Palworld Dedicated Server Setup Guide
This guide covers how to configure your Palworld dedicated server hosted through Legion Hosting, including settings configuration, multiplayer connection, and save file management.
Finding Your Server IP and Port
Before configuring or connecting to your server, locate your server's IP address and query port. See our guide: How to Find Your Server IP and Port.
Configuration File Location
The primary Palworld server configuration file is:
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.iniTo edit this file, use the File Manager in GPanel or connect via SFTP.
PalWorldSettings.ini automatically by a config parser every time the server starts:
ServerNameAdminPasswordServerPasswordMaxPlayersServerDescription
If you edit these values directly in
PalWorldSettings.ini, your changes will be overwritten the next time the server starts. Always change these settings in the Startup tab in GPanel instead.
AdminPassword and ServerPassword must be between 1 and 30 characters and may only contain letters, numbers, hyphens (-), and underscores (_). Spaces and special characters are not allowed and will cause authentication failures.
PalWorldSettings.ini Key Settings
All settings live inside the [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings] section on a single OptionSettings=() line. Below are the most important parameters and what they control.
Server Identity & Access
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
ServerName |
"Default Palworld Server" |
Name shown in the server browser and on connection. Set this in GPanel's Startup tab. |
ServerDescription |
"" |
Short description displayed in the server browser. Set this in GPanel's Startup tab. |
ServerPassword |
"" |
Password required to join. Leave empty for a public server. 1-30 characters, letters/numbers/hyphens/underscores only. Set this in GPanel's Startup tab. |
AdminPassword |
"" |
Password used to gain admin privileges in-game. Always set this. 1-30 characters, letters/numbers/hyphens/underscores only. Set this in GPanel's Startup tab. |
MaxPlayers |
32 |
Maximum concurrent players allowed. Capped at 32 on this panel. Higher values increase memory and CPU load. Set this in GPanel's Startup tab. |
bUseAuth |
True |
Enables Steam authentication. Set to False only for LAN/testing. |
RCONEnabled |
True |
Enables RCON remote administration. Always enabled on this panel. |
Crossplay (Steam / Xbox Game Pass)
The ALLOW_CONNECT_PLATFORM startup variable controls which platform players can connect from. This is set in GPanel's Startup tab.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
Steam |
Default. Only Steam players can connect. |
Xbox |
Allows Xbox Game Pass players to connect. Change this in GPanel's Startup tab if your players are on Xbox Game Pass. |
Gameplay Rates & Difficulty
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
ExpRate |
1.000000 |
Player XP gain multiplier. 2.0 = double XP. |
PalCaptureRate |
1.000000 |
Multiplier for Pal capture success rate. |
PalExpRate |
1.000000 |
Pal XP gain multiplier. |
WorkSpeedRate |
1.000000 |
Pal work speed multiplier at base. |
CollectionDropRate |
1.000000 |
Resource drop rate multiplier from gathering. |
EnemyDropItemRate |
1.000000 |
Item drop rate multiplier from enemies. |
DeathPenalty |
All |
Items dropped on death. Options: None, Item, ItemAndEquipment, All. |
bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage |
False |
Enables PvP damage between players. |
bEnableFriendlyFire |
False |
Enables friendly fire from Pals. |
DayTimeSpeedRate |
1.000000 |
Speed multiplier for daytime. Higher = faster days. |
NightTimeSpeedRate |
1.000000 |
Speed multiplier for nighttime. Higher = faster nights. |
Example Configuration
A complete PalWorldSettings.ini with common customizations. Remember that ServerName, AdminPassword, ServerPassword, MaxPlayers, and ServerDescription should be changed via GPanel's Startup tab, not here directly.
[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,ExpRate=2.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.500000,PalSpawnNumRate=1.000000,PalDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PalDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerStomachDecreaceRate=1.000000,PlayerStaminaDecreaceRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,PalStomachDecreaceRate=1.000000,PalStaminaDecreaceRate=1.000000,PalAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,BuildObjectDamageRate=1.000000,BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate=1.000000,CollectionDropRate=2.000000,CollectionObjectHpRate=1.000000,CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate=1.000000,EnemyDropItemRate=2.000000,DeathPenalty=Item,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=False,bEnableFriendlyFire=False,bEnableInvaderEnemy=True,bActiveUNKO=False,bEnableAimAssistPad=True,bEnableAimAssistKeyboard=False,DropItemMaxNum=3000,DropItemMaxNum_UNKO=100,BaseCampMaxNum=128,BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=15,DropItemAliveMaxHours=1.000000,bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=False,AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers=72.000000,GuildPlayerMaxNum=20,PalEggDefaultHatchingTime=72.000000,WorkSpeedRate=1.000000,bIsMultiplay=True,bIsPvP=False,bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop=False,bEnableNonLoginPenalty=True,bEnableFastTravel=True,bIsStartLocationSelectByMap=True,bExistPlayerAfterLogout=False,bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer=False,CoopPlayerMaxNum=4,ServerPlayerMaxNum=32,ServerName="My Palworld Server",ServerDescription="A Legion Hosting Palworld Server",AdminPassword="YourAdminPasswordHere",ServerPassword="",RCONEnabled=True,Region="",bUseAuth=True,BanListURL="https://api.palworldgame.com/api/banlist.txt")OptionSettings must be on a single line with no line breaks. Splitting across multiple lines will cause the server to ignore all settings and revert to defaults.
Auto-Updates on Restart
The AUTO_UPDATE feature is enabled by default on this panel. Every time your server restarts, it will check for and apply the latest Palworld server update before starting up. This keeps your server on the current version automatically but can add a delay of several minutes to the startup process, depending on update size.
Connecting to Your Server
Palworld does not reliably list private dedicated servers in the community browser. The recommended method is direct IP connection.
Direct Connect Steps
- Open Palworld and select Join Multiplayer Game from the main menu.
- At the bottom of the server list, find the direct connect field.
- Enter your server's IP address and port in the format:
IP:Port - Click Connect.
Save File Location
Palworld world and player save data is stored at:
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/Within this directory you will find a folder named with a numeric world ID containing:
Level.sav-- World terrain and object save data.LevelMeta.sav-- World metadata.Players/-- Individual player save files (one per player, named by SteamID).
Backing Up Your World
Download the entire Pal/Saved/SaveGames/ directory via SFTP before making any changes. Keep local backups before updates or major configuration changes.
Related Articles
- Palworld Admin Commands & RCON Access -- In-game admin authentication, command reference, and RCON setup.
- Palworld Troubleshooting -- Memory optimization, connection issues, config problems, and crash fixes.
- How to Find Your Server IP and Port
- How to Upload Files via SFTP
Need More Help?
If you are experiencing issues not covered in this guide, our support team is available to assist. Open a ticket at legionhosting.net/submitticket.php with your server details and a description of the problem.
