Reviewed guide
How to Reset a Character on a Palworld Dedicated Server
Safely recreate one dedicated-server character with a temporary hardcore setting while protecting the world and other players.
Palworld can expose a Create New Character option on a dedicated server when hardcore character recreation is temporarily enabled. This resets the selected character; it is not a harmless appearance editor. The character's carried items and Pals can be lost, and a base may be removed if that character is the only remaining guild member.
Back up the server first
Ask every player to log out, confirm that the active-player count is zero, stop the server, and create a manual backup. Do not continue until the backup is complete. Record the original server password and the original values of every hardcore setting you plan to change.
Protect a solo guild before the reset
If the character owns a base through a guild with no other members, add a trusted character to that guild before resetting. Move important carried items and Pals into safe storage, but remember that storage alone may not protect a base owned by a guild that disappears. If preserving the guild cannot be confirmed, stop and restore or test the process on a copy of the save.
Lock everyone else out temporarily
Change the player password to a temporary value known only to the administrator and the person being reset. This prevents another player from joining while hardcore rules are active. Save the password change while the server remains stopped.
Enable character recreation
In the server's gameplay settings, search for hardcore options. Enable Hardcore Mode and Allow Character Recreation in Hardcore, then save the changes and start the server. Panel wording can differ, so verify that both options are enabled before the target player connects.
Recreate the intended character
Only the character being reset should join with the temporary password. After loading into the world, allow that character to be defeated. The hardcore defeat screen should offer Create New Character. Read the warning carefully, confirm the reset, and return to the title screen. The old character data associated with this flow should be treated as unrecoverable unless the server backup is restored.
Turn hardcore off immediately
Once the target player is back at the title screen, stop the server. Disable Hardcore Mode and Allow Character Recreation in Hardcore, restore the normal player password, save, and restart. Do not let the rest of the group reconnect until the server is running with the original rules restored.
Confirm the new character and world
Have the reset player reconnect first. They should be prompted to create a new character. Check that the intended guild and bases still exist, then allow other players to join. If the wrong character was affected, a base disappeared, or the server retained hardcore mode, stop the server and restore the pre-reset backup before more progress is written to the world.
When this method is not appropriate
Do not use this procedure merely to change cosmetics or repair a minor character issue. It deliberately triggers a destructive recreation flow. If the hosting panel provides a dedicated per-player reset feature, use its documented backup and preview tools instead. Avoid manual save-file deletion unless you can positively identify the player record and have already tested a restore.