ssh root@your-server-ip

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo reboot

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash steam
sudo passwd steam

sudo -iu steam

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
    software-properties-common \
    lib32gcc-s1 \
    libsdl2-2.0-0:i386 \
    libc6-i386 \
    curl \
    wget \
    tar \
    xz-utils \
    ca-certificates

Setting up lib32gcc-s1 (14.2.0-4ubuntu2~24.04) ...
Setting up libsdl2-2.0-0:i386 (2.30.0+dfsg-1build3) ...
...
0 upgraded, 14 newly installed, 0 to remove.

sudo -iu steam
mkdir -p ~/steamcmd
cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sSL https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz | tar -xz

ls -la ~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh

./steamcmd.sh +quit

Redirecting stderr to '/home/steam/Steam/logs/stderr.txt'
[  0%] Checking for available updates...
[----] Verifying installation...
Steam Console Client (c) Valve Corporation - version 1739067670
-- type 'quit' to exit --
Loading Steam API...OK

mkdir -p ~/palworld
cd ~/steamcmd
./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/palworld \
    +login anonymous \
    +app_update 2394010 validate \
    +quit

Connecting anonymously to Steam Public...OK
Waiting for client config...OK
Waiting for user info...OK
 Update state (0x3) reconfiguring, progress: 0.00 (0 / 0)
 Update state (0x61) downloading, progress: 12.34 (185012000 / 1498000000)
 ...
 Update state (0x81) verifying update, progress: 97.45 (1459820000 / 1498000000)
Success! App '2394010' fully installed.

ls /home/steam/palworld

Engine  Pal  PalServer.sh  steamapps

cd ~/palworld
./PalServer.sh

LogInit: Engine is initialized. Leaving FEngineLoop::Init()
LogPalServerDedicated: Pal Server Version: 0.3.4.xxxxx
LogNet: Game server listening on port 8211

/home/steam/palworld/DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini

/home/steam/palworld/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

mkdir -p ~/palworld/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer
cp ~/palworld/DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini \
   ~/palworld/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini

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

[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,ExpRate=1.200000,PalCaptureRate=1.200000,PalSpawnNumRate=1.000000,PalDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PalDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerStomachDecreaseRate=1.000000,PlayerStaminaDecreaseRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,PalStomachDecreaseRate=1.000000,PalStaminaDecreaseRate=1.000000,PalAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,BuildObjectDamageRate=1.000000,BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate=1.000000,CollectionDropRate=1.500000,CollectionObjectHpRate=1.000000,CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate=1.000000,EnemyDropItemRate=1.000000,DeathPenalty=ItemAndEquipment,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=False,bEnableFriendlyFire=False,bEnableInvaderEnemy=True,bActiveUNKO=False,bEnableAimAssistPad=True,bEnableAimAssistKeyboard=False,DropItemMaxNum=3000,DropItemMaxNum_UNKO=100,BaseCampMaxNum=128,BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=15,DropItemAliveMaxHours=1.000000,bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=False,AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers=72.000000,GuildPlayerMaxNum=20,PalEggDefaultHatchingTime=72.000000,WorkSpeedRate=1.000000,bIsMultiplay=True,bIsPvP=False,bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop=False,bEnableNonLoginPenalty=True,bEnableFastTravel=True,bIsStartLocationSelectByMap=True,bExistPlayerAfterLogout=False,bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer=False,CoopPlayerMaxNum=4,ServerPlayerMaxNum=32,ServerName="My Palworld Server",ServerDescription="A self-hosted Palworld world on Ubuntu 24.04.",AdminPassword="change-me-strong-admin-pass",ServerPassword="",PublicPort=8211,PublicIP="",RCONEnabled=True,RCONPort=25575,Region="",bUseAuth=True,BanListURL="https://api.palworldgame.com/api/banlist.txt")

sudo ufw allow 8211/udp comment 'Palworld game'
sudo ufw reload
sudo ufw status

Status: active
To                         Action      From
--                         ------      ----
22/tcp                     ALLOW       Anywhere
8211/udp                   ALLOW       Anywhere                   # Palworld game

sudo ufw allow from YOUR.HOME.IP.HERE to any port 25575 proto tcp comment 'Palworld RCON'

sudo apt install -y mcrcon

mcrcon -H 127.0.0.1 -P 25575 -p 'change-me-strong-admin-pass' 'Info'

Welcome to Palworld Dedicated Server[v0.3.4.xxxxx] My Palworld Server

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/palworld.service > /dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Palworld Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=steam
Group=steam
WorkingDirectory=/home/steam/palworld
ExecStartPre=/home/steam/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/palworld +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 +quit
ExecStart=/home/steam/palworld/PalServer.sh -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
KillSignal=SIGINT
TimeoutStopSec=60
LimitNOFILE=65535
Hardening
NoNewPrivileges=true
PrivateTmp=true
ProtectSystem=full
ProtectHome=false
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable palworld
sudo systemctl start palworld

sudo systemctl status palworld

* palworld.service - Palworld Dedicated Server
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/palworld.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Wed 2026-04-16 10:00:00 UTC; 30s ago
   Main PID: 2345 (PalServer-Linux)
      Tasks: 24 (limit: 19055)
     Memory: 3.2G
        CPU: 18.456s
     CGroup: /system.slice/palworld.service
             -2345 /home/steam/palworld/Pal/Binaries/Linux/PalServer-Linux-Shipping Pal ...</code></pre></div>
Tail the logs in real time:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo journalctl -u palworld -f</code></pre></div>
For a deeper look at systemd unit files, see Managing systemd Services on Ubuntu 24.04.
Step 10: Automate World Backups
Palworld stores its entire world state -- players, Pals, bases, inventories -- under:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="text"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">text</span></div><pre><code class="language-text">/home/steam/palworld/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/</code></pre></div>
A single corrupted save can erase weeks of progress. Set up a cron job that snapshots this directory every 30 minutes and retains the last 7 days of backups.
Create a backup script as the steam user:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo -iu steam
mkdir -p ~/palworld-backups
tee ~/palworld-backup.sh &gt; /dev/null &lt;&lt;'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail
SRC=&quot;/home/steam/palworld/Pal/Saved/SaveGames&quot;
DST=&quot;/home/steam/palworld-backups&quot;
STAMP=&quot;$(date -u +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)&quot;
Create compressed snapshot

tar -czf &quot;${DST}/palworld-save-${STAMP}.tar.gz&quot; -C &quot;$(dirname &quot;$SRC&quot;)&quot; &quot;$(basename &quot;$SRC&quot;)&quot;
Retain last 7 days only (336 snapshots at 30-min cadence)
find &quot;${DST}&quot; -name 'palworld-save-*.tar.gz' -mtime +7 -delete
EOF
chmod +x ~/palworld-backup.sh</code></pre></div>
Install the cron entry:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">crontab -e</code></pre></div>
Add this line:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="text"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">text</span></div><pre><code class="language-text">/30    * /home/steam/palworld-backup.sh &gt;&gt; /home/steam/palworld-backups/backup.log 2&gt;&amp;1</code></pre></div>
Verify the first snapshot after 30 minutes:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">ls -lah ~/palworld-backups/</code></pre></div>
For disaster recovery, also rsync the backup directory to offsite storage (S3, Backblaze B2, another VPS) on a daily schedule. A single tar.gz of a mature 20-player world is typically 100-500 MB -- trivial to archive offsite.
Restoring a Backup
Stop the server, extract the snapshot back over SaveGames, then restart:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo systemctl stop palworld
cd /home/steam/palworld/Pal/Saved
sudo -u steam tar -xzf /home/steam/palworld-backups/palworld-save-20260416-033000.tar.gz
sudo systemctl start palworld</code></pre></div>
Admin Commands via RCON
With RCON enabled, run admin actions without logging into the game. All commands follow the pattern:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">mcrcon -H 127.0.0.1 -P 25575 -p 'YOUR-ADMIN-PASSWORD' 'Command Arguments'</code></pre></div>
Common Admin Commands

<div class="article-table-wrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Command</th><th>Purpose</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>Info</code></td><td>Show server version and name</td></tr><tr><td><code>ShowPlayers</code></td><td>List connected players with SteamID and PlayerUID</td></tr><tr><td><code>Broadcast &lt;message&gt;</code></td><td>Send a server-wide chat message (no spaces in message)</td></tr><tr><td><code>Save</code></td><td>Force an immediate world save</td></tr><tr><td><code>Shutdown &lt;seconds&gt; &lt;message&gt;</code></td><td>Graceful countdown shutdown with broadcast message</td></tr><tr><td><code>DoExit</code></td><td>Immediate shutdown (no save) -- avoid unless stuck</td></tr><tr><td><code>KickPlayer &lt;SteamID&gt;</code></td><td>Kick a player by their Steam ID</td></tr><tr><td><code>BanPlayer &lt;SteamID&gt;</code></td><td>Permanently ban a player</td></tr><tr><td><code>TeleportToPlayer &lt;SteamID&gt;</code></td><td>Teleport yourself to a player (must be logged in)</td></tr><tr><td><code>TeleportToMe &lt;SteamID&gt;</code></td><td>Summon a player to your position</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
Scheduled Daily Restart
Palworld benefits from a daily restart to flush memory and apply any Steam updates. Add a cron entry that issues a graceful RCON shutdown at 5 AM:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="text"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">text</span></div><pre><code class="language-text">0 5   * mcrcon -H 127.0.0.1 -P 25575 -p 'YOUR-ADMIN-PASSWORD' 'Shutdown 300 Server_restarting_in_5_minutes'</code></pre></div>
Because systemd has Restart=on-failure, the service will not auto-restart after a clean shutdown. To get auto-restart after a scheduled Shutdown, change the unit to Restart=always -- or leave it as-is and add a @reboot or paired systemctl start cron entry five minutes later.
Performance Tuning
Palworld's UE5 server is notoriously CPU-heavy. The community has converged on a small set of launch flags and kernel tweaks that meaningfully improve frame pacing under load.
Launch Flags (already in our systemd unit)
<div class="code-block" data-lang="text"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">text</span></div><pre><code class="language-text">-useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS</code></pre></div>
These flags instruct the Unreal Engine runtime to:
-useperfthreads -- Promote critical worker threads to real-time priority where possible, reducing tick jitter.

-NoAsyncLoadingThread -- Disable the async asset loader (unnecessary on a headless server), freeing a core.

-UseMultithreadForDS -- Enable multi-threaded dedicated-server mode (enabled by default in newer builds; explicit flag is harmless).


Kernel and Resource Tuning
Raise the open-file limit (large worlds hit it):
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo tee /etc/security/limits.d/palworld.conf &gt; /dev/null &lt;&lt;EOF
steam soft nofile 65535
steam hard nofile 65535
EOF</code></pre></div>
Increase UDP buffer sizes for smoother networking under 20+ player load:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/99-palworld.conf &gt; /dev/null &lt;&lt;EOF
net.core.rmem_max=16777216
net.core.wmem_max=16777216
net.core.netdev_max_backlog=5000
EOF
sudo sysctl --system</code></pre></div>
CPU Governor
On dedicated VPS hardware, set the performance governor so cores do not clock down during lull:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo apt install -y cpufrequtils
echo 'GOVERNOR=&quot;performance&quot;' | sudo tee /etc/default/cpufrequtils
sudo systemctl restart cpufrequtils</code></pre></div>
Note: many virtualized VPS platforms fix the governor at the hypervisor level, in which case this is a no-op but harmless.
Memory Sizing Reference
Approximate RAM usage by player count on a mature world:
<div class="article-table-wrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Players</th><th>Approximate RAM Usage</th><th>Recommended Plan</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1-4</td><td>6-8 GB</td><td>CloudCore Professional (12 GB)</td></tr><tr><td>5-10</td><td>8-12 GB</td><td>CloudCore Professional (12 GB)</td></tr><tr><td>11-20</td><td>12-16 GB</td><td>CloudCore Business (16 GB)</td></tr><tr><td>21-32</td><td>16-24 GB</td><td>CloudCore Business (16 GB) or larger</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
If you see the OOM-killer terminate PalServer-Linux-Shipping in dmesg, you need more RAM -- not more swap. Swap thrashing on a game server causes unplayable stutters.
Updating the Server
Palworld receives patches regularly, and clients will refuse to connect to an out-of-date server. The update command is the same SteamCMD invocation used for install:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo systemctl stop palworld
sudo -iu steam bash -c '/home/steam/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/palworld +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit'
sudo systemctl start palworld</code></pre></div>
Because our systemd unit includes ExecStartPre= that runs the same app_update on every start, you can alternatively just restart the service:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo systemctl restart palworld</code></pre></div>
The validate flag checksums every file and re-downloads any mismatches. It adds a minute or two to the update but prevents subtle corruption issues after failed downloads.
To check the currently installed build ID:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">grep -A1 '&quot;2394010&quot;' /home/steam/palworld/steamapps/appmanifest_2394010.acf | grep buildid</code></pre></div>
Compare against the latest build ID on SteamDB to see whether you are current.
Troubleshooting

<div class="article-table-wrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Problem</th><th>Cause</th><th>Solution</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Server killed with <code>out of memory</code> in <code>dmesg</code></td><td>RAM exhausted under player load</td><td>Upgrade to more RAM. Do not compensate with swap -- it causes stutters. Check <code>free -h</code> and ps aux --sort=-rss \head.</td></tr><tr><td>CPU pegged at 100% constantly</td><td>Too many base workers / overbuilt bases / insufficient vCPU</td><td>Lower <code>BaseCampWorkerMaxNum</code>. Upgrade vCPU. Check hot cores with <code>htop</code>.</td></tr><tr><td>Save file corruption after crash</td><td>Ungraceful shutdown mid-save</td><td>Restore latest backup from <code>~/palworld-backups/</code>. Ensure systemd <code>KillSignal=SIGINT</code> and <code>TimeoutStopSec=60</code> are set.</td></tr><tr><td>Players cannot connect</td><td>UDP/8211 blocked or wrong public IP</td><td>Verify UFW: <code>sudo ufw status</code>. Verify provider firewall. Test from outside: <code>nc -u -zv YOUR.IP 8211</code>.</td></tr><tr><td>"Server is full" despite low player count</td><td><code>ServerPlayerMaxNum</code> misset</td><td>Edit <code>PalWorldSettings.ini</code>, set to <code>32</code>, restart service.</td></tr><tr><td>RCON connection refused</td><td>RCON not enabled or wrong port</td><td>Confirm <code>RCONEnabled=True</code> and <code>RCONPort=25575</code>. Check ss -tlnp \grep 25575.</td></tr><tr><td>Server unreachable after Palworld patch</td><td>Client version newer than server</td><td>Run <code>sudo systemctl restart palworld</code> to trigger the <code>ExecStartPre</code> update, or manually <code>app_update 2394010 validate</code>.</td></tr><tr><td>High packet loss / rubber-banding</td><td>Insufficient UDP buffers</td><td>Apply the <code>sysctl</code> tuning in <a href="#performance-tuning">Performance Tuning</a>.</td></tr><tr><td><code>steamcmd.sh: not found</code> or 32-bit errors</td><td>Multiarch i386 libraries missing</td><td>Re-run the <code>dpkg --add-architecture i386</code> step and reinstall <code>lib32gcc-s1</code>.</td></tr><tr><td>Server starts, then exits after ~30 seconds</td><td>First run without generated config</td><td>Complete <a href="#step-5-first-launch-and-config-generation">Step 5</a> to create <code>PalWorldSettings.ini</code>.</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
Viewing Logs
The most useful debugging tool is the systemd journal:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo journalctl -u palworld -f</code></pre></div>
For the last 200 lines without following:
<div class="code-block" data-lang="bash"><div class="code-block__header"><span class="code-block__lang">bash</span></div><pre><code class="language-bash">sudo journalctl -u palworld -n 200 --no-pager</code></pre></div>
In-game logs also land under ~/palworld/Pal/Saved/Logs/Pal.log -- useful for Unreal-specific errors.
FAQ
How many players can a Palworld dedicated server support?
The current dedicated server binary supports up to 32 concurrent players, configured via ServerPlayerMaxNum in PalWorldSettings.ini. This is an engine-level cap; you cannot exceed it without unofficial modifications. Most servers run comfortably at 16-24 active players on a 16 GB VPS; filling to 32 typically benefits from 24 GB+ of RAM, especially if players build large bases with many Pal workers.
Do I need to own Palworld on Steam to run the dedicated server?
No. The dedicated server (app ID 2394010) is a separate anonymous download on Steam. You log in to SteamCMD as anonymous -- no account, no purchase required on the server host. Players joining the server of course still need to own Palworld on their own Steam accounts.
Can I run Palworld on a 4 GB or 8 GB VPS?
4 GB is not realistic -- the server will OOM within minutes. 8 GB works for a 2-4 player family/friends world with a modest base, but will be cramped. For anything resembling a public or semi-public server, start at 16 GB. UE5 world simulation and Pal AI scale aggressively with player count and base size; undersizing results in OOM kills that corrupt saves.
How do I migrate my save to a new VPS?
Stop the server on the old host, tar the entire ~/palworld/Pal/Saved/ directory, copy it to the new host with scp or rsync, then extract it in the matching location on the new install. Both SaveGames/ (world state) and Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini (your settings) move together. Restart, and the world resumes exactly where it stopped.
Does Palworld support mods on dedicated servers?
Palworld is still in early access and does not yet have official mod support for dedicated servers. Community-made tools exist for save editing (viewing Pal stats, respawning eggs, resetting player data), and some admins run Discord bots that use RCON to bridge chat between game and Discord. Official mod and plugin APIs are on Pocketpair's published roadmap.
Why is my CPU usage so high even with only a few players?
Palworld's CPU cost is dominated by base worker Pal AI, not player count. A single player with 3 fully-staffed level-4 bases can generate more CPU load than 10 players exploring the open world. If CPU pegs, lower BaseCampWorkerMaxNum (default 15, try 10), or restrict BaseCampMaxNum per guild. Large bases with many moving Pals are the biggest tick-rate consumers.
How often should I back up the save?
Every 15-30 minutes for active servers. Saves are small (tens to hundreds of MB compressed) and the main risk is crash-time corruption, not gradual data loss. Retain at least 7 days of snapshots, and copy a daily archive to offsite storage. Our cron example above implements exactly this pattern.
Next Steps
Now that your Palworld server is running, here are recommended next steps to extend the setup:
Hook up a Discord bot via RCON -- Tools like Palworld-Discord-Bot bridge in-game chat to a Discord channel, let admins issue RCON commands from Discord, and announce player joins/leaves.


Set up Uptime Kuma monitoring -- Deploy Uptime Kuma on the same or a separate VPS and monitor your UDP/8211 game port, RCON socket, and system metrics. Get Discord/email alerts when the world goes down.

Offsite backup to S3 or Backblaze B2 -- Extend the backup cron to rclone copy the snapshot tarballs to cloud object storage nightly. At typical save sizes, a year of daily archives costs pennies.


Run a web dashboard -- Deploy palworld-server-toolkit or a community web panel on the same VPS to inspect Pals, manage guilds, and issue commands from a browser.

Tune for a PvP world -- Flip bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=True and bIsPvP=True, then revisit multipliers like PlayerDamageRateAttack to balance combat pace. Consider a shorter death penalty (Item instead of ItemAndEquipment`) to reduce PvP friction.

Pair with a VPN for private worlds -- For a strictly-friends server, skip the public UFW rule and instead allow UDP/8211 only from a WireGuard subnet. Friends connect to the VPN first, then join the game.

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