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World desk7 min

How to Enable Hard Difficulty on a Core Keeper Server

Core Keeper Hard mode is selected with worldMode=1 or a hosting-panel World Mode option, but it applies only when a new world is generated. Follow the backup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps to create it safely.
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To start a Core Keeper server in Hard difficulty, set worldMode to 1 in ServerConfig.json (or select Hard in your host’s World Mode setting), then create the world in a slot or with a seed that has never been generated. An existing world is not converted when you change this value.

What you need to know before changing the setting

Hard difficulty is a world-generation setting. The server reads the mode while it creates a world, so changing the configuration while continuing to load the same save does not retrofit that save into Hard mode. Plan on generating a new world and keep a backup of the current one.

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  • Hard’s confirmed value: worldMode=1.
  • Existing saves: retain the mode with which they were created.
  • New-world requirement: use an unused world slot or a new seed after setting Hard.
  • Safety: stop the server and copy the save before editing configuration files.
  • Build differences: guidance agrees on Normal and Hard, but disagrees about the numeric values for Casual and Creative. Check the README included with your dedicated-server build before using those modes.

Choose your setup method

Method Where you change the mode What still must happen Best for
Direct configuration edit ServerConfig.json, setting worldMode to 1 Use an unused world slot or change the seed, then start the server Self-hosted servers, SteamCMD installations, and hosts that provide file access
Hosting-panel setting A World Mode dropdown or field Select Hard, choose a new world index or seed, and restart Managed hosting where the panel writes the JSON for you
Keep the current world No setting can make this approach work Not applicable: an existing save is not converted Only if you are willing to remain on the world’s original mode

Method 1: edit ServerConfig.json

1. Stop the server and back up the save

Use the server console or your host’s Stop control and wait until the process has fully exited. Copy the world-save directory and the current ServerConfig.json to a separate location. A backup lets you restore the previous world if you select the wrong slot, overwrite a save, or introduce invalid JSON.

2. Open the configuration file

The exact location depends on the host. Two paths documented by hosting guides are:

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  • /core-keeper/DedicatedServer/ServerConfig.json on Akliz.
  • /DedicatedServer/ServerConfig.json on Nodecraft.

Self-hosted installations can place the file elsewhere. Search the directory that contains the dedicated-server executable and use the ServerConfig.json shipped with that installation rather than creating a second file with a similar name.

3. Set worldMode to 1

Preserve the file’s existing structure and change only the value assigned to worldMode. A typical entry is:

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"worldMode": 1

Use the number 1, not the text "Hard". Keep the comma placement, quotation marks, and capitalization used by the original JSON. Do not add comments: comments make standard JSON invalid.

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4. Select a world that has never been generated

Changing worldMode alone is not enough. Make one of these changes in the same configuration file:

  • World slot: change the world value to an unused number.
  • World seed: replace worldSeed with a seed that this server has not generated before.

Nodecraft’s guidance describes an unused slot as generating a new world with the mode selected at startup. If you point the server back at the old slot, it will load that existing world instead of creating a Hard world.

5. Save and validate the JSON

Save the file as plain text with the original filename and extension. Check that worldMode appears only once, is followed by a valid comma or closing brace, and that no smart quotes were introduced by a rich-text editor. If your editor has JSON validation, run it before restarting.

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6. Start the server

Start the server normally. With an unused slot or seed, it should create a new world using Hard difficulty. The first start can take longer because world generation is occurring; allow it to finish before stopping the process or joining from a client.

7. Confirm that you are joining the new world

Ensure the server and your players are using the new slot or seed. If the map, base, and inventory look exactly like the previous save, the server probably loaded the old world. Stop it, verify the world or worldSeed value, and start again with an unused choice.

Method 2: use a hosting panel

Managed hosts expose the same setting through a form instead of requiring a JSON edit. The labels and menu locations vary, but the process is the same: stop the server, select Hard, choose a new world identity, and restart.

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BisectHosting

  1. Stop the server from the control panel.
  2. Open Settings and then Startup.
  3. Set the World Mode dropdown to Hard.
  4. Change the world index to an unused value, or provide a new seed if the panel offers that field.
  5. Save the startup settings and start the server.

MintServers

  1. Stop the server.
  2. Open Game Settings.
  3. Set the World Mode field to Hard.
  4. Select a new world index or seed rather than the identifier of the existing save.
  5. Save and restart, then connect to the newly generated world.

If your panel has a World Mode control but no world-index or seed control, use its file manager or configuration editor to change the world value manually. Selecting Hard while retaining the old world identifier will not convert that save.

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Why an existing world cannot simply be changed to Hard

The mode is applied when the world is generated. Terrain, encounters, progression state, and other world data are already stored in the save after that point. The server does not rebuild those data when you edit worldMode, so the old world continues under its original mode.

To preserve the old world, leave its files untouched and generate the Hard world in another slot. This gives you a rollback path and lets players return to the original map. Do not delete the old save until everyone has confirmed that the new world is the one you intended to create.

How to verify the change safely

  1. Stop the server and open the active configuration, confirming that worldMode is 1.
  2. Confirm that the configured world slot or worldSeed has not been used by this installation.
  3. Start the server and wait for world generation to complete.
  4. Join with a test character before inviting the whole group. Check that the map is new and that the server is not loading the previous base or explored areas.
  5. If the result is wrong, stop the server, restore the backup, and repeat with a different unused slot or seed.

World-mode numbers: what is consistent and what is not

Several third-party guides use numeric mode values. They agree that 0 is Normal and 1 is Hard, but they do not agree on Casual and Creative. Use the following comparison only to understand the conflict; the README packaged with your server build should take precedence.

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Guide or reference Normal Hard Casual Creative
Nodecraft 0 1 4 2
XGamingServer 0 1 4 2
SteamCMD guide from hebergtonserv.com 0 1 2 3
SurvivalConfigs 0 1 not stated 2

The agreement on 1 makes it the practical value for Hard. Do not infer a Casual or Creative value from another game, an old command-line example, or a different server build. One XGamingServer guide also warns that Creative and non-Creative worlds cannot be converted, reinforcing the need to choose the mode before generation.

Troubleshooting

The server still loads the old world

  • Check that the world slot changed to an unused number, or that the seed is genuinely new.
  • Confirm that the panel did not overwrite your manual edit when it restarted.
  • Verify that you edited the active installation’s file, not a backup or a second server directory.

The server fails to start after editing

  • Restore the backed-up ServerConfig.json to confirm that the problem is configuration syntax.
  • Validate commas, braces, quotation marks, and numeric values. Remove comments and trailing commas.
  • Reapply only worldMode": 1 and the new world identifier, leaving unrelated settings unchanged.

The panel shows Hard, but no new map appears

A panel selection changes the mode value, not the identity of the world. Set a new world index or seed as a separate step. If the panel automatically manages slots, look for a control labeled World, World Index, Seed, or Generate New World.

World-generation options did not carry over

Nodecraft notes that settings such as ore density, tunnels, rivers, and lakes may require uploading a world generated from Singleplayer. Those options are separate from the Hard-mode switch; confirm your host’s import procedure before expecting them to apply to a newly generated dedicated-server world.

Important limits and version cautions

  • World-slot range: an XGamingServer guide lists slots 0–29, but that range is not confirmed by a primary source. Treat it as a host-specific or version-specific detail rather than a universal limit.
  • Older command examples: an old Steam discussion quotes a README using -world 0 and -worldmode with 0 for Normal and 1 for Hard. Command-line syntax and file names can change, so do not assume that example matches your current build.
  • Game ID length: older material disagrees about the dedicated-server game-ID length. It is unrelated to enabling Hard and does not need to be changed.
  • Documentation authority: third-party hosting guides are useful for paths and panel labels, but your installed server’s README and the behavior of a disposable test world are the safest checks when versions differ.

Quick checklist

  • Stop the server.
  • Back up the save and configuration.
  • Set worldMode to 1, or select Hard in the panel.
  • Choose an unused world slot or a new seed.
  • Save valid JSON if editing manually.
  • Start the server and wait for generation.
  • Join a test session and verify that the map is new.

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