How to Set Up a Palworld Dedicated Server

Palworld took the gaming world by storm, blending creature collection with survival mechanics in an open world where you and your Pals build, fight, and explore together. Running your own dedicated server means your world stays online around the clock, you control the rules, and you can customize everything from XP rates to Pal spawn frequencies. This guide takes you through every step — from choosing a host to configuring your world settings and inviting friends.

What You'll Need

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Palworld on Steam or Xbox — You need to own the game to connect to a server.
• A hosting plan or a capable PC — Managed hosting (recommended) starts around $8-10/month. Self-hosting requires at least 8GB of free RAM, a quad-core CPU, and 20GB of storage.
• Your friends' Steam names or IP address sharing method — Players connect via IP address or Steam invitation.
• A text editor — For editing configuration files (Notepad++, VS Code, or your host's built-in editor).

Step 1: Choose Your Hosting Approach

Managed Hosting (Recommended)

A managed host takes care of the hardware, networking, backups, and security. You get a control panel to manage your server through a web browser. For Palworld, managed hosting is ideal because the game's server software is still evolving and receives frequent updates that hosts handle automatically.

Providers like Shockbyte, Sparked Host, and Apex Hosting all offer Palworld-specific plans. When choosing a provider, prioritize:

• Minimum 8GB RAM — Palworld's dedicated server is memory-hungry, especially with multiple players exploring different areas simultaneously.
• NVMe SSD storage — Faster load times and smoother world streaming.
• Automatic updates — Palworld receives frequent patches. Your host should apply these automatically or with a single click.
• Backup support — Automatic backups protect your world data. Palworld saves can occasionally corrupt during updates.
• Server locations near your players — Lower latency means smoother gameplay, especially important for Palworld's real-time combat.

Self-Hosted via Steam

You can also run a Palworld dedicated server on your own machine using SteamCMD:

1. Install SteamCMD from the official Valve page.
2. Run: steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit
3. This downloads the Palworld Dedicated Server to your SteamCMD directory.
4. Navigate to the installation folder and run PalServer.exe (Windows) or PalServer.sh (Linux).

Self-hosting requires port forwarding (covered later) and means your world is only online while your machine is running.

Step 2: Set Up on a Managed Host

Here is the typical process for getting your Palworld server running on a managed host:

1. Create an account on your chosen provider's website.
2. Select a Palworld plan — Choose at least 8GB RAM for a smooth experience with 4-8 players. If you plan to play with 16+ players, consider 12-16GB.
3. Pick a server location — Choose the region closest to the majority of your player group.
4. Complete checkout — Most hosts provision your server within 1-5 minutes.
5. Access the control panel — You will see options for starting/stopping the server, file management, console access, and configuration.
6. Start the server — Many hosts start it automatically after provisioning. Your server IP and port will be displayed.

Most managed hosts handle the initial Palworld server installation automatically. The server will be ready to join within minutes of purchase.

Step 3: Connect to Your Server

There are two primary ways to connect to your Palworld dedicated server:

Via the In-Game Server Browser

1. Launch Palworld.
2. Select Join Multiplayer Game.
3. At the bottom of the server browser, find the "Connect" section.
4. Enter your server's IP address and port (e.g., 123.456.789.0:8211).
5. Enter the server password if you set one.
6. Click Connect.

Via Steam (Community Servers)

1. Open Steam and go to View > Game Servers.
2. Click the Favorites tab.
3. Click Add a Server and enter your IP and port.
4. The server will appear in your favorites list.
5. Click Connect to join.

Share the IP address and port with your friends so they can connect using either method. The default port for Palworld is 8211.

Step 4: Configure PalWorldSettings.ini

The PalWorldSettings.ini file is where you customize your server's gameplay experience. It is located at:

/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini    (Linux)
/Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini  (Windows)

On a managed host, access this file through the control panel's file manager or via FTP/SFTP.

The settings file uses a single long line inside an [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings] section. Here is a formatted breakdown of the most important options:

Server Identity

ServerName="My Palworld Server"
ServerDescription="A friendly Palworld server"
ServerPassword="your_password_here"
AdminPassword="your_admin_password"
MaxPlayerNum=16

• ServerPassword — Leave empty for a public server or set a password to restrict access.
• AdminPassword — Required for using admin commands in-game. Choose something secure and different from the server password.
• MaxPlayerNum — Maximum simultaneous players. The default cap is 32.

XP and Progression Rates

ExpRate=1.000000
PalCaptureRate=1.000000
PalSpawnNumRate=1.000000
EnemyDropItemRate=1.000000

• ExpRate — Multiplier for all experience gain. Set to 2.0 for double XP, 0.5 for half.
• PalCaptureRate — Multiplier for capture success chance. Higher values make catching Pals easier.
• PalSpawnNumRate — Controls how many Pals appear in the world. Higher values mean more Pals roaming around.
• EnemyDropItemRate — Multiplier for item drops from defeated enemies.

Difficulty and Combat

DamageToPalMultiplier=1.000000
DamageToPlayerMultiplier=1.000000
DamageFromPalMultiplier=1.000000
DamageFromPlayerMultiplier=1.000000
PalStomachDecreaceRate=1.000000
PlayerStaminaDecreaceRate=1.000000
PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000
PalAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000
DeathPenalty=All

• DamageToPalMultiplier — Damage dealt to wild Pals. Increase for easier fights.
• DeathPenalty — Options are None, Item, ItemAndEquipment, or All. Controls what players lose on death.
• PalStomachDecreaceRate — How fast Pals get hungry. Lower values mean they need food less often.
• PlayerStaminaDecreaceRate — Stamina consumption rate. Lower values give players more endurance.

Gathering and Crafting

CollectionDropRate=1.000000
CollectionObjectHpRate=1.000000
CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate=1.000000
WorkSpeedRate=1.000000

• CollectionDropRate — Multiplier for resources gathered from nodes. Set to 2.0 to double all resource drops.
• WorkSpeedRate — How fast Pals work at base tasks. Higher values speed up crafting, building, and production.
• CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate — How quickly resource nodes respawn. Higher values mean faster respawns.

World and Environment

DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000
NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime=72.000000
bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=false
bEnableFriendlyFire=false
bEnableInvaderEnemy=true

• DayTimeSpeedRate — How fast daytime passes. Lower values mean longer days.
• NightTimeSpeedRate — How fast nighttime passes. Set lower if players find nights too short.
• PalEggDefaultHatchingTime — Base hatching time in real-world minutes. Default is 72 (just over an hour). Reduce for faster breeding.
• bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage — Toggle PvP on or off.
• bEnableInvaderEnemy — Whether raid events occur at player bases.

Popular Server Presets

Casual/PvE (great for small friend groups):

ExpRate=2.0, PalCaptureRate=1.5, CollectionDropRate=2.0,
DeathPenalty=None, DamageFromPalMultiplier=0.5, WorkSpeedRate=2.0,
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime=10.0

Competitive PvP:

ExpRate=3.0, bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=true, DeathPenalty=All,
CollectionDropRate=3.0, bEnableInvaderEnemy=true

Step 5: Use Admin Commands

Connect to your server and open the chat window. To access admin commands, first authenticate:

/AdminPassword your_admin_password

Once authenticated, you can use these commands:

| Command | Description | |---|---| | /Shutdown {seconds} {message} | Schedule a server shutdown with warning | | /Save | Force an immediate world save | | /BroadCast {message} | Send a message to all players | | /KickPlayer {SteamID} | Kick a player | | /BanPlayer {SteamID} | Ban a player | | /TeleportToPlayer {SteamID} | Teleport to a specific player | | /TeleportToMe {SteamID} | Teleport a player to your location | | /ShowPlayers | List all connected players with SteamIDs |

To find a player's SteamID, use /ShowPlayers first. Admin commands require the SteamID, not the player name.

Step 6: Port Forwarding (Self-Hosted Only)

If you are running the server on your home network, you need to forward ports so friends can connect from outside your local network.

Ports to forward:

| Port | Protocol | Purpose | |---|---|---| | 8211 | UDP | Game traffic | | 27015 | UDP | Steam query port |

Steps:

1. Open your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
2. Log in with your router credentials.
3. Navigate to Port Forwarding settings.
4. Create rules for both ports above, pointing to your server machine's local IP address.
5. Save and apply.
6. Share your public IP address (find it at whatismyip.com) with friends. They connect using YourPublicIP:8211.

Tip: If your ISP uses CGNAT (common with some providers), port forwarding will not work. In that case, managed hosting is your only option for playing with friends outside your local network.

Step 7: Keep Your Server Updated

Palworld receives frequent updates that often change server requirements and settings. Here is how to stay current:

• Managed hosts — Most update automatically or offer a one-click update button. Check after every Palworld patch.
• Self-hosted (SteamCMD) — Run the install command again: steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit
• Back up before updating — Copy your entire /Pal/Saved/ directory before applying any update. Updates occasionally cause save compatibility issues.
• Check patch notes — New updates sometimes add settings to PalWorldSettings.ini. Review the patch notes to take advantage of new configuration options.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Unable to connect to server" or connection timeout:

• Verify the server is running and fully loaded (check the console for "Server is ready" messages).
• Confirm you are using the correct IP and port. The default port is 8211.
• For self-hosted: ensure ports 8211 (UDP) and 27015 (UDP) are forwarded correctly.
• Check if your host's DDoS protection is blocking connections (rare, but it happens with aggressive filters).

Server crashes or freezes:

• Check available RAM. Palworld servers frequently crash when running out of memory. Upgrade to at least 8GB if you have not already.
• Review the server log files in /Pal/Saved/Logs/ for error details.
• After a game update, server crashes are common until the server software is updated to match.
• Reduce MaxPlayerNum if the server consistently crashes during peak times.

Settings not applying after editing PalWorldSettings.ini:

• The settings file uses a very specific format. All settings must be on a single line inside the OptionSettings=(...) parentheses.
• Stop the server before editing the file. Some hosts overwrite changes if the server is running.
• Make sure you are editing the correct file — check both LinuxServer and WindowsServer directories depending on your host's OS.

Pal AI or pathfinding issues:

• This is often caused by server performance problems. Ensure your server has adequate CPU resources.
• Restart the server to clear any stuck AI states.
• Reduce PalSpawnNumRate if too many Pals are causing lag.

World save corruption:

• Always enable automatic backups on your host.
• If a save corrupts, restore from the most recent backup via your host's control panel.
• Avoid shutting down the server during an active save operation.

Next Steps

With your Palworld server up and running, here are ways to enhance the experience:

• Create a Discord community for your server with channels for base coordination, Pal trading, and announcements.
• Experiment with rates — Start at 2x gather and XP, then adjust based on player feedback. Finding the right balance makes or breaks a server's longevity.
• Set up scheduled restarts — Restarting every 6-12 hours helps maintain performance as Palworld's memory usage grows over time.
• Monitor for updates — Follow the Palworld official channels and update your server promptly to avoid version mismatches.

Providers like Shockbyte, Sparked Host, and Apex Hosting make Palworld server management straightforward with one-click setup, automatic updates, and reliable performance — so you can spend your time catching Pals instead of troubleshooting servers.