now generate or load the map you specified.

Where Commands.dat Lives

The Dedicated Server tool stores each server profile in its own folder. The configuration file you need is here:

Unturned/Servers/<YourServerName>/Server/Commands.dat

If you launched the tool without naming a server, the default profile is usually called unturned, so the path becomes Servers/unturned/Server/Commands.dat. Open that file in any plain text editor.

Setting an Official Map

Inside Commands.dat, add or edit a single line:

Map Germany

That is the entire command. The official survival maps you can reference directly by name include:

These five are part of the ten official maps that ship with the game files, so no extra downloads are required to use them.

Why Your Server Keeps Loading PEI

If the server cannot find a map that matches the name in Commands.dat, it does not error out and stop. Instead it silently falls back to loading PEI, the default. From the operator's point of view it looks like the Map line was ignored, but what actually happened is that the requested map did not resolve to an installed map folder. The usual causes are:

• Spelling or capitalization that does not match the map folder name.
• A curated or workshop map referenced by name without the workshop content being downloaded first (covered below).
• An old world folder from a previous map still present. The server can latch onto leftover save data. If you want a guaranteed clean switch, stop the server and clear the old map's world data before starting on the new map.
• Editing the wrong server profile. If you have more than one folder under Servers/, confirm you edited the same profile your launch command points at.

Loading a Curated or Workshop Map

Curated maps such as Elver, Greece, Hawaii, Kuwait, Cyprus, Arid, Buak, and the newest California 2 are not bundled into the game files. Since the move away from the old built-in curated system, they are distributed through the Steam Workshop. Naming one in the Map line alone will not work, because the files are not on disk yet. You have to tell the server to download the map first.

Open (or create) WorkshopDownloadConfig.json in the same Server/ folder and add the map's Workshop File ID:

{
  "File_IDs": [
    1753134636
  ],
  "Ignore_Children_File_IDs": [],
  "Use_Cached_Downloads": true,
  "Should_Monitor_Updates": true
}

The File ID is the long number at the end of the map's Steam Workshop page URL. For reference, Hawaii is 1753134636 and Greece is 1702240229. After adding the ID, set the matching Map line in Commands.dat using the map's folder name, for example:

Map Greece

On the next launch, the server contacts the Workshop, downloads the map, and then loads it. The map folder name created by the download is what you reference in the Map line. If you are unsure of the exact folder name, start the server once with the File ID configured, let it download, then check the installed map folder name and use that string.

Verifying the Change Worked

After restarting, watch the server console during startup. You should see the level name being loaded in the log output. If it still says PEI, stop the server and recheck the spelling of the Map value and, for curated maps, confirm the File ID downloaded without error. A successful workshop download appears in the startup log before the level loads.

• Console log: confirm the loaded level name matches your target map.
• Join test: connect with a fresh client and confirm the spawn area matches the new map, not PEI's coastal start.
• Persistence: remember that switching maps starts a new world. Back up the old save folder first if you intend to return to it later.

Quick Reference

Changing maps cleanly is much easier when downloads, world backups, and restarts are handled for you. Run reliable, low-maintenance Unturned server hosting with Supercraft and switch maps without touching a single config file.

Related Guides

• Unturned Server Configuration Guide - full Commands.dat reference
• Commands.dat Complete Configuration Guide - every setting explained
• Workshop Mods Not Downloading - fix failed map and mod downloads
• Map Guide - all official and curated maps with loot locations
• Server Not Visible in Browser - make your server appear in the list