Hytale treats player-versus-player combat as a world rule, not a casual toggle in a pause menu. That’s good for control, but it also means PvP is often disabled on fresh servers, whether you’re hosting it yourself or running it through a provider.
The core idea is simple: every Hytale world has a config.json file that includes an IsPvpEnabled setting. Hosting panels and in‑game commands are just different front ends for changing that value.
How PvP works on Hytale servers
On a dedicated Hytale server, PvP is controlled per world. When PvP is on, players can damage one another during normal gameplay. When it’s off, attacks between players do nothing, which is useful for co‑op or building‑focused servers.
Configuration files such as config.json are read when the server starts and can also be written to by in‑game actions. Changes made while the server is running may be overwritten, so the safest pattern for file edits is still to stop the server, change the setting, then start it again.
Enable PvP by editing config.json directly
This method works on self‑hosted servers and on providers that expose the raw file system. It changes the world rule at its source.
Step 1: Stop the Hytale server process. If you are using a control panel, use its Stop button; if you are running from the command line, shut down the Java process cleanly. This avoids the server rewriting config files while you edit them.
Step 2: Open your server’s universe directory and find the world folder. For a default world, the path typically looks like:
universe/worlds/default/config.jsonIf you have renamed your world, replace default with the actual world folder name.
Step 3: Open config.json in a text editor. Locate the line that defines the gameplay config, for example:
{
"GameplayConfig": "Default",
...
}Step 4: Add or adjust the PvP flag directly under the gameplay config line. To enable PvP, the segment should include:
{
"GameplayConfig": "Default",
"IsPvpEnabled": true,
...
}If an IsPvpEnabled line already exists and is set to false, change it to true instead of adding a duplicate.
Step 5: Save the file, then start the server again. Once the world loads, PvP is active for that world.
config.json before editing, especially if you plan to tweak other rules in the same file.
Enable PvP from a hosting control panel (Nodecraft)
Some hosts surface world options, including PvP, directly in their dashboards, so you never have to touch JSON by hand. On Nodecraft, PvP is managed as a world setting under Game Settings.
Step 1: Log into your Nodecraft account and open the Hytale instance from the dashboard.
Step 2: In the left‑hand menu, open Game Settings, then select the World tab under Hytale server settings. This lists the worlds attached to the instance.
Step 3: Hover over the world you want to modify and choose Settings. This opens a panel of world‑specific options.
Step 4: Find the PvP Enabled toggle and switch it on. Scroll down and use the Submit button to apply the change.
Step 5: Start the server if it is not already running. Nodecraft applies the configuration when the instance comes online, so player damage is enabled as soon as the world loads.
To disable PvP again, return to the same world settings screen, turn the PvP toggle off, submit, and restart.
Enable PvP from a hosting control panel (Aternos)
Aternos exposes the PvP flag from the Worlds page and updates it immediately, without requiring a restart.
Step 1: Sign into Aternos and open your Hytale server page, then go to the Worlds section.
Step 2: For the world you want to change, click its options button to open the Hytale configuration view. From there you can see gameplay options for that world.
Step 3: Locate the PvP toggle and set it to enabled. Aternos updates the underlying IsPvpEnabled value in real time, so players can fight immediately without a fresh restart.
If you prefer to jump straight into the correct setting, Aternos can deep‑link directly to the IsPvpEnabled entry in the world’s config.json via its file editor.
Enable PvP with a hosting panel plus file access (Apex, OuiHeberg, others)
Other hosts, including Apex and OuiHeberg, expose the same underlying JSON but route you through FTP or a web file manager. The pattern is identical whichever panel you use.
Step 1: Use your provider’s panel to stop the Hytale server. Wait until the instance is fully offline before continuing.
Step 2: Open the file manager. On many panels, this lives under an FTP or “File Access” section. Log in with the credentials provided for your instance.
Step 3: Navigate to the Hytale universe path, then into the worlds directory and your specific world folder. On most deployments, this resembles:
universe/worlds/<your-world-name>/config.jsonStep 4: Open config.json in the panel’s editor. In hosts that prepopulate the PvP flag, you will see a line such as:
"IsPvpEnabled": falseChange false to true. On hosts that do not show the line yet, add it directly under the gameplay config, matching this shape:
"GameplayConfig": "Default",
"IsPvpEnabled": true,Pay attention to commas so the JSON stays valid.
Step 5: Save the file from the editor and restart the server from the panel. Once the world loads again, PvP is live.
Enable PvP with an in‑game command
Instead of working with files or panels, server operators can flip PvP from inside the game by using a world configuration command, as long as they have the appropriate privileges.
Step 1: Make sure your player has administrative permissions on the server. That is handled through the server’s permissions system or an operator list, depending on how you run your instance.
Step 2: Connect to the server and open the chat or command input.
Step 3: Run the world configuration command to enable PvP:
/world config pvp trueThis updates the world rule that controls player damage. On a correctly configured server, the change applies to the active world without a restart.
To disable PvP again, issue the same command with false instead of true.
Optional: tune death behavior for a PvP world
Turning PvP on only determines whether players can damage each other. It does not decide what happens when someone dies. That behavior is defined elsewhere in the same config.json file, inside a Death block.
For PvP‑heavy servers, death settings usually matter just as much as the PvP flag itself. A typical configuration might look like this:
"Death": {
"RespawnController": {
"Type": "HomeOrSpawnPoint"
},
"ItemsLossMode": "All",
"ItemsAmountLossPercentage": 10.0,
"ItemsDurabilityLossPercentage": 10.0
},In that example, players respawn at a home location or spawn point, lose items according to the ItemsLossMode, and have both item quantity and durability reduced by 10 percent. You can adjust these values to match how punishing you want PvP deaths to be, always preserving valid JSON structure and stopping the server before editing.
What to consider before flipping PvP on
Once PvP is active, the entire tone of a Hytale server changes. Cooperative building sessions become full‑contact by default, and casual players can find themselves killed unexpectedly.
If you run a public or community server, it is worth updating your server name, description, and rules to reflect that PvP is enabled and to spell out what is acceptable behavior. Combining the PvP flag with tuned death penalties lets you decide whether your world leans toward light sparring or full‑loot combat.
Handled through config files, host panels, or commands, the underlying setting is the same. Once you know where IsPvpEnabled lives and how your provider exposes it, switching between peaceful and hostile worlds becomes a single, controlled change instead of a mystery toggle buried somewhere in the UI.
