How To Enable Hardcore Mode On Your Palworld Server

Learn how to enable hardcore mode on your Palworld dedicated server. Turn on permanent death for players and optionally for Pals.

Hardcore mode adds permanent death to your Palworld server, meaning when a player dies, their character is gone for good. You can also enable permanent Pal death separately, raising the stakes even further. This mode is ideal for experienced players looking for a true survival challenge.

Screenshot: Palworld hardcore mode settings

How To Enable Hardcore Mode

Open the XGamingServer panel

Access the XGamingServer panel and stop your Palworld server.

Go to Startup

In the sidebar, go to Startup.

Configure hardcore settings

Under the Player section, change the following:

bHardcore - Set to True to enable permanent player death.

Optionally, under the Pals section:

bPalLost - Set to True to enable permanent Pal death. When a Pal dies, it is gone forever.
bCharacterRecreateInHardcore - Set to True to allow players to create a new character after a hardcore death, rather than being locked out permanently.

⚠️ Warning: With hardcore mode enabled, characters and Pals are permanently lost when they die. Make sure your players understand this before enabling it on a populated server.

💡 Tip: Consider enabling bCharacterRecreateInHardcore so players can start fresh after dying instead of being completely locked out. This keeps the challenge without losing players entirely.

Restart your server

Start your server from the Console page to apply the changes.

If you need help with your server settings, join our Discord.