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Updated 10 October 2026
For a Palworld world shared with friends, a dedicated server is the best home: it stays online when whoever started it logs off, lets a much larger group join, and puts the rules in your hands. Pocketpair publishes an official server guide, now at version 1.0.4, and this walkthrough follows it from the first download to remote administration, with a hosted option for groups who would rather skip the technical part.
In one paragraph: download the free Palworld Dedicated Server (Steam app 2394010) through Steam or SteamCMD, start it once, copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini into the server’s Config folder as PalWorldSettings.ini, set a server name, a join password and an admin password, and open UDP port 8211. If anyone in the group plays on Xbox or PlayStation 5, launch it as a community server with the -publiclobby argument, because console players can only join that way.
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Dedicated server or community server?
Pocketpair’s guide describes two kinds of server, and the difference decides who can join:
- Dedicated server: hosts the world without a game client, so nobody has to keep the game running, and it accepts a large number of players. People join by typing its IP address and port.
- Community server: the same dedicated server, registered on the in-game server list so that players can browse to it instead of typing an address.
Both are cross-play enabled by default for Steam, the Xbox Series and Microsoft Store PC versions, macOS and PS5, but the guide is explicit that Xbox and PS5 players can only join a community server. If your group mixes PC and console, plan for a community server from the start.
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Official system requirements
| Component | Pocketpair’s guidance |
|---|---|
| CPU | 4 cores or more recommended |
| Memory | 16 GB, plus “Recommended for larger than 32GB” in the guide’s words; 8 GB boots but raises the risk of out-of-memory crashes |
| Network | UDP port 8211 by default (changeable), reachable through port forwarding |
| Storage | A fast SSD; slow storage may corrupt saved data |
| Operating system | 64-bit Windows or 64-bit Linux, such as Ubuntu or AlmaLinux |
From the official Palworld Server Guide, version 1.0.4, read 10 October 2026.
The storage line deserves attention: Pocketpair warns that low-performance storage may corrupt save data, which makes an SSD a requirement in practice, not a luxury.
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The guide offers four deployment routes, from easiest to most technical:
- Windows with the Steam client, recommended for people who have never set up a game server.
- Windows with SteamCMD, for command-line management.
- Linux with SteamCMD, which needs some Linux knowledge and sometimes changes to security settings.
- The official Docker image, aimed at advanced users and shipped with sample Compose files. Pocketpair calls deploying it with Docker Desktop deprecated, citing storage speed and a higher risk of save corruption.
The hosted alternative
Groups that would rather skip firewall rules and Linux packages can let a host do the setup. Godlike.Host sells Palworld as a virtual private server with the game pre-installed and a VirtFusion panel for rebooting, reinstalling and monitoring without Linux commands, and it says the server is ready to launch as soon as payment completes. The plans run as KVM machines on AMD EPYC “Milan” processors, with CPU and RAM reserved for your server, NVMe storage, DDoS protection, snapshots and restore points, and a pre-set game configuration you are free to change, mods included. They range from 8 GB of memory with two vCPU cores up to 32 GB with eight; the 16 GB plan, with four cores, is the smallest that matches Pocketpair’s memory and CPU guidance.
Location note: Godlike runs all of its Palworld servers from one data center in the eastern United States (USA-East), so players far from that region should expect higher latency.
Want to weigh other hosts first? Our ranked list of Palworld dedicated server hosts compares six of them on crossplay, backups and the type of server each one sells.
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Installing the server on Windows
- With the Steam client: look up “Palworld Dedicated Server” in your Steam library; if it does not appear, select Tools in the filter at the top left. Download it, press Play and choose to play Palworld Dedicated Server. A server window confirms it started.
- With SteamCMD: install SteamCMD, then run steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit. Change to steamapps\common\PalServer and start PalServer.exe.
- Allow the port. Add a Windows Firewall rule for UDP 8211 and forward the same port on your router; Pocketpair lists both as separate steps.
Installing the server on Linux
- Install SteamCMD following the instructions for your distribution.
- Download the server with the same command: steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit.
- Start it from ~/Steam/steamapps/common/PalServer with ./PalServer.sh, or from wherever you pointed SteamCMD’s install directory.
- Open UDP 8211 in the host firewall and, at home, on your router.
Give the server a dedicated user account, and keep it alive after you log out with a terminal multiplexer or a system service. Re-running the same SteamCMD command fetches updates; after each game patch, update the server too, keeping it on the same version as your players’ game.
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Running the official Docker image
Pocketpair also publishes a server image through GitHub Packages, with a sample compose.yaml in its palworld-dedicated-server-docker repository. The README asks you to treat that file as a starting point and to confirm that saves are written correctly before relying on it.
- Start and stop: docker compose up -d starts the server, docker compose down stops it, and docker compose logs shows its output.
- First start: save files and configuration are created under ./Saved next to the compose file.
- Arguments: port, player count and other launch options go in the command list of compose.yaml.
- Game settings: edit ./Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. The default file inside the image, /pal/Package/DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, is for reference only.
- Updates: back up, stop the stack, change the image tag in compose.yaml to match the game version, and start it again.
The README advises against Docker Desktop on Windows and macOS because disk speeds are limited, and suggests the Steam-based method on those systems.
Configuring PalWorldSettings.ini
The configuration folders only appear after the server has started once. Then copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini from the PalServer folder to Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini on Windows, or Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini on Linux, and edit the copy; changes to the default file have no effect. All options sit on a single OptionSettings=( … ) line under the [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings] heading, separated by commas, with text values such as the password in double quotes. Save the file and restart the server to apply it. Settings worth setting on day one:
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|---|---|
| ServerName and ServerDescription | The name and description players see |
| ServerPassword | The password players need to join |
| ServerPlayerMaxNum | The player cap |
| AdminPassword | The password that unlocks admin commands |
| CrossplayPlatforms | Which platforms may connect; the default list is Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac |
| bIsUseBackupSaveData | Automatic world backups, at the cost of extra disk load |
| RESTAPIEnabled and RESTAPIPort | The REST API for remote administration, and the port it listens on |
| bAllowClientMod | Whether players who have mods enabled may join |
| PublicIP and PublicPort | The external address a community server advertises, if you need to set it by hand |
One trap from older guides: AllowConnectPlatform is not available in this version, and Pocketpair points to CrossplayPlatforms instead.
Shaping how the world plays
Beyond the basics, the same file sets the feel of the game. These options change it the most:
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| DeathPenalty | None drops nothing; Item drops everything except equipment; ItemAndEquipment drops all items; All also drops every Pal on the team |
| bHardcore and bPalLost | Hardcore removes respawning; bPalLost means Pals are permanently lost when you die |
| bEnableFastTravel and bEnableFastTravelOnlyBaseCamp | Turn fast travel on or off, or limit it to trips between bases |
| DayTimeSpeedRate and NightTimeSpeedRate | How quickly day and night pass |
| RandomizerType and RandomizerSeed | Randomise wild Pal spawns per region or across the whole map, from a seed you choose |
| bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers | Clears the structures and base Pals of guilds whose members stop logging in, after the time set in AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers |
| bExistPlayerAfterLogout | Leaves characters asleep where they logged out |
Settings that raise server load
Several options trade performance for scale, and the guide flags them directly:
- BaseCampWorkerMaxNum sets how many Pals work at one base, up to 50; higher values add processing load.
- BaseCampMaxNumInGuild sets bases per guild, 4 by default and 10 at most, with the same warning.
- PalSpawnNumRate scales how many Pals spawn, and Pocketpair notes that it affects performance.
- MaxBuildingLimitNum caps structures per player, where 0 means unlimited.
- ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance sets how far from players Pals are synchronised, between 5,000 and 15,000 cm.
The guide’s PvP page shows the idea in practice: four players and two bases per guild (GuildPlayerMaxNum=4, BaseCampMaxNumInGuild=2) and a 1,000-structure cap per player, each chosen to reduce strain.
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Turning on PvP
PvP is a trial feature that Pocketpair says is not covered by support. To enable it, set bIsPvP, bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage and bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer to True. Players can then hurt each other, base Pals fight trespassers, other guilds’ chests can be opened, bases must be built farther apart, and a base under attack sends a notification and blocks building or repairs until the fight ends. The guide also suggests blocking HP and Attack stat points, limiting fast travel to bases, and keeping logged-out characters asleep in the world so nobody escapes a fight by quitting.
Backups
With bIsUseBackupSaveData enabled, the server creates a backup folder inside the save directory and keeps a rolling set of copies: five at 30-second intervals, six at 10-minute intervals, 12 hourly and seven daily. That costs disk activity, one more reason to run on an SSD. Use /Save before planned shutdowns, and copy the Saved folder to another machine from time to time, so a failed disk does not take the world with it.
Launch arguments that matter
- -port=8211 changes the listening port, and -players=32 changes the player limit.
- -publiclobby registers the server as a community server. Steam-client users can instead choose to open and start it as a community server when launching.
- -publicip and -publicport set the address a community server advertises when automatic detection fails; -publicport does not change the port the server actually listens on.
- -logformat=text or json changes the log format, and -enable-gamedata-api turns on the REST API’s world snapshot.
- The old multithreading flags (-useperfthreads, -NoAsyncLoadingThread and -UseMultithreadForDS) still appear in many guides, but Pocketpair now says that from version 1.0, leaving them unset may improve performance. -NumberOfWorkerThreadsServer is meant to be used together with them.
With the Steam client, arguments go into the dedicated server’s Properties as launch options; with SteamCMD or Docker, add them to the start command or the compose file.
Admin commands
Set AdminPassword in the configuration first. In the game, press Enter and type /AdminPassword followed by that password to gain admin rights. The official commands:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /Save | Writes the world data to disk |
| /Shutdown [seconds] [message] | Shuts the server down after an optional delay, showing players your message |
| /DoExit | Forces the server to stop |
| /Broadcast <message> | Sends a message to everyone online |
| /ShowPlayers and /Info | List connected players and show server information |
| /KickPlayer, /BanPlayer and /UnBanPlayer <SteamID> | Remove, ban or unban a player by Steam ID |
| /TeleportToPlayer and /TeleportToMe <SteamID> | Move you to a player, or a player to you |
| /ToggleSpectate | Switches an admin to spectator mode; the guide says the backslash key changes it |
Remote administration: REST API, not RCON
RCON still works on its default port 25575 when RCONEnabled is set, but Pocketpair has marked it deprecated and says it is scheduled to stop working in an upcoming update, so new servers should use the REST API. Enable it with RESTAPIEnabled=True. It uses HTTP Basic authentication and offers endpoints to read server info, the player list, settings and live metrics (server FPS, frame time, player count, uptime, number of bases and in-game days), and to announce messages, save the world, kick, ban or unban players, and shut down with a wait time and message. A world snapshot endpoint, game-data, also needs the -enable-gamedata-api argument. Pocketpair warns that neither API is designed to face the internet, so keep both on your local network.
Mods on a dedicated server
Pocketpair currently supports server-side mods only on the Windows edition of the dedicated server, and only mods built to run on servers, so check which edition your machine runs before planning around them. The steps:
- Run the server one time to generate Mods/PalModSettings.ini.
- Place the Workshop items in Mods/Workshop next to PalServer.exe, one folder per mod with its Info.json directly inside. Alternatively, point WorkshopRootDir in the [PalModSettings] section, or the -workshopdir launch option, at a Workshop directory to load every compatible mod in it. The game client’s default Workshop folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\1623730.
- Enable them in PalModSettings.ini: set bGlobalEnableMod=true and add one ActiveModList= line per mod, using the PackageName from its Info.json, not the folder name.
- Restart the server. It deploys each mod according to the install rules in its Info.json and records the result under Mods/ManagedMods.
When a mod’s version number changes, a restart swaps in the new version automatically. To turn one off, remove its ActiveModList line and restart; the -NoMods argument disables all of them at once. Pocketpair warns that mods are used at your own risk and can corrupt saves or cause crashes, so back up before every change.
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Connecting to your server
For a plain dedicated server, players type the IP address and port into the box below the server list. For a community server, they choose Community server on the left of the server list and click it in the results. Share the join password privately, and keep the admin password to yourself.
Common problems
- Console friends cannot find the server: it must run as a community server, started with -publiclobby.
- Your own community server is unreachable from home: Pocketpair notes that routers without Hairpin NAT cannot connect to a community server on the same network. It is a router limitation, so test from a connection outside your network.
- Settings do not apply: you edited DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini instead of the copy in the Config folder, or the server has not been restarted.
- Out-of-memory crashes: 8 GB boots but raises the risk; 16 GB is Pocketpair’s baseline.
- Corrupted saves: move to SSD storage, avoid Docker Desktop, and keep backups switched on.
- A mod will not load: check that the install rule in its Info.json includes “IsServer”: true, that any mods it depends on are installed, and that it deployed after the restart.
- Nobody can connect: confirm that UDP 8211, or the port you chose, is open in the firewall and forwarded on the router.
FAQ
Is the Palworld dedicated server free?
Yes. It downloads with an anonymous SteamCMD login as app 2394010, or as “Palworld Dedicated Server” under Tools in the Steam library.
How much memory should a Palworld server have?
Pocketpair lists 16 GB. A server with 8 GB will start, but it is more likely to crash when memory runs out, and the guide recommends more for larger servers.
Which ports does a Palworld server use?
UDP 8211 for players by default, changeable with -port. RCON defaults to 25575, and the REST API uses whatever you set in RESTAPIPort.
Can Xbox and PS5 players join my server?
Yes, if it runs as a community server. Cross-play covers Steam, Xbox, Microsoft Store PC, macOS and PS5 by default.
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Can I use mods on a Linux server?
Not at the moment. Pocketpair says server-side mods work only on the Windows edition of the dedicated server.
How do I keep the server up to date?
Back up first. Then re-run the SteamCMD download command, let Steam update it if you installed it through the Steam client, or change the image tag in compose.yaml for Docker.
