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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To let a Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS) client see Convoy sessions larger than eight players, close the game, open the correct config.cfg, and change uset g_max_convoy_size "8" to uset g_max_convoy_size "128". ETS2 stores the file at Documents/Euro Truck Simulator 2/config.cfg; ATS uses Documents/American Truck Simulator/config.cfg. Save the file and restart the game.
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A dedicated server has a separate setting. Edit its config_ds.cfg and set the same g_max_convoy_size value, then confirm the server did not regenerate the file. The 128-player procedure comes from version-1.50-era guidance and is not a promise that every installed game or server build accepts 128 players. SCS’s published dedicated-server example still shows max_players: 8, so the effective limit is build-dependent.
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What you need to change
There are two different configuration layers, and changing only one can leave a large session undiscoverable or capped at a lower number:
| Configuration | File | What it controls | Who edits it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client Convoy visibility | config.cfg |
g_max_convoy_size controls which larger Convoy servers that game client can see. |
Every player who needs to find a session above the normal eight-player setting. |
| Dedicated-server Convoy setting | config_ds.cfg |
The server-side g_max_convoy_size value discussed for servers above eight players. |
The person administering the dedicated server. |
| Dedicated-server session field | server_config.sii |
max_players is the session player-count field shown in SCS’s published dedicated-server example. |
The server administrator, subject to the installed build’s support. |
These settings are related but not interchangeable. A client value does not configure the server, and a server value does not automatically change what every client can discover.
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Before editing either game
Close ETS2 or ATS completely
Exit the game before changing the file. If the game is still running, it can retain the old value or write its own configuration when it closes. After saving the edit, restart the game before testing the server list.
Make a backup
Copy the relevant file to another folder before changing it. A backup gives you a quick way to restore the original setting if the game fails to start, the file is rewritten, or another configuration line is accidentally removed.
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Open the file as text, not in a word processor. Preserve the existing quotation marks, spelling, and line structure. The line you are looking for is:
uset g_max_convoy_size "8"Change only the number between the quotation marks unless your installed build uses a visibly different line.
Raise the limit for ETS2 players
1. Open the ETS2 configuration file
- Close ETS2.
- Open your user Documents folder.
- Open
Euro Truck Simulator 2. - Open
config.cfgin a plain-text editor.
The resulting path is:
Documents/Euro Truck Simulator 2/config.cfg2. Change g_max_convoy_size
Find:
uset g_max_convoy_size "8"Replace it with:
uset g_max_convoy_size "128"Do not add a second copy of the setting. If more than one matching line appears, check the surrounding text and keep the file’s existing format rather than guessing which entry belongs to your build.
3. Save and restart
Save config.cfg, close the editor, and start ETS2 again. The client now has the 128-player Convoy visibility value described for 1.50-era guidance. This does not, by itself, prove that the host server can run 128 players; the server’s own configuration and build still determine the result.
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Raise the limit for ATS players
1. Open the ATS configuration file
- Close ATS.
- Open the Documents folder.
- Open
American Truck Simulator. - Open
config.cfgin a plain-text editor.
The path is:
Documents/American Truck Simulator/config.cfg2. Edit the value
Change:
uset g_max_convoy_size "8"to:
uset g_max_convoy_size "128"Keep the value in quotation marks and leave the rest of the file unchanged.
3. Restart ATS
Save the file, close the editor, and relaunch ATS. Every ATS player who needs to discover a Convoy larger than eight should make the client-side change on that player’s computer.
Configure a dedicated ETS2 or ATS server
Edit config_ds.cfg
A dedicated server has its own configuration file, separate from the player’s Documents config.cfg. In the dedicated-server installation or launch directory, open config_ds.cfg and set:
uset g_max_convoy_size "128"Save the file before starting or restarting the server. The dedicated-server setting is the server-side step discussed for sessions above eight players; changing only a player’s local file cannot raise the server’s own capacity.
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One documented failure mode is that the server process regenerates or overwrites the configuration. After restarting, stop the process if necessary and inspect config_ds.cfg again. If it has reverted to 8, the server is not retaining your edit. Restore the value, then investigate which launch or configuration process is writing the file instead of repeatedly assuming the first edit worked.
Understand server_config.sii
SCS’s published dedicated-server example contains a max_players field and shows:
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How players join a larger Convoy
- The host starts a Convoy or the dedicated server is started with its intended configuration.
- Each player who must see a session above eight sets
g_max_convoy_sizeto128in the correct ETS2 or ATSconfig.cfg. - Each player restarts the game after saving the file.
- Players search for the session again after the restart.
- If the session is still missing, determine whether the problem is client visibility, server capacity, or a server configuration reset rather than changing random values.
The client setting is a visibility and discovery requirement. It does not convert an eight-player server into a 128-player server, and it does not guarantee that a particular build will accept 128 connected players.
Player-hosted Convoy versus a dedicated server
A player-hosted Convoy and a dedicated server solve different availability problems. Choose based on whether the session must continue when the person who created it leaves.
| Consideration | Player-hosted Convoy | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Does the session remain online without the host? | The session is associated with the hosting player; it is not the always-running option described for dedicated servers. | SCS describes a dedicated server as remaining online even when no players are connected. |
| Primary files | Each player’s ETS2 or ATS config.cfg. |
The players’ config.cfg, plus the server’s config_ds.cfg and any applicable server_config.sii. |
| Who must raise client visibility? | Every player who needs to discover a session above eight. | Every player who needs to discover the dedicated session above eight. |
| Capacity certainty | Depends on the game version and the host’s supported Convoy settings. | Depends on the dedicated-server build, its session configuration, and whether the server retains the edited value. |
| Best fit | A group that is happy for a player to host the session. | A group that needs the session available while no player is connected to it. |
SCS introduced Convoy with an eight-player limit in the 1.41 era and said the limit could increase as the mode matured. SCS later announced dedicated-server support for both ETS2 and ATS, emphasizing that a dedicated server can stay online without connected players. Those milestones explain why older instructions often stop at eight while newer instructions mention a larger client value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why 128 players is not guaranteed
The 128 value is version-dependent
The 128-player client setting is associated with 1.50-era ETS2 and ATS guidance. It should be treated as a path to enable larger Convoy sessions on compatible builds, not as a universal command that every release accepts.
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The official example still shows eight
SCS’s published server_config.sii example still lists max_players: 8. That is an important compatibility warning: the example documents an eight-player session maximum even though other guidance describes raising g_max_convoy_size to 128. The effective result depends on the installed game/server build and how the dedicated server is launched.
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Client and server limits can disagree
A client may be able to see a larger session while the server rejects additional players. Conversely, a server may be configured for a larger session while a player with the default client value cannot see it. Test both sides independently.
Troubleshooting
The line is not in config.cfg
Confirm that you opened the correct game folder: Euro Truck Simulator 2 for ETS2 or American Truck Simulator for ATS. Make sure the game is closed and that the file is actually named config.cfg, not a duplicate text file created by the editor. If your build uses a different configuration layout or omits the line, do not invent a new setting without build-specific documentation; the published procedure depends on the expected variable being present.
The value changes back to 8
For a client, close the game again and check whether another process or the game itself rewrote the file. Restore the backup if the file has become malformed, then make one clean edit and restart. For a dedicated server, inspect config_ds.cfg after the server process starts; regeneration or overwrite is a documented failure mode. The retained value, not the value visible immediately after saving, is the one that matters.
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The server does not appear in the list
- Check that the player edited the correct ETS2 or ATS client file.
- Confirm the game was restarted after the edit.
- Verify that the intended line reads exactly
uset g_max_convoy_size "128"with matching quotation marks. - Ask whether the server itself is actually configured for a larger session; client visibility cannot raise server capacity.
- For a dedicated server, recheck
config_ds.cfgafter launch to detect an overwrite. - Consider build compatibility. A server or client that follows the older eight-player configuration may not accept the 128-player path.
The server appears, but fewer than 128 players can join
Seeing a server and admitting players are separate tests. Check the server’s config_ds.cfg, then examine the applicable max_players entry in server_config.sii. Because SCS’s published example still specifies eight, do not assume that replacing one value with 128 is supported by your installed build. If the process restores eight or refuses additional players, the build or launch configuration is enforcing a lower maximum.
The file will not save
Close the game and server process, verify that the editor can write to the directory, and save a copy before retrying. If the file is managed by another account or process, edit the copy only after stopping the process that owns the configuration. Do not change unrelated lines while diagnosing a write problem.
A version-aware checklist
- Identify whether you are changing ETS2 or ATS.
- Decide whether the session is player-hosted or dedicated.
- Back up the file before editing.
- Close the game, or stop the dedicated-server process, before changing configuration.
- Set the client line to
uset g_max_convoy_size "128"for every player who needs to discover a session above eight. - Set the same line in the dedicated server’s
config_ds.cfgwhen using a dedicated server. - Inspect
server_config.siiand itsmax_playersfield when diagnosing the server-side limit. - Restart and then inspect the file again to ensure the value was retained.
- Test discovery and actual joining separately.
- Record the game and server build when 128 is rejected; compatibility is version-dependent.
Bottom line
For a compatible 1.50-era setup, changing g_max_convoy_size from 8 to 128 in each player’s ETS2 or ATS config.cfg enables the client to discover larger Convoy sessions. A dedicated server may also need the same change in config_ds.cfg, and its server_config.sii session maximum must be compatible. Because SCS’s published example still shows max_players: 8, verify the value after restart and treat 128 as a build-dependent limit rather than a universal guarantee.
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