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Configuring your Palworld server settings

Change difficulty, capture and breeding rates, XP, day length, and PvP by editing PalWorldSettings.ini the right way so your changes actually stick.

Last updated July 16, 2026

Almost everything about how your Palworld server plays — capture rates, difficulty, day length, PvP, breeding speed — lives in one file: PalWorldSettings.ini. The tricky part is editing the right file in the right place so your changes actually apply. This guide gets that right.

Edit the correct file

Palworld ships a default settings file, but the server only reads the one under the Optimized/Linux config path:

Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
  1. Open your server and click File Manager.
  2. Navigate to Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/.
  3. Open PalWorldSettings.ini.

Most common mistake: editing the example file elsewhere in the game folder. The server only reads the LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini above — if that file doesn't exist yet, start the server once so it generates, then edit it.

How the settings line works

All the options live on one very long line inside OptionSettings=(...), comma-separated. You edit values inside that single bracketed block — don't add line breaks inside it. For example:

OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,ExpRate=1.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.000000,DeathPenalty=All,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=False,ServerPlayerMaxNum=32,ServerName="My ServerPrism Server",...)

Change the value after each =, keep the commas, and don't remove the surrounding parentheses.

The settings people actually change

Setting Effect
ExpRate XP multiplier. 2.000000 = double XP.
PalCaptureRate How easily you catch Pals. Higher = easier.
DayTimeSpeedRate / NightTimeSpeedRate Length of day/night. Lower = longer.
PalSpawnNumRate Density of wild Pals in the world.
bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage True to enable PvP.
DeathPenalty None, Item, ItemAndEquipment, or All (drop everything).
ServerPlayerMaxNum Player cap (mind your plan's RAM).
ServerName / ServerDescription What shows in the server browser.
bIsPvP Enable full PvP mode.
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime Egg hatch time in hours. Lower = faster breeding.

Rates use six decimal places (e.g. 1.500000) — keep the format.

Apply your changes

  1. Save the file in the File Manager.
  2. Restart the server from the Console tab — settings are only read at boot.

Check the console on boot; if the server ignores your changes, you almost certainly edited the wrong file (see the warning above).

Admin and passwords

In the same OptionSettings block:

  • AdminPassword="..." — set this to use RCON/admin commands.
  • ServerPassword="..." — set to make the server private (players need it to join).

Common issues

  • Changes don't apply: wrong file — it must be Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini, and you must restart.
  • Server won't start after editing: you broke the OptionSettings=(...) syntax — a missing parenthesis, quote, or comma. Restore a backup or fix the punctuation.
  • Can't connect / "password required": ServerPassword is set — share it with players or clear it.
  • Lag with high PalSpawnNumRate or many players: Palworld is RAM-hungry — consider upgrading your plan.