How to Make a Pixelmon Server (NeoForge 1.21.1 Guide)

Pixelmon has been Minecraft's Pokémon game for over a decade — 1,000+ species across nine generations, gym leaders, NPC trainers, breeding and turn-based battles, all built into one mod. It is also a mod that is far better on a server than in single-player: spawns keep cycling, trades happen between people who play at different hours, and a shared world slowly grows its own towns, gyms and leagues.

Here's how to set that server up — the self-hosted way first, then the shortcut.

What you need before anything else

• Minecraft 1.21.1 on NeoForge. Pixelmon moved from Forge to NeoForge with 9.3.0, and current builds will not load on a Forge server at all. At the time of writing (late October 2026) the recommended release is 9.4.1, with 9.4.2 in beta. Use the NeoForge build the release notes name — 21.1.248 or newer for the 9.4 line.
• Java 21. Required for Pixelmon 9.3.0 and above.
• The server jar, not the client jar. Pixelmon publishes a separate -server jar for each release on the official download page, under the normal client download. They are different files built from the same version. The client jar on a dedicated server is the most common reason a first Pixelmon boot crashes.
• Memory. Pixelmon's load is its living population — dozens of creatures ticking around every active player. 6GB is the floor for a small group, 8GB is comfortable, and a public server running events should plan for 12–16GB. The reasoning across packs is in our modded Minecraft RAM guide.

Self-hosting, step by step

1. Install the NeoForge server. Download the NeoForge installer for 1.21.1, run it with --installServer into an empty folder, and let it fetch its libraries.
2. Add Pixelmon. Drop the Pixelmon -server jar into the mods folder exactly as downloaded — don't unzip or rename it.
3. Accept the EULA. Start the server once, edit eula.txt to eula=true, and start it again.
4. Allocate memory in user_jvm_args.txt — for example -Xmx8G on a machine with 12GB or more, always leaving headroom for the OS.
5. Open the port. Forward TCP 25565 on your router to the machine running the server, and give friends your public IP.
6. Lock it down. Turn on the whitelist (whitelist on, then whitelist add <name>) before the address goes anywhere public.

That works — with the usual self-hosting fine print. The server only exists while that PC is awake, your home upload carries every player's traffic, your IP is the address everyone shares, and if the same machine is also playing, it is giving 8GB to the server while a heavily modded client wants its own share.

Keeping Pixelmon updated

Pixelmon updates often, and both sides have to move together:

• Back up the world first. Every time.
• Swap the server jar for the new release's server jar, and check whether the new version needs a newer NeoForge — the release notes say.
• Update every player to the same Pixelmon version. A version mismatch is the classic "my friend suddenly can't join", and it is almost always the fix.

Plugins: what doesn't work

Hybrid servers that run Bukkit plugins next to mods — Arclight and its relatives — are not compatible with current Pixelmon. Don't build your server around a plugin you can't run. Permissions, claims and economy come from mods built for NeoForge instead (LuckPerms, for one, ships a NeoForge build), plus Pixelmon's own configs for spawning, battle rules and NPCs.

Inviting friends

Each player installs Pixelmon on the same version as the server — the easiest route is The Pixelmon Modpack in the CurseForge app, which installs the mod and NeoForge together. Share the server address, and the whitelist controls who gets in. From there the server is shared ground: one player's ranch, another's gym, a trade hall in spawn, and legendaries that turn up whether the "owner" is online or not.

The shortcut

Everything above is what Pixelmon server hosting automates. Order with the official Pixelmon modpack pre-selected and provisioning installs it with the right loader and Java, on a plan sized to the pack's real memory needs. Whitelist, console, file manager, scheduled off-server backups and pack updates all live in the panel, and the server runs 24/7 in a datacenter region near your group. If you are still deciding between Pokémon mods, Cobblemon vs Pixelmon compares all four options side by side, and Cobblemon hosting is there if the vanilla-style art wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much RAM does a Pixelmon server need?

6GB runs a small private server, 8GB is the comfortable recommendation for a group of friends, and busy public servers should plan for 12–16GB. The cost is entities, not chunks — every loaded area keeps a population of creatures ticking.

Does Pixelmon work on Forge or Fabric?

Neither, for current versions. Pixelmon moved to NeoForge with 9.3.0 and runs on Minecraft 1.21.1. Older Pixelmon releases ran on Forge for older Minecraft versions, but a new server should use the current NeoForge build.

Why does my Pixelmon server crash on startup?

The usual causes, in order: the client jar in mods instead of the -server jar; a NeoForge version older than the one the release notes ask for; Java older than 21; or a hybrid server like Arclight. Check those four before anything else.

Can Bedrock or console players join a Pixelmon server?

No. Pixelmon adds creatures, items and mechanics that only exist for Java Edition clients, so every player needs Java with the mod installed.

Can I move my self-hosted Pixelmon world to a host later?

Yes. A Pixelmon world is the world folder plus player data — party and PC storage travel with it. Upload it to a server running the same Pixelmon version and progress carries over. Match the version exactly before the first boot on the new machine.