How to change the death penalty on a Palworld server?

Tired of running across the map to recover your gear? Change your Palworld server’s death penalty in minutes. Keep your loot, explore more, stress less.

Prerequisites

• Access to the Oxygenserv panel (your login and password)
• A Palworld server installed and visible in the panel
• Basic ability to stop/start the server via the console
• A backup of Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini (recommended)

Detailed steps

1. Log into the Oxygenserv panel
   Sign in and open your Palworld service from “My services”. You’ll land on the Console page with live logs. Keep this tab open; we’ll switch between Console, Files, and Startup.
2. Stop the server cleanly
   Click the red “Stop” button. Wait until logs clearly show the server has stopped (e.g., “Server stopped” or no new lines for a few seconds). Never edit configuration while the server is running or your changes may be overwritten on restart.
3. Change the penalty via Startup variables (easy method)
   Open the left menu “Startup” or “Variables”. Find the “Death Penalty” or DeathPenalty option. Use the dropdown and select exactly one: None, Item, ItemAndEquipment, or All. Save if a “Save” button appears. If you don’t see this variable, go to the next step (file method).
4. Edit the config file directly (file method)
   If the variable isn’t exposed, edit the file: a) Go to “Files” and open Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. b) Find the line starting with OptionSettings=(. c) Inside the parentheses, locate DeathPenalty=... and set your desired value, e.g., DeathPenalty=None. d) Click “Save”. Example end result: OptionSettings=(...,DeathPenalty=None,...). If the key is missing, add it inside OptionSettings=(...).
5. Save and restart the server
   Go back to “Console”. Click the green “Start” or “Restart” button. Watch the logs until the server is ready (e.g., “Server started”). If you made a typo (like a missing parenthesis in OptionSettings), errors will appear—fix the line and try again.
6. Verify in-game
   Join your server and perform a quick test (fall damage or a mob). With DeathPenalty=None, you keep everything on death. With Item or ItemAndEquipment, you’ll drop items or items + equipment respectively. If nothing changes, you likely edited while running, have duplicate DeathPenalty=... entries in OptionSettings, or modified the wrong path (WindowsServer is the correct one).

Tips & optimization

Use None for chill PvE servers to keep progression smooth. For PvP, Item or ItemAndEquipment add risk without being brutal; All is the hardcore choice. The setting applies to future deaths after restart; it won’t retroactively change past death markers. Announce your choice in the server description so players know the rules. Apply changes off-peak—clean restarts usually take 30–90 seconds.

FAQ

I can’t find the Death Penalty variable in the panel. What now?

Use the file method: edit Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini, the OptionSettings=(...) line, and set DeathPenalty=None (or your choice). Save, then restart. Ensure there’s only one DeathPenalty=... entry in that line so the last one doesn’t override the first.

My changes revert on restart. Why?

You may have edited while the server was running, or there’s a syntax error (like a missing parenthesis). Always stop first, fix the OptionSettings line, save, then start. Also confirm you edited the WindowsServer path, not a different config folder.

Do I need a wipe to change death penalty?

No. It applies after a restart without wiping. Players will see the new behavior on their next death.

Now you control your Palworld server’s difficulty with a simple toggle. Tune it, test it, and deliver the experience your players want.

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