- Quick Reference: Settings That Most People Change
- Startup Parameters
- The Essential Ones
- Useful But Optional
- World Modifiers
- Combat & Difficulty
- Economy & Resources
- Presets
- Admin Commands
- Player Management
- Server Operations
- How to Set Up Admin Access
- Performance Settings Worth Knowing
- Settings You Probably Don’t Need to Touch
- Getting Started
Valheim’s server configuration is split across three places: startup parameters (command-line flags), world modifiers (set at creation), and in-game admin commands. Most guides dump all the options in a list without telling you which ones actually matter. This one focuses on the settings worth caring about.
Quick Reference: Settings That Most People Change
| Setting | Where | Default | What most people set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server name | Startup param / control panel | ”My server” | Your group’s name |
| Password | Startup param / control panel | (none) | 5+ characters, not matching server name |
| Crossplay | Startup param / control panel | Varies | ON if Xbox/GP players, OFF if modding |
| World modifiers | World creation | Normal/default | Depends on group preference |
| Admin list | Config file / control panel | Empty | At least one player |
Everything else is either fine at defaults or only relevant for specific situations.
Startup Parameters
These are set through your hosting control panel (Server Options in our Game Control Panel) or as command-line flags if you’re self-hosting.
The Essential Ones
| Parameter | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Server Name | -name "Name" | Shows in the public server browser. Keep it recognizable. |
| Password | -password "pass" | Minimum 5 characters. Can’t match the server name. |
| World Name | -world "Name" | Determines which save file to load. Case-sensitive. |
| Port | -port 2456 | Base port. Server uses this + next two (2456, 2457, 2458). |
| Crossplay | -crossplay | Enables or disables Xbox/Game Pass connections. |
| Public | -public 1 | 1 = listed in server browser. 0 = unlisted (direct connect only). |
Useful But Optional
| Parameter | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Save Interval | (no built-in flag) | 20 minutes, not configurable without mods |
| Log File | -logFile "path" | Redirect logs to a specific file. Useful for debugging. |
| Beta Branch | Steam/panel setting | Set to public-test with password yesimadebackups for pre-release builds. |
Beta Branch Caution
The public-test branch receives pre-release updates that may break mods and introduce bugs. Only use it if you’re comfortable with instability. Always back up your world before switching branches.
World Modifiers
World modifiers are Valheim’s built-in difficulty and rule customization. They’re set when you create a new world and cannot be changed after creation without starting fresh.
These are worth discussing with your group before you generate the world.
Combat & Difficulty
| Modifier | Options | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | Very easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Very hard | Scales enemy damage and health. Hard+ adds star-level enemies more frequently. |
| Death penalty | Casual (no loss), Very easy (keep equipped), Easy, Normal, Hardcore (permadeath) | Controls what happens when you die. Normal = drop all items, lose some skills. |
| Raids | None, Much less, Less, Normal, More, Much more | How often enemy raids target your base. “None” removes base events entirely. |
Economy & Resources
| Modifier | Options | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Resources | Much less, Less, Normal, More, Much more | Gathering rates. “More” gives double resources. |
| Portals | Casual (anything through portals), Normal (ore restricted), Hard (no portals) | Whether ores and metals can go through portals. The classic Valheim debate. |
Presets
Valheim offers preset combinations for common playstyles:
- Normal - Default everything. The intended experience.
- Casual - Easier combat, no death penalty, resources up, portals unrestricted.
- Hard - Tougher enemies, more punishing death, restricted portals.
- Hardcore - Permadeath. Exactly what it sounds like.
- Immersive - Hard combat and portals, but normal resources and death.
- Hammer - Creative-adjacent: easy combat, lots of resources, no portal restrictions. Built for building.
- Custom - Mix and match individual settings.
Modifiers vs. Mods
World modifiers handle the most common customization requests without needing BepInEx. If all you want is easier combat or unrestricted portals, check modifiers before installing mods. They work with crossplay enabled.
Admin Commands
Once you’re set up as an admin (Steam ID added to the admin list), press F5 in-game to open the console. Here are the commands worth knowing:
Player Management
| Command | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
kick | kick PlayerName | Kicks a player from the server |
ban | ban PlayerName | Bans a player (persists across restarts) |
unban | unban PlayerName | Removes a ban |
banned | banned | Lists all banned players |
permitted | permitted | Lists all permitted players (whitelist mode) |
Server Operations
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
save | Forces an immediate world save |
info | Displays server info (version, players, world name) |
ping | Shows your latency to the server |
lodbias 1-5 | Adjusts view distance (higher = more visible, more load) |
How to Set Up Admin Access
On WinterNode:
- Get the player’s Steam ID (see our player ID guide)
- Go to your server’s control panel
- Navigate to admin list settings
- Add the Steam ID
Self-hosted: Edit adminlist.txt in the server’s data directory. Add one Steam ID per line. Restart the server.
Full admin setup details are in our admin guide.
Performance Settings Worth Knowing
Valheim doesn’t expose many server-side performance knobs, but a few things are worth understanding:
Save interval: The server autosaves every 20 minutes. Autosaves are different from regular backups. On large worlds with lots of builds, this can cause a brief lag spike. There’s no vanilla way to change this - some BepInEx mods allow it, but the default is fine for most servers.
View distance: Controlled client-side, not server-side. Players who crank their render distance load more data from the server. If one player is causing lag spikes, check their draw distance settings.
Entity limits: There’s no configurable cap on entities (items on ground, tamed animals, etc.), but the practical limit is your server’s RAM. If performance degrades, the cause is usually too many entities in one area - particularly ground items and large animal farms.
Terrain modifications: Every terrain change (pickaxe, hoe, cultivator) is stored permanently. Heavily terraformed areas are more expensive to load. There’s a terrain reset command in newer Valheim versions that can help: optterrain in the console smooths out unnecessary terrain modifications.
The optterrain Command
Run optterrain from the admin console to optimize terrain data. This doesn’t undo your landscaping - it simplifies the underlying data where visual differences are minimal. Can reduce save file size and improve performance in heavily modified areas.
Settings You Probably Don’t Need to Touch
These exist but rarely need changing:
- Instance ID - Internal identifier. Leave it alone.
- UPnP - Only relevant for self-hosted. Attempts automatic port forwarding.
- Max players - Default 10, which is fine for most groups. Valheim’s performance caps out around 10-15 players regardless of server specs.
Getting Started
WinterNode handles the infrastructure so you can focus on the settings that matter to your group. Server options are managed through a clean control panel - no SSH, no config file editing required.
All game servers are $1.99/GB of RAM with no extra charges. Get your Valheim server -> Our Valheim help center has detailed guides for every configuration topic. Support is available via ticket or Discord - backed by a 48-hour refund policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. World modifiers like combat difficulty, death penalty, and resource rates are set at world creation and can't be changed afterward without starting a new world.
Valheim autosaves every 20 minutes by default. On larger worlds this can cause a brief lag spike. There's no built-in way to change this interval without mods.
Add your Steam ID to the admin list through your hosting control panel or by editing the adminlist.txt file directly. Then use F5 in-game to open the console and run admin commands.
Valheim uses UDP ports 2456-2458 by default. The base port is set with the -port startup parameter, and the server uses that port plus the next two.