How to create a Palworld server

Running your own Palworld server lets you:

• Play with friends in a persistent world, active even when the host is offline.
• Set your own rules: experience and capture rates, PvP or PvE, death penalty.
• Host up to 32 players, compared with 4 in simple co-op.
• Bring Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac players together on one server thanks to crossplay.

With version 1.0 released on 10 July 2026 (World Tree, Sky Islands) and its day-one arrival on Xbox Game Pass, Palworld is drawing a new wave of players: the perfect moment to launch your community server.

Before you start, make sure the machine hosting the server meets these requirements:

• ✔ RAM : 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended: memory usage grows over long sessions
• ✔ CPU : 4 cores at 3.5 GHz or more: simulating Pals and bases is mostly CPU-bound
• ✔ System : 64-bit Windows or Linux (Linux recommended for a dedicated server)
• ✔ Connection : Stable upload speed; the server communicates over UDP on port 8211
• ✔ Hosting : Local PC for testing, VPS or dedicated server for a 24/7 server

Co-op session (4 players)

Hosted directly from the game with an invite code. Simple and instant, but limited to 4 players, and the world stops as soon as the host leaves.

Dedicated server (32 players)

A true persistent server, available 24/7, with up to 32 simultaneous players, custom rules and a public server list. That is what this guide covers.

The Palworld dedicated server (Steam app 2394010) installs with SteamCMD, Steam's command-line tool:

1. Install SteamCMD (download it from the Valve website, or through your package manager on Linux)
2. Run the download command below (about 15 GB)

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

Go to the installation folder and run the executable for your system:

Windows :

.\PalServer.exe

Linux :

./PalServer.sh

Useful launch options

• -publiclobby - Lists the server in the community server browser and lets console players connect
• -port=8211 - Changes the listening port (8211 by default)
• -useperfthreads - Enables multithreading for better performance

./PalServer.sh -publiclobby -port=8211 -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS

All the configuration lives in the PalWorldSettings.ini file. Careful: this file is empty when created. First copy the contents of the DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini template (at the server root), then edit your values.

File location depending on your system:

Windows :

Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini

Linux :

Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

• ServerName - Name shown in the server list
• ServerPassword - Access password (leave empty for a public server)
• AdminPassword - Administrator password, required for admin commands
• ServerPlayerMaxNum - Maximum number of players (32 by default)
• ExpRate / PalCaptureRate - Experience and capture rates (1.0 = official values)
• DeathPenalty - Death penalty: None, Item, ItemAndEquipment or All

Since version 1.0, a dedicated server can bring together Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Mac players. Two conditions:

CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac)

Palworld communicates over UDP on port 8211 by default. For your server to be reachable from the Internet, this port must be open.

Ports to open

• UDP 8211 (default, can be changed via -port)
• Optional ports: 8212 (REST API) and TCP 25575 (RCON), only if you enable those features, and without exposing them publicly

Firewall rule examples

Windows Defender:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Palworld Server" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 8211 -Action Allow

Linux UFW:

sudo ufw allow 8211/udp

Linux iptables:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 8211 -j ACCEPT

Set AdminPassword in the configuration, then authenticate in-game to unlock the admin commands:

/AdminPassword YourPassword

Essential commands

• /ShowPlayers - Lists connected players with their identifiers
• /Broadcast - Broadcasts a message to all players
• /KickPlayer / /BanPlayer - Kicks or bans a player (by their identifier)
• /Save - Forces an immediate world save
• /Shutdown - Shuts the server down cleanly, with a delay and an announcement message

• ✔ Backups: regularly copy the Pal/Saved/ folder (world, players, configuration) off the machine. Automate it: manual backups always end up forgotten.
• ✔ Updates: stop the server, then run the SteamCMD installation command again. Client and server must be on exactly the same version.

• ✔ Enable multithreading with the dedicated launch options:

  Terminal

  -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS

• ✔ Schedule a daily restart: memory usage grows over long sessions, and a regular restart resets it.
• ✔ Keep an eye on the number of bases and active Pals: they are the main CPU load on a busy server.
• ✔ Host on an SSD and monitor RAM/CPU to match your settings to the actual player count.