Configuring PvP on Your Palworld Server

Enabling PvP

PvP is disabled by default. Turn on PvP Enabled (bIsPvP) in Settings under Gameplay to allow players to damage each other.

You also need Player-to-Player Damage (bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage), which is also off by default. Both must be on for PvP to function.

IMPORTANT: PvP Enabled only takes effect on a NEWLY CREATED WORLD. Turning it on for a world that already exists does nothing, no matter how many times you restart. Decide before you generate the world, or reset it - see the World Reset guide. Player-to-Player Damage is not new-world-only and does apply on a restart.

A note on the key name: the setting Palworld actually reads is bIsPvP. Older guides sometimes name bPVPEnabled, which does not exist and is silently ignored. The GameGrid Settings panel writes the correct one.

Death Penalty Options

The DeathPenalty setting controls what players lose when they die. This is especially important on PvP servers where deaths happen more frequently.

None - Players keep everything. Good for casual PvP or training servers.

Item - the DEFAULT. Players drop their inventory items but not equipped gear. A balanced option for most PvP servers.

ItemAndEquipment - Players drop inventory and equipped weapons and armour. High stakes, encourages careful play.

All - the most punishing option. Only for hardcore servers.

On PvP servers, Item or ItemAndEquipment are common choices. None makes deaths meaningless; All can drive players away.

Hardcore Mode

Hardcore Mode (bHardcore) enables permanent character death: when a player dies their character is deleted and they start from scratch - no levels, no Pals, no inventory.

Like PvP Enabled, it is NEW WORLDS ONLY. Turning it on for an existing world does nothing. Set it before the world is generated.

Turning it on reveals two more fields in the panel: Pal Loss on Death (whether the player's Pals go with them) and Character Recreate in Hardcore.

This is the most punishing setting in Palworld. It is popular for challenge runs and community events, but not for standard public servers.

Hardcore stacks with Death Penalty. Most hardcore servers set Death Penalty to None, since the character deletion is already the penalty.

PvP vs PvE Considerations

PvE (default): Players cooperate against the environment. No friendly fire. Good for community-building servers.

PvP: Players can attack each other. Adds tension and competition but can lead to toxicity and griefing. Consider adding rules or using mods for structured PvP (arenas, factions).

Hybrid: Some servers run PvE but host scheduled PvP events. This requires mods or manual management - vanilla Palworld doesn't support PvP zones.

If you are running a public PvP server, set clear rules and have active admins. Deal with griefers using /KickPlayer and /BanPlayer in game, the Console tab in the panel (KickPlayer and BanPlayer, without the leading slash), or the Banned Players list in Settings > Player Management.

Both PvP Enabled and Hardcore Mode are new-world-only, so plan the server's rules before you generate the world rather than after.