When I first dug into Pocketpair’s official mod policy, I honestly expected more of a direct answer. What I found instead was a pretty detailed rundown covering everything from save data getting corrupted to full-on account bans on official servers. Pocketpair shared these guidelines alongside the 1.0 patch notes, which makes sense given how many big changes landed with that update.
If you have been playing since Early Access, you must already know that Palworld has built up a really solid modding community. However, that doesn’t mean slapping a mod onto your save is risk-free. If you’re playing in the US or the UK and thinking about trying your first mod, this post is worth a proper read before you touch a single file.
Pocketpair also reworked a lot of Pal growth mechanics with this same update. To know more, read our post Palworld Evolution Secrets Revealed: Can Your Pals Actually Evolve in 1.0?
If you hate reading detailed policies, don’t worry! I did the hard part and will be explaining the current stance of Pocketpair regarding modding and what risks come with it.
Does Pocketpair Officially Support Mods?
There is no point in sugarcoating the answer: Pocketpair doesn’t officially approve mods. Nor does it guarantee that mods will work properly. This is mostly due to legal and game design reasons. That being said, the studio does give a nod to the modding community and calls it an important part of the Palworld experience.
So basically, mods are allowed, but you’re on your own if something goes wrong. However, this is not something to take very casually if you ask me. Let me explain to you how:
What Actually Happens If You Use Mods
Before you go downloading any mod, here’s exactly what you’re signing up for according to Pocketpair’s own policy:
- You’re using mods entirely at your own risk
- Mods can cause bugs, corrupted saves, or straight-up lost save data, and Pocketpair won’t take responsibility for any of it
- Here’s the tricky part: once you’ve loaded a save with mods turned on, that save can keep having problems even after you switch the mods off
- Pocketpair doesn’t offer technical support if your mods start acting up
- Some mods floating around online could contain malicious software, so please don’t grab mods from sketchy or untrusted sources
Given how easily saves can get messed up with mods, backing up your save data before installing anything really isn’t optional. Just do it first if you are still looking forward to using mods.
Losing progress to a bad mod stings a lot less if you already know the right backup habits. To know more, read our article Palworld How To Save: Auto-Saves And Manual Tricks To Never Lose Your Pals
How to Properly Delete Mods (Turning Them Off Isn’t Enough)
If you already had mods installed or had them at some point and wish to get rid of them for good, here’s what exactly you need to do.
Just hitting “off” or disabling a mod doesn’t actually fix the problem. Mod files and mod loaders sitting in your game folder can still get loaded when the game starts up, even if they’re supposedly disabled, and that can keep causing issues. So if you’ve ever installed mods before, even ones you’ve since turned off, you’ll want to manually delete those leftover files.
With the release of the 1.0 update, deleting mods is even more important than before. As they can interfere with the major system changes. You certainly don’t want those old mods sitting in your folder to clash with the new build.
Here’s how Pocketpair says to do it properly:
- Back up your save data first. Open Steam Library, right-click Palworld, go to Manage, then click Back up game files.
- Manually delete these two folders from your game directory (this is the step that actually matters):
- Pal\Binaries\Win64
- Pal\Content\Paks
- You’ll find these by going to Steam Library, right-clicking Palworld, selecting Manage, then Browse local files, and opening the Pal folder.
- Verify your game files through Steam. Steam Library, right-click Palworld, go to Properties, then Installed Files, then hit Verify integrity of game files.
Might Be Useful:
If your gameplay still seems to be affected, here is the last resort that Pocketpair suggests: going nuclear with a full reinstall:
- Uninstall Palworld through Steam Library by right-clicking, then Manage, then Uninstall.
- Delete the entire “Palworld” folder in your Steam install directory, just browse local files, select everything, and delete it.
- Reinstall Palworld and start fresh.
Can You Use Mods in Multiplayer?
This is where Pocketpair gets pretty firm. Using mods while connected to official servers is strictly not allowed. If Pocketpair catches a violation and it ends up messing with other players’ experience, they can slap you with an account suspension.
And it’s not just official servers either. Even on unofficial ones, Pocketpair can still take action if your modded behavior causes disruption.
So honestly, if you are hellbent on using mods, your safest bet is just keeping mods to single-player or servers you know are mod-friendly.
Running your own private server actually gives you a lot more control over this kind of thing. To know more, read our post Palworld 1.0 Dedicated Server Setup.
Making and Sharing Your Own Mods
If you’re more on the creator side rather than just downloading other people’s work, Pocketpair has a few ground rules for you too:
- Stick to the terms of service and guidelines of wherever you’re publishing your mod, whether that’s a specific platform or forum
- Don’t step on anyone else’s rights, meaning no lifting characters, models, textures, audio, fonts, logos, or artwork from other games or works
- Keep in mind that your mod might stop working properly down the line once Palworld gets updated, and Pocketpair is upfront about asking for your understanding on that
What If You Still Can’t Turn Your Mods Off?
Some players run into this specific headache: mods installed outside the Steam Workshop just don’t show up in the in-game mod management screen, so there’s nothing to click to disable them.
If that’s you:
- Delete manually installed mods yourself using File Explorer or something similar, then give it another go
- Some mods might still throw errors even after you remove them. If that happens, just follow the full deletion steps above instead of relying on the disable toggle
Where to Go When Everything Else Fails?
Just a heads up, Pocketpair confirms it won’t provide technical support for mod issues themselves. But if you’ve got questions specifically about the mod policy, you can email info@pocketpair.jp.
Are Mods Worth it Palworld 1.0?
I will be completely blunt here. While modding was not such a hassle in Early Access, 1.0 is completely in a different ballpark. Old mods have already started to create glitches, with some new in-game items and recipes not showing up altogether. With that level of disruption and bugs, I don’t find modding worth it anymore. But, hey! That’s just me. If you are a daredevil who still wants to experiment, who am I to stop you?
But if you’d rather spend your time chasing new gameplay systems instead of fighting mod bugs, the new passive skill lineup is a good place to start. To know more, read our post Palworld 1.0: Every New Passive Skill and What It Actually Does?
At the end of the day, Palworld doesn’t slam the door on modding, but it does put all the responsibility on you. While I personally don’t encourage modding in Palworld, if you are someone who can’t resist it. I suggest backing up your saves, only grabbing mods from places you trust, and definitely don’t run them on official servers unless you want to risk getting banned.
Well, that’s all you need to know about the latest situation of modding in Palworld. I hope this guide helped. I will see you in the next one.
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