To reset one player without affecting anyone else, stop the Palworld dedicated server, back up the complete active world folder, and delete only that player’s .sav file inside its Players directory. The file is named with the player ID shown by the in-game /ShowPlayers command. Restarting then gives that player a fresh character while preserving the shared world, bases, Pals, and every other player’s save.
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Do not edit or delete save files while PalServer is running. If you want to erase the entire world instead, replace or remove the complete WorldID folder—but only after making a backup, because that operation removes shared world progress and all player data.
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Palworld stores shared world data and individual player data separately. The active save folder contains a world file named Level.sav and a Players directory containing one .sav file for each player. Deleting one file from Players is therefore a targeted reset, provided you have identified the correct file and are working on the active world.
| Operation | World and bases | Other players | Selected player | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Delete one Players/<PlayerID>.sav |
Preserved | Preserved | Character and personal progress are recreated | Yes, if the complete world backup is retained |
| Replace or delete the complete WorldID folder | Removed | Removed | Removed | Only if a complete backup is available |
Change DedicatedServerName |
Attempts to create a separate identity | Not reliably predictable | Not a targeted reset | Depends on a tested backup |
| Offline save editor | Depends on the files changed | Depends on the files changed | Can make selected edits | Only with a complete backup and a known-good restore |
The targeted method is the safest way to reset a single account because it leaves Level.sav and all other player files untouched. It is a file operation, not an official in-game “reset player” command. Pocketpair’s administrative commands identify players and save the world, but the official documentation does not publish a dedicated command that deletes one player’s progress.
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Before you touch the save: prerequisites and safety checks
- File access: You need access to the dedicated server’s filesystem or its hosting panel’s file manager. An in-game administrator account alone is not enough to delete a save file.
- Administrative access: You need the configured admin password to run
/Saveand/ShowPlayersin game. - A maintenance window: Players must be disconnected, and the PalServer process plus any automatic-restart service must remain stopped while files are copied or deleted.
- A complete backup destination: Copy the entire active WorldID folder somewhere outside the live save tree. Do not back up only
Level.sav; the player files must come from the same point in time. - The active WorldID: Confirm which world the server actually loads. Multiple old worlds can exist under the same save root, and deleting a file in an inactive folder will appear to do nothing.
On Linux or Docker, preserve the server user’s ownership and permissions when copying files back. A correct save with incorrect permissions can fail to load or be rewritten unexpectedly.
Step 1: Configure and use Palworld administrator commands
Set the admin password in the live settings file
The current Pocketpair configuration documentation (version 1.0.4) places the live settings file at:
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Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini - Linux dedicated server:
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
These directories are created after the server has started. Edit PalWorldSettings.ini, not DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini; the default file is a template and does not change the live server settings. Add or change the AdminPassword value in the live file, then restart the server if the host requires a restart to apply configuration changes.
Keep the password private. Anyone who can authenticate as an administrator can run server commands, including commands that stop the server.
Authenticate in game
Join the server and enter the following command in chat, replacing the placeholder with the password configured in the file:
/AdminPassword <your-password>
Pocketpair’s documentation states that AdminPassword must already be set in the configuration file and that the command must then be run in game to gain administrative privileges.
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Save and identify the correct player
- Run
/Save. This writes current world data before you begin the maintenance operation. - Run
/ShowPlayers. - Copy the exact player ID for the account you intend to reset. Do not rely on a display name; names can be changed or duplicated, while the save filename uses the player ID.
- Ask everyone to leave, or announce the shutdown so no one reconnects while you are working.
The output of /ShowPlayers is the authoritative in-game list for the players currently connected. If the target player is offline, use the hosting panel, server logs, or the player files to reconcile the ID carefully rather than guessing.
Step 2: Stop the server completely
Use a graceful shutdown where possible:
/Shutdownrequests a normal server shutdown./DoExitforces the process to exit and is a fallback when a normal shutdown does not complete.
After issuing the command, verify that the PalServer process has exited. Also disable or pause a hosting panel’s automatic restart, Docker restart policy, watchdog, or system service for the duration of the file operation. A service that starts the server again while you are copying or deleting files can produce a partial or inconsistent save.
Do not proceed merely because the console looks quiet. Check the process list, panel status, or container status and confirm that no PalServer instance is writing to the world.
Step 3: Find and back up the active WorldID folder
Typical save locations
The active world is under the dedicated server’s installation directory:
- Linux:
<PalServer installation>/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<WorldID>/ - Windows:
<PalServer installation>PalSavedSaveGames <WorldID>
Inside the WorldID folder, you should see Level.sav and a Players directory. The exact installation root varies by host, so use the panel’s documented PalServer directory or inspect the folder whose modification time matches the last clean shutdown.
Confirm the active world
Do not choose a WorldID by appearance alone. If several IDs are present:
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- Check the hosting panel’s selected world or save path, if it exposes one.
- Compare modification times with the time of the clean shutdown you just performed.
- Open each candidate only to verify its expected structure; do not edit any file yet.
- Record the WorldID you selected before making the backup.
If the wrong world is edited, the target player will not reset. If the server later starts on a different world, it can look as though unrelated players have lost their characters. Stop the server and restore the complete backup immediately if that happens.
Make the backup
Copy the complete 0/<WorldID>/ directory to a separate storage location. The backup must include:
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Level.sav- The entire
Playersdirectory, including every player file - Any other files present in that WorldID folder
Preserve the folder structure and keep the backup untouched until the reset has been verified. A backup containing only Level.sav cannot restore individual player data. For extra protection, record the backup time and the WorldID in the filename or maintenance notes.
Step 4: Delete only the selected player file
Open the Players directory inside the confirmed active WorldID folder. The target file follows this pattern:
Players/<PlayerID>.sav
On Windows, the equivalent path uses backslashes:
Players<PlayerID>.sav
Match <PlayerID> exactly to the ID recorded from /ShowPlayers or your verified server records. Remove only that one .sav file. Do not delete Level.sav, the whole Players directory, or files belonging to other IDs.
Do not rename the file as a workaround. The server uses the player ID in the filename to associate the save with the connecting account. If you are uncertain about the match, stop and compare the ID again; a complete backup makes recovery possible, but it does not make an incorrect deletion harmless during the maintenance window.
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Step 5: Restart and verify the reset
- Start PalServer without changing the WorldID or world-selection settings.
- Wait until the server reports that it is ready for connections.
- Have the affected player join first, if practical.
- Confirm that the player is prompted to create a character or otherwise receives a new personal progression state.
- Check that the shared map, bases, world discoveries, and other players’ characters are still present.
- Ask the player to move around, interact with a few objects, and disconnect normally so the new save is written.
- Keep the original complete backup until the player has rejoined successfully and the world has been checked.
A targeted reset should not erase shared world structures or other players’ progress. If the wrong world loads, several existing players are prompted to create characters, or bases appear missing, stop the server immediately. Do not allow further play to overwrite the situation; restore the complete WorldID backup and correct the world-selection problem first.
How to wipe a Palworld server and start fresh
A full wipe is fundamentally different from a one-player reset. Replacing or deleting the complete WorldID save removes the shared world state and all player data associated with it. Pocketpair’s documentation does not provide a single official “wipe” command.
Safe full-wipe procedure
- Use
/Save, then announce the maintenance window. - Stop PalServer with
/Shutdown, or use/DoExitif it will not shut down normally. - Verify that the process and all automatic-restart mechanisms are stopped.
- Copy the complete active WorldID folder to an archive location. Treat this as your rollback even if you believe the wipe is permanent.
- In the live save root, remove the old WorldID folder or move it outside the active save path. Moving it is safer because it provides a quick rollback.
- Start the server and let it create or select a new world according to the host’s configuration.
- Connect with a test account before inviting everyone back. Confirm that the new world is empty or otherwise in the expected initial state.
Host panels differ in how they expose world deletion. If a panel has a “reset world” action, read whether it removes only the active save, creates a backup, or changes the selected WorldID. Do not assume that a button labeled “reset” is limited to one player.
Why changing DedicatedServerName is not equivalent to a player reset
A 2024 Steam community discussion describes changing DedicatedServerName in GameUserSettings.ini to create a fresh server identity. This is community advice, not an official targeted-reset procedure. It can affect which identity or save the server uses and therefore may make the entire existing world appear to disappear. Use it only with a tested, complete backup and only when you intentionally want a new identity—not when you want to reset one account.
Optional offline save-editing tools
An offline save editor can be useful when the goal is a selective change that deleting a whole player file cannot provide. For example, an authorized operator may need to inspect or alter a particular player record rather than reset all of that player’s progress. This is optional; it is not required for the file-deletion method.
The Palworld Save Studio guide describes a cautious workflow: disconnect players, stop the server, copy the complete WorldID folder, edit the selected player offline, save the changes, and restore the changed files. Its version 0.4.3-beta.1 is labeled a prerelease, and the guide states that live PalServer startup, player identity and progression, in-game resaving, and acceptance after a second restart had not yet been validated. Treat that tooling as version-sensitive and experimental.
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- Never open or save the live folder with the server running.
- Work on a disposable copy of the complete WorldID folder.
- Keep the untouched backup until the edited world has survived a join, save, shutdown, and second startup.
- Expect save formats and editor compatibility to change after Palworld updates.
Common failure modes and recovery
The player did not reset
- You edited a WorldID that is not active.
- The filename did not exactly match the player ID.
- The server was still running and rewrote the deleted file.
- An automatic restart loaded another copy of the save.
Stop the server, confirm the active WorldID from the panel and modification times, and repeat the operation only after taking a fresh complete backup.
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This usually indicates that the server loaded the wrong world, the Players directory was replaced incorrectly, or a partial backup was restored. Stop the server before anyone plays again. Restore the complete WorldID backup—including Level.sav and the entire Players directory—from the same backup point.
The server will not start after a restore
- Check that the WorldID folder structure was preserved.
- On Linux or Docker, restore the original ownership and permissions.
- Ensure no second PalServer process is holding the files.
- Confirm that the host is pointing at the restored WorldID rather than an empty or newly generated folder.
The player joins but sees an unexpected character
Do not delete additional files immediately. First verify the account’s platform identity and the player ID used by the server. If the wrong save was removed, restore the complete backup and identify the account again with /ShowPlayers while the player is connected.
The configuration change had no effect
Check that you edited the live PalWorldSettings.ini under the correct WindowsServer or LinuxServer directory. Editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini does not change live settings. Restart the server if the host caches configuration values, then authenticate again with /AdminPassword <password>.
Choosing the right reset method
| Your goal | Use this method | Do not use |
|---|---|---|
| Give one player a new character while keeping the world | Delete only that player’s Players/<PlayerID>.sav after a complete backup |
Deleting Level.sav or the whole WorldID folder |
| Remove every player and rebuild the map | Archive, then remove or replace the complete WorldID folder | Deleting individual files one at a time without a rollback |
| Make a selective, non-reset edit to a player record | Offline editor on a copied WorldID folder, if its version supports your save | Editing live files or relying on prerelease tooling without a restore test |
| Create a separate experimental server identity | Only consider the DedicatedServerName approach with a tested backup |
Using it as a supposedly safe one-player reset |
Final pre-start checklist
- The target player ID is recorded from
/ShowPlayersor verified server records. /Savecompleted before shutdown.- The PalServer process and automatic restarts are stopped.
- The active WorldID was confirmed rather than guessed.
- The complete WorldID folder was copied, including
Level.savand every file inPlayers. - Only the intended
Players/<PlayerID>.savfile is being removed for a one-player reset. - Linux or Docker ownership and permissions will be preserved.
- The backup will remain available until the reset has been tested through a successful join and world check.
The reliable one-player reset is deliberately narrow: identify the account, stop the server, back up the whole world, remove one matching player save, and verify the result. A full wipe is a separate operation that removes shared progress, while identity changes and offline editors carry additional uncertainty.
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