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On a dedicated Don’t Starve Together server, enable player-versus-player combat by stopping the server, editing the active cluster.ini, adding pvp = true under [GAMEPLAY], saving the file, and restarting the server. PvP is optional, is controlled by the server operator, and defaults to false. On a player-hosted world, choose the PvP option in the server-creation settings before launching.
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How to turn on PvP on a dedicated DST server
The setting that controls PvP is stored in the cluster configuration, not in a player’s individual game settings. Make the change while the server process is stopped so that the running process cannot overwrite your edit when it shuts down.
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- Open the active cluster configuration. A common installation uses
DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.ini. The exact parent directory can differ by installation, so open the configuration directory belonging to the cluster and save slot that the server actually starts. - Find or create the gameplay section. In
cluster.ini, locate the line[GAMEPLAY]. If the section is missing, add it as its own section header. - Set the PvP value. Under that header, add or change this line exactly:
[GAMEPLAY]
pvp = true- Save the file. Use the plain Boolean value
true, without quotation marks. The key ispvp; spelling, brackets, and placement matter. - Restart the server. Start the same cluster you edited, then join it with a test account or ask a player to confirm that the world now allows PvP.
The Klei settings reference describes pvp as “Enable PVP” and lists its default as false. Therefore, a missing key, a value of false, or an edit to an inactive configuration leaves PvP disabled.
Where is cluster.ini?
For many dedicated installations, the path is:
DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.iniThat path is a common location rather than a guarantee that every operating system, host, or server layout uses the same top-level folders. The important distinction is between the active cluster and files supplied as examples, templates, or configurations for another save slot.
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How to identify the active file
- Open the configuration directory associated with the server instance you launch, not a general sample directory.
- If several clusters or save slots exist, match the file to the instance name selected by your startup command or hosting panel.
- Check the file’s modification time after saving, then restart the corresponding instance rather than a different world.
- Keep a copy of the original file before editing so you can restore the previous setting if another configuration line is accidentally changed.
If a provider gives you a web panel instead of direct file access, its PvP control writes the same underlying [GAMEPLAY] pvp value. The panel label may be friendlier than the file syntax, but it still applies only to the cluster and world selected in that panel.
What the pvp setting means
PvP is an optional server-level rule. It is not automatically enabled because a player wants to fight another player, and changing a client-side option cannot override the server operator’s setting. The reference configuration places the key in [GAMEPLAY] and uses a Boolean value:
| Configuration item | Required value | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section | [GAMEPLAY] |
Gameplay-related cluster settings | Not applicable |
| Key | pvp |
Enables player-versus-player combat | Not applicable |
| Enabled value | true |
PvP enabled for the server | Not applicable |
| Disabled value | false |
PvP disabled for the server | Default |
Do not put the line in a different section, write "true" as a quoted string, or use a client-only setting. Those forms do not represent the documented Boolean setting.
Can I enable PvP on a non-dedicated world?
Yes. Don’t Starve Together supports dedicated, player-hosted, and LAN servers, and the server operator chooses whether PvP is enabled. For a player-hosted world, set the option during the world’s creation flow rather than editing a dedicated-server file.
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Player-hosted setup
- Open the game’s host or server-creation screen.
- Choose the world or save slot you intend to host.
- Look for the PvP toggle or option in the host/server settings.
- Enable it before launching the world.
- Start the world and have another player join to verify that the intended setting was used.
Labels and menu placement can vary by platform or game build. If you do not see an option literally named “PvP,” inspect the host-game or server settings before launching; the relevant control is the one that asks whether player-versus-player combat should be enabled.
A player joining the world cannot turn on PvP independently. The host must select the option, because the host process supplies the server rules for everyone in that session.
Dedicated servers with Master and Caves shards
A multi-shard installation needs more care than a single-world server. The dedicated-server configuration guidance distinguishes settings that are master-only from settings that must match in every cluster.ini participating in a multi-machine cluster. Do not copy every line indiscriminately between Master and Caves files.
Apply the documented scope
- Read the scope notes for the setting in the dedicated-server configuration guide you are following.
- Keep master-only values on the Master configuration when the guide identifies them as master-only.
- For a setting marked as requiring a match, use the same value in each participating cluster configuration.
- After editing, restart the cluster components according to your hosting setup and verify that both the intended Master and Caves worlds belong to the same cluster.
The PvP key is documented under [GAMEPLAY]. The critical operational check is that you edit the configuration files actually used by your cluster and respect any Master/Caves scope rule shown by the guide for that installation. A value in an unused template or a different save slot has no effect on the running world.
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Why is PvP still off after I changed the setting?
When a correct-looking edit has no visible effect, work through the checks below in order. Each one addresses a different failure mode.
The server was not restarted
The running process may still be using the old configuration. Stop the server, confirm the file is saved, and start it again. Editing a file while the process is active can also be undone when the process closes, so make the change during a full stop.
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Multiple clusters, save slots, templates, and example files can exist in one installation. Compare the file you changed with the instance selected by the startup configuration or host panel. The active file is the one associated with the world players are joining, not necessarily the first cluster.ini found by a file search.
The section or key is malformed
Check all of the following:
- The section header is exactly
[GAMEPLAY], including square brackets. - The key is spelled
pvpin lowercase. - The value is the unquoted Boolean
true. - The line is inside the gameplay section and is not commented out.
- There is not a later duplicate
pvpline setting the value back tofalse.
A panel regenerated the file
Some managed hosts expose configuration through a web form. If you edit the file directly and the panel later rewrites the configuration, the panel’s saved value may replace your change. Set PvP in the panel when that is the provider’s supported control, then restart the selected instance.
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Master and Caves settings do not follow cluster rules
In a multi-shard or multi-machine setup, a mismatch can prevent the cluster from using the intended rules. Consult the configuration guide’s Master-only and must-match notes, apply the documented scope, and restart the relevant cluster components together.
You joined a different world
Server lists can contain several worlds with similar names. Confirm the address, cluster name, and save slot before testing. A successful edit to one world does not change another instance that happens to run on the same machine.
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Use this short checklist before concluding that the setting failed:
- The server process was stopped before the edit.
- The active cluster’s
cluster.iniwas changed. [GAMEPLAY]exists in the file.- The file contains
pvp = truewith no quotation marks. - The file was saved successfully.
- The same cluster and save slot were restarted.
- In a multi-shard setup, Master/Caves scope and must-match requirements were followed.
- The test player joined the edited world rather than another server instance.
If every item is satisfied and PvP remains unavailable, return to the host panel or startup configuration and determine which cluster path the server process reads. The usual cause at that stage is an instance-selection problem rather than the Boolean value itself.
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Does the game mode change how PvP is enabled?
The Klei settings reference lists survival, endless, and wilderness as valid game modes. The PvP switch remains a separate gameplay setting under [GAMEPLAY]; selecting one of those modes does not, by itself, set pvp to true. Configure the mode and PvP value independently in the server settings appropriate to your cluster.
Safe operating practice for configuration changes
Although enabling PvP requires only one line, treat the change as a server configuration update:
- Announce a maintenance stop to connected players.
- Stop the server cleanly before opening the configuration.
- Copy the original
cluster.inias a rollback version. - Change only the
[GAMEPLAY]PvP line unless another setting is intentionally being adjusted. - Save, restart, and test the intended cluster.
- If the result is not what you expect, restore the copy or set
pvp = false, then restart again.
This process separates a PvP configuration problem from unrelated world or shard changes and gives you a known-good file to restore.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
| Server type | Where to enable PvP | What to do afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated, single cluster | Active cluster.ini, under [GAMEPLAY]: pvp = true |
Save and restart the same cluster. |
| Dedicated, hosted panel | PvP control in the panel, which writes the cluster’s gameplay value | Apply the setting to the correct instance and restart it. |
| Dedicated, multi-shard | Cluster configuration according to Master-only and must-match rules | Restart the relevant components and verify the cluster. |
| Player-hosted or LAN | PvP option in the host/server-creation screen | Enable it before launching the world. |
What to remember
- PvP is optional and controlled by the server operator.
- The documented dedicated-server value is
pvp = trueunder[GAMEPLAY]. - The default is
false, so PvP stays off unless the host enables it. - For dedicated servers, stopping first, editing the active cluster, and restarting afterward are essential.
- For player-hosted worlds, use the PvP choice in the creation flow.
- Multi-shard clusters require the scope and matching rules in the dedicated-server configuration guidance.
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