MineStrator
It's official: Palworld left early access on Friday, July 10, 2026. Version 1.0 is available on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and it landed on Game Pass on day one. The update is free for everyone who already owns the game, and Pocketpair did not use the launch to raise the price, a gesture the studio describes as a thank-you to a community that just passed 40 million total players.
To go with the release, the studio published unusually massive patch notes: roughly 27 pages and more than 10,000 words, to the point that the text nearly hit Steam's character limit for announcements. We read the whole thing for you. Here is what 1.0 really changes, both in-game and on your dedicated server.
A final release more than two years in the making
Launched in early access in January 2024, Palworld finally hits 1.0, which Pocketpair describes as the biggest update in the game's history. The full official changelog is live on Steam, and it touches everything: world, story, Pals, combat, gear, bases, multiplayer, graphics, sound and optimization.
If you want a refresher on the road to 1.0 and what was announced at Summer Game Fest, our Palworld 1.0 announcement article lays out the full timeline. Now let's look at what actually shipped.
What is in the Palworld 1.0 patch notes?
The Palworld 1.0 patch notes add two major new regions (Sunreach and the World Tree), 72 new Pals, a level cap raised from 65 to 80, two brand-new breeding mechanics (Mutation and Awakening) and 13 new weapons. They also overhaul the main story, base raids, the guild system and dedicated server performance.
Sunreach, the archipelago in the sky
Sunreach is a set of floating islands that appeared above Palpagos, kept aloft by the power of Paldium. It is home to brand-new Pals, tower bosses and Soralite, an ore exclusive to the region that can only be mined with specialized equipment. Consider it your gateway to 1.0's high-end arsenal.
The World Tree, the heart of the story and the endgame
The World Tree, visible in the distance since launch but always out of reach, finally opens. This is where the main story concludes and where the toughest challenges in the game await. The area holds two unique resources: Paloxite, an endgame-only ore, and the Radiant Gems that power the new Awakening mechanic.
A reworked original map
The rest of Palpagos got plenty of attention too: seven small islands added across three biomes (volcano, desert, ruins), Ancient Ruins with minigames and schematics to collect, watchtowers that reveal the map and double as fast-travel points, new settlements with NPCs and sub-missions, and even enemy bases out at sea.
The three Wildlife Sanctuaries have been fully reworked into protected areas patrolled by defense drones: sneak past the searchlights or go in loud; the choice is yours.
72 new Pals and a level cap raised to 80
Version 1.0 adds 72 new Pals in total, 47 all-new species and 25 variants, bringing the roster to 287. You will mostly meet them in Sunreach, at the World Tree and across the reworked zones, with fully rebalanced habitats so encounters better match each region.
The player level cap rises from 65 to 80, and new technologies tied to the ancient civilization arrive with it. The Partner Skills of more than 200 Pals have been reworked or rewritten, and most importantly, effects from the same species no longer stack within a team: running five identical Pals is out, and teams are now built around complementary roles.
How do Mutation and Awakening work?
Mutation gives breeding a low chance of producing a Pal stronger than the normal result, with higher stats and a unique passive skill. Awakening has you gather Radiant Gems hidden in the depths of the World Tree to unlock the true power of your favorite Pals and push past their natural limits.
Four new cakes steer your breeding: the Mushroom Cake slightly raises the odds of higher stats at birth, the Vegetable Cake produces two eggs at once, the Deluxe Vegetable Cake makes mutations more likely and the Special Cake improves the inheritance of the parents' passive skills.
The grind has also been seriously trimmed: the Capture Bonus now takes 5 captures instead of 12, and condensing a Pal to max rank requires 48 copies instead of 116. Work Suitability now spans 10 levels, and every rank-up raises one of a Pal's work skills.
đź’ˇ Tip: the new "World Tree" passive skills pair huge bonuses with a real drawback, like +50% Attack in exchange for lower Defense. Plenty of room for much bolder builds than before.
Combat, weapons and bases: the other big changes
Combat feels snappier: dodges turn into a dash while you attack or aim, reloading is no longer interrupted by rolls, and you can now order your Pal to attack a specific target. Tower bosses have been revamped with unique arenas, and their time limit drops from 10 to 5 minutes with stats adjusted to match.
On the arsenal side, 13 new weapons arrive, including a line crafted from Soralite Ingots: the Laser Sword, the Drone Launcher (up to 9 autonomous drones at once), the Plasma Rifle whose electrical arcs chain between enemies, and a Tactical Grenade Launcher. With the new Extra Weapon Holster, you can carry up to 6 weapons. Add the Wing Pack, a standalone glider that burns Wing Cells for free flight without a mount, and the Plasma Multicutter, which lets you gather ore and wood even while riding.
Bases get some love too: raids become a wave-based system with rewards, a Negotiator can cancel an incoming attack for gold, defense structures no longer consume ammo, and the Aquatic Construction Kit finally lets you build on water.
What does 1.0 change for your Palworld server?
Version 1.0 brings four notable additions to dedicated servers: built-in voice chat, guild roles with permissions, optimized performance and revised default settings. Pocketpair says server-side processing has been optimized to hold up better with many players online, on top of a long list of dedicated-server-specific fixes.
In-game voice chat is enabled in the world settings of a dedicated server (it is not supported on the Microsoft Store PC version). Guilds gain multiple roles with configurable permissions, login notifications and the ability to lock certain structures to a given role: a real upgrade for community servers where permission management used to be basic. Also worth noting: a mode that hides the server address on screen for streaming, and an improved save process that reduces the risk of data corruption.
Default world settings on dedicated servers are now aligned with single-player Normal difficulty. If you run a custom setup, our guide on how to configure your Palworld server covers the settings that matter, our Palworld commands guide lists every admin command, and our walkthrough on how to create a Palworld server gets you from zero to online in minutes. At MineStrator, every Palworld server also comes with SmartBackup™ for automatic backups over a rolling month.
đź’¬ Good to know: plan on 8 GB of RAM for four players, 12 to 16 GB for around ten players with several bases, and 16 to 24 GB for a full 32-player server.
What about the Server Clustering feature announced in June?
Server Clustering, the feature announced during the 1.0 reveal to link several instances together, does not appear in the official July 10 patch notes. No official configuration is documented at launch. We are keeping a close eye on the topic and will update our guides as soon as Pocketpair publishes its documentation. Until then, treat this feature as upcoming, not available.
Do you need to start over to enjoy 1.0?
No, your existing saves remain playable: Pocketpair simply recommends starting a new character to experience the full journey, especially the reworked story. If you keep your world, note that main and sub-mission progress is reset to align with the new reward structure, with one welcome exception: tower boss missions are automatically marked as completed based on your past victories. Bounty history is also reset, and accumulated experience is converted to the new XP table, so you will not lose any levels.
On a server, the question is a collective one: keep the world or give the whole community a fresh start. A launch wipe is a great way to bring everyone back on an equal footing, but nothing technically requires it.
⚠️ Warning: if you have ever used mods, Pocketpair asks you to delete them completely before launching 1.0; disabling them is not enough. Leftover files and loaders can cause crashes and save corruption, as explained in the official guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
When did Palworld 1.0 come out?
Palworld 1.0 was released on Friday, July 10, 2026, simultaneously on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, with day-one availability on Game Pass. The update is free for everyone who owns the game, and the price has not gone up. It marks the end of more than two years of early access.
What is in the Palworld 1.0 patch notes?
The Palworld 1.0 patch notes span roughly 27 pages and more than 10,000 words. Highlights include two new regions (Sunreach and the World Tree), 72 new Pals bringing the total to 287, a level cap raised from 65 to 80, the Mutation and Awakening breeding mechanics, 13 new weapons, a reworked base raid system and many multiplayer improvements.
Is Server Clustering available in Palworld 1.0?
No. Server Clustering, announced in June 2026 during the 1.0 reveal, does not appear in the official patch notes published on July 10, and no official configuration is documented at launch. Dedicated servers do get built-in voice chat, guild roles with permissions and performance optimizations.
Are my saves compatible with Palworld 1.0?
Yes, existing saves remain playable in 1.0. Main and sub-mission progress is reset to align with the new reward structure, with tower boss missions automatically marked as completed based on your past victories. Pocketpair recommends starting a new character to enjoy the full experience, and deleting old mods before launching the game.
How much RAM do you need for a Palworld server in 1.0?
Plan on 8 GB for four players, 12 to 16 GB for around ten players with several bases, and 16 to 24 GB for a full 32-player server. At MineStrator, the MyBox 12 is recommended for a group of around eight players, and you can adjust RAM at any time from the panel.
Conclusion
Palworld 1.0 delivers on content: Sunreach and the World Tree, 287 Pals, an endgame finally structured around Mutation and Awakening, a redesigned arsenal and a multiplayer experience strengthened by voice chat, guild roles and real server optimizations. The only sour note for large communities is the absence of Server Clustering at launch.
It is the perfect time to start or restart a server: the full release is going to bring a lot of players back to Palpagos. You can host your Palworld server with MineStrator from €13.99/month, with dedicated resources and RAM you can adjust to your group size, or try it free for 12 hours, no credit card required.
And if your community plays modded, keep an eye on mod compatibility over the coming days: after an update of this scale, mod authors will need a little time to catch up.
