How to Configure a Palworld Server (Settings Explained)

Once your Palworld server is running, the fun begins: tuning it to play the way your group wants. Every gameplay option lives in one file, and it's less intimidating than it looks. This guide walks through the settings that matter in PalWorldSettings.ini and how to apply changes safely.

If you haven't stood the server up yet, start with how to set up a Palworld dedicated server on a VPS.

Where the config lives

After the server has launched once, you'll find the file at:

/home/palworld/server/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

All the tunable options sit inside one long OptionSettings=(...) line. Edit values there, never in the default template file elsewhere in the install. Always stop the server before editing and start it again after — Palworld reads the config at launch:

sudo systemctl stop palworld
nano /home/palworld/server/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
sudo systemctl start palworld

{{SCREENSHOT}}

Identity and access

• ServerName — the name shown in the server browser.
• ServerDescription — a short blurb for your server.
• ServerPassword — set this to make the server private. Leave empty for public.
• AdminPassword — required to use in-game admin commands. Always set a strong one.
• PublicPort — defaults to 8211; match it to the port you opened in the firewall.
• ServerPlayerMaxNum — the player cap, up to 32. Remember higher caps need more RAM.

Difficulty and rates

These change how grindy or relaxed the server feels:

• Difficulty — a preset baseline you then override with the values below.
• ExpRate — experience multiplier. 1.0 is default; raise it for faster levelling.
• PalCaptureRate — how easily Pals are captured. Higher is more casual.
• PalSpawnNumRate — density of wild Pals in the world.
• DayTimeSpeedRate / NightTimeSpeedRate — length of day and night.
• PalDamageRateAttack / PalDamageRateDefense — combat scaling for your Pals.
• PlayerDamageRateAttack / PlayerDamageRateDefense — combat scaling for players.

Small changes go a long way here — try 1.5–2.0 on gather and EXP rates for a friendlier co-op server rather than cranking everything to maximum.

Survival and gathering

• CollectionDropRate / CollectionObjectHpRate — how much resources drop and how tough nodes are.
• EnemyDropItemRate — loot from defeated enemies.
• DeathPenalty — what you lose on death: nothing, items, items + equipment, or everything. This is one of the most impactful settings for how punishing the server feels.
• bEnableInvaderEnemy — toggles raids on your base.

Base building and Pals

• BaseCampMaxNum — how many base camps a guild can have.
• BaseCampWorkerMaxNum — Pals working per base. Higher values increase CPU and RAM load, so don't max this on a small server.
• PalStomachDecreaceRate / PalStaminaDecreaceRate — how fast your Pals get hungry and tired.

PvP and guilds

• bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage — turn player-vs-player combat on or off.
• bEnableFriendlyFire — whether guild members can damage each other.
• GuildPlayerMaxNum — maximum members per guild.

Applying and verifying changes

After editing, restart and watch the log to confirm the server loaded cleanly:

sudo systemctl restart palworld
sudo journalctl -u palworld -f

If the server ignores your changes, you almost certainly edited the wrong copy of the file — it must be the one under Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. And remember Palworld's memory grows over time, so keep those scheduled restarts in place regardless of your settings.

FAQ

Where is the Palworld config file on Linux?

At Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini inside your server folder. It only appears after the server has been launched at least once.

Why are my Palworld settings not taking effect?

You're likely editing the default template instead of the live config under LinuxServer/, or you didn't restart the server. Palworld only reads settings at launch.

How do I make my Palworld server private?

Set ServerPassword in the config. Players will then need the password to join, and you should also set a strong AdminPassword.

How do I change the death penalty in Palworld?

Adjust DeathPenalty in the config — options range from losing nothing to dropping everything including your Pals. Pick what suits your group's tolerance for risk.

Want to run your ideal server rules on hardware that keeps up? Compare memory tiers on the pricing page or launch on game server hosting.