The Sakurajima update added a volcanic island to Palworld with new Pals, a raid system, and an oil rig dungeon. It was the biggest content drop since launch and it changed a few things about how dedicated servers behave. Here is what server owners need to know.
What the Update Added
Sakurajima Island: a new volcanic biome in the northeast of the map. It generates in existing worlds without a wipe. Players who have already explored the map edge will see the island appear after the update.
New Pals: over 20 new Pal species, many exclusive to the new island. These spawn in existing worlds after the update. No server-side action needed to enable them.
Oil Rig Raid: a PvE raid instance accessible from the map. Up to four players enter together. The raid has multiple phases with boss encounters. Server performance during raids scales with the number of concurrent raid groups.
Crossplay improvements: the update improved crossplay stability between Steam and Xbox. Server owners who had crossplay disabled due to connection issues may want to test it again.
Server Impact
Memory
The new island and Pals increase the server's memory baseline by roughly 500 MB to 1 GB compared to pre-Sakurajima, depending on how many players are actively in the new area. If your server was already running near its RAM ceiling, you may need to upgrade a tier.
For reference:
| Player count | Pre-Sakurajima | Post-Sakurajima |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 players | 4-6 GB | 5-7 GB |
| 8-16 players | 8-12 GB | 9-13 GB |
| 16-32 players | 12-16 GB | 13-17 GB |
These are approximate. Actual usage depends on base count, Pal count, and whether players are in the new area.
Storage
The update itself adds about 3-4 GB to the server installation. World save files that include player-built structures on Sakurajima grow accordingly. Not a problem unless you were already tight on disk space.
CPU
The raid instances run server-side calculations for AI and loot generation. Multiple concurrent raids add CPU load. On a server with 16+ players, having 3-4 raid groups active simultaneously is a noticeable spike. Short-lived though, since raids have a time limit.
Do You Need to Wipe?
No. The update is designed to work with existing worlds. The new island appears in unexplored areas. New Pals spawn naturally in their designated biomes.
That said, some server owners choose to wipe for a fresh start so everyone experiences the new content together from scratch. This is a community decision, not a technical requirement.
If you do wipe, back up the old world first. Some players may want to revisit their old bases.
Server Settings Changes
The update introduced a few new settings in PalWorldSettings.ini:
Raid-related settings: you can disable the oil rig raid entirely if your server does not want instanced PvE content. Check the bEnableRaidContent flag.
New Pal spawn rates: the existing Pal spawn rate multiplier applies to new Pals as well. No separate setting needed.
Base limit adjustments: with a new island to build on, some servers increased the base limit per player or per guild. The setting is BaseCampMaxNum and its guild variant.
Update Procedure
- Back up your world. Copy the
Saveddirectory from the server before doing anything. - Stop the server.
- Update via SteamCMD with the standard app update command.
- Review your settings. Check
PalWorldSettings.inifor any new defaults that override your custom values. Some patches reset settings to defaults. - Start the server and verify the world loads correctly.
- Test the new area. Connect as a player, fly to the northeast, and confirm the island renders and new Pals are spawning.
Common Issues After the Update
"Version mismatch" when players try to connect: the server and client must be on the same version. Make sure all players update their game. SteamCMD on the server must also pull the latest build.
Increased RAM usage causing OOM crashes: if the server starts and then crashes under load, check your system's OOM logs. The Sakurajima area under active use by several players is where the extra memory hit lands. Upgrade RAM if needed.
Settings reset to defaults: some Palworld patches reset PalWorldSettings.ini to the default file. Always keep a backup of your settings file separately, and re-apply your custom values after updating.
FAQ
Do players need to start new characters? No. Existing characters work fine. They can travel to Sakurajima immediately if they have the means to get there.
Can I disable just the new island? No. The island is part of the world generation and cannot be selectively disabled.
Does the update affect breeding? New Pals have their own breeding combinations. The breeding mechanics themselves did not change. Existing breeding setups continue to work.
Is the oil rig raid repeatable? Yes. It resets on a cooldown timer. Server owners can adjust the cooldown in the settings.
Related: Palworld dedicated server guide | Palworld hosting plans