Palworld Server Settings: PalWorldSettings.ini Explained for 1.0
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A Palworld dedicated server plays exactly how its settings file says: how fast you level, how easily Pals are caught, what you lose when you die, whether players can fight each other and how much a base can hold. All of it lives in one file, PalWorldSettings.ini.
This guide shows where that file is and how to change it safely, then goes through the settings worth changing, updated for Palworld 1.0 — including the new voice chat and building limits, PvP, and what changed about mods.
Where the settings live, and how to change them
The server reads its settings from Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini on Windows, or Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini on Linux. The folders appear after the server's first start.
- Start from the default file. Copy
DefaultPalWorldSettings.inifrom the server folder to that location and name itPalWorldSettings.ini. Editing the default file itself changes nothing. - Stop the server before editing.
- Edit the one long line. All settings sit in a single
OptionSettings=(...)line, separated by commas. Change values, keep the brackets and commas intact. - Start the server and check the change in game.
Setting up the server itself
This guide is about settings. Installing the server, the ports, the RAM it needs and making it reachable for friends and console players are covered step by step in how to make a Palworld dedicated server.
A HytHost Palworld server with the settings file in the panel and automatic backups starts at €8.96/mo.
See Palworld plansChanging settings on a hosted server
On HytHost Palworld hosting, the server name, passwords, player slots and the crossplay community-list switch are in the Startup tab and are applied every time the server starts. Everything else is in PalWorldSettings.ini, which the file manager shows under Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer: stop the server, edit, save and start it again.
The Palworld server settings worth changing
There is no single "best" set: it depends on whether your group wants a relaxed base-builder or a grind. Since 1.0 the default world settings of a dedicated server match single-player Normal difficulty, so the defaults are a sound start. These are the values most groups adjust:
| Setting | Suggested | What it does |
|---|---|---|
ExpRate | 1.5–2.0 | Levelling speed; 1.5–2× keeps a group moving without trivialising it |
PalCaptureRate | 1.5 | How easily Pals are caught; a small boost cuts the sphere grind |
DeathPenalty | Item | What you drop on death; Item keeps equipment and Pals — forgiving but not weightless |
DayTimeSpeedRate | 1.0 | Length of the day; lower it slightly for longer daylight to build in |
ServerPlayerMaxNum | up to 32 | Player limit; set it to what your RAM comfortably carries |
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum | see note | Pals working per base |
MaxBuildingLimitNum | 0 or a limit | Buildings each player may place (0 = no limit); added in patch 1.0.4 for busy servers |
bEnableVoiceChat | True or False | The in-game voice chat introduced in 1.0, available on dedicated servers when enabled here |
bIsUseBackupSaveData | True | Keeps rolling backup copies of the world |
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum. Before 1.0 we saw dedicated servers hold bases at 15 regardless of the setting, and we have not yet confirmed how 1.0 behaves, so set what you want and check the base in game rather than relying on a number. The base's own level also limits how many slots you actually get.PvP
PvP needs three settings together: bIsPvP=True, bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=True and bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer=True. Pocketpair describes PvP as a trial feature, so expect rough edges. Leave all three off for a co-op server.
Mods
Palworld 1.0 brought official server-side mods through the Steam Workshop, but Pocketpair supports them only on Windows dedicated servers. bAllowClientMod decides whether players who run mods on their own game may join. Console players cannot use mods, so keep a crossplay server vanilla.
Performance: RAM, players and restarts
- RAM is the limit. Pocketpair's official requirement is 16 GB; 8 GB starts, but with a higher risk of out-of-memory crashes. Memory use grows with players, bases and Pals, so a server that stutters as the world grows usually needs more RAM, not a different setting.
- Player count and building limits are the settings that move memory the most. Lowering
ServerPlayerMaxNumor settingMaxBuildingLimitNumkeeps a busy server under control. - A scheduled restart once a day is a sensible habit for any long-running game server; pair it with a save.
- Launch options: Pocketpair's 1.0 docs say leaving out
-useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDSmay now improve performance on self-hosted servers.
How to keep a Palworld server always online
- Run a dedicated server, not co-op. A co-op world stops when the host leaves; a dedicated server keeps running, on a PC that stays on or on a rented server.
- Back up the world. Turn on
bIsUseBackupSaveData, and take a copy of the save before every big update. - Update promptly. After a game patch, players on the new version cannot join an old server.
- Protect a public server. A home connection has no DDoS filtering; a hosted server does.
On HytHost, the server stays online with a 99.9% Uptime SLA, automatic backups and scheduled restarts on every plan.
Frequently asked questions
Pocketpair's official requirement is 16 GB. A server starts on 8 GB, but the official docs warn that raises the risk of out-of-memory crashes, and memory use grows with players, bases and Pals.
Co-op invites up to four players and the world only exists while the host is playing, with progress saved on their machine. A dedicated server is a separate, always-on world for up to 32 players, with the save stored on the server.
Up to 32 on a dedicated server, set with ServerPlayerMaxNum, versus four in co-op. The practical limit is RAM: a full world with many bases needs a bigger server to stay smooth.
For a friendly community server: ExpRate 1.5 to 2.0, PalCaptureRate around 1.5, DeathPenalty set to Item and PvP off. Since 1.0 the defaults match single-player Normal, so change one or two values at a time from there.
Usually because the world has outgrown its RAM: more players, bases and Pals all add memory. A daily scheduled restart is a good habit, and if the server still lags right after a restart, it needs more RAM or lower player and building limits.
Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini to Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer (or LinuxServer) as PalWorldSettings.ini, stop the server, edit the values and start it again. Editing the default file itself changes nothing.
A Palworld server tuned your way
HytHost Palworld hosting gives you PalWorldSettings.ini in the file manager, crossplay, automatic backups and scheduled restarts — from €8.96/mo.
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