How to Make a Palworld Server (2026 Guide)

A Palworld co-op world only exists while the host is playing, and only a few friends can join. A dedicated server fixes both: your world stays online around the clock, your base Pals keep working, and up to 32 players can join. Pocketpair gives the server away for free, and since Palworld 1.0 launched on 10 July 2026 it supports crossplay with Xbox, PS5 and Mac. This guide covers the full setup, with a quicker option at the end.

Short on time? A hosted Palworld server is live in about 60 seconds with its own address, no SteamCMD and no port forwarding. The quick start guide walks through it.

What you need

A PC or server running 64 bit Windows or Linux that stays on while people play. Base Pals only work while the server runs, so for most groups that means around the clock.
16 GB of RAM is Pocketpair's recommendation for the server. It can boot on 8 GB, but it crashes much more often as the world grows. Big servers do best with more.
A CPU with at least 4 cores.
A fast SSD. Pocketpair warns that slow storage can corrupt saves.
Access to your router for port forwarding.

For a deeper look at sizing, read how much RAM a game server needs. If your PC cannot spare 16 GB on top of running the game itself, a hosted server with its own memory avoids the crashes.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

Windows: download SteamCMD from Valve, extract it to a folder such as C:\steamcmd and run steamcmd.exe once.
Linux: install the steamcmd package for your distribution, or use Valve's tarball and run ./steamcmd.sh.

Windows players who own Palworld can also install Palworld Dedicated Server from the Tools section of their Steam library instead.

Step 2: Download the server

The Palworld dedicated server is app ID 2394010:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

This installs to steamapps/common/PalServer inside your SteamCMD folder. Run the same command after every Palworld patch, because players cannot join a server on a different version. On a hosted server, a restart takes care of it.

Step 3: Start it once

Start the server so it creates its folders:

Windows: run PalServer.exe in the PalServer folder.
Linux: run ./PalServer.sh.

Once it is running, stop it again. You need the config folder it just created.

Step 4: Create PalWorldSettings.ini

The server reads its settings from PalWorldSettings.ini, which does not exist until you create it. Copy the defaults into the config folder:

Windows (PowerShell, from your Steam folder):

Copy-Item steamapps\common\PalServer\DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini

Linux:

cp steamapps/common/PalServer/DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini steamapps/common/PalServer/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

Edit the copy, never DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, which the server ignores. All settings sit on one long OptionSettings=(...) line. The ones most people change:

ServerName: the name shown in the community server list.
ServerPassword: players need this to join. Leave it empty for an open server.
AdminPassword: lets you use admin commands in game.
ServerPlayerMaxNum: the player cap, up to 32.
ExpRate and PalCaptureRate: XP and capture multipliers.
DayTimeSpeedRate: how fast days pass.
DeathPenalty: what you drop on death, None, Item, ItemAndEquipment or All.
CrossplayPlatforms: which platforms can join, for example (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac).

Only edit the file while the server is stopped, then start it again.

Step 5: Launch options

You can add options after the executable in a shortcut or script:

PalServer.exe -port=8211 -players=16

-port=: the port the server listens on, 8211 by default.
-players=: the maximum number of players.
-publiclobby: lists the server in the community server list. Console players can only join this way.

Older guides recommend -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS. Pocketpair's own docs now say leaving these out may perform better on 1.0, so test before adding them.

Step 6: Open the port

Palworld needs one port. Forward UDP 8211 on your router to the server's local IP address, and allow PalServer through your firewall. If you enable RCON or the REST API in the settings file, keep those ports closed to the internet unless you really need remote access. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side. If your internet provider uses CGNAT, forwarding will not work at all, and a hosted server with its own address is the way around it.

Step 7: How friends connect

Steam players:

Launch Palworld and choose Join Multiplayer Game.
Type your public IP and port, for example 203.0.113.10:8211, into the box at the bottom of the server list.
Click Connect and enter the password.

Xbox and PS5 players cannot type an address. Start the server with -publiclobby so it appears in the community server list, then they can search for it by name. Crossplay has to be allowed in CrossplayPlatforms too.

Moving a co-op world to the server

Your co-op saves live in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames on the host's PC, in a folder named after your Steam ID with one subfolder per world. Copy the world folder into the server's Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ folder, then point the server at it by setting DedicatedServerName to the world folder's name in the server's GameUserSettings.ini. Guests keep their characters. The original host usually has to fix or recreate their character, because host saves are stored differently, so back everything up first. The full walkthrough, including WorldOption.sav and host fix tools, is in how to transfer a Palworld co-op save to a dedicated server.

Mods

Community tools such as UE4SS and the PalDefender anti cheat can run on a dedicated server, but big patches break them. Before updating to a new version, remove old mods completely rather than just disabling them, and only reinstall versions built for the current game.

Common problems

Friends get a version mismatch: the server and every player must run the same version. Update the server through SteamCMD and restart.
Settings are ignored: you edited DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, the file is in the wrong folder, the server was running while you saved, or a WorldOption.sav in the world folder overrides it. See Palworld server settings not working.
Console friends cannot find it: the server needs -publiclobby, and their platform must be in CrossplayPlatforms.
Crashes after a few hours: usually memory. Give the server more RAM and schedule regular restarts.
Rollbacks or damaged saves: often caused by slow storage or a crash during save. Keep backups before every update.

The easy way

Self hosting Palworld works, but it asks a lot: a machine with 16 GB to spare running around the clock so base Pals keep working, UDP 8211 forwarded on your router, one long ini line to edit by hand and a SteamCMD update after every patch before anyone can join. A hosted server skips that. It is live in about 60 seconds with its own address, nothing to forward and your home IP kept private, and you still get PalWorldSettings.ini in a browser file manager, a live console with buttons for save, broadcast and kick, and 3 backups for before every patch. Plans start at 29.99 USD a month, and you can split the bill with your friends.

See Palworld server hosting for plans, or read the quick start guide to see how the setup goes.