How to Update a Palworld Dedicated Server (SteamCMD)

To update a Palworld dedicated server, back up the Pal/Saved folder, stop the server, run steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit and start it again. On the Steam client, find Palworld Dedicated Server under Tools and press Update. Then check the version with /Info.

The update takes a few minutes. The preparation is what protects your world, so this guide starts with the backup and ends with the checks to run once the server is back.

Before you update

1. Back up the world. Copy the Pal/Saved folder to a safe place. It holds the save data under SaveGames and your configuration under Config.
2. Copy your settings file. Keep a separate copy of PalWorldSettings.ini.
3. Warn your players and save with /Save. The admin commands for that are listed in Pocketpair’s documentation.
4. Stop the server. Use /Shutdown with a delay and a message, so players see why it is going down.

The server can also keep its own backups. With bIsUseBackupSaveData enabled, the official guide says it keeps 5 saves every 30 seconds, 6 every 10 minutes, 12 every hour and 7 every day, at the cost of more disk load. Treat that as a safety net, not a replacement for your own copy.

Update with the Steam client

If you installed the server from the Tools filter of your Steam library, open Steam, find Palworld Dedicated Server and check whether it is up to date. If it is not, press Update. Then start the server as usual.

Update with SteamCMD

This works on Windows and Linux. The validate option checks the files and repairs anything missing or corrupted.

1. Open a terminal in the folder where SteamCMD lives.
2. Run the command below. It logs in anonymously and updates app 2394010.
3. Wait for it to finish. If your server is not in SteamCMD’s default folder, add +force_install_dir <path> so that it updates the right copy.
4. Start the server again: PalServer.exe on Windows or ./PalServer.sh on Linux.

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

Pocketpair also distributes an official Docker image with example Compose files. If you use it, update by pulling the new image, and keep your save volume on fast storage. The official guide warns that Docker Desktop is not recommended because of the risk of save corruption.

Update on TheGameHosting

1. Open your server in the panel and go to Backups. Click Create backup and name it, for example “Before the update”.
2. Restart the server from the Console.
3. Join the server and type /Info to see the version. If it is older than your game, tell us the version in live chat or a ticket and our team will check it with you.

Check the server after the update

1. Read the console. Look for errors while the world loads.
2. Check the version. Run /Info in game. If you use the REST API, GET /info returns the server version, name and world GUID.
3. Join with a test character and visit your main base. Check that everything is where you left it.
4. Compare your settings with the defaults. New versions can add settings. Open DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini next to your file and copy any new option you want into your own line. See PalWorldSettings.ini explained.
5. Tell your players to update their game too.

The update checklist

• Warn the players and save the world.
• Copy Pal/Saved and PalWorldSettings.ini.
• Stop the server cleanly.
• Update with SteamCMD or Steam.
• Start, check the console and run /Info.
• Compare your settings file with the new default.
• Tell the group to update their game.

Automate it, carefully

If you run the server on Linux, a small script keeps the order right: warn, back up, stop, update, start. Run it by hand at first, and only schedule it once you trust it. A script that updates blindly can break a world, so keep the backup step in it.

#!/bin/bash
cp -r ~/Steam/steamapps/common/PalServer/Pal/Saved ~/palworld-backup-$(date +%F-%H%M)
# stop the server here, for example with /Shutdown from the game or your process manager
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit
cd ~/Steam/steamapps/common/PalServer && ./PalServer.sh

Adapt the paths to your install. The script is an example of the order of steps, not an official tool.

Read the patch notes first

A game update can add settings, change balance or fix server bugs. Read Pocketpair’s patch notes on Steam before you update a server that your group depends on, and decide whether to update the same evening or wait for a quiet moment. Players will need to update their game too, so choose a time when you can tell them.

If the update goes wrong

• The server will not start. Run the SteamCMD command again with validate, and check that the path points to the right folder.
• Players see a version mismatch. Their game and the server are on different versions. Update whichever one is behind.
• The save looks wrong. Stop the server, restore your backup of the Saved folder and start again.
• You are setting up from scratch. Follow how to set up a Palworld dedicated server. If you are moving a save, read how to move a Palworld co-op world.

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