How to Edit Your Palworld Server Settings (PalWorldSettings.ini)

Palworld keeps all of its dedicated server settings in a single file, PalWorldSettings.ini. This guide shows where that file lives on your DoomHosting Palworld server, how to set the basics from the panel, and how to safely edit the gameplay settings (XP rate, capture rate, death penalty, PvP and more) without your changes getting wiped.

Which file to edit (and which to leave alone)

All of Palworld's server settings go in one file:

Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

In the File Manager that is the full path from your server root (/home/container/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini). Two things to know:

PalWorldSettings.ini is the file you edit. Despite what some older guides say, Palworld does not use Game.ini or Engine.ini for server settings. Those are stock Unreal Engine files, so you can ignore them.
DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini sits in the server root and is a read-only template. Editing it does nothing. Use it only as a place to copy the full settings line from.

Set the basics from the Startup tab

Server name, passwords and player count are easiest to set in the panel, with no file editing:

Open your server and go to the Startup tab.
Fill in the fields:
- Server Name: the name shown in the server browser
- Server Password: leave blank for an open server, or set one to make it private
- Admin Password: required for admin commands and RCON
- Max Players: up to 32 (see the note at the bottom)
Go to the Console tab and restart. Startup values apply on the next boot.

Edit PalWorldSettings.ini for gameplay settings

Everything else (rates, difficulty, death penalty, PvP) lives in the .ini. The single most important rule:

Stop the server before you edit the file. Palworld rewrites PalWorldSettings.ini when it shuts down, so any change you make while it is running gets overwritten on the next restart.

On the Console tab, Stop the server and wait for it to fully stop.
In Files, open Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini.
The file must be exactly two lines: a header, then one long OptionSettings line with every setting inside a single pair of parentheses, comma-separated:
```
[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DeathPenalty=All,ExpRate=1.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.000000,bIsPvP=False)
```
If the file is empty, paste the whole OptionSettings line from DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini first, then change the values you want. That guarantees the format is correct.
Save, then Start the server again.

Keep the format strict: text values in double quotes (ServerName="My Server"), booleans as True or False, and rates with their decimals (2.000000). One missing comma or misspelled key and the server silently ignores the whole line and boots with defaults.

The settings people change most

All of these go inside the OptionSettings=( ... ) line.

DeathPenalty: what you drop when you die. None, Item, ItemAndEquipment, or All (default All).
ExpRate: XP multiplier. 1.000000 is default, raise it (for example 2.000000) for faster leveling.
PalCaptureRate: how easy Pals are to catch. Higher is easier.
PalSpawnNumRate: how many Pals spawn in the world.
DayTimeSpeedRate / NightTimeSpeedRate: length of day and night. Lower is longer.
PlayerDamageRateAttack / PlayerDamageRateDefense: damage you deal and take.
CollectionDropRate: resources from trees, ore and rocks.
EnemyDropItemRate: loot dropped by enemies.
bIsPvP: set True to allow player versus player combat (default False).
ServerPlayerMaxNum: max players, also set by the Startup tab. The cap is 32.

Difficulty defaults to None, which means the individual rates above are used as you set them. You can also set a named preset, but tuning the individual rates gives you the most control.

Example settings

Boosted casual server (faster XP, easier catches, no death penalty):

OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DeathPenalty=None,ExpRate=2.000000,PalCaptureRate=2.000000,PalSpawnNumRate=1.000000,CollectionDropRate=2.000000,bIsPvP=False)

Harder PvP server (slower XP, full death penalty, PvP on):

OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DeathPenalty=All,ExpRate=0.700000,PalCaptureRate=0.700000,PlayerDamageRateDefense=1.500000,bIsPvP=True)

Add any other keys you want to the same line. Omitted keys just use their defaults.

Common issues

Settings not applying after restart: the server was running when you edited the file. Stop it, edit, save, then start. Always edit while stopped.
Still ignored: check for a WorldOption.sav file in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world-id>/. If it exists (usually after uploading a co-op or single-player save), it overrides PalWorldSettings.ini completely. Delete WorldOption.sav so the .ini is read again. Players reselect their respawn point, nothing else is lost.
Server won't start after editing: a syntax error in OptionSettings. Re-check commas, quotes around text values, and matching parentheses. When in doubt, paste a fresh line from DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini and redo your changes.
You edited the wrong file: changes to DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini never apply. Edit Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini.
Max players will not go above 32: Palworld is hard-capped at 32. Higher numbers are clamped back down to 32.

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