The Palworld 1.0 update is a major release, so server owners should treat it differently from a normal hotfix. Updating a multiplayer Palword server too quickly without a backup can risk save issues, broken mods, missing settings, or players being unable to connect.

The process is simple, but the order matters. Warn players, save the world, back up your files, decide whether you are keeping your current save or starting fresh, update the server, check mods, restart, and test before reopening the server.

Should You Start A New World For Palworld 1.0?

For the cleanest Palworld 1.0 experience, starting a new world save is highly encouraged. Major updates can bring new progression changes, balance adjustments, map changes, new Pals, new systems, and server-side changes that may feel better on a fresh save.

That does not mean every existing world must be deleted. If your community wants to keep its current bases, Pals, and progress, you can update the existing save as long as you create a full backup first.

However, old worlds may not always experience new content as smoothly as a fresh Palworld 1.0 world. For public servers, it is worth asking your players before launch whether they prefer keeping the old save or starting again together.

If you choose to start fresh, you can skip to the world backup steps below.

What You Need Before Updating To Palworld 1.0

Before updating, make sure you have administrator access to your machine or hosting panel, enough disk space for a full backup, and the ability to stop and start the server.

If you self-host your Palworld dedicated server, you also need SteamCMD. SteamCMD is Valve’s command-line tool used to download and update dedicated server files from Steam.

On Windows, download SteamCMD, extract it to a folder such as C:\steamcmd, and run steamcmd.exe once so it can install its required files. After that, you can use it to update the Palworld dedicated server with the command shown later in this guide.

Your Palworld server files are usually stored in a path like:

C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer

Your saved world data is usually stored in:

C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved

Before you update, make sure players are disconnected and the server is fully stopped. Never update server files while the Palworld server is still running.

Warn Players And Save The World

Before updating, let players know the server is going down. This gives them time to return to base, finish tasks, and log out safely.

In game, unlock admin access with:

/AdminPassword <password>

Then run:

/Broadcast Palworld 1.0 update in 15 minutes. Please return to a safe place.
/Broadcast Palworld 1.0 update in 5 minutes. Please log out soon.
/Save
/Shutdown 300 Server updating to Palworld 1.0. We will be back shortly.

Wait until the server is fully stopped before continuing.

Back Up Your Palworld Server

This is the most important step. A full backup protects your world, bases, Pals, settings, and progress if something goes wrong during the 1.0 update.

For a Windows SteamCMD install, your saved data is usually here:

C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved

PowerShell example:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "D:\PalworldBackups"
Copy-Item -LiteralPath "C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved" -Destination "D:\PalworldBackups\Saved-before-1-0-update" -Recurse

Keep this backup even after the server starts successfully. Some issues may only appear after players reconnect or mods are enabled again.

Update The Server With SteamCMD

Pocketpair’s Palworld dedicated server uses Steam app ID 2394010.

Run this command from Command Prompt, or a PowerShell terminal where SteamCMD works:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

+login anonymous logs into SteamCMD without a personal Steam account.

+app_update 2394010 updates the Palworld dedicated server files.

validate checks the install and redownloads missing or damaged files.

If the download fails, run the command again. If it keeps failing, check disk space, internet access, and file permissions.

Check Configs And Mods Before Restarting

After updating, check your server config before launching again. Your config files are usually inside:

C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config

Look for important settings such as server name, password, admin password, difficulty, PvP, base limits, Pal appearance rates, and performance options.

Mods are the biggest risk during a major update. If your server uses mods, check whether each mod has been updated for Palworld 1.0 before enabling it again.

Some setups store active mods here:

C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer\Mods\PalModSettings.ini

For the first restart, test the server without mods if possible. If it starts correctly, re-enable mods one at a time.

Restart And Test The Server

Windows example:

cd "C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\PalServer"
.\PalServer.exe

Use the same launch arguments you used before, such as public listing or performance options.

Join with one test account first. Check that the server appears online, players can connect, bases load, Palboxes work, items are still there, and the server saves after a few minutes.

If players see a version mismatch error, make sure their game client has updated too. If the server crashes, test without mods, rerun SteamCMD with validate, and review your config files.

How Dedicated Palworld Hosting Makes The 1.0 Update Easier

Self-hosting means you are responsible for SteamCMD, file paths, startup commands, backups, mods, firewall rules, and manual restarts.

With dedicated Palworld hosting, the process is much easier. On Pine Hosting, Palworld server updates are handled automatically when you restart the server, as long as auto updates are enabled. That means you do not need to manually open SteamCMD and run the update command just to pull the latest 1.0 server files.

You should still create a backup before restarting for a major update. But after that, you can restart from the panel, let the update apply, and test your world.

If you want to disable auto updates, you can do that from the Startup tab in the Pine Hosting panel. This is useful if you want to wait for mod updates or schedule the 1.0 update for a specific maintenance window.

Make The Palworld 1.0 Update Easier With Pine Hosting

For a smoother Palworld 1.0 update, run your world on Pine Hosting’s Palworld server hosting. Instead of managing every restart, file check, and update step manually, you can control your server from an easy hosting panel built for game servers.

With Pine Hosting, you get fast restarts, scheduled maintenance, file access, console tools, server config options, DDoS protection, instant deployment, and support when something goes wrong. Palworld server updates can also be applied automatically when you restart, helping you keep your server ready for the latest version without running SteamCMD yourself.

Back up your world, decide whether to start fresh, restart safely, test your server, and get your players back online with less hassle.