Installing Mods and Plugins on Your Hytale Server

Installing Mods and Plugins on Your Hytale Server

Hytale supports two types of server-side mods, both installed by placing files in the mods/ directory:

1. Java .jar plugins — server-side code that hooks into server events and APIs
2. Content .zip packages — asset and data packages that add new items, creatures, biomes, or scripts

The mods/ Directory

/opt/hytale-server/
└── mods/
    ├── my-plugin.jar
    ├── another-plugin.jar
    └── content-pack.zip

The server scans this directory on startup and loads any valid mod files it finds. No separate manifest or configuration file is required to register mods — just drop the file in and restart.

Installing a Java Plugin (.jar)

1. Obtain the plugin .jar from a trusted source (the mod author's repository or the Hytale mod community hub).
2. Stop the server.
3. Copy the .jar into the mods/ directory:

sudo systemctl stop hytale
cp my-plugin-1.0.0.jar /opt/hytale-server/mods/
sudo systemctl start hytale

4. Check the server log to confirm the plugin loaded successfully:

sudo journalctl -u hytale -n 50 | grep -i "mod\|plugin\|loaded"

A successful load message will reference the plugin name and version.

Installing a Content Package (.zip)

Content packages follow the same process as .jar plugins:

sudo systemctl stop hytale
cp new-content-pack.zip /opt/hytale-server/mods/
sudo systemctl start hytale

Content packages can add new crafting recipes, mobs, biomes, or scripted behaviors. Check the package documentation for any additional configuration required after install.

Mod Compatibility

Always verify that mods are built for your exact server version. A plugin compiled against server version 1.0.0 may not work on 1.0.3. Check the mod's release page for a compatibility matrix.

If a plugin fails to load, the server will log an error but will continue starting. Incompatible mods will not crash the entire server.

Removing a Mod

Stop the server, delete the file from mods/, and restart:

sudo systemctl stop hytale
rm /opt/hytale-server/mods/problem-mod.jar
sudo systemctl start hytale

Plugin Configuration Files

Many .jar plugins create their own configuration files in a subdirectory within mods/ on first run:

mods/
├── my-plugin.jar
└── my-plugin/
    └── config.yml

Edit plugin configs while the server is stopped unless the plugin explicitly supports hot-reloading.

RAM Considerations

Each .jar plugin runs within the same JVM as the server. Heavy plugins increase memory usage. If you are running multiple plugins on a small server, monitor RAM usage and increase the -Xmx flag in your launch command if needed:

java -Xms2G -Xmx6G -jar HytaleServer.jar

See Hytale Server Performance Optimization for more guidance.

Using a Pterodactyl Egg

If you are managing your Hytale server through Pterodactyl, you can use the community Hytale egg available at https://github.com/NATroutter/egg-hytale. Mod installation works the same way — upload files to the mods/ directory via the file manager or SFTP.

Related

• Hytale Server Performance Optimization
• Updating Your Hytale Dedicated Server
• Hytale Server Troubleshooting Guide
• Host a Hytale server with DustBowl.Games