How do I change the difficulty? — Minecraft

Q: Which values can I use?

peaceful, easy, normal, or hard on modern versions. Very old versions use 0–3 for the same order.

Q: My change didn't stick after a restart — why?

You likely changed it only via the Console. Set difficulty= in server.properties too so it persists across restarts.

How do I change the difficulty?

Changing your server's difficulty takes just one line in server.properties, or a quick command in the Console if you'd rather do it live. Here's both ways.

Editing server.properties

Open server.properties in the Files tab and set difficulty= to one of peaceful, easy, normal, or hard. Newer versions accept these words; very old versions used numbers 0–3 instead. Save the file and restart the server for it to take effect.

Changing it live in the Console

If you don't want to restart, run the command directly:

Open the Console.
Type /difficulty hard (or peaceful/easy/normal).
The change applies immediately.

Tip: The Console command changes difficulty for the current session; setting it in server.properties makes it stick across restarts. Do both if you want a permanent change without waiting for a reboot.

Frequently asked questions

Which values can I use? peaceful, easy, normal, or hard on modern versions. Very old versions use 0–3 for the same order.

Does peaceful remove mobs? Peaceful stops hostile mobs from spawning and heals players over time — handy for building-focused servers.

My change didn't stick after a restart — why? You likely changed it only via the Console. Set difficulty= in server.properties too so it persists across restarts.