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Palworld: Change Death Penalty

Introduction​

Palworld allows you to control what players lose on death by changing the DeathPenalty server setting. In this guide, you will learn how to edit the correct configuration file in the ZAP-Hosting web interface and apply the change properly.

Preparation​

Before you begin, make sure that:

  • you have access to your Palworld game server in the ZAP-Hosting web interface
  • your server is offline or you are prepared to restart it after making changes
  • you understand which death behavior you want to use for your players
Configuration File Access

For Palworld servers on ZAP-Hosting, the relevant settings can be edited through your game server administration under Configs.

Open the Palworld Configuration File​

To change the death penalty, you need to edit the PalWorldSettings.ini file.

Find the file in the ZAP-Hosting interface​

First, log in to the ZAP-Hosting web interface and open your Palworld game server. Then navigate to the Configs section in the game server administration and open the file named PalWorldSettings.ini.

This file contains the main gameplay configuration values for your Palworld server, including the death penalty behavior.

Manual Configuration Changes

The death penalty setting is stored in the configuration file itself. You need to edit the value manually rather than relying on a separate quick setting unless your current interface explicitly provides one.

Change the DeathPenalty Value​

Inside PalWorldSettings.ini, look for the OptionSettings section where gameplay settings are defined. You need to find the DeathPenalty entry and change its value to the option you want.

Supported DeathPenalty values​

The following values are currently used by Palworld for the DeathPenalty setting:

ValueEffect
NonePlayers do not drop anything on death
ItemPlayers drop items, but keep equipment
ItemAndEquipmentPlayers drop items and equipment
AllPlayers drop items, equipment, and all Pals in their team
Choosing the Right Setting

If you want a more casual server experience, None or Item is usually the best choice. If you want the default survival experience, use All.

Example configuration entry​

In most Palworld server configurations, the setting appears as part of a longer OptionSettings line. For example:

OptionSettings=(DeathPenalty=All)

To disable the death penalty completely, change it to:

OptionSettings=(DeathPenalty=None)

If your file already contains many settings in the same OptionSettings=(...) block, only change the DeathPenalty value and leave the other entries unchanged. For example:

OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,DeathPenalty=ItemAndEquipment,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=False)

In this case, you would only replace ItemAndEquipment with your preferred value.

Preserve Existing Syntax

Do not remove commas, brackets, or other existing settings from the OptionSettings=(...) block. Incorrect syntax can prevent the server from loading the configuration correctly.

Save and Apply the Changes​

After editing the DeathPenalty value, save the changes to PalWorldSettings.ini.

Restart the server​

Once the file has been saved, restart your Palworld server from the ZAP-Hosting web interface. A restart is required so the server can load the updated configuration.

ActionRequired
Save PalWorldSettings.iniYes
Restart the serverYes
Run additional console commandsNo
Restart Required

Palworld reads this setting from the server configuration. The new death behavior will only take effect after a full server restart.

Verify the New Death Setting​

After the server has restarted, join the server and test the behavior in-game if you want to confirm the change.

What to check​

Depending on the value you selected, verify whether players:

  • keep all items after death
  • lose only inventory items
  • lose inventory items and equipment
  • lose inventory items, equipment, and team Pals

If the setting does not appear to have changed, reopen PalWorldSettings.ini and confirm that:

  • the DeathPenalty value is spelled exactly correctly
  • the change was saved successfully
  • the server was restarted after the edit
Use Exact Value Names

The DeathPenalty setting is case-sensitive in practice when written as a config value. Always use the exact value names None, Item, ItemAndEquipment, or All.

Conclusion​

Congratulations, you have successfully changed the Palworld death penalty. For further questions or assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team, which is available daily to assist you!

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