How to Install Custom Maps on Your BeamMP Server
Gridmap is fine, but sometimes you want something different. Custom maps let you race through cities, cruise mountain roads, or drift on purpose-built tracks.
Finding Maps
Head to the BeamNG.drive mod repository and look for maps. Popular ones include:
- West Coast USA (already built-in as
west_coast_usa) - East Coast USA
- Italy (already built-in as
italy) - Various community-made maps
Download the map as a .zip file. Don't unzip it.
Installing the Map
Step 1: Upload the Map File
Use the Mod Manager tab — drag and drop the map .zip just like you would a vehicle mod. Maps go to the same place (Resources/Client).
Alternatively, upload it through the File Manager to Resources/Client.
Step 2: Change the Map in Config
This is the step people forget. Uploading the map doesn't switch to it — you need to tell the server which map to load.
- Go to the Config Editor tab
- Find the Map field
- Enter the map path (e.g.,
/levels/west_coast_usa/info.json) - Save
The map path format is always /levels/MAP_FOLDER_NAME/info.json. The folder name is inside the zip file you downloaded. If you're not sure what it is, unzip the map on your computer and check — look for the folder inside levels/.
Step 3: Restart
Hit restart and your server will load the new map. Players will automatically download the map files when they connect.
Common Built-in Maps
These maps are already included with BeamNG.drive — no upload needed, just change the config:
| Map | Config Value |
|---|---|
| Grid Map v2 | /levels/gridmap_v2/info.json |
| West Coast USA | /levels/west_coast_usa/info.json |
| East Coast USA | /levels/east_coast_usa/info.json |
| Italy | /levels/italy/info.json |
| Utah | /levels/utah/info.json |
| Jungle Rock Island | /levels/jungle_rock_island/info.json |
| Industrial | /levels/industrial/info.json |
| Small Island | /levels/small_island/info.json |
| Driver Training | /levels/driver_training/info.json |
Troubleshooting
- Server crashes on start after changing map? Double-check the map path. A typo in the path is the #1 cause.
- Players load into an empty void? The map file might be corrupted or incompatible. Try re-downloading it.
- Map takes forever to load? Large maps (especially detailed city maps) use more RAM. Make sure your plan has enough. See performance optimization.
Pro tip: Back up your server before swapping maps. Makes it easy to roll back if something goes sideways.