Server owners
Fake pop vs real players
Fake pop — bots, idle clients or a spoofed player count — makes a server look busy for a moment, until players notice and server lists remove it. Real players are what grow a server: people who join, build and come back. SpawnBoost only ever brings real, verified players and never changes the player count your server reports.
What the server list shows
- Fake pop
- An inflated number
- SpawnBoost
- The real number — we never touch it
Who is on the server
- Fake pop
- Bots, idle clients or no one
- SpawnBoost
- Real people with their own Steam accounts
What they do
- Fake pop
- Nothing
- SpawnBoost
- Play: gather, build, come back on day 3
Risk to your listing
- Fake pop
- High: server lists can remove you and players call it out
- SpawnBoost
- None from us: no count changes, no items, no gameplay changes
What you pay for
- Fake pop
- Slots or 'pop'
- SpawnBoost
- Completed goals only; unused budget refunded
What you learn
- Fake pop
- Nothing
- SpawnBoost
- Who finished, who came back on day 3 and day 5
Why fake pop backfires
Players judge a server by its population in the browser, so a fake number gets clicks — and then an empty map. They leave in minutes and don't come back. Players also talk: a server caught faking its numbers gets called out in communities and can be removed from server lists.
What real players need instead
A reason to try your server, and a reason to stay. SpawnBoost gives new players a reward for reaching goals a normal player does anyway — by default Stay the Wipe: settle in on day 1, come back on day 3 and day 5. Sponsored players are capped at 25% of your recent peak, so your population stays honest, and our connector counts only active play.
Does SpawnBoost add bots or fake players?
No, never. Every rewarded player is a real person signed in with their own Steam account, and their play is verified in-game.
Does SpawnBoost change my server's player count?
No. The connector never alters what your server reports to the server browser.
How many sponsored players can my server have?
At most 25% of your server's recent peak population per campaign (admin-set limit), so sponsored players never dominate your server.
More answers in the full FAQ.
Server owners
Your next wipe can start full — or your next weekend, launch or event.
Pick a goal and the dates, set a reward, fund it. You only pay for goals players complete.
Players
Try new servers. Get real rewards.
Play like you normally do and get rewarded when you reach the goal. 18+ for payouts.