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Project ZomboidGuideThe helicopter is a built-in event that flies over and pulls zombies toward whoever it hovers above. One dashboard setting controls it: Helicopter Events,…
The helicopter is a built-in event that flies over and pulls zombies toward whoever it hovers above. One dashboard setting controls it: Helicopter Events, from Never to Often. Changing it is completely safe for your world, and it applies on the next restart after you save. Other background events (like distant gunshots) have their own dials through Sandbox Overrides.
Open your server's settings and find Helicopter Events.
Never: no flyovers, ever.
Once: a single flyover per world (the game's default).
Sometimes: occasional repeat visits.
Often: the sky hates you.
Save your changes, then restart the server. The new frequency applies from the next restart.
When the helicopter shows up, the smart play is to stay indoors and out of sight, and above all not to sprint home: it drags every zombie in earshot toward the player it follows.
That distant gunfire and those barking dogs are meta events: off-screen noises the game plays to pull zombie crowds around the map. They are not controlled by Helicopter Events. To change them, use the Sandbox Overrides box at the bottom of your settings:
MetaEvent = 1Values: 1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes (the game's default), 3 = Often.
Zombies smashing a window can also set off a house alarm, which pulls a crowd to that building. To stop zombies triggering alarms, add:
ZombieLore.TriggerHouseAlarm = falseOverride syntax is covered in "Project Zomboid: Change Any Sandbox Setting".
Changing the setting to disperse a horde that already arrived. Event settings shape future events; the crowd the last flyover gathered is still there and still hungry. Lead them away, or ask us about admin tools if it is truly hopeless.
Logging out during a flyover. The world keeps simulating for players still online, and the event does not care.
Restarting without saving. Settings apply on restart, but only after you hit Save.
If a flyover parked three hundred zombies on your base, come tell us the story on Discord or in a ticket. We will help you pick settings so it does not happen again.
How many zombies there are to drag around in the first place: see "Project Zomboid: Change the Zombie Population on Your Server".
Every sandbox setting from the dashboard, including Sandbox Overrides: see "Project Zomboid: Change Any Sandbox Setting".