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To reset a Palworld dedicated-server world, stop the server normally, make a backup, and remove or rename the randomly named world folder under Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. Start the server again and it will create a new world. This destroys the existing world’s bases, Pals, items, characters and progress, so renaming the save directory is safer than deleting it permanently.
What a Palworld server reset actually changes
A world reset is a save-data operation, not a restart. The server creates a new world when the existing world directory is absent. The old world’s state is no longer available to players unless you restore it from a backup.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Restart the server | Kept | Kept | No wipe |
| Delete or rename the world folder | New world is generated | Usually kept if only the world folder is changed | Existing progress is lost unless backed up |
Delete PalWorldSettings.ini and GameUserSettings.ini |
Kept | Defaults are regenerated | World-specific options can still override the ini files |
Rename the entire Pal/Saved directory |
New world and fresh save structure | Fresh defaults | Broadest reset; easy to roll back if the old directory is retained |
The exact result of a player-only reset depends on the server build or hosting panel. Do not assume that removing a character file produces a clean world; use a documented player-reset function when one is available.
Before you wipe: a safety checklist
- Record the server’s current address, port, launch arguments and configuration values.
- Tell connected players that the world will be replaced and wait for them to disconnect.
- Stop the server with the panel’s normal Stop action. Do not use Restart or Kill while the save may still be writing.
- Confirm that the process has exited before opening or changing files.
- Copy the complete
Pal/Saveddirectory to another location, or rename it instead of deleting it. - Check that the backup contains the randomly named folder inside
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. - Keep the backup outside the live server directory so an automatic cleanup job cannot remove both copies.
A reset is effectively irreversible once the old files are deleted. Renaming the folder gives you a rollback path and is the preferred first attempt.
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Universal procedure for a full world reset
1. Stop the server cleanly
Use the server console, service manager or hosting panel’s normal stop command. Wait until the process is no longer running. A clean stop allows the latest save to finish; killing the process can leave an incomplete backup.
2. Find the save directory
From the Palworld server installation, locate:
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/The directory is created only after the server has started at least once. If it is missing, start the server, let it finish initialization, stop it normally, and inspect the files again.
3. Back up the complete save
Copy Pal/Saved, including its SaveGames, Config and other subdirectories. A timestamped copy makes it clear which backup belongs to the reset. If you cannot make a separate copy, rename the live directory to something such as Saved.backup-2026-10-14; do not leave two directories named Saved in the location where the server expects its data.
4. Identify the world folder
Open Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. In the usual layout, it contains one randomly named directory. That directory is the world save. Do not remove the parent 0 directory unless you intentionally want to rebuild the whole save structure.
5. Remove or rename only that world directory
For a reversible reset, rename the random directory by adding a suffix such as .backup. For a permanent wipe, delete it after verifying the backup. Leave the rest of Pal/Saved in place if you want to preserve existing configuration files.
6. Start the server and wait for generation
Start the server normally and allow it to complete startup. With no usable world directory present, it should create a new randomly named directory and initialize a new world. The first startup can take longer than a routine restart while files are generated.
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7. Verify the result before inviting players
- Join with a test account or administrator account.
- Confirm that the map, starting location and player list reflect a new world.
- Check that the server settings you intended to keep are still present.
- Stop the server once more and confirm that the new world directory has been written.
- Only after these checks should you announce the reset as complete.
SteamCMD installations
Windows
A SteamCMD installation commonly places the save below the server install directory, for example:
C:steamcmdsteamappscommonPalServerPalSavedSaveGames The exact SteamCMD root can differ. Open the Pal folder belonging to the server you actually launch, then follow the same stop, backup and world-folder steps. In File Explorer, sort the contents of SaveGames by type and verify that the item you rename is a directory with the random world name, not a configuration file.
Linux
Run file operations from the Palworld server’s installation directory after stopping the service. First list the world directories:
find Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0 -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -printInspect the output and make the backup before changing anything. A reversible shell workflow that renames the first directory found is:
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world_dir=$(find Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0 -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -print -quit)
[ -n "$world_dir" ] && mv -- "$world_dir" "${world_dir}.backup"Use this only after confirming that the command is being run in the correct server installation and that the directory listing contains the intended world. If more than one world directory exists, select the active one explicitly rather than relying on the first result. Preserve ownership and permissions when copying or restoring files so the account that runs the server can read and write them.
Docker servers
Docker does not impose one universal Palworld data path. The save structure is expected to exist inside the container’s persistent volume or bind mount, but the host-side directory depends on the image and its compose configuration. This is an implementation detail to verify against the image documentation.
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- Stop the container with your normal Docker or Compose stop operation; do not remove the volume.
- Inspect the container or compose file to identify which host directory or named volume stores the Palworld data.
- Back up that host-side data while the container is stopped.
- Inside the mapped data location, find
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/and rename the random world directory. - Start the same container again and watch its logs until world generation and normal startup finish.
- Connect to the server and verify the new world before deleting the backup.
If the image stores data only in an unnamed container layer, a container recreation can destroy the save. Establish a persistent volume before attempting a reset; otherwise, the reset procedure and the rollback plan are both unreliable.
Hosted-server control panels
Rental panels often provide a “Reset world,” “Wipe world” or file-manager action. The labels and paths are provider-specific, so treat a panel button as a convenience rather than proof that every server uses the same directory layout.
- Use the panel’s normal Stop control and wait for the status to show that the server is offline.
- Use the panel backup feature, if available, and download a copy you control.
- Open the panel file manager and locate the Palworld data directory. Confirm that it contains
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/or the provider’s documented equivalent. - Rename the random world directory, or use the panel’s reset action only after reading whether it removes settings as well as the world.
- Start the server and inspect the console for a newly generated save.
If the panel hides the files, ask its support team which reset scope the button uses and where the backup is stored. Do not assume that a “reinstall” preserves saves or configuration.
Resetting settings without wiping the world
If the problem is a bad option rather than unwanted world progress, a settings-only reset is less destructive. With the server stopped, the commonly reported configuration directory is:
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/On Windows installations, the corresponding directory is commonly named WindowsServer. The files generally discussed for regeneration are:
PalWorldSettings.iniGameUserSettings.ini
Rename these files instead of deleting them, then start the server. It should recreate defaults. Configuration is read at boot, so editing while the server is running can be overwritten on the next restart. Keep the OptionSettings=(...) block on one line; a line break inside that block has been reported to cause the game to ignore the remainder, although this behavior is not consistently documented.
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Why an ini change may appear to do nothing
Once a world exists, many settings are copied into that world’s WorldOption.sav. The server can read those world-specific values on later boots instead of applying a changed ini value. If a setting remains unchanged after a clean restart, inspect the active random world directory for its WorldOption.sav and back up the file before considering removal.
One published path is written as Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0//WorldOption.sav, with the world-ID directory omitted. Because the exact layout is not consistently documented, do not delete a file based on that shorthand alone. Locate the actual file inside the active world directory, preserve a copy, and test one setting at a time. Removing the world’s option file may reset more options than intended and should not be treated as a full-world wipe substitute.
Choosing the right reset scope
| Your goal | Safer action | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Apply default server settings | Back up and rename the two ini files | Defaults regenerate; existing world progress remains |
| Change one setting in an existing world | Edit the ini while stopped, then investigate WorldOption.sav if it is ignored |
Some world options may continue to win over the ini |
| Give everyone a completely new map | Back up and rename/delete the random folder under SaveGames/0 |
New world, bases and inventories |
| Keep a rollback option | Rename the world folder or the entire Saved directory |
Old data remains available for restoration |
| Remove only individual players | Use a documented player-management or panel feature | Result varies by build; do not infer it from a world wipe |
Troubleshooting after a reset
The old world still loads
- Confirm the server was stopped before the rename.
- Check that you changed the save directory used by the active launch command, not a second installation.
- Look for another mounted data directory in Docker or another instance in the hosting panel.
- Verify that the random folder was moved out of
SaveGames/0, rather than renamed somewhere inside the same folder in a way the server still recognizes.
The server starts but no new save appears
Stop it, inspect the startup log for a different data root, and check file ownership and permissions. A read-only mount or an account mismatch can prevent generation. Restore the backup only after stopping the process again.
Settings revert after every restart
Edit the files while the server is offline, keep the settings block on one line, and check whether the active world contains WorldOption.sav. Also confirm that you edited the platform-specific directory: LinuxServer and WindowsServer are not interchangeable.
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An older Steam forum report described a wipe that reset characters and levels but left map discovery intact. That is an anecdote from an older build, not a guaranteed current behavior. Test the current server version with a disposable account and do not promise that every discovery flag will be cleared by deleting the world folder.
The save directory is missing
Start the server once, allow initialization to finish, stop it normally, and look again. Official configuration guidance for an older 0.1.5.1 documentation set notes that directories appear only after the server has started. That documentation is no longer actively maintained and points readers toward version 1.0.4, so confirm paths against the current server build or host panel.
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Rollback procedure
- Stop the server normally.
- Move the newly generated world directory out of
Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. - Restore the original random world directory from your backup, keeping its original name and location.
- If you renamed the entire
Saveddirectory, remove the new directory and rename the backup back toSaved. - Start the server and verify that the previous world loads before allowing players to connect.
Never merge files from the old and new worlds casually. Restore a complete, consistent backup so world metadata and option files match.
Final verification checklist
- The server was stopped cleanly before file changes.
- A readable backup exists outside the live data directory.
- The active installation, container volume or panel path was confirmed.
- Only the intended random world directory was removed or renamed.
- The server generated a new directory after startup.
- Settings were tested after a full boot, not while the server was running.
- Players were warned that old progress cannot be recovered without the backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reset a Palworld world while the server is running?
No. Stop it normally first. Files can be incomplete or overwritten if you change the save while the server is writing.
How do I reset the world but keep my server settings?
Back up the save, then rename or delete only the random directory inside Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/. Leave the configuration directories in place.
Why did deleting the ini files not reset my existing world’s settings?
The world can store options in WorldOption.sav, which may take precedence over regenerated ini files. Back up the file and verify its location inside the active world directory before changing it.
Is a Docker reset path the same on every image?
No. The in-container structure is expected to use Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/, but the host bind mount or volume path is image-specific. Confirm the mapping before touching files.
Can I undo a world wipe?
Yes, only if you kept a complete backup or renamed the old directory. Stop the server, restore the original directory and name, then start it again.
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