Configuring Your Valheim Server Settings
Valheim's server settings live in three places in the game panel: the Startup tab for the basics, the Modifiers tab for world modifiers, and the Crossplay card on the Overview tab. This guide covers all three. Open your server in the game panel to follow along.
Basic settings
These are on the Startup tab. Each field saves as soon as you change it, and takes effect on the next restart.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Server Name | Name shown in the server browser, up to 60 characters |
| Server Password | Required to join. 5 to 20 characters, and it must not appear inside the server name, or the server refuses to start |
| World Name | The world the server loads. Easier to change from the Worlds tab |
| Public Server | Lists the server in the community browser. Must stay on if crossplay is off |
| Enable Crossplay | Crossplay on or off. Easier to change on the Overview tab |
| Backup Interval | Seconds between world saves. Default 1800 (30 minutes) |
| Backup Count | How many of Valheim's automatic backups are kept. Default 4 |
| Backup Shorttime | Seconds between the first automatic backups. Default 7200 (2 hours) |
| Backup Longtime | Seconds between the later automatic backups. Default 43200 (12 hours) |
| Extra Arguments | Extra launch arguments, added to the startup command |
Valheim allows at most 10 players on a server, so there is no player limit to set.
World modifiers
Open the Modifiers tab. It is laid out like the World Modifiers screen in the game, with the same names.
Stop the server first. The tab locks while the server runs, because the running server rewrites its world file on every save.
Presets
One click sets every modifier the same way the presets in the game do: Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive and Hammer Mode. Change a single setting afterwards and the tab shows Custom Modifiers.
The five sliders
| Modifier | Grades, easiest first |
|---|---|
| Combat | Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard |
| Death penalty | Casual, Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Hardcore |
| Resources | Much Less, Less, Normal, More, Much More, Most |
| Raids | None, Much Less, Less, Normal, More, Much More |
| Portals | Casual, Normal, Hard, Very Hard |
The tab shows the game's own description under the death penalty and portal grades. For example, Casual death penalty keeps your equipped gear, while Hardcore loses all carried items and skills permanently.
On/off world keys
No build cost, Player events, Passive creatures, No map and Fire Hazards. These are stored in the world file, so they can only be set once the server has started at least once and generated its world.
How it is applied
A graded modifier lives in two places: a launch argument such as -modifier combat hard or -modifier resources muchmore in Extra Arguments, and the keys the game stores in the world file. The Modifiers tab writes both together. Do not add -modifier arguments to Extra Arguments by hand: an argument cannot set a modifier back to Normal, so a hand-edited value can get stuck in the world. Restart the server after saving to apply the changes.
Crossplay
Crossplay is on by default, so players on every supported platform, not only Steam, can join with the join code. It is a single switch on the Crossplay card of the Overview tab, and the change applies after a restart. Before you turn it off, read turning off crossplay on a Valheim server: console players are locked out and Public Server has to stay on.
Worlds and backups
Creating, uploading, switching and downloading worlds is done on the Worlds tab, described in managing your Valheim world.
Need help with a specific setting? Use the live chat on our website, or open a ticket with support.
