How to Change the Maximum Number of Players on Your SCP: Secret Laboratory Server

You set how many players can play on your server at the same time with the max_players option in the config_gameplay.txt file. The default value is 20. You can find the basics of editing the configuration files in the Edit configuration files guide.

Limits for the player count

Before you change the value, keep these limits in mind:

• Verified servers at most 60: Under normal circumstances, verified servers may have at most 60 slots – servers with more than 60 slots are removed from the server list. Learn more in the Get your server verified guide.
• Reserved slots: Players with a reserved slot can still join a full server – the player count can then be above max_players. Learn more in the Interaction with reserved slots section.

Change the player count

1. Find out the game port
   Open the dashboard of your server and note the game port shown under Overview.

2. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard.

3. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

4. Adjust the player count
   Open the following file – replace <Port> with your game port:

   /.config/SCP Secret Laboratory/config/<Port>/config_gameplay.txt
   

   Find the max_players entry and enter the desired number of players:

   max_players: 20
   

5. Start the server
   Save the file and start your server via the dashboard. The new player count only applies after this start.

Interaction with reserved slots

If use_reserved_slots is set to true in config_gameplay.txt (default), players from the UserIDReservedSlots.txt file can still join even when max_players players are already on the server. The player count can therefore be above max_players.

If use_reserved_slots is set to false, no reserved slots apply – max_players is then the limit for everyone. You can learn how to fill the list in the Set up reserved slots guide.

Minimum player count for the round start