The Maximum Players (Player Slots) setting determines how many players can join your Minecraft server simultaneously. Whether you are expanding your server for a big event or lowering the limit to create an intimate SMP for a few friends, adjusting your player slots takes just a minute.
At Cubes Hosting, player slots are unmetered—meaning we never artificial limit how many player slots you can set! You have total control to set any slot count that suits your server's hardware capacity.
Method 1: Changing Player Slots via Server.Properties
The standard way to change your player limit is through your main configuration file.
- Log in to your Cubes Hosting Game Panel and Stop your server.
- Click on the File Manager on the left menu.
- Locate the
server.propertiesfile in your root directory and open it for editing. - Find the line that starts with
max-players=. By default, it looks like this:max-players=20 - Change the number to your desired player capacity (e.g.
max-players=50). - Save the file and Start your server.
Your new player capacity will immediately display in your Minecraft server list!
Method 2: Reserving Slots for Staff & VIPs
If your server fills up frequently, you can set up Reserved Slots so staff members or VIP donors can still join even when the server hits its max-players limit.
Using LuckPerms Reserved Slots
If you use LuckPerms and Paper/Spigot, you can grant specific players or staff groups the following permission node:
minecraft.command.op
Or by installing a dedicated slot management plugin like VIPSlots or BungeeGuard, which allows players with the permission vipslots.bypass to join a full server.
Hardware Recommendations for Player Slots
While Cubes Hosting does not limit your slot count, your server's RAM and CPU will determine how many active players your server can handle smoothly without lag:
| Allocated RAM | Recommended Player Slots (Vanilla/SMP) | Recommended Player Slots (Optimized Paper) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 GB | 5 - 10 Players | 10 - 20 Players |
| 8 GB | 15 - 25 Players | 25 - 45 Players |
| 16 GB | 30 - 50 Players | 50 - 100+ Players |
Tip: If you experience TPS drops when reaching high player counts, check out our guide on How to Optimize View and Simulation Distance to drastically reduce RAM usage per player!
Considerations Before Changing Slots
Important: Always consider your server's available hardware resources before dramatically increasing player slots, as active players generate entities, chunks, and redstone activity that directly increase server load.
Be sure to adjust player slots according to your community size and current server performance to ensure a smooth, lag-free gaming experience for everyone!
Conclusion
Adjusting your player limit is as simple as editing max-players in server.properties. Set the number to fit your community size, configure reserved slots for staff, and enjoy unmetered hosting with Cubes!