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Palworld: How to Enable Hardcore Mode

Learn how to enable Hardcore Mode in Palworld by editing the correct server config, setting True or False values, and safely applying permadeath options. -> Find out more now

10 November 20263 min read1 Views0 helpful

Introduction

Hardcore Mode in Palworld activates permanent death rules for players and optionally for Pals. In this guide, you will learn how to manually enable Hardcore Mode on your ZAP-Hosting Palworld game server by editing the correct configuration file and then restarting the server.

Edit the Hardcore Settings

Palworld stores many gameplay settings in the configuration entry OptionSettings within the PalWorldSettings.ini file. You must manually set the relevant Hardcore values there.

Required Configuration Keys

The following configuration keys control the Hardcore behavior:

Config KeyValueEffect
bHardcoreTrue or FalseEnables or disables permanent player death
bPalLostTrue or FalseEnables or disables permanent Pal loss on death
bCharacterRecreateInHardcoreTrue or FalseAllows creating a new character after a Hardcore death
ScenariobHardcorebPalLostbCharacterRecreateInHardcore
Player permanent death onlyTrueFalseFalse or True
Full Hardcore with Pal lossTrueTrueFalse or True
Disable Hardcore ModeFalseFalseFalse
Info

True and False values These settings use boolean values, so you must enter exactly True or False as supported by the configuration format.

Example Configuration

If the keys already exist in your OptionSettings, change their values accordingly. If they are missing, add them within the same OptionSettings line.

Example:

ini
OptionSettings=(bHardcore=True,bPalLost=True,bCharacterRecreateInHardcore=True)

If your OptionSettings line already contains many other settings, do not remove them. Instead, only add or adjust the Hardcore-related entries inside the existing parentheses.

Warning

Preserve existing settings PalWorldSettings.ini often contains many active server settings in one OptionSettings entry. Accidentally deleting other values can unintentionally reset gameplay options on your server.

Verify that Hardcore Mode is Active

After restarting, connect to your server and confirm that the Hardcore rules are active.

What to check

SettingExpected Behavior
bHardcore=TruePlayers cannot continue normally after death
bPalLost=TruePals are permanently lost upon death
bCharacterRecreateInHardcore=TrueA new character can be created after a Hardcore death
Info

Important behavior The exact in-game result depends on which of the three Hardcore settings you have enabled. If you want permanent player death but still want users to restart with a new character, enable bCharacterRecreateInHardcore=True.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Edit the relevant values (including bCharacterRecreateInHardcore, optionally bPalLost) in PalWorldSettings.ini via the Configuration tab (raw text view) of your game server management and then restart the server.
It activates permanent death rules for players and optionally for Pals—characters can be permanently lost upon death. If Pal loss is also enabled, Pals can be permanently lost as well.
Yes, since permanent data loss is possible, it is recommended to create a backup beforehand.

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