Why can I not install Pixelmon with one click?

Because the pack does not publish a server pack any more. CurseForge modpack installers rely on that file, and the last Pixelmon build to include one was 9.3.14 in January 2026. Newer builds only ship client files. The manual route is not difficult: run a NeoForge server once, remove the world it made, and upload the Pixelmon jar into `mods/`. Full SFTP access is included on every server.

Which Pixelmon jar should I upload?

The one ending in `-server` rather than `-universal`. They are the same Pixelmon version, but the server build leaves out client-side assets, so it is roughly 43 MB instead of around 400 MB. That is a much faster upload and the same result. Do not extract, rename or otherwise modify the file, because Pixelmon checks it. The universal jar works too if that is all you have.

Can Bedrock players join a Pixelmon server?

No. Pixelmon is a client-side mod for Minecraft Java Edition, and Geyser only bridges Bedrock players to servers that an unmodified Java client could already join. Since Pixelmon rejects any client without the matching mod, a Bedrock player cannot get in through any bridge. Everyone needs Java Edition with the same Pixelmon version the server is running.

How do I change shiny rates and spawns?

In `config/pixelmon/`, which is YAML files rather than the old hocon format. `spawning/general.yml` holds `shiny-rate`, which defaults to 4096.0 and works as a denominator, plus hidden ability rates. `spawning/wild.yml` holds the performance-relevant caps such as `entities-per-player` and `maximum-spawned-pokemon`. Edit the server copies, not your client's, and restart for the changes to apply.

Why does my server lag with lots of players?

Pixelmon spawns per player, so entity counts climb with player count rather than world size. Lower `entities-per-player` from 30 in `spawning/wild.yml`, reduce `maximum-spawned-pokemon`, and raise `player-tracking-spawner-spawn-collection-rate` in `spawning/general.yml`, which the Pixelmon documentation explicitly recommends increasing on servers. Those three do more than any amount of extra RAM.

Will my players lose their Pokemon when I update?

Not for a normal update inside the same Minecraft version, where you swap the jar in `mods/` and restart. The one that caused problems historically was the move from Pixelmon 8 to 9, which relocated player party and PC data. Always back up the world first. Remember every player must be on exactly the server's version, or they get a mod rejection message when connecting.

Minecraft modpack · CurseForge

Pixelmon Server Hosting

by PixelmonMod

NeoForgeMinecraft 1.21.1Java 21

How install works

One-click install from the Modpacks tab once your server is ready

Recommended RAM: 5 GB
Latest build: v9.3.16May 2026
Mod loader: NeoForge1.21.1
Downloads: 20.1MCurseForge

The Pixelmon Modpack is a thin wrapper around one very large mod. Fourteen entries in total, and almost all of the content comes from Pixelmon itself, with the rest being a map, a recipe viewer and a handful of world generation mods that make exploring worthwhile.

Pixelmon is the older and the deeper of the two Pokemon projects for Minecraft. Over 900 species, with breeding, trading, raids, gyms, quests, Ultra Space, a trading card game and PokeLoot chests scattered through the world. If a Pokemon system exists in the handheld games, there is a reasonable chance someone has implemented a version of it here. It is closed source and has been maintained for years by the Pixelmon team, now on NeoForge for Minecraft 1.21.1.

For a server, that depth cuts both ways. There is far more to configure than in a lighter pack, and the settings genuinely matter, because spawn behavior is what decides whether your server runs well. It suits groups who want the full Pokemon feature list and are happy to spend an evening on setup, which is fortunate, because this pack needs a manual install.

Hosting Pixelmon

This pack installs by hand, and why

Pixelmon's current builds do not publish a server pack on CurseForge. The last one that did was 9.3.14 in January 2026, so anything newer cannot be deployed by a one-click modpack installer.

The official route is straightforward over SFTP or the file manager:

Start the server once on NeoForge for 1.21.1 and accept the EULA.
Delete the world it generated, so Pixelmon structures and biomes appear near spawn on the real first boot.
Upload the Pixelmon jar into mods/ and start again.

Pixelmon publishes a -server jar alongside the -universal one, around 43 MB against roughly 400 MB, because it leaves out client assets. Use it, and do not unpack or rename it.

5 GB, and the settings that protect it

The Pixelmon team ask for at least 4 GB and more if you can. We set 5 GB for a group of around six. Where that budget goes is entities, and Pixelmon gives you unusually direct control in config/pixelmon/spawning/wild.yml:

entities-per-player: 30
maximum-spawned-pokemon: 3000
spawns-per-pass: 2

There is also a setting in spawning/general.yml that the documentation specifically calls out for servers, player-tracking-spawner-spawn-collection-rate. Raising it from 2 means fewer spawns per player and noticeably less work for the server.

The config is YAML, not hocon

Older guides tell you to edit pixelmon.hocon. That was Pixelmon 8 on 1.12.2 and no longer exists. Current settings live in config/pixelmon/ as separate .yml files: spawning/general.yml for shiny and hidden ability rates, storage.yml for PC boxes and async saving, battle.yml for battle rules, spawning/legendary.yml for legendary timing. Change them on the server, not the client, and restart.

One setting worth deciding early is spawn-mode in spawning/pokeloot.yml. The default is first come first served, which on a shared server means the first player to find each PokeLoot chest empties it permanently.

Java and updating

Pixelmon 9.3.0 and above require Java 21, which the panel selects for you. Updating within the same Minecraft version is a jar swap. Every player has to run exactly the server's Pixelmon version or they are rejected on connect, so update the group together.

Install

Manual, by design

Current Pixelmon builds publish no server pack, so the jar goes into mods/ over SFTP rather than one-click.

Upload

Take the -server jar

Around 43 MB instead of roughly 400 MB for the universal build, with the client assets left out.

Spawns

Entity caps are your budget

entities-per-player and maximum-spawned-pokemon in wild.yml decide how the server performs under load.

How to install Pixelmon on your server

1
Order the server
The button on this page preselects the RAM this pack needs. It is online about a minute after checkout.
2
Open the Modpacks tab and search Pixelmon
Pixelmon's recent builds ship no server pack, so install it by hand: start a NeoForge 1.21.1 server once, accept the EULA, delete the generated world, then upload the Pixelmon `-server` jar into `mods/` over SFTP and start again.
3
Press install and wait
The panel downloads the server pack, installs the loader and the right Java version, then restarts.
4
Join with the same build
Everyone installs the same pack build in their launcher, then connects to the address on the Overview tab.

Available builds

Build	Minecraft	Loader	Released	Installable
v9.4.0Beta	1.21.1	NeoForge	Aug 17, 2026
v9.3.16	1.21.1	NeoForge	May 5, 2026
v9.3.15Beta	1.21.1	NeoForge	Apr 19, 2026
v9.3.14	1.21.1	NeoForge	Jan 13, 2026	Installable
v9.3.13	1.21.1	NeoForge	Dec 21, 2025	Installable