---
title: "Valheim World Modifiers on a Dedicated Server"
description: "Set Valheim world modifiers and difficulty on a dedicated server: -preset, -modifier and -setkey, the argument order rule, and changing them live."
url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/valheim/valheim-world-modifiers/"
category: "Valheim"
category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/valheim/"
published: "2026-09-09T17:29:21.223Z"
updated: "2026-09-09T17:29:21.223Z"
source_format: "markdown"
site: "GameServerKings"
---

# Valheim World Modifiers on a Dedicated Server

Valheim's world modifiers are the game's official difficulty system — combat scaling, death penalty, resource rates, raid frequency and portal rules. In single-player or a player-hosted game you pick them on the Join World screen. On a dedicated server nobody ever sees that screen, so they are set as **launch arguments** and enforced for everyone who joins.

That difference is the whole subject of this page. On your [hosted Valheim server](/games/valheim/) the arguments go in the **Startup** tab, alongside the rest of the [server settings](/knowledge-base/valheim/configuration-overview/). This guide covers all three argument families, the ordering rule that silently discards half of them, what each value actually does, and how to change modifiers on a world that is already running.

## What changes when the world lives on a dedicated server

| On a player-hosted world | On a dedicated server |
|---|---|
| Each host picks modifiers on the Join World screen | The server owns the world, so the launch arguments decide for everybody |
| Changeable from the menu whenever you reload | Launch arguments are read once, at boot — a change means a restart |
| One player's choice | Server policy: no client-side opt-out |

Valheim has no config file, so there is nothing else to edit. Everything below is either a Startup field or an extra launch argument.

## The three argument families

Iron Gate's [dedicated server guide](https://www.valheimgame.com/support/a-guide-to-dedicated-servers/) documents three, and they stack:

| Argument | Shape | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| `-preset` | `-preset hard` | Applies a whole tuned profile at once |
| `-modifier` | `-modifier raids none` | Sets one dial |
| `-setkey` | `-setkey nomap` | Switches one checkbox on |

### `-preset` — the whole profile

Iron Gate lists the valid values as **Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive, Hammer**, and is explicit about what a preset does to anything you set before it:

> "`-preset hard` - Sets world modifier preset. Setting a preset will overwrite any other previous modifiers."

```text
-preset hard
```

### `-modifier` — one dial at a time

```text
-modifier combat hard -modifier resources muchmore -modifier raids none
```

| Modifier | Accepted values |
|---|---|
| `combat` | `veryeasy`, `easy`, `hard`, `veryhard` |
| `deathpenalty` | `casual`, `veryeasy`, `easy`, `hard`, `hardcore` |
| `resources` | `muchless`, `less`, `more`, `muchmore`, `most` |
| `raids` | `none`, `muchless`, `less`, `more`, `muchmore` |
| `portals` | `casual`, `hard`, `veryhard` |

Each is its own `-modifier` argument — there is no comma-separated form.

### `-setkey` — the checkboxes

```text
-setkey nobuildcost -setkey passivemobs
```

Iron Gate documents four valid values: `nobuildcost`, `playerevents`, `passivemobs`, `nomap`.

| Key | Effect |
|---|---|
| `nobuildcost` | Build pieces cost no materials. You still have to discover the recipes |
| `playerevents` | Raids are triggered by each player's own progress rather than by which bosses the server has killed |
| `passivemobs` | Enemies do not attack until provoked |
| `nomap` | No map and no minimap for anyone |

`playerevents` is the one worth knowing about on a server with players at different stages: without it, raid difficulty tracks the world's boss progress, so a new player in the Meadows gets whatever the world has earned.

> [!IMPORTANT] Order matters — `-preset` first, then everything else
> The server reads arguments in sequence and a preset overwrites what came before it. Iron Gate's guide says of `-modifier`: "If combined with a preset should be set after."
>
> So write the preset first:
>
> ```text
> -preset casual -modifier resources most -setkey nobuildcost
> ```
>
> Reversed, the trailing `-preset casual` silently flattens the resource change and the build-cost key back to the preset's own values. Nothing errors and nothing is logged — the server simply starts with settings you did not ask for. This is the single most common reason a modifier "does not work".

## What each setting actually does

Iron Gate publishes the accepted values but not their effects. The numbers below come from the community [Valheim wiki](https://valheim.fandom.com/wiki/World_Modifiers), read 9 September 2026 — treat them as well-maintained community documentation rather than a developer specification, and expect 1.0 to shift some of them.

**Combat** — percentages of the normal value:

| Value | Player damage | Enemy damage | Enemy speed & size | Enemy level-up rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `veryeasy` | 125 | 50 | 90 | 100 |
| `easy` | 110 | 75 | 90 | 100 |
| *normal* | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| `hard` | 85 | 150 | 110 | 120 |
| `veryhard` | 70 | 200 | 120 | 140 |

Hard and Very Hard also raise the chance of spawning starred enemies.

**Death penalty** — the setting players will notice first:

| Value | Equipped gear | Rest of inventory | Skill loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| `casual` | Kept | Dropped | 1% |
| `veryeasy` | Dropped | Dropped | 1% |
| `easy` | Dropped | Dropped | 2.5% |
| *normal* | Dropped | Dropped | 5% |
| `hard` | Dropped | **Destroyed** | 7.5% |
| `hardcore` | **Destroyed** | **Destroyed** | 100% |

`casual` is the one to reach for on a server with newer players: keeping equipped gear removes the corpse-run spiral that loses people their whole kit in a biome they cannot survive.

**Resources** — a multiplier on drops from mobs and lootable objects:

| Value | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| `muchless` | 0.5x |
| `less` | 0.75x |
| *normal* | 1x |
| `more` | 1.5x |
| `muchmore` | 2x |
| `most` | 3x |

The wiki notes two exceptions worth knowing before you promise your players anything: the multiplier rounds up, so 1.5x behaves like 2x on many drops, and it does not affect fish, trophies or boss drops.

**Raids** — read this table carefully, because the percentage runs backwards:

| Value | Event rate (%) | Raid interval (min) | Raid chance (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| `none` | 0 | — | — |
| `muchless` | 200 | 92 | 10 |
| `less` | 150 | 69 | 13.33 |
| *normal* | 100 | 46 | 20 |
| `more` | 60 | 27.6 | 33.33 |
| `muchmore` | 30 | 13.8 | 66.67 |

A *higher* event rate means a *longer* gap between raids. At `normal` the game rolls a 20% chance every 46 minutes.

> [!NOTE] `-modifier raids none` does not remove every attack
> The wiki is explicit that night raids still occur with the event rate set to none. If your players report being attacked on a "no raids" server, this is why — it governs base raid events, not everything that comes at you after dark.

**Portals** — `casual` allows everything through portals, `hard` and `veryhard` restrict them progressively, up to no portals at all. Iron Gate does not document which value maps to which restriction, and the wiki describes the portal states without tying them to the argument values, so confirm in game before you build a server rule around it.

## Changing modifiers on a world that is already running

This is the question the wikis answer badly, and the answer is yes — there are three in-game admin commands:

| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| `setworldmodifier [name] [value]` | Sets one world modifier |
| `setworldpreset [name]` | Applies a named preset, resetting the others |
| `resetworldkeys` | Resets all world modifiers to default. Does not touch boss progression |

They run from the F5 console and take effect on the live world, with no restart. They are **admin commands, not cheats** — the community wiki lists them under admin commands, "only available when player's SteamID64 or Crossplay player ID is in the admin list", which is the category that works on a dedicated server. Get your ID into `adminlist.txt` first; [Valheim Console Commands](/knowledge-base/valheim/valheim-console-commands/) covers that and the console itself.

> [!WARNING] `setkey` is a different command and will not work
> The in-game `setkey` and `resetkeys` are **cheat** commands. The wiki is blunt about that whole category: "The cheat commands are available in singleplayer or manually hosted mode only. They do not work on a dedicated server." Only the launch argument `-setkey` gets you those four checkboxes on a server. Do not follow a single-player guide that tells you to type `setkey nobuildcost` into the console.

> [!CAUTION] There is no way back to "normal" on a single dial
> The wiki records a genuine one-way door: once you have changed a modifier away from normal with `setworldmodifier`, setting it back to `normal` does not work. Its example is portals — `setworldmodifier portals casual` applies, but `setworldmodifier portals normal` does not undo it. The documented escape is `setworldpreset default`, which resets **every** modifier set this way, not just the one you wanted to fix. Change one dial live, and you may have to reset all of them to get back.

Because of that, treat the console commands as the tool for a trial — turning raids off while a group rebuilds, softening the death penalty for an evening — and the Startup tab as where the server's real, permanent configuration lives.

> [!NOTE] Iron Gate does not document these three commands
> Their [dedicated server guide](https://www.valheimgame.com/support/a-guide-to-dedicated-servers/) is dated 11 April 2024 and covers only `kick`, `ban`, `unban` and `banned` under console commands. The three above are community-documented, and some older host guides claim they need `devcommands` or the Server devcommands mod. Our reading of the wiki's own categories says they do not, but run one and read what the console prints back before you rely on it in front of your players.

## Modifiers belong to the world, not to the server

World modifiers are stored as **global keys**, which the wiki describes as the mechanism used "to track progress in game worlds" — the same place boss kills live. They are world state, saved with the world.

The practical consequences on a server:

- Point `-world` at a different world and you are looking at a different set of modifiers.
- Upload a world from single-player and it arrives carrying whatever modifiers it was created with — see [How to Upload Your Existing World to Your Valheim Server](/knowledge-base/valheim/upload-your-existing-world/).
- Wipe the world and the modifiers go with it, back to whatever your launch arguments say on the next boot.

## Hammer, and the achievement question

`Hammer` is a valid `-preset` value; Iron Gate lists it. Separately, Iron Gate's [1.0 FAQ](https://www.valheimgame.com/support/valheim-1-0-faq/) says this about achievements:

> "Some world modifiers such as hammer-mode will also block certain achievements. Hammer-mode counts as a temporary cheat."

> [!IMPORTANT] What Iron Gate has not actually said
> The FAQ names "hammer-mode". The dedicated server guide lists `Hammer` as a `-preset` value, in a document dated 11 April 2024 that predates achievements entirely. **No Iron Gate document connects the two names**, and we are not going to tell you they are the same setting on the strength of a matching word. If achievements matter to your players, do not run a Hammer preset on that world until you have checked in game — and if you want a free-build server, run it as a separate world you have already written off.

The wider achievement rules matter more to server owners than the hammer question, because 1.0's cheat flag attaches to the world save rather than to one player. [Valheim Console Commands](/knowledge-base/valheim/valheim-console-commands/) has the full quote and what triggers it.

## Applying changes

Launch arguments are read once, at startup. Set them in the **Startup** tab, save, and restart — there is no way to push them to a running server. The in-game admin commands above are the only route to a live change, with the one-way-door caveat attached.

## What to read next

- [Valheim Server Settings and Launch Arguments](/knowledge-base/valheim/configuration-overview/) — every other argument, plus admins, bans and world management
- [Valheim Console Commands](/knowledge-base/valheim/valheim-console-commands/) — enabling the F5 console, `adminlist.txt`, and the 1.0 achievement rules
- [Valheim 1.0: What Changes for Server Owners](/blog/valheim-1-0-what-changes-for-server-owners/) — what launch day changed
- [Managing your Valheim server](/knowledge-base/valheim/managing-your-valheim-server/) — restarts, backups and player moderation
- [How to Upload Your Existing World to Your Valheim Server](/knowledge-base/valheim/upload-your-existing-world/) — bringing a world across, modifiers and all

## FAQ

### What are the world modifiers in Valheim?

Five sliders — combat, death penalty, resource rate, raids and portals — plus four checkboxes: no build cost, player-based raids, passive enemies and no map. Together they are Valheim's official difficulty system. On a dedicated server they are set with the `-preset`, `-modifier` and `-setkey` launch arguments rather than on the Join World screen, which means the server decides for everyone.

### Can you change world modifiers mid-game in Valheim?

Yes. An admin can run `setworldmodifier [name] [value]` or `setworldpreset [name]` from the F5 console and it applies to the running world with no restart. Two catches: your ID has to be in `adminlist.txt` first, and you cannot put a single modifier back to `normal` afterwards — the only documented reset is `setworldpreset default`, which clears every modifier you set that way. For permanent settings, change the launch arguments and restart instead.

### How do I change world settings on a Valheim dedicated server?

Add the arguments in the **Startup** tab and restart. Put `-preset` first if you use one, then your `-modifier` arguments, then `-setkey`:

```text
-preset casual -modifier deathpenalty casual -modifier raids less -setkey playerevents
```

There is no config file to edit — Valheim reads its entire configuration from the command line.

### What are the best world settings for a Valheim server?

There is no universal answer, but for a mixed group of friends the settings that cause the fewest arguments are `-modifier deathpenalty casual` (players keep equipped gear, so a bad death is not a lost evening), `-modifier raids less` if people want to build, and `-setkey playerevents` so newer players do not get raids scaled to the world's boss progress. Leave combat and resources at normal to start with — they are easy to adjust later, and most groups discover they wanted a gentler death penalty rather than an easier fight.

### Why did my world modifiers stop working?

Almost always argument order. A `-preset` placed after your `-modifier` arguments overwrites all of them, silently. Put `-preset` first. If the order is right, check that each modifier is its own `-modifier` argument and that you restarted — Startup fields do nothing until the server restarts.

### Do world modifiers affect achievements?

Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ says "some world modifiers such as hammer-mode will also block certain achievements", counting hammer-mode as a temporary cheat. It does not list which other modifiers qualify, and it does not connect hammer-mode to the `Hammer` value of `-preset`. If achievements matter on your server, keep experimental settings on a separate world.

### Do modifiers carry over if I switch worlds?

No. Modifiers are stored as global keys inside the world itself, so each world carries its own. Change `-world` and you get that world's settings; upload a single-player world and it brings the modifiers it was made with.

---

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