Managing a dedicated server in Palworld often requires a fresh start to refresh gameplay, resolve persistent server glitches, or apply major configuration updates. Whether you are hosting for a group of friends or managing a public multiplayer community, resetting world and player progress is a straightforward procedure when handled carefully. Understanding how server save files function ensures that you can perform a full wipe or partial reset without accidentally losing essential server backups.
Preparing Your Palworld Server Before a Reset
Before making any changes to your server files, it is crucial to gracefully shut down the server process. Stopping the server prevents current player progress from writing over save files while you perform administrative maintenance.
Creating a manual backup of your server save directory is the most effective safety measure. Simply locate the Pal Saved directory within your host panel or FTP client and copy the contents to a safe location on your computer. Having a reliable fallback ensures you can restore previous progress if your players decide to return to their old world.
Locating and Deleting World Save Files
To completely wipe world progress and generate a brand new map, navigate to the Pal Saved SaveGames directory on your server. Inside this location, you will find a folder labeled with a placeholder server index, typically containing a randomly generated string of characters.
Deleting this specific world folder removes all player bases, structures, tamed Pals, and terrain modifications from the server memory. You can also check out our guides for additional server management practices. When the server reboots next time, it automatically creates a fresh world save folder for incoming players.
Resetting Player Character Progress Only
If you prefer to maintain the existing structures and world map while forcing all players to start over, you can target specific subfolders. Open the existing world directory inside your server files and locate the Players folder.
Clearing only the files inside the Players subfolder resets individual player levels and inventories back to level one. Essential world files like Level.sav and WorldOption.sav remain intact, leaving bases and exploration progress active across the map.
Restarting the Server and Verifying the Wipe
Once you have deleted the desired save files or player data, launch your Palworld server through your control panel. The server will execute its startup script and generate brand new save data to replace the deleted files.
Log into the game server using direct connection to confirm that the reset completed successfully. Players should be greeted with the default character creation screen upon joining the newly generated world.
