Valheim does not use a server-wide PvP switch in the game controls described by current player guidance. Player-versus-player combat is called Friendly Fire, and each person enables it from their own inventory. Press Tab, click the two-swords icon in the upper-right corner until the swords cross, and confirm the message Friendly Fire Enabled
.
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Both players must have Friendly Fire enabled before either can damage the other. The toggle applies only to the character who changes it; it does not alter building damage or map visibility. A player killed by another player drops their entire inventory and loses food and potion buffs, so treat a duel as a full-risk activity.
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The short answer: enable Friendly Fire for every participant
To enable PvP on a Valheim server, have each participating player perform the following in the game world:
- Press Tab to open the inventory.
- Find the two-swords icon in the upper-right corner of the inventory screen.
- Click the icon so the swords cross.
- Check for the on-screen confirmation
Friendly Fire Enabled
.
Repeat those steps for every player who should take part. If one player leaves the swords uncrossed, neither player can damage the other. There is no server-console command or dedicated-server launch flag identified in the available guidance that replaces this per-player action.
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What the Friendly Fire toggle actually changes
Friendly Fire is a character-level combat permission, not a global world-rules switch. Understanding its scope prevents several common setup mistakes.
| Game behavior | What happens when the player enables Friendly Fire |
|---|---|
| Damage to another player | Available only when the other participant has also enabled Friendly Fire. |
| Damage from another player | Requires the affected participant to have Friendly Fire enabled as well; one-sided activation does not create a damaging matchup. |
| Building and structure damage | Unchanged. The swords toggle does not alter how construction damage works. |
| Map visibility | Unchanged. Enabling PvP does not reveal players, locations, or unexplored terrain. |
| Other players on the server | Unaffected until they change their own setting. |
| Death consequences | A PvP death drops the victim’s entire inventory and removes active food and potion buffs. |
The icon’s state is local to the character, so an administrator cannot turn it on for everyone by changing a setting in the server panel. Each player must make the change with the character they intend to use.
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1. Join the correct world and character
Enter the Valheim world hosted by your dedicated server or by the player acting as host. Select the character that will participate. The setting is tied to that character’s current state, so changing it on a different character will not prepare the one you plan to use.
2. Open the inventory
Press Tab. The inventory screen should appear. If Tab has been remapped, use the key currently assigned to inventory in your controls; the important point is to reach the standard inventory interface, not a server-management panel.
3. Select the crossed-swords control
Look in the upper-right corner of the inventory window for the icon showing two swords. Click it once. The swords should appear crossed, and Valheim should display Friendly Fire Enabled
.
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4. Close the inventory and test safely
Close the inventory and move to a controlled location away from storage, crafting stations, portals, and tamed animals. Do not begin with a high-value item equipped. A brief, low-stakes test confirms that both characters completed the procedure without risking a full expedition load.
5. Turn it off when the session ends
Open the inventory again and click the same icon. The swords will uncross and Valheim will show Friendly Fire Disabled
. Players who are not actively dueling should normally leave the option off to avoid accidental combat.
Both players must coordinate their settings
Friendly Fire is not a one-sided attack permission. For a player-versus-player fight to work, both characters need the enabled state at the time of the encounter. If Player A sees the enabled message but Player B does not, the pair will not be able to damage each other.
Use a simple verbal or chat confirmation before starting:
- Player A reports seeing
Friendly Fire Enabled
. - Player B repeats the same confirmation.
- Both players move to the agreed test area.
- Each player performs one low-risk test hit rather than opening with a valuable weapon or consumable.
If one person later clicks the icon to disable Friendly Fire, the combat relationship changes for that character. Ask everyone to recheck the icon before each organized event, especially after reconnecting or switching characters.
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Can a dedicated-server administrator enable PvP for everyone?
Dedicated Valheim servers take many world-rule options as launch parameters. Parameters described in current server guidance include -preset, -modifier, and -setkey. They can control settings such as difficulty, combat strength, death penalties, and raid behavior, depending on the option and the server version.
No source available for this guide identifies a launch argument that turns Friendly Fire on or off for the entire server. That is an evidence limitation, not proof that a future game version could never add one. Before editing a startup command, check the current Iron Gate Dedicated Server Manual for the exact version you are running and look for a documented PvP or Friendly Fire rule. Do not invent a parameter name: an unrecognized argument may simply be ignored, leaving players with the same per-character toggle.
What launch parameters can and cannot do
| Need | Use a launch parameter? | Correct action |
|---|---|---|
| Set a world difficulty or combat modifier | Often yes, through documented options such as -preset or -modifier. |
Follow the manual’s syntax and restart the server if required. |
| Change death-penalty or raid rules | Potentially, using the relevant documented modifier. | Announce the resulting risk before players join. |
| Enable Friendly Fire for every character | No server-wide argument is identified in the available guidance. | Have each player use the inventory swords control. |
| Force a particular player’s toggle remotely | Not identified. | Ask that player to change the setting in game. |
Server operators should therefore describe PvP as a player opt-in rule, not as a property guaranteed by the server’s startup line. A server welcome message can explain the procedure, but it cannot substitute for the in-game clicks.
Prepare for the full cost of a PvP death
Valheim’s PvP risk is materially higher than a harmless sparring toggle. When another player kills you, your entire inventory drops at the death location, and food and potion buffs are removed. The loss includes equipment and materials you were carrying, not just the weapon used in the duel.
Before a planned duel
- Store irreplaceable tools, boss trophies, rare metals, and building supplies in a secure chest.
- Carry only the equipment agreed for the match. If the event is practice, use inexpensive gear.
- Eat the food and drink the mead or potion needed for the ruleset, then account for the fact that those buffs disappear when you die.
- Place a bed or other recovery point near, but not inside, the combat area.
- Tell every participant who is responsible for retrieving a dropped tombstone and how long the area will remain open.
After an unexpected death
- Return to the death marker with a recovery plan rather than immediately re-entering the fight.
- Ask the opponent to stop attacking while the inventory is recovered, if the server’s rules allow a truce.
- Collect the tombstone and verify that your equipment, materials, and consumables are present.
- Rebuild food and potion buffs before resuming combat; they were removed by the death.
- Recheck the Friendly Fire icon if you changed characters or reconnected during recovery.
Troubleshooting when players cannot hurt each other
The swords do not cross
Make sure you are in the inventory opened with Tab, not a chest, forge, or map window. The control is the two-swords icon in the inventory’s upper-right corner. Click the icon once and look for the exact enabled confirmation. If the interface looks different after a patch, locate the Friendly Fire control in the current inventory layout rather than relying on an old screenshot.
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One player enabled it, but attacks still do no damage
Have the other player open their own inventory and confirm the same enabled message. One-sided activation is insufficient. Both characters must have the setting enabled for the matchup.
The icon was enabled earlier, but the fight no longer works
Check both characters again immediately before combat. A player may have clicked the icon to stop accidental damage, switched characters, or joined with a different character whose state was not changed. Do not assume that a teammate’s setting matches yours because it did in a previous session.
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That is expected. Friendly Fire changes player damage interaction only; it does not change building-damage rules. Use the server’s documented world modifiers or construction permissions for structure behavior instead of the swords icon.
Someone expected the map to reveal enemy positions
Friendly Fire does not change map visibility. Players still follow the normal map and exploration rules, so a PvP event needs its own method for sharing locations, such as a mutually agreed arena or coordinates.
A server panel offers a “PvP” field
Hosting panels sometimes label presets or rule bundles differently from the game’s own interface. Read the panel’s version-specific description and compare its generated launch command with the current Iron Gate manual. Unless the panel explicitly documents a Friendly Fire setting that works in your version, players should still verify the in-game swords control.
Organizing a fair PvP event
Define the arena and boundaries
Choose a location with enough room for the agreed weapons and movement. Mark the boundary with visible structures or terrain and keep storage, portals, beds, and crafting stations outside the fighting area. Because map visibility is unchanged, publish the arena location in your server’s normal communication channel or meet at a landmark everyone can identify.
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State whether players may use bows, shields, food combinations, meads, potions, or environmental hazards. Since death removes buffs and drops the full inventory, decide in advance whether combatants may retrieve tombstones between rounds and who protects the recovery route.
Separate testing from competition
Run one low-risk test hit after both players confirm the enabled message. This catches a forgotten toggle without consuming a rare weapon durability cycle or turning an accidental hit near a base into a dispute. Start the scored round only after the test succeeds.
Provide an opt-out procedure
Any participant should be able to end their involvement by opening the inventory and selecting the swords icon until it shows Friendly Fire Disabled
. Establish a callout such as “out” so teammates stop attacking while that player changes the setting or leaves the arena.
Version and interface caveats
The inventory icon and text labels are user-interface elements and can move or change with a Valheim patch. The workflow described here is based on the current labels Friendly Fire Enabled
and Friendly Fire Disabled
; if a later update changes the wording, use the crossed-swords control’s state and the confirmation message shown by your installed version.
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Dedicated-server arguments are also version-sensitive. Keep a copy of the working startup command before changing -preset, -modifier, or -setkey, change one rule at a time, and restart only when the manual says the option is read at startup. None of those parameter names should be treated as a synonym for the per-player Friendly Fire toggle.
Quick Recap
Quick administrator and player checklist
- Tell newcomers that PvP is called Friendly Fire in the inventory.
- Have every participant press Tab and click the upper-right two-swords icon.
- Require both players to see
Friendly Fire Enabled
before a match. - Keep valuable inventory and irreplaceable materials out of the arena.
- Explain that PvP death drops the entire inventory and removes food and potion buffs.
- Do not promise that PvP changes building damage or map visibility.
- Do not claim a server-wide launch flag unless the current official manual documents one for your version.
- After a patch, verify the icon location and labels in a disposable test area.
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