Valheim World Modifiers on Your Server: Presets, Modifiers & Setkeys Complete

What are world modifiers?

World modifiers are Valheim’s official system for adjusting a world’s rules — combat difficulty, death penalty, resource yield, raids and portal rules. On a dedicated server you control them via three startup parameters: -preset (complete package), -modifier (individual dials) and -setkey (on/off switches). This page is the complete reference of all official values; how to enter them in the RespawnHost panel is shown in the configuration guide.

Which presets exist? (-preset)

A preset sets all modifiers at once to a tuned profile. Officially there are seven:

Preset	Character
normal	Standard Valheim, no changes
casual	Relaxed — gentler rules for laid-back sessions
easy	Easier than standard
hard	Harder than standard
hardcore	Maximum difficulty
immersive	Immersive — reduces convenience elements
hammer	Building/creative-oriented

Example: -preset hardcore

Which modifiers and values exist? (-modifier)

Each modifier is passed as its own pair (-modifier <name> <value>) and controls one aspect independently of the others. The complete official list:

Modifier	Allowed values	Controls
combat	veryeasy, easy, hard, veryhard	How tough fights are
deathpenalty	casual, veryeasy, easy, hard, hardcore	What you lose on death
resources	muchless, less, more, muchmore, most	Resource yield
raids	none, muchless, less, more, muchmore	Frequency of base attacks
portals	casual, hard, veryhard	Portal rules (casual relaxes them, hard/veryhard tighten them)

Example: -modifier combat hard -modifier raids muchmore

Which setkeys exist? (-setkey)

Setkeys are pure on-switches without a value (-setkey <key>). Four are officially documented:

Setkey	Effect
nobuildcost	Building costs no materials
playerevents	Events/raids scale to players present
passivemobs	Enemies don’t attack on their own
nomap	Map disabled

In what order are preset and modifiers read?

The server reads startup arguments sequentially. That’s why the rule is: -preset first, then -modifier and -setkey — this way your individual dials deliberately override the preset. The other way around, the preset would flatten your modifiers again.

-preset casual -modifier resources most -setkey nobuildcost

This example starts from the casual profile, then turns resources up to maximum and switches off build costs.

How do I set world modifiers in the RespawnHost panel?

On your RespawnHost server you enter preset, modifiers and setkeys via the startup variables in the panel — save, restart once, and they take effect. Alternatively, choose the same options when creating a world in-game and upload that world afterwards (see transferring a world). All other server settings — password, backups, crossplay — are covered in the configuration guide.

Do world modifiers lock achievements?

With 1.0 (September 9, 2026), Valheim gets over 50 achievements for the first time — everyone starts at 0. Officially confirmed: cheats lock achievements. Whether presets like hammer or individual modifiers also affect achievements, Iron Gate hasn’t stated yet — as soon as there’s an official word, we’ll add it here. By the way, no new world modifiers have been announced for 1.0; as things stand, the reference above remains valid after release (1.0 overview).

Frequently asked questions

Can I change modifiers on an existing world? Yes — modifiers and setkeys are startup parameters, not a world property. Change the values, restart the server, done.

Preset or individual modifiers — which should I use? A preset if a ready-made profile is enough; individual modifiers if you want to change just one aspect (e.g. only the death penalty). Combined, the order rule applies: preset first.

Is there a modifier that disables portals completely? Officially you control portals via -modifier portals with the values casual, hard and veryhard. A documented setkey like “noportals” does not exist in the official server guide.

Do modifiers apply to all players immediately? Yes — world modifiers apply server-wide to the world, not per player.

Related guides

• Configuring your server — startup variables, password & backups
• Getting your server 1.0-ready — checklist for September 9
• Transferring a world — upload a world configured in-game
• Admin commands & console — the line to cheats

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