How to Change the Map Rotation on Your Insurgency: Sandstorm Server

Keeping your map rotation fresh is one of the easiest ways to keep your Insurgency: Sandstorm server feeling active and enjoyable. Instead of playing the same map over and over, a well-built rotation cycles through different maps and game modes automatically, giving your players variety every session.

RiverHosting gives you a dedicated Map Rotation page in the panel so you can manage this without editing config files by hand.

Before you start

• You need an active Insurgency: Sandstorm server on your RiverHosting account.
• Log in to the RiverHosting panel at panel.riverhosting.com and open your server.
• Your server should be stopped or restarted after making changes so the new rotation takes effect cleanly.

1. Open the Map Rotation page

1. Log in to panel.riverhosting.com.
2. Click on your Insurgency: Sandstorm server to open its management page.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Map Rotation.

This page is where you control the full list of maps your server cycles through during play. Each entry in the rotation defines a map name and, where applicable, a game mode or scenario.

2. Add maps to your rotation

1. On the Map Rotation page, look for the option to add a new entry to the rotation list.
2. Enter the map name exactly as Insurgency: Sandstorm expects it. Map names are case-sensitive, so double-check the spelling.
3. Select the scenario or game mode you want to pair with that map, such as Checkpoint, Push, Firefight, or Skirmish.
4. Click the button to add or save the entry.
5. Repeat this process for each map you want to include in your rotation.

3. Reorder or remove maps from the rotation

1. Once you have added your maps, you can reorder them on the Map Rotation page to control which map plays first and which comes after.
2. To remove a map from the rotation, click the remove or delete button next to the entry you want to take out.
3. Review your full list before saving to make sure the order looks right.

4. Save your changes and restart the server

1. After you are happy with your rotation, click Save or the equivalent save button on the Map Rotation page.
2. Go back to your server's main page.
3. Click Restart to restart the server so the new rotation is loaded.
4. Once the server is back online, players will cycle through your updated map list.

Troubleshooting

• The server is not cycling to the next map. Check that you have more than one map entry in the rotation. A single-entry rotation will always reload the same map.
• A map is not loading and the server crashes or errors out. The map name is likely misspelled or uses the wrong format. Check the exact map names from the official Insurgency: Sandstorm documentation and re-enter them carefully.
• Players see no map change after saving. Make sure you restarted the server after saving your changes. Edits to the rotation do not take effect in a live session without a restart.
• A scenario is not working as expected. Some scenarios are only valid on certain maps. If you are pairing a game mode with a map that does not support it, the server may fall back to a default or skip the entry entirely.
• The Map Rotation page is not visible in the menu. This page is specific to Insurgency: Sandstorm servers. If you cannot see it, confirm you are viewing the correct server in the panel.

Need help?

If your map rotation is still not working the way you expect, the RiverHosting support team is ready to help.