Palworld Server Settings Explained: PalWorldSettings.ini Key by Key

Palworld server settings live in one file, PalWorldSettings.ini, as a single OptionSettings=(...) line of about 120 keys. This reference explains where the file is, which keys change rates, death and PvP, what their real defaults are in v1.0.5, and gives tested presets for a group of four to eight friends.

If you have not set up the server yet, start with our Palworld dedicated server guide. If you host with us, the most used keys are fields in the panel of your Palworld server, and the rest go in the file.

• The file: Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini (Windows: WindowsServer). Editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini changes nothing.
• Rates are multipliers: 1.000000 is normal, 2.000000 is double. ExpRate, PalCaptureRate, WorkSpeedRate and PalSpawnNumRate are the big four.
• Death: DeathPenalty takes None, Item, ItemAndEquipment or All.
• PvP needs three flags: bIsPvP, bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage and bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer.
• Changes apply on restart. Stop the server, edit, start it again.

1. Where the file is

Pocketpair's configuration page gives one path per install type, and notes that the folders only appear once the server has started for the first time:

Next to the server program sits DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini. It is only a sample: its own first line says changes to it "will NOT be reflected on the server". The official procedure is to copy it over PalWorldSettings.ini and edit the copy.

The file has a header, [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings], and then everything sits on one line inside OptionSettings=( ... ), separated by commas. Three rules keep it readable for the server:

• Text values go in double quotes: ServerName="Our Pals".
• Never break the line, and keep every comma and parenthesis: the whole list is one value.
• Edit with the server stopped, then start it, so the new values load with the world.

On 1up. The file is in Files → Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. Our image builds it from the official default file the first time the server starts, and at every later start it rewrites only the keys the Game tab manages (listed in the table below). Every other key you change is kept across restarts. Stop the server, open the file with Edit in Files, save it and start the server again; or connect with the SFTP details on the Files page. On a server created before 5 October 2026, check that CrossplayPlatforms still reads (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac); our guide to a Palworld server not showing in the community list explains how to repair it.

2. Settings table: the keys that matter

Defaults are the values in the DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini shipped in Pocketpair's official v1.0.5.102999 server image. The panel column shows the field that manages the key on 1up and its default there.

Our image also pins a few technical keys the panel needs (PublicPort, RESTAPIEnabled, RESTAPIPort, RCONEnabled, LogFormatType, bIsUseBackupSaveData), so leave those alone. The image also writes Difficulty=None, the official default: the key is in the default file but not in Pocketpair's parameter list, so the panel has no field for it; tune the multipliers instead.

3. Rates: EXP, capture, spawn, work speed

Every rate is a decimal multiplier. In the file, 1.500000 means 150 %; in our panel you type the percentage, from 10 % to 2,000 %, and the image writes the decimal for you.

• ExpRate speeds up levelling for players and Pals. For a group that plays a few evenings a week, 1.5 to 2.0 gets everyone to mid-game before interest drops.
• PalCaptureRate raises the chance a sphere holds. Above about 2.0 the catching loop stops being a game; 1.2 to 1.5 takes the frustration out of rare Pals.
• WorkSpeedRate makes base Pals craft, mine and build faster. It is in the official default file, although Pocketpair's parameter table does not describe it. Raising it is the cleanest way to cut base waiting time without touching combat.
• PalSpawnNumRate is the one to treat with care: Pocketpair marks it "Impacts performance". More wild Pals means more work for the server's CPU and memory. Leave it at 1.0 unless your server has room to spare.
• DayTimeSpeedRate and NightTimeSpeedRate set how fast each half of the day passes. A common choice is a faster night (for example 2.0) so the group spends less time in the dark. On 1up the panel sets both to the same value at each start, so pick one pace there.
• PalEggDefaultHatchingTime is the hatch time, in hours, of a Huge Egg; other eggs still need their own incubation time. The v1.0.5 default is already one hour.
• CollectionDropRate and EnemyDropItemRate multiply what you gather and what enemies drop. Doubling gathering suits small groups that hate the grind but still want to explore for loot.

Our Terraria server config guide follows the same approach for another game: change few keys, write down why, restart once.

4. Death and PvP

DeathPenalty values

The configuration page defines four values:

The game's file defaults to Item; new 1up servers start on All, so change On death in the panel if your group wants the softer rule. Three file keys make death harsher: bHardcore=True removes respawning, bCharacterRecreateInHardcore decides whether a dead player may make a new character, and bPalLost=True deletes Pals for good on death.

PvP flags

Pocketpair's PvP page calls PvP a trial feature, not covered by support, and says it needs three keys set to True:

bIsPvP=True,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=True,bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer=True

With PvP active, players can hurt each other, base Pals attack trespassers, players can open chests owned by other guilds, bases must be built further apart and missions are disabled. The same page recommends extra keys for a fair PvP world, such as bAllowEnhanceStat_Health=False and bAllowEnhanceStat_Attack=False, fast travel only between bases (bEnableFastTravelOnlyBaseCamp=True), bExistPlayerAfterLogout=True so logging out does not save you from a fight, and DeathPenalty=All with bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop=True so loot changes hands.

On 1up. The PvP switch writes all three keys, bIsPvP, bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage and bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer, so turn it on in the Game tab (section Match) and restart; editing them in the file does nothing, because the switch rewrites them at every start. The default file also carries bEnableFriendlyFire=False, which Pocketpair does not document; we leave it off.

5. Presets for 4 to 8 friends

Three starting points we use. Values are file decimals; for the panel fields, multiply by 100.

Why these numbers:

• Relaxed co-op is for friends who log in once or twice a week. Double EXP and work speed keep progress moving between sessions, None on death means nobody quits after losing a run of loot, and half the item weight cuts the trips back to base.
• Weekend group stays close to the intended balance but trims the grind by half. Item keeps death meaningful without taking anyone's Pals.
• Hardcore challenge keeps vanilla rates and adds All plus bPalLost, so every fight matters. Agree on it before day one: switching to it mid-world feels like a punishment.
• PalSpawnNumRate stays at 1.0 in all three because Pocketpair flags its performance cost, and BaseCampWorkerMaxNum only goes to 20 because the docs warn it raises processing load. Palworld already asks for a lot: the requirements page recommends 16 GB of memory and warns that 8 GB boots but risks out-of-memory crashes.

For 4 to 8 players, set Max players to your group size plus one or two. A password and a lower cap keep strangers out more simply than a ban list.

6. Applying changes safely

1. Stop the server.
2. Take a backup, or copy the Saved folder, before big changes.
3. Edit the panel fields, then the file, keeping the single line and its commas intact.
4. Start the server and check the values: on 1up, open Console and confirm the world loads; then log in and look at how fast EXP and capture feel.

If a value seems ignored, check the key name letter by letter against the default file and make sure you edited PalWorldSettings.ini, not the default file. If you are moving a co-op world over, our upcoming guide on moving a Palworld co-op save covers it. We used the same stop, back up, edit and start routine in our Valheim dedicated server guide.

Checked against Pocketpair's server documentation (version 1.0.4 of the docs) and the default file of the official server image. Tested on Palworld v1.0.5.102999, 2026-10-05.

Change log

• 2026-10-05: first version, for Palworld v1.0.5.102999.
• 2026-10-05: on 1up the PvP switch now sets all three PvP keys, the Difficulty field is gone, .ini files open in the browser editor; link to the community list guide.
• 2026-10-07: the panel's Settings tab is now called Game.
• 2026-10-26: Palworld runs 24/7 from Pro.