Spawn Point Placement

Intermediate40-60 minutesWindowsUnturnedUnity Editor

A map with authored spawn tables and a baked navmesh but no placed spawn points is a map where nothing appears. Spawn points are the bridge between the spawn table system and the physical map: they mark the positions where items, vehicles, animals, and zombies materialize in the world. The placement of these points determines not only where players find loot and encounter enemies but also how the map feels to traverse. A military base with vehicle spawn points placed inside buildings produces exploding vehicles on every server restart. A forest with animal spawn zones that overlap safezone boundaries generates confused animal AI that cannot flee from protected players.

This article documents the 57 Studios™ workflow for placing spawn points in the Unturned™ Level Editor. It covers each spawn type independently: item spawn points on loot containers, vehicle spawn points in parking areas and roadsides, animal spawn zones in wilderness regions, and zombie spawn regions that define where the undead population appears. It explains the distinction between region-based and point-based spawn systems, the respawn timing configurations that control loot economy and creature population, and the diagnostic procedures for the most common placement failures. The companion article Spawn Tables and Loot Config covers the spawn table data files that these spawn points reference.

Documentation source: This article synthesizes the official Smartly Dressed Games modding documentation for spawn assets and level configurations, combined with empirical validation across 57 Studios cohort mapping projects. Per-field details should be verified against the companion reference articles.

Prerequisites

• A custom map project with completed terrain, objects, lighting, and navmesh. See the preceding article Navmesh Generation and Editing for the navmesh workflow that must be completed before zombie spawn regions are placed.
• A collection of spawn table files authored in the map's Spawns/ folder. Each spawn point references a spawn table by name. See Spawn Tables and Loot Config for the spawn table authoring workflow.
• The map open in the Level Editor with the Spawns panel accessible from the editor toolbar.
• A text editor for inspecting spawn table contents if troubleshooting is needed.

What you will learn

• How to open the Spawns panel and navigate the four spawn type tools.
• How to place item spawn points on loot containers and configure min/max count and respawn time.
• How to place vehicle spawn points, configure parking angle and blocked radius, and prevent spawn explosions.
• How to place animal spawn zones, configure group size and wander range, and manage despawn distance.
• How to place zombie spawn regions, configure density and detection radius, and confirm navmesh compatibility.
• The difference between region-based and point-based spawn systems and when to use each.
• How to configure respawn timing for each spawn type across different loot tiers.
• How to diagnose and fix spawn overlap issues and vehicle spawn explosions.

How spawn points and spawn tables work together

Spawn points and spawn tables are separate systems that reference each other. The spawn point defines where something appears and how quickly it respawns. The spawn table defines what appears and with what probability. A spawn point without a spawn table reference produces nothing. A spawn table without any spawn points referencing it is never evaluated.

As shown in the flowchart above, the spawn point is the trigger that activates the spawn table evaluation. When a player loots an item spawn point, the engine waits for the respawn timer to expire, then evaluates the referenced spawn table again to determine what appears at the refreshed point.

The Spawns panel

The Level Editor's Spawns panel provides four spawn type placement tools and the per-spawn-point configuration interface.

Opening the Spawns panel

1. Open the map in the Level Editor.
2. Click Spawns in the editor toolbar. The panel opens showing the spawn type selector at the top and the placement controls below.
3. The spawn type selector has four modes: Item, Vehicle, Animal, and Zombie. Each mode activates the corresponding placement tool and shows the properties relevant to that spawn type.

The role of navmesh in spawn placement

Zombie and animal spawn points interact with the navmesh. A zombie spawn point that is not within 0.5 meters of a valid navmesh surface produces zombies that stand in place. An animal spawn zone that is placed entirely off the navmesh produces animals that spawn but never wander. The navmesh must be baked before or concurrently with spawn point placement, and every zombie and animal spawn point must be verified against the navmesh visualization after placement.

Item spawn points

Item spawn points define positions where lootable items appear. They are placed on loot containers: crates, shelves, cabinets, desks, floor positions, and any surface where an item model should appear.

Placing an item spawn point

1. In the Spawns panel, set the spawn type selector to Item.
2. Click Add Spawn Point. A small crate icon appears at the cursor position.
3. Move the cursor to position the spawn point on the target surface. Left-click to place.
4. With the spawn point selected, the inspector panel shows the per-spawn-point configuration fields.

Configuring an item spawn point

Field	Default	Purpose
Table	empty	The spawn table file name (without extension) to roll from. Must match a .dat file in the map's Level/Spawns/ folder.
Min Count	1	Minimum number of items spawned per refresh cycle.
Max Count	1	Maximum number of items spawned per refresh cycle.
Respawn Time	300	Seconds after the spawn point is fully looted before it refreshes.

The Table field is the critical link to the spawn table system. A spawn point with an empty Table field produces nothing regardless of the count and timing settings. The 57 Studios cohort convention is to always set the Table field immediately after placing the spawn point, before adjusting count or timing.

Item spawn point positioning guidelines

Placement surface	Recommended height	Notes
Shelf or tabletop	0.3-0.5 m above surface	Item model sits on the surface
Inside an open crate	0.1-0.3 m above crate floor	Item appears inside the container
Floor position	0.1 m above floor	Item model rests on the floor
Wall shelf	0.1 m above shelf surface	Item appears on the shelf plane

The item model that appears at the spawn point is determined by the item asset referenced by the spawn table, not by a separate placement model. The Level Editor shows a placeholder icon; the actual item model appears in-game when the spawn point generates its loot.

Multiple spawn points on a single container

A single container object can host multiple item spawn points. A military crate can have one spawn point for general loot (referencing Item_Military.dat) and a second spawn point for ammunition (referencing Item_Ammo.dat). The two spawn points operate independently: looting the general loot point does not affect the ammunition point's respawn timer.

Place multiple spawn points at least 0.5 meters apart on the same container to prevent item overlap. Spawn points placed too close together may produce items that clip through each other or fail to spawn due to collision contention.

Vehicle spawn points

Vehicle spawn points mark positions where vehicles appear: parking lots, roadsides, garages, hangars, and any flat surface where a vehicle's tires can rest.

Placing a vehicle spawn point

1. In the Spawns panel, set the spawn type selector to Vehicle.
2. Click Add Vehicle Spawn. A vehicle icon appears at the cursor position.
3. Position the spawn point on a flat surface. The surface must be large enough to accommodate the vehicle's wheelbase and width.
4. Assign a spawn table in the Table field. The table must be of type Spawn_Vehicles.
5. Configure the vehicle-specific properties.

Vehicle spawn point fields

Field	Default	Purpose
Table	empty	The vehicle spawn table file name.
Respawn Time	1800	Seconds before a destroyed or driven-off vehicle is replaced.
Parking Angle	0	The initial rotation of the vehicle when it spawns, in degrees.
Fuel Multiplier	1.0	Fraction of the vehicle's fuel tank filled on spawn. 0.5 = half full, 1.0 = full.
Blocked Radius	5.0	Radius in meters checked for obstructions before spawning. The vehicle will not spawn if an object is within this radius.

Vehicle respawn timing by tier

Vehicle tier	Respawn Time	Rationale
Common civilian (sedan, pickup)	900-1800 s (15-30 min)	Frequent respawns ensure vehicles are available for transport.
Specialized (offroader, van)	1800-3600 s (30-60 min)	Less common but not rare.
Military or rare (APC, helicopter)	3600-7200 s (60-120 min)	Rare vehicles are a significant find.
Unique (tank, plane with weapons)	7200+ s (120+ min)	These vehicles define the endgame loot cycle.

Preventing vehicle spawn explosions

A vehicle spawn point placed inside a building, inside a container, or overlapping with another object can cause the vehicle to collide with the object on spawn, producing a physics explosion that destroys the vehicle and damages nearby players. This is one of the most common vehicle spawn failures in custom maps.

Resolution guidelines:

• Place vehicle spawn points at least 5 meters from any wall, building, or container.
• Set the Blocked Radius to 3-5 meters for road vehicles and 10-15 meters for aircraft.
• Position the spawn point so that the vehicle's full wheelbase (including mirrors and bumpers) is clear of all geometry.
• Verify every vehicle spawn point by loading the map in single-player and observing the vehicle spawn. If a vehicle explodes on spawn, move the spawn point to open ground or increase the Blocked Radius.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to use the /vehicle console command during local testing to spawn each vehicle type at each spawn point and observe the spawn behavior. A vehicle that spawns without contact with any other collider is correctly placed.

Animal spawn zones

Animal spawn points are zone-based rather than point-based. Each zone defines a circular area where animals of a specified type appear. The zone center is placed in the Level Editor; the zone radius determines the area where animals can spawn and wander.

Placing an animal spawn zone

1. In the Spawns panel, set the spawn type selector to Animal.
2. Click Add Animal Zone. A circular zone appears at the cursor position.
3. Position the zone center using the move tool. Resize the zone radius using the scale tool (or by entering a numeric radius value in the inspector).
4. Assign a spawn table in the Table field. The table must be of type Spawn_Animals.
5. Configure the animal-specific properties.

Animal spawn zone fields

Field	Default	Purpose
Table	empty	The animal spawn table file name.
Group Size	1	Number of animals that spawn together in a group.
Wander Range	50	The radius in meters within which animals wander from the zone center.
Despawn Distance	200	Distance in meters from the nearest player at which an animal despawns.
Respawn Time	600	Seconds after the group is killed or despawns before a new group spawns.

Animal spawn guidelines

• Animals require navmesh coverage within the zone radius. Animals that spawn on terrain without navmesh will not wander and may not respond to player presence.
• The Group Size field controls how many animals appear simultaneously. A group size of 3 with a deer table produces 3 deer in the zone.
• The Wander Range controls how far from the zone center each animal can travel. A wander range larger than the zone radius allows animals to leave the zone.
• The Despawn Distance prevents server CPU waste on animals that no player can interact with. If a player is 300 meters from the zone center and the Despawn Distance is 200, the animals despawn.
• The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to keep total active animal count below 200 on a Medium map with 24 players. Each animal is a persistent AI agent that consumes CPU resources.

Animal density vs map size

Map archetype	Typical animal zones	Recommended Group Size	Recommended Despawn Distance
Small map (512x512)	3-5 zones	1-2	150
Medium map (1024x1024)	5-10 zones	2-3	200
Large map (2048x2048)	10-20 zones	3-4	300
Forest-themed map	15-25 zones	3-5	250
Urban-themed map	2-5 zones	1-2	200

Zombie spawn regions

Zombie spawn regions define rectangular or circular areas where zombies appear. Unlike item and vehicle spawn points, zombie spawns are region-based: a single region can host many zombies simultaneously, with the density setting controlling how many are active at any given time.

Placing a zombie spawn region

1. In the Spawns panel, set the spawn type selector to Zombie.
2. Click Add Zombie Region. A rectangular or circular region appears.
3. Position and resize the region to cover the area where zombies should spawn.
4. Assign a zombie spawn table in the Table field. The table must be of type Spawn_Zombies.
5. Configure the zombie region properties.

Zombie region fields

Field	Default	Purpose
Table	empty	The zombie spawn table file name.
Density	1.0	Zombies per unit area. Higher values produce more crowded zombie populations.
Respawn Time	120	Seconds after a zombie is killed before a replacement spawns at a random position within the region.
Detection Radius	30	The radius in meters within which zombies detect players.
Zombie Loot Table	(none)	The item spawn table rolled when a zombie is killed and drops loot.
Zombie Loot Index	128	Probability of loot drop on a scale of 0 (never) to 255 (always).

Zombie region navmesh compatibility

Every zombie spawn region must overlap with valid navmesh coverage. The density setting determines how many zombies are active, but the active positions are randomly distributed within the region, and each position must be on or within 0.5 meters of a valid navmesh surface.

The verification procedure is:

1. After placing the zombie region and baking the navmesh, open the navmesh visualization in the Unity Editor.
2. Inspect the region area. Confirm that the region overlaps with blue navmesh surface.
3. If the region is placed in an area with no navmesh coverage, the region will produce no moving zombies (zombies will spawn but stand in place).
4. If the region partially overlaps with navmesh, only the overlapping portion will produce active zombies. The non-overlapping portion is effectively dead area.

Zombie density calibration

Location type	Recommended Density	Rationale
Low-traffic rural	0.5-1.0	Sparse zombie population
Standard city	1.0-2.0	Standard urban difficulty
Military zone	2.0-3.0	High difficulty, high loot
Boss arena	3.0-5.0	Extreme density for special encounters
Safe zone perimeter	0.0-0.5	Minimal zombies near safe areas

Region-based vs point-based spawns

Unturned™ supports two spawn zone paradigms that coexist in the Level Editor. Understanding the distinction is important for choosing the correct approach for each spawn type.

Type	Used for	Behavior
Region-based	Zombies, animals	A defined area of the map (circle or rectangle). Spawns are distributed at random positions within the area. Multiple entities can spawn within the same region.
Point-based	Items, vehicles	A fixed world position. Exactly one entity spawns at the position per refresh cycle. The spawn point must be placed precisely.

Region-based spawns are more efficient for large areas because a single region replaces dozens of individual spawn points. Point-based spawns are required for locations where the exact position matters: a weapon on a specific shelf, a vehicle in a specific parking spot, a key item in a specific container.

When to use each approach

Scenario	Recommended approach	Reason
Zombies in a city district	Region-based	Random positions across the district create natural-feeling zombie distribution
A specific vehicle in a garage	Point-based	The exact parking spot matters for visual consistency
Deer in a forest	Region-based	Animals should appear at varied positions within the forest
A quest item on a specific desk	Point-based	The item must be at a precise location the player can find
Loot in a warehouse with shelves	Point-based	Items on specific shelves are easier for players to discover
General ambient animals across the map	Region-based	Broad coverage with minimal placement effort

Respawn timing configuration

Respawn timing controls how quickly spawn points refresh after their contents are removed. The timing directly affects the map's loot economy and creature population dynamics.

Item respawn timing by loot tier

Loot tier location	Recommended Respawn Time	Effect on economy
Low-tier (civilian homes)	180-300 s (3-5 min)	Rapid refresh; basic supplies always available
Mid-tier (police station, clinic)	300-600 s (5-10 min)	Moderate refresh; requires looting discipline
High-tier (military base)	600-900 s (10-15 min)	Slow refresh; high-value loot is scarce
Ultra-rare (special loot room)	1800+ s (30+ min)	Very slow refresh; these points define the loot cycle

Vehicle respawn timing (as shown in the vehicle section above)

The respawn time for vehicles should be calibrated to the vehicle's tier. Common civilian vehicles at 15-30 minute intervals. Military vehicles at 60-120 minute intervals. Unique vehicles at 120+ minute intervals.

Zombie respawn timing

Zombie respawn time controls how quickly killed zombies are replaced. A respawn time of 120 seconds is the cohort default for standard areas. High-traffic areas (military bases, boss arenas) may use 60-90 seconds for constant pressure. Safe zone perimeters may use 300+ seconds to keep zombie presence minimal.

Spawn overlap issues

When spawn points or regions overlap inappropriately, the engine may produce unpredictable behavior: items that pile up at a single position, vehicles that spawn inside each other, or zombies that pathfind into adjacent regions and despawn.

Item spawn points too close together

When multiple item spawn points are placed within 1-2 meters of each other, the engine may attempt to spawn items at overlapping positions, producing a visible pile of items in a single spot. Alternatively, the spawn contention check may fail and no items spawn at either point.

Resolution: Maintain a minimum distance of 3 meters between item spawn points. For dense loot placement in a warehouse with rows of shelves, place spawn points on alternating shelf positions rather than on every shelf.

Vehicle spawn points overlapping

When two vehicle spawn points have overlapping Blocked Radius ranges, the first vehicle to spawn may block the second spawn point, causing the second vehicle to defer its spawn indefinitely.

Resolution: Place vehicle spawn points so that their Blocked Radius ranges do not overlap. A blocked radius of 5 meters per spawn point requires at least 10 meters between spawn points.

Zombie regions overlapping

When two zombie regions overlap, zombies from both regions can occupy the same physical area. The overlapping area may have double the effective zombie density of either region individually.

Resolution: Design zombie regions so that they do not overlap. If overlap is intentional (a high-density area at the intersection of two city districts), account for the doubled density when calibrating individual region density settings.

Vehicle spawn explosions: causes and fixes

Vehicle spawn explosions are a recurring issue in custom maps. The engine spawns the vehicle at the spawn point position, and if the vehicle's collision hull intersects with any other collider at spawn time, the physics engine resolves the intersection by applying collision forces that can destroy the vehicle.

Root causes

Cause	Typical scenario	Fix
Spawn point inside building	Vehicle spawns inside a garage with walls too close	Move spawn point to open ground
Blocked Radius too small	Vehicle spawns overlapping a nearby prop	Increase Blocked Radius
Terrain at spawn point not flat enough	Vehicle spawns tilted and contacts terrain on suspension compression	Flatten terrain at spawn point
Multiple vehicles sharing the same spawn point	Two vehicles spawn at the same position on server restart	Use distinct spawn points for each vehicle

Testing procedure

1. Load the map in single-player.
2. Open the console and run /vehicle to spawn the vehicle types defined in the vehicle spawn table.
3. Walk to each vehicle spawn point location. If a vehicle is present at the spawn point, observe whether it is at rest or colliding with nearby objects.
4. If a vehicle explodes on spawn or is visibly colliding with geometry, move the spawn point or increase the Blocked Radius.
5. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to test every vehicle spawn point on the map before publishing, not only the first few that appear near the player's starting area.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a spawn table and a spawn point?

A spawn table is a data file that defines the weighted probability distribution of what can appear. A spawn point is a position or region in the map that references a spawn table and controls where the selected entity appears and how quickly it respawns. Multiple spawn points can reference the same spawn table.

Why do my item spawn points produce no items?

The most common causes are: the spawn table file name in the Table field does not match the actual file name (case-sensitive), the spawn table file is not in the correct Level/Spawns/ folder, or the spawn table has an empty Tables array. Verify the file path and the spawn table contents before debugging further.

Can I have a spawn point that always spawns the same item?

Yes. Create a spawn table with a single entry referencing the desired item. Set the Table field on the spawn point to that table. A single-entry table always selects the same item. To guarantee exactly one item per refresh, set Min Count and Max Count both to 1.

How do I prevent vehicles from spawning inside buildings?

Set the Blocked Radius on the vehicle spawn point to at least 5 meters. The engine checks for obstructions within this radius before spawning the vehicle. If an obstruction is detected, the spawn is deferred. Place vehicle spawn points in open areas where the blocked radius check can pass.

Why are my animals despawning immediately after spawning?

The Despawn Distance setting on the animal spawn zone may be too short for the distance between the zone and the nearest player spawn point. If the nearest player is more than the Despawn Distance from the zone, animals will despawn. Increase the Despawn Distance or ensure that player spawn points and animal zones are within range of each other.

My zombie spawn region produces zombies that stand in place. What is wrong?

The zombie region is not on valid navmesh. Every zombie spawn position within the region must be on or within 0.5 meters of a navmesh surface. Open the navmesh visualization and confirm the region overlaps with blue coverage. If the region is off the navmesh, move it or adjust the navmesh to cover the area.

Can item spawn points be placed on any surface?

Item spawn points can be placed on any surface, but the resulting item model must have clearance to appear without clipping into adjacent geometry. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to place item spawn points on flat horizontal surfaces with at least 0.5 meters of clearance above the surface.

How do I make a vehicle spawn point for an aircraft?

Aircraft spawn points follow the same placement workflow as ground vehicles. Position the spawn point on a flat surface large enough for the aircraft's landing gear. Increase the Blocked Radius to 10-15 meters to prevent obstruction collisions. Set the Parking Angle to orient the aircraft on the runway or landing pad.

Can I place a vehicle spawn point on a road?

Yes. Roads are the expected location for vehicle spawn points. Place the spawn point on the road surface at a position where the vehicle's tires rest flat on the road. Set the Parking Angle to align the vehicle with the road direction. The Blocked Radius must be clear of road barriers, signs, and other roadside objects.

Why do my vehicles have zero fuel when they spawn?

The Fuel Multiplier field is set to 0 or a very low value. Set Fuel Multiplier to the desired fraction: 0.5 for half fuel, 1.0 for full fuel. The 57 Studios cohort convention is 0.3-0.5 for standard survival vehicles (players must find fuel) and 1.0 for military base vehicles (prepared for operation).

Best practices

• Place all spawn points after lighting and navmesh are finalized. Moving objects or terrain after spawn point placement may bury a spawn point inside geometry or leave it on non-navigable surface.
• Author spawn tables before placing spawn points. The Table field requires the table file to exist; creating the table first avoids placeholder values that must be updated later.
• Use distinct spawn tables for different loot tiers. A single table with 50 evenly-weighted items produces flat, uninteresting loot distribution.
• Set vehicle Blocked Radius conservatively. A blocked radius that is too small causes vehicle spawns to collide with nearby objects, producing physics explosions.
• Test every spawn point by loading the map in single-player and verifying that items, vehicles, animals, and zombies appear at their expected positions.
• Verify zombie and animal spawn regions against the navmesh visualization after every navmesh rebake.
• Document spawn table assignments in the map project file. When an item mod is updated, the spawn tables that reference its GUID may need updating.
• Place item spawn points at consistent heights relative to their container surface. Inconsistent heights produce items that appear to float above or clip through the container.
• Avoid overlapping zombie regions unless doubled density is intentional. Overlapping regions produce unpredictable zombie distribution.
• Test vehicle spawn points with every vehicle type that the spawn table can select. A spawn point that works for a sedan may fail for a larger vehicle.

Advanced considerations

Spawn point counts and performance

Each spawn point consumes a small amount of server memory and tick time. A map with 10,000 item spawn points, 500 vehicle spawn points, 200 animal zones, and 100 zombie regions may experience measurable server tick degradation. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to keep item spawn points under 5,000 per map, vehicle spawn points under 200, animal zones under 50, and zombie regions under 100 for a Medium map.

Delayed spawns and server startup

When a server starts, all spawn points begin their respawn timers from zero simultaneously. This means that on server startup, no spawns are active until the first respawn timer expires. The effect is a brief period (30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on respawn time settings) where the map appears empty. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to design the initial spawn experience so that players arriving immediately after server start encounter empty containers and need to wait for the first refresh cycle. For maps where immediate loot availability is important, set the initial respawn timers to 30-60 seconds so that the first refresh cycle completes within a minute of server startup.

Spawn point density and map layout

The number of spawn points per region should be proportional to the region's size and intended loot density. A military base that is one quarter of the map should have approximately one quarter of the map's total item spawn points. A small residential area that is one twentieth of the map should have proportionally fewer spawn points.

Region type	Size relative to map	Recommended item spawn point density
Military base	5-10%	1 spawn point per 25 sq m
City center	10-20%	1 spawn point per 50 sq m
Residential	20-30%	1 spawn point per 100 sq m
Forest / wilderness	30-50%	1 spawn point per 500 sq m
Water	5-20%	No spawn points (unless underwater loot)

The density recommendations above assume a Medium map (1024x1024). Scale the density proportionally for other map sizes.

Spawn point inheritance through region hierarchy

When a spawn point is placed in a region that has a parent region (configured through the Level Editor's region system), the spawn point inherits the parent region's spawn table if the child region does not have a table explicitly assigned. This inheritance simplifies spawn table management: a parent region can define a default table, and child regions can override it only where the loot distribution should differ.

The inheritance chain is:

1. The spawn point's directly assigned table is used if present.
2. If no table is assigned to the spawn point, the child region's table is used.
3. If the child region has no table, the parent region's table is used.
4. If no table exists at any level, the engine falls back to the vanilla global table.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to always assign a table directly to each spawn point rather than relying on region inheritance, because the inheritance chain is difficult to trace during troubleshooting.

Spawn points in multi-level buildings

Item and vehicle spawn points in multi-level buildings must be positioned at the correct height for each floor. A spawn point intended for the second floor that is placed at ground level will appear on the ground floor. Use the move tool's Y-axis to raise the spawn point to the correct floor height. The Level Editor does not automatically snap spawn points to building floor surfaces.

Spawn point counts for different map types

The total number of spawn points on a map affects both the loot economy and the server's performance. A map with too few spawn points feels empty; a map with too many spawn points causes performance degradation on the server.

Recommended spawn point counts by map size

Map size	Item spawn points	Vehicle spawn points	Animal zones	Zombie regions
Small (512x512)	200-500	10-30	3-5	5-10
Medium (1024x1024)	500-2000	30-100	5-10	10-30
Large (2048x2048)	2000-5000	100-200	10-20	30-60
Insane (4096x4096)	5000-10000+	200-500	20-50	60-100+

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to stay at or below the medium-end of these ranges for the first publication. Additional spawn points can be added in subsequent updates based on observed server economy.

Spawn point counts by location importance

Location importance	Percentage of total spawn points	Example locations
Primary loot zone	30-40%	Military base, airport, harbor
Secondary loot zone	20-30%	City center, industrial park
Tertiary loot zone	15-20%	Residential areas, farms
Ambient / decorative	10-15%	Roadside vehicles, forest animal zones
Special / quest	5-10%	Quest item locations, boss spawns

Appendix A: Spawn point field reference

Field	Spawn type	Default	Purpose
Table	All	empty	The spawn table file name to evaluate for this point.
Min Count	Item	1	Minimum items spawned per refresh.
Max Count	Item	1	Maximum items spawned per refresh.
Respawn Time	Item, Vehicle, Animal, Zombie	varies	Seconds before the point refreshes after being emptied or killed.
Parking Angle	Vehicle	0	Initial vehicle rotation on spawn, in degrees.
Fuel Multiplier	Vehicle	1.0	Fraction of fuel tank filled on spawn.
Blocked Radius	Vehicle	5.0	Obstruction check radius before spawning.
Group Size	Animal	1	Animals that spawn together in a group.
Wander Range	Animal	50	Radius within which animals wander from zone center.
Despawn Distance	Animal	200	Distance from nearest player at which animals despawn.
Density	Zombie	1.0	Zombies per unit area.
Detection Radius	Zombie	30	Radius within which zombies detect players.
Zombie Loot Table	Zombie	none	Spawn table for zombie loot drops.
Zombie Loot Index	Zombie	128	Loot drop probability (0-255).

Appendix B: Spawn point diagnostic table

Symptom	Most likely cause	Resolution
Items never appear at spawn point	Table field empty or table file not found	Set Table field to a valid spawn table file name
Wrong items appear	Spawn table has incorrect GUID or legacy ID references	Verify GUIDs in the spawn table match the intended assets
Vehicle explodes on spawn	Spawn point inside or too close to another object	Move spawn point to open ground; increase Blocked Radius
Zombies stand in place after spawning	Spawn region has no navmesh coverage	Confirm navmesh covers the zombie spawn region
Animals appear but immediately despawn	Despawn Distance too short for player distance	Increase Despawn Distance
Items pile up at spawn point	Multiple spawn points overlapping	Separate spawn points by at least 3 meters
Vehicle never spawns	Blocked Radius check always fails due to nearby objects	Move spawn point or clear the blocked area
Zombies spawn inside geometry	Zombie region over a building with no interior navmesh	Adjust region to exclude building interiors without navmesh
Animals walk into walls and stop	Animal zone lacks navmesh coverage at zone edges	Extend navmesh to cover the full zone radius

Appendix C: Spawn point placement checklist

• [ ] All item spawn points have a Table field referencing an existing spawn table file
• [ ] Item spawn points are at least 3 meters apart
• [ ] Vehicle spawn points have Blocked Radius set appropriately for the vehicle type
• [ ] Vehicle spawn points are in open areas clear of walls and buildings
• [ ] Vehicle spawn explosions tested for every vehicle type on the map
• [ ] Animal spawn zones have navmesh coverage across the full zone radius
• [ ] Animal Despawn Distance is calibrated to the map's player spawn point layout
• [ ] Zombie spawn regions overlap with valid navmesh coverage
• [ ] Zombie density is calibrated by location type
• [ ] No zombie regions overlap with safezone volumes
• [ ] Spawn point respawn times are calibrated by loot tier and location type
• [ ] All spawn points tested in single-player before publishing

Cross-references

• Navmesh Generation and Editing - the previous article in this series; covers navmesh baking that must be completed before zombie and animal spawn placement.
• Spawn Tables and Loot Config - the next article; covers authoring the spawn table files that spawn points reference.
• Level Config and Settings - covers Config.json fields for spawn loadouts and arena mode configuration.
• Safezones, Borders, and Volumes - covers safezone volumes that should not overlap with zombie spawn regions.
• Local Map Testing - the testing procedure that validates spawn point behavior in single-player.
• Spawn Tables - the spawn table system overview with weighted selection and tier system.
• Spawn Table Format Reference - the complete spawn table .dat format reference.
• Smartly Dressed Games Modding Documentation - the official spawn asset and level configuration documentation.
• Unturned on Steam - the base game.

Document history

Version	Date	Author	Notes
1.0	2026-07-26	57 Studios	Initial publication. Complete spawn point placement guide with item, vehicle, animal, and zombie spawns, region vs point-based systems, respawn timing, and diagnostic procedures.