Palworld: Detailed Server Configuration & Performance Tuning
Configuring a Palworld dedicated server requires a balance between fun gameplay and server stability. This guide explains every setting in the PalWorldSettings.ini file and provides recommendations for different playstyles.
Free tool: To produce a valid PalWorldSettings.ini without hand-editing every line, use the free Palworld Server Settings Generator, then check it with the Settings Validator before you upload.
Performance Tuning
The PalSpawnNumRate is the biggest performance killer. Setting this above 1.5 can cause significant server-side lag (low FPS) on high-population servers.
Egg Hatching Time
The default PalEggDefaultHatchingTime is 72 hours. Most casual players prefer setting this to 0.0 or 1.0 to encourage breeding exploration.
Death Penalty
Settings: None (Keep all), Item (Lose inventory), ItemAndEquipment (Lose all gear), or All (Lose gear and Pals). Item is the standard for cooperative play.
Core Configuration Settings (PalWorldSettings.ini)
| Setting | Default | Expert Recommendation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
ExpRate | 1.0 | 2.0 | Experience multiplier. High values accelerate the mid-game grind. |
PalCaptureRate | 1.0 | 1.5 | Success base rate. Higher makes catching feel less like a gamble. |
PalSpawnNumRate | 1.0 | 1.0 - 1.3 | Increases the number of Pals in the world. High Performance Cost. |
PalStomachDecreaceRate | 1.0 | 0.5 | How fast Pals get hungry. Reducing this allows for longer exploration. |
BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate | 1.0 | 0.0 | Building decay. Setting to 0.0 prevents structures outside the base area from disappearing. |
GuildPlayerMaxNum | 20 | 20 | Max players per guild. Keep it low to prevent "Mega-Guilds" on PVP servers. |
New in 1.0 (July 10, 2026)
Palworld 1.0 added 31 new option keys to PalWorldSettings.ini (119 total) while leaving all 88 pre-1.0 options unchanged - an existing config file runs on 1.0 without migration. The new settings worth tuning:
| Setting | Default | Expert Recommendation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
bEnableVoiceChat | False | True for co-op communities | Proximity voice chat - server-side opt-in, off by default. Not available on WinGDK builds. |
VoiceChatMaxVolumeDistance | 3000.0 | 3000.0 | Range within which voice is heard at full volume. |
VoiceChatZeroVolumeDistance | 15000.0 | 15000.0 | Maximum hearing distance - beyond it a speaker is silent. |
MaxBuildingLimitNum | 0 | 0 (unlimited); cap on public servers | Per-player building limit. A cap curbs build-spam and helps server performance. |
GuildRejoinCooldownMinutes | 0 | 60+ on PvP | Cooldown before a player who left a guild can join one again - closes guild-hopping exploits. |
bAdditionalDropItemWhenPlayerKillingInPvPMode | False | Taste (PvP only) | PvP kill drops; AdditionalDropItemNumWhenPlayerKillingInPvPMode (default 1) sets how many items drop. |
DenyTechnologyList | "" | "" | Comma-separated technology IDs players cannot unlock - handy for themed rulesets. |
MonsterFarmActionSpeedRate | 1.0 | 1.0 - 2.0 | Work speed multiplier for Pals assigned to the Ranch. |
bIsUseBackupSaveData | True | True | The game's own rolling save backups - leave it on. |
1.0 also adds RESTAPIEnabled (default False) and RESTAPIPort (default 8212) for the server's REST admin API, plus display toggles like bEnableBuildingPlayerUIdDisplay and bInvisibleOtherGuildBaseCampAreaFX. The full 1.0 option list with defaults is in the server settings reference.
Advanced / Secret Settings
- Auto-Reset Guilds: Set
bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=trueto automatically delete guilds that have been inactive for more than 72 hours (AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers). This keeps your save file clean. - RCON Access: Ensure
RCONEnabled=trueand set a strongAdminPassword. You cannot run many console commands without this. - PVP Balancing:
bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamageandbEnableFriendlyFiretoggle PVP. For a balanced PVP experience, we recommend settingPlayerDamageRateAttack=0.5to ensure fights don't end in one hit.
Applying Changes: Palworld does NOT support hot-reloading. You must save your PalWorldSettings.ini and completely restart the server process for any changes to take effect.
Optimization Pro-Tips
- Base Pal Max:
BaseCampWorkerMaxNumdetermines how many Pals can work at a single base. Increasing this past 20 can lead to pathing issues and AI "glitching" through walls. - Resource Respawn:
CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRateshould be set to 2.0 or higher if you have more than 10 players, to ensure everyone has access to Ore and Paladium.
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