How to Change Difficulty on Your Terraria Server
Set the world difficulty (Classic, Expert, Master, Journey) and world size on your Terraria dedicated server.
Terraria has four difficulty modes that affect enemy stats, loot drops, and gameplay mechanics. Difficulty is set when the world is generated and cannot be changed afterward — to switch difficulty, you need a new world.
Difficulty Modes
| Value | Mode | Description |
|---|---|---|
0 | Classic | Original Terraria experience. Balanced for casual players |
1 | Expert | Tougher enemies, better loot, new boss mechanics |
2 | Master | Hardest combat. Maximum challenge for experienced players |
3 | Journey | Creative mode — research items, time control, item duplication |
Set the Difficulty
Important: Difficulty is locked when the world is created. Changing it on an existing world has no effect. To switch difficulty, you need to generate a new world.
Open Startup
In the XGamingServer Panel, click Startup in the sidebar.
Set Difficulty
Find the Difficulty variable and set it to 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Set a new World Name
Change the World Name to a new value so Terraria creates a fresh world with the new difficulty.
Start
Start from Console. The new world generates with your chosen difficulty.
Open serverconfig.txt
In Files, open serverconfig.txt.
Set difficulty and worldname
difficulty=2
worldname=NewMasterWorld
autocreate=2The autocreate setting controls world size: 1 = Small, 2 = Medium, 3 = Large.
Save and start
Click Save Content and start the server.
World Size
Set when the world is generated, alongside difficulty:
| Value | Size | Approximate dimensions |
|---|---|---|
1 | Small | 4200 × 1200 tiles |
2 | Medium | 6400 × 1800 tiles |
3 | Large | 8400 × 2400 tiles |
World Seed
For reproducible world generation, set a seed:
seed=myCustomSeedSame seed + same size + same difficulty = same world layout. Use this for shared starting points or speedrun events.
Special "Easter Egg" Seeds
| Seed | Effect |
|---|---|
for the worthy | Master difficulty++ — extra-hard mode |
not the bees | Bees-only world for chaotic gameplay |
5162020 | Don't Starve crossover features |
celebrationmk10 | Anniversary world with rainbow blocks |
getfixedboi | Combines multiple secret seeds — extreme challenge |
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