Palworld is a survival and crafting game with creature collecting. A dedicated server lets up to 32 players share a persistent world without anyone hosting from their own PC. The server runs on Linux, but it’s memory-hungry, so size it carefully.

Requirements

  • 4 vCPU and 16 GB RAM is the official recommendation. A small group can start with 8 GB, but memory use grows the longer the server runs and the more bases exist. Scheduled restarts help.
  • Fast single-thread CPU performance.
  • UDP port 8211 (game), plus optional ports for RCON and the REST API.
  • A location near your players. See choosing a VPS location and game server VPS.

Add swap as a safety net against out-of-memory crashes. See swap.

Install with SteamCMD

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steamcmd lib32gcc-s1
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" palworld
sudo -iu palworld
/usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/palworld +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

The Palworld dedicated server’s app ID is 2394010. Some setups also need the Steamworks SDK library linked into ~/.steam/sdk64/ (steamclient.so). Check the log for errors about it.

Test run:

cd ~/palworld && ./PalServer.sh -port=8211 -players=16 -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS

The first run creates the config folders. Stop it with Ctrl+C.

Configure PalWorldSettings.ini

Copy the default settings, then edit:

cp ~/palworld/DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini ~/palworld/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
nano ~/palworld/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

The file is one long OptionSettings=(...) line. Key options:

Setting Meaning
ServerName, ServerDescription Shown in the server list
ServerPassword Password to join (empty = public)
AdminPassword Used for admin commands and RCON
ServerPlayerMaxNum Max players (up to 32)
ExpRate, PalCaptureRate, DeathPenalty Gameplay rates
RCONEnabled, RCONPort Remote console
RESTAPIEnabled, RESTAPIPort HTTP admin API (newer versions)
bIsMultiplay, bEnableInvaderEnemy Various world rules

Edit only while the server is stopped. Otherwise it overwrites your changes on shutdown.

systemd service with auto-restart

# /etc/systemd/system/palworld.service
[Unit]
Description=Palworld Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target

[Service]
User=palworld
WorkingDirectory=/home/palworld/palworld
ExecStartPre=/usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/palworld/palworld +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 +quit
ExecStart=/home/palworld/palworld/PalServer.sh -port=8211 -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS
Restart=always
RestartSec=15

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
sudo systemctl daemon-reload && sudo systemctl enable --now palworld

Scheduled restarts keep memory in check. Warn players and save first (via RCON or the REST API), then restart, for example daily at 05:00 with cron or a systemd timer. See systemd timers.

Firewall

sudo ufw allow 8211/udp
# RCON (25575/tcp) and the REST API (8212/tcp): don't open publicly; use SSH tunnels or your IP only

See UFW.

Admin commands

In game, open chat and run /AdminPassword <password>, then use commands such as /Save, /ShowPlayers, /KickPlayer <SteamID>, /BanPlayer <SteamID>, and /Shutdown <seconds> <message>. The same commands work over RCON with tools like rcon-cli, which is useful for scripted saves before restarts.

Joining

In Palworld: Join Multiplayer Game → enter your-server-ip:8211 at the bottom → Connect. Xbox and PC crossplay depends on the game version and the server’s platform settings (AllowConnectPlatform).

Backups

The world lives in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world-id>/:

tar czf /backups/palworld-$(date +%F-%H%M).tgz -C /home/palworld/palworld/Pal/Saved SaveGames

Back up every few hours, and before updates (game updates have occasionally caused save problems). Copy backups off the server. See backup strategy.

Docker alternative

Community images (for example thijsvanloef/palworld-server-docker) configure everything with environment variables, include RCON, scheduled backups and restarts, and are a popular choice. The resource needs are the same.

Quick reference

Item Value
SteamCMD app ID 2394010
Game port 8211/udp
Settings file Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
Saves Pal/Saved/SaveGames/
Recommended 4 vCPU / 16 GB RAM

Related: Valheim dedicated server and LinuxGSM.

  • Game Server
  • SteamCMD
  • Linux