Bringing an old Palworld server to 1.0? Clear out old mods first

Palworld left Early Access with version 1.0 on 10 July 2026, and it changed a lot of the game’s systems. If you’re starting up a server you haven’t touched in a while, old mods are the most likely thing to break it. Pocketpair warned about exactly this before launch, and their advice applies to servers as much as to PCs.

What can go wrong

Mods made for earlier versions, especially ones installed back in 2024, can cause:

• crashes when the server starts or while people play,
• save data that’s corrupted or won’t load,
• quests or events that can’t be finished.

The catch: turning a mod off isn’t enough. Mod files and mod loaders left in the game folder can still load when the game starts, even when a mod manager says they’re disabled.

Bring an old server up to 1.0

1. Back up first. In the panel, open Backups and make a backup with a label like before 1.0. Then download it, so you have a copy of your own too.
2. Remove old mods completely. Open Files and delete any mod files and mod loaders left in the game folder. Pocketpair’s mod guideline lists the files and folders to look for.
3. Start the server with no mods and join it. Make sure the world loads and plays normally on 1.0.
4. Add mods back one at a time, and only once their authors say they support 1.0. Restart and test after each one, so you know exactly which mod causes a problem if one does.

On Wilderack

Pocketpair’s server mod support currently works only on the Windows version of the dedicated server, and Wilderack runs the official Linux version. So a Palworld server on Wilderack runs without server mods for now. If you bring a world from an old modded server, steps 1 to 3 still matter: back it up, make sure no old mod files came along in the upload, and check the world loads clean. Our Palworld mods guide explains what you can change with settings instead, and we’ll update it when that changes.

Players need to clean up too

Your friends’ games can have the same old files. If someone crashes when joining but everyone else is fine, ask them to:

1. delete old mod files from their Palworld folder (Pocketpair’s guideline shows where),
2. unsubscribe from old Steam Workshop mods,
3. verify the game in Steam: right-click Palworld, then Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.

Keep the server current

Palworld has had several 1.0 updates since launch, with balance changes and bug fixes. Players can only join a server on the same version as their game, so leave your server’s Game version on automatic updates.