Change Difficulty on Your Minecraft Server

How to change the difficulty level between Peaceful, Easy, Normal, and Hard on your Minecraft server.

Changing Difficulty

Via Console

difficulty peaceful
difficulty easy
difficulty normal
difficulty hard

Via server.properties

difficulty=normal

Difficulty Levels

LevelMobsHungerNotes
peacefulNo hostile mobsNo hunger drainHealth regenerates quickly
easyHostile mobs (low damage)Hunger drains slowlyCan't starve to death
normalHostile mobs (normal damage)Normal hunger drainCan starve to half a heart
hardHostile mobs (high damage)Fast hunger drainCan starve to death. Zombies break doors.

📝 Note: Changing difficulty takes effect immediately — no restart needed when using the console command.

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