7 Days to Die Modding on OpenMods

A long-running survival sandbox with XML-driven modding

7 Days to Die (in Early Access from 2013 to the official 1.0 release in mid-2024) is one of the longest-running survival sandboxes in PC gaming. The Fun Pimps's design philosophy has always been mod-friendly: nearly every gameplay system reads from XML configuration files, and the community-built modlet convention lets mod authors edit those XMLs without conflicting with each other in most cases.

That XML-first approach makes 7 Days unusually accessible for new modders, you don't need C# skills to write a balance or content mod, you just need to understand XML and the game's data schema.

The toolchain

• Mod Launcher (7D2D Mod Launcher): community tool by Sphereii. Manages multiple modded installs, downloads from supported mod repositories, handles version pinning.
• Modlets: the community-standard mod format. Each modlet is a folder under Mods/ containing XML files that "patch" specific game XMLs.
• SDX (DLL injection): for mods that need actual C# code, not just XML. Smaller subset of mods.

What you'll find on OpenMods

7 Days to Die's mod community lives on Nexus Mods, the 7D2D forums, and the Mod Launcher's catalogue. GitHub is where many modlets keep their source. OpenMods catalogues the GitHub-published ones, typically larger overhauls or technically-substantial modlets.

Practical notes

• Alpha 21 → 1.0 was a major break. The 2024 1.0 release reorganised significant XML schemas. Pre-1.0 modlets need updates. Most popular ones have been ported.
• Multiplayer requires server-side modlets. Anything that changes game data (most modlets do) must be installed on the server. Pure client-side mods (UI replacers, sounds) can run client-only.
• Save game compatibility is more forgiving than Bethesda games. Modlets that change XML can be added or removed between sessions without corrupting saves, the worst case is items reverting to vanilla stats.
• The base game updates regularly. Even post-1.0, The Fun Pimps ship balance patches. Mod authors usually update within days.