Can I Run Mods on My Palworld Server?
Short answer: not the way most people mean, and not at all on console. Here's the honest situation so you don't spend an evening fighting something that can't work.
Server-Side Mods Are Built for Windows
The tools that change how a Palworld server behaves — UE4SS and its Lua/script mods — work by injecting a Windows DLL. Connect's Palworld servers, like essentially every reliable host's, run on Linux, because that's what stays stable under a full 32-player world. UE4SS-style server mods don't run there.
A handful of data-only mods (.pak files, JSON data edits) can technically load on Linux, but they're niche and we don't support or install them. So there's no mod-installer in your panel for Palworld, and that's deliberate — we'd rather not ship a button that quietly does nothing or corrupts your world. For the full what-works-what-doesn't breakdown, see the deep dive linked below.
Mods and Crossplay Don't Mix
If your group includes Xbox, PS5 or Game Pass players, mods are off the table regardless of host: consoles can't load PC mods, and a modded server will turn them away (players have even reported console save corruption trying to join modded PC games). For a crossplay group, run vanilla. See crossplay platforms.
What You Can Do
- Client-side / visual mods that each player installs locally (cosmetics, UI tweaks) work fine on PC — they don't touch the server or the save, so everyone who wants them just installs them on their own machine.
- Every gameplay rule you'd expect a "mod" to change — XP and catch rates, spawn density, day length, difficulty, guild and base limits — is already adjustable server-side without any mod. Do it from the World Settings tab. See changing your server settings.
Between local visual mods and the full settings editor, most of what people want from "modding Palworld" is already covered.
The Full Picture
For exactly what works, what doesn't, and why — the Windows-vs-Linux trade-off, client vs server mods, and what might change in future — read our deep dive: Palworld Server Mods: What Actually Works on a Dedicated Server.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Palworld mods client-side or server-side?
Both exist. Cosmetic and UI mods are client-side — each player installs them locally and they don't affect the save. Mods that change rates, Pals or recipes are server-side.
Do Palworld mods work in crossplay?
No. Xbox, PS5 and Game Pass players can't load PC mods, so a modded server has to exclude them. Run vanilla for any crossplay group.
Can I mod Palworld on Xbox or PS5?
No. Consoles can't install mods of any kind — that's a platform limitation, not a hosting one.
Can I mod Palworld on Game Pass?
Only the PC Game Pass version can run client-side mods (it's a different build from Steam). The console Game Pass version cannot.
Can a Linux Palworld server run mods?
UE4SS/Lua server mods are Windows-only, so no. We don't offer mod installation on our Palworld servers — gameplay is tuned through the World Settings editor instead.
Can I play modded Palworld with friends?
On an all-PC group where everyone installs the same mods and matching game version, yes. Add a single console or Game Pass player and you'll need to go vanilla.