Palworld Server Troubleshooting Guide
This page helps you troubleshoot the most common issues people run into when hosting a Palworld server. It's written for HypeServ users, but the underlying fixes apply to Palworld servers in general.
Quick checklist (do this first)
Before digging into a specific error, check these:
- Restart the server so it pulls the latest server files.
- Confirm the server status is running in the panel.
- Check the client and server are on the same game version.
- Read the last lines of the Console tab — they usually name the problem.
- If you recently added a mod: remove the newest one and retry (mods are a top cause of startup crashes).
Server won't start / keeps crashing
Fails right after a game update
Palworld updates occasionally change the server files or config format.
- Restart the server so it downloads the newest build (your HypeServ server updates automatically).
- If it still fails, temporarily remove any mods and start again.
- If a bad save is suspected, restore a recent snapshot from the Backups tab.
Starts, then immediately closes
A malformed OptionSettings=( ... ) line — a missing bracket, quote or comma — can make the server refuse to boot or silently reset to defaults.
- Open
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.iniin the Files tab. - Make sure everything stays on the one
OptionSettingsline, values comma‑separated, text in quotes. - If in doubt, rebuild the line with a settings generator and paste it back.
Always stop the server before editing, then start again — edits made while running are overwritten on shutdown.
Players can't connect
- Have players use Join Multiplayer (Dedicated Server), then enter your address as
IP:Port(orsubdomain:Port) — not an invite code. - Double‑check the game port shown in your panel. Palworld's default is UDP
8211. - If you set a
ServerPassword, make sure players enter it exactly.
Palworld gameplay runs over UDP. On HypeServ, the game port is assigned and forwarded automatically — just make sure players connect to the exact port in your panel.
If you enabled RCON or the REST API, allocate a port for each under the Ports tab and set RCONPort / RESTAPIPort to the assigned number — HypeServ ports are random, not fixed. See the Ports guide.
CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac) in your config.Server not showing in the community list
If you want your server in the in‑game Community Servers browser but it isn't appearing:
- Make sure the relevant community/visibility settings are enabled in
PalWorldSettings.ini(see Configuration & Access). - Give it a few minutes after a restart to register.
- Direct connect (
IP:Port) always works even when the browser doesn't list it.
Performance: lag that gets worse over time
Palworld is known to slowly leak memory the longer it runs. Symptoms: the server feels fine after a restart, then gets laggy after several hours.
Fixes that work well:
- Schedule an automatic restart every few hours (panel Scheduler) — this is the single most effective fix.
- Make sure you have enough RAM headroom; see the Sizing guide.
- Keep
ServerPlayerMaxNumand base counts reasonable for your plan.
My progress was rolled back / save issues
- Palworld auto‑saves periodically, so a crash can lose the last few minutes.
- Use the Backups tab to restore a known‑good save.
- Force a manual
/Savebefore planned restarts, and prefer/Shutdownover/DoExitso the world saves cleanly.