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Guides / Project Zomboid / Server and sandbox settings

Project Zomboid voice chat and chat settings

Turn Project Zomboid proximity voice and global chat on or off, set how far voices carry, pick chat streams and limit radio. Restart after you save.

Updated , checked on Project Zomboid Build 42.21

Open Config Editor and find Voice chat (VoiceEnable) and Global chat (GlobalChat). Each is a switch in the server ini. Turn one on or off, choose Save, then restart the server. This guide also covers the other voice and chat keys in the same file.

Voice chat

KeyConfig Editor labelWhat it doesDefault
VoiceEnableVoice chatVoice chat (VOIP) is on when this is on.true (new file)
VoiceMinDistanceVoice min distanceThe smallest tile distance over which voices can be heard. 0 to 100000.10
VoiceMaxDistanceVoice max distanceThe largest tile distance over which voices can be heard. 0 to 100000.100
Voice3DVoice3 dDirectional audio for voice chat.true (new file)

Voice chat is in the Gameplay group. The other three rows are in the Advanced card. Choose Show them, or type the key in the Search box.

The Config Editor searched for voice, showing Voice chat and the distance rows
  1. Voice chat
  2. Voice min distance
  3. Voice max distance

A player can also switch voice chat off on their own computer. PZwiki lists the game start option -novoip, which stops the game’s voice manager from starting.

To block one player’s voice, send voiceban "<name>" -true in the Console (-false undoes it). PZwiki lists this command.

Global chat and chat streams

KeyConfig Editor labelWhat it doesDefault
GlobalChatGlobal chatTurns global chat on or off.true (new file)
ChatStreamsChat streamsThe chat streams players can use.s,r,a,w,y,sh,f,all (new file)
ChatMessageCharacterLimitChat message character limitThe longest message a player can send. 64 to 1024.200
ChatMessageSlowModeTimeChat message slow mode timeSlow mode time between messages. 1 to 30.3
The Config Editor searched for chat, showing Global chat and Chat streams
  1. Global chat
  2. Chat streams

PZwiki explains each stream in ChatStreams:

  • s talk to people on the screen, including the dead
  • r a transcript of radio broadcasts
  • a talk to an admin
  • w whisper to someone, at any distance
  • y yell to people on screen and a bit further away, which also attracts zombies
  • sh talk to people who share your safehouse
  • f talk to people in your faction
  • all talk safely to everyone online

Removing a stream from the list should switch that stream off. For example, to switch off whispers, remove w, from the line. Not checked on Build 42.21 as of 18 October 2026.

The game’s comment for GlobalChat says only that it toggles global chat. The game does not say how it relates to the all stream. Not checked on Build 42.21 as of 18 October 2026.

Chat can also be filtered for bad words. The keys are BadWordListFile, GoodWordListFile, BadWordPolicy and BadWordReplacement. The game’s comment for BadWordPolicy lists what happens to the sender of a bad word: 1 ban, 2 kick, 3 record the violation in the database, 4 mute. A new file holds 3. The two list keys name files with one word per line.

Radio

These keys stop radio transmissions from certain players. Each is a switch.

  • DisableRadioStaff: any player with an access level (new file: off)
  • DisableRadioAdmin: players with the admin level (new file: on)
  • DisableRadioGM: players with the gm level (new file: on)
  • DisableRadioModerator: players with the moderator level (new file: off)
  • DisableRadioOverseer: players with the overseer level (new file: off)
  • DisableRadioInvisible: invisible players (new file: on)

The labels are the key split into words, such as Disable radio admin.

The ini’s radio comment names an overseer level. The game’s accounts list and the panel’s Access level list have no overseer, so that row has no player to apply to on a Loafhosts server.

Change it

  1. Open Config Editor and choose the .ini tab.
  2. Change the row and choose Save.
  3. Restart the server. The change applies after a restart.

PZwiki lists a reloadoptions command that reloads the server options while the server runs. Which of these keys it applies is not checked on Build 42.21 as of 18 October 2026.

If it does not work

  • Players hear no voices. Check Voice chat is on, and that Voice max distance is not tiny. A player who started the game with -novoip has no voice chat.
  • A chat command does nothing. The stream may be missing from ChatStreams.
  • A change did not apply. Restart the server after Save.

Sources: pzwiki.net: Server settings, pzwiki.net: Admin commands, pzwiki.net: Startup parameters

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