Killing Floor 2 Server Name: How to Set It

Setting a custom server name on a Killing Floor 2 dedicated server makes it easy for players to find your server in the community list and gives it a personal touch. This guide walks you through editing the server configuration file, whether you host on Windows or Linux, and covers common pitfalls and troubleshooting.

What You’ll Need

• Access to the server’s file system (via FTP, SSH, or local file manager).
• Text editor (Notepad++, VS Code, nano, or similar) – avoid plain Notepad on Windows as it may add BOM characters.
• Killing Floor 2 dedicated server installed and running.

Step-by-Step

1. Stop the server (if it is running) to avoid file conflicts. Use your control panel or kill the process.
2. Locate the config folder. The default path is KFGame/Config/ inside your server directory. For example: C:\KF2Server\KFGame\Config\ on Windows or /home/kf2server/KFGame/Config/ on Linux.
3. Open KFGame.ini with your text editor. This is the main configuration file for game settings.
4. Find the [Engine.GameReplicationInfo] section. Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to search for “GameReplicationInfo”. If it doesn’t exist, you can add it at the end of the file.
5. Edit the ServerName= line. Change it to your desired name. For example: ServerName=My Awesome KF2 Server. If the line is missing, add it under the section.
6. Save the file and close the editor.
7. Restart the server. The new name will appear in the server browser after it finishes loading.

Common Mistakes

• Editing the wrong file – some guides mention KFServer.ini or PCServer-KFGame.ini. The correct file for most setups is KFGame.ini.
• Adding the section multiple times – if you paste the section again, the server may use the last one or cause a parse error. Ensure there is only one [Engine.GameReplicationInfo] section.
• Using a text editor that adds BOM (Byte Order Mark) – this can cause the server to fail reading the file. Use a plain text editor or one that supports UTF-8 without BOM.
• Not stopping the server before editing – the server may overwrite your changes on shutdown.

Tips

• Keep the name under 64 characters – longer names may be truncated in the server browser.
• Use only standard ASCII characters (letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens, underscores) to avoid encoding issues.
• If you use a web host control panel, look for a “Server Name” field in the game settings section – it may handle the config edit for you.
• Test the name by refreshing the server browser after a few minutes – sometimes it takes time to update.

Troubleshooting

Server name not changing after restart:

• Double-check that you edited the correct file and section. Search for “ServerName” across all .ini files in the Config folder.
• Verify the file is saved as UTF-8 without BOM. If unsure, re-save with a different editor.
• Check the server log (usually KFGame/Logs/) for errors like “Failed to load config” or “Unknown property”.
• If you use a command-line parameter like -servername= in your startup script, it may override the ini. Remove it or change it there.

Server fails to start after editing:

• Most likely a syntax error – ensure the line is exactly ServerName=YourName with no extra spaces around the equals sign.
• Restore the original file from a backup if you have one, then try a minimal change.

Name shows as “Killing Floor 2 Server” (default):

• The server may be using a different config file (e.g., a separate one for the web admin). Check KFWeb.ini or KFServer.ini if present.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the server name without stopping the server?

No, the config is read at startup. You must restart the server for the change to take effect.

Does the server name support color codes?

Killing Floor 2 does not support color codes in server names. Only plain text is displayed.

Where is the config file on a rented server?

It depends on your host, but it is usually accessible via FTP or the host’s file manager. Look for a folder named KFGame/Config inside the server directory.

Why does my server name reset after every update?

Game updates may overwrite config files. Back up your KFGame.ini and restore it after updates, or use a startup script that sets the name via command line.

Can I use spaces and special characters in the name?

Spaces are fine. For special characters like & or <, it's safer to avoid them or use HTML entities (e.g., & for &) to prevent parsing issues.

Is there a maximum length for the server name?

The game may truncate names longer than 64 characters in the browser, so keep it under that.

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