What's the best single change for performance?

Lowering view distance. It's the biggest factor in both RAM and CPU load. 12 chunks is a good starting point for most servers.

What's the highest view distance I can set?

32 chunks. Since Chapter 1, a higher MaxViewRadius in config.json is clamped to 32 with a warning instead of stopping the server from starting.

Why does my server lag when players split up?

Hytale loads chunks around each player. Players exploring in different directions load far more of the world than a group staying together.

Improving Hytale Server Performance | WinterNode Help Center

Reduce lag and prevent crashes on your Hytale server by tuning view distance, keeping your server updated, and checking your mods.

Hytale server performance varies heavily based on player behavior. A few players exploring in different directions use far more resources than a large group staying together, because the server loads chunks around each player.

Lower Your View Distance

View distance is the biggest factor in both RAM and CPU load. 12 chunks (384 blocks) is a good starting point for most servers.

Stop your server from the Game Panel
Navigate to File Manager
Open config.json in the root directory
Find the "MaxViewRadius" line and change the number:

"MaxViewRadius": 12,

Click Save File
Start your server

The maximum is 32 chunks. Since Chapter 1, a higher value no longer stops the server from starting. The server clamps it to 32 and logs a warning.

Keep Your Server Updated

Hytale is in early access, and server performance improves with most updates. Chapter 1 (Update 7) included several server-side improvements:

Block, fluid, and farmland ticking is cheaper in busy areas
World data is compressed more efficiently when saved, which lowers memory use on busy servers
Blocks, fluids, and creatures far above or below players pause until a player gets close
Distant creatures scan for opponents less often

Restarting your server pulls the latest version. See How to Update Your Hytale Server for details.

Check Your Mods

Mods run on the same server as the game, so a heavy or outdated mod can cause lag or crashes on its own.

Update your mods after every major Hytale update. Mods built for an older version may fail to load or misbehave. The Plugin Browser can check all your mods for updates at once.
Test without a mod if lag started after you added it. Move its .jar out of the mods/ folder, restart, and compare.
Check the console and logs/ folder for repeated errors or warnings from a mod. A mod that errors every tick can drag down the whole server.

Upgrade Your RAM

If your server still runs out of memory with a reduced view distance and up-to-date mods, it likely needs more RAM for your player count. See our Hytale server RAM guide for recommendations by group size, and Upgrade or Downgrade Your Service to change your plan.