Palworld servers can experience an “Out of Memory” (OOM) crash when they demand more RAM than is available from the hosting node. This can happen if the physical memory limit on your server’s host is reached or if your specific hosting plan allows limited RAM that gets fully used up. During the initial launch period of Palworld’s dedicated server, a significant memory leak has been identified, causing RAM usage to spike dramatically even with minimal player activity.
Identifying and Addressing the Memory Leak
The memory leak issue causes the Palworld server to retain RAM it should be releasing. This could be due to several bugs or inefficient handling of in-game entities and resources. Although exact causes are uncertain, there are measures one can take to minimize the memory leak’s impact.
Also read: How much RAM for Palworld server?
Hotfix for Reducing Memory Leak Impact
Disabling the bEnableInvaderEnemy Setting
A temporary solution to reduce the memory leak is to turn off the bEnableInvaderEnemy setting. This adjustment has been observed to decrease RAM usage significantly, resulting in more stable server performance.
Implementing the Change
For GameTeam server owners, you can disable the bEnableInvaderEnemy setting through the Game Settings menu. Simply uncheck the box for “Enable Invader Enemies” and restart your server to apply the change. If you’re using another hosting service, you’ll need to edit the PalWorldSettings.ini file manually by changing the setting to bEnableInvaderEnemy=False and then restarting the server.
Scheduled Server Restarts Strategy
The Benefits of Server Restarts
Until the memory leak is fully resolved, server restarts are a practical workaround to prevent crashes. Timed server restarts can clear accumulated RAM, especially for servers that have been running for extended times.
Setting Up Automated Restarts
GameTeam’s Automated Tasks can be configured to restart the Palworld server at intervals ranging from every 1 to 4 hours, based on server size and RAM availability. Announce restarts to players in advance with in-game messages to minimize interruption to gameplay.
Creating the Restart Announcements
Use the Automated Tasks feature to schedule announcement messages before each server restart. These can be timed for 10, 5, 3, and 1 minute before the actual restart. Due to a known bug, replace spaces in the broadcast messages with underscores to ensure clear communication in-game.
Restoring Server Post-Crash
Automating Server Recovery
GameTeam users can use Automated Tasks to set up a simple trigger that restarts the Palworld server after an unexpected crash. This ensures minimal downtime but may need to be paused for server maintenance or planned shutdowns.
Pausing Automated Tasks
In instances where the server needs to be kept offline for updates or troubleshooting, you can pause the automated restart task to prevent the server from restarting during this time.
Future Updates on Crash Fixes
Continuous Improvements and Support
As the GameTeam Support and Development teams identify new crash causes and fixes, additional resources and updates will be provided to Palworld server owners. Users are encouraged to report successful strategies and tips to aid in improving server stability.
By diligently applying the outlined strategies, server owners can mitigate the current instability issues and maintain a more stable gaming experience for Palworld players until the developers address the underlying memory leak problem.
