How to Change Difficulty on Your Valheim Server
Use Valheim's built-in difficulty presets and granular world modifiers to tune combat, death penalty, resources, raids, and portals.
Valheim has a built-in difficulty system with preset modes and granular per-category modifiers. Both are set via startup parameters.
Difficulty Presets
A preset is a single startup parameter that sets multiple modifiers at once.
-preset hardcore| Preset | What It Does |
|---|---|
casual | Easy combat, no death penalty, abundant resources, all items through portals. Best for first-timers |
easy | Reduced combat damage, lighter death penalty |
default | Standard Valheim experience |
hard | Tougher enemies, larger death penalty, fewer resources |
hardcore | Permadeath — character is deleted on death |
hammer | Casual + raids enabled. Best for building servers |
immersive | Hard combat, restricted portals (no metals through portals) |
Apply a Preset
Open Startup
In the XGamingServer Panel, click Startup in the sidebar.
Set the preset
Find the Preset variable (maps to -preset) and enter your chosen preset name.
Restart the server
Go to Console and restart.
Granular World Modifiers
Instead of (or alongside) a preset, you can set individual modifiers with -modifier <type> <value>:
| Modifier | Values | What It Affects |
|---|---|---|
combat | veryeasy, easy, hard, veryhard | Enemy damage and HP |
deathpenalty | casual, veryeasy, easy, hard, hardcore | Skill loss / item drops on death |
portals | casual, hard, veryhard | Portal restrictions (which items can pass through) |
resources | muchless, less, more, muchmore, most | Loot from gathering and chests |
raids | none, muchless, less, more, muchmore | Frequency of base raids |
Combining Modifiers
You can stack multiple modifier flags in your startup. For example:
-modifier combat hard -modifier resources more -modifier raids lessThis gives hard combat, more resources, and fewer raids — without using a full preset.
Mid-World Modifier Changes
You can change modifiers on an existing world by editing startup and restarting the server. Modifiers are applied each time the world loads — they're not baked into the world data.
Tip: Combine
-preset hammerwith-modifier combat veryeasyfor a building-focused server with relaxed combat but raids enabled to keep things interesting.
Related Guides
- World Modifiers — full reference for every modifier
- Server Launch Parameters
- Server Events and Raids
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Enable crossplay on your Valheim dedicated server so Steam, Xbox, Microsoft Store, and Game Pass players can all connect.
Disable Building and Crafting Costs on Your Valheim Server
Enable free building mode on your Valheim dedicated server using the nobuildcost world modifier or the hammer preset.