How to make a hardcore Minecraft server

1What's in the hardcore template

What the Hardcore SMP template sets up

Server	Paper 26.2, build 129
Java	25
Memory	4 GB, 3 GB of it for Java
Rules	Hard difficulty, PvP off, hardcore, up to 10 players
Plugin	Chunky 1.5.3 · GPL-3.0
Plugin	CoreProtect 24.1 · Artistic-2.0
Plugin	Simple Voice Chat 2.6.24 · all rights reserved
Checked	28 Sep 2026: created and started on Playkeeper 0.4.2, ready in 12 seconds with every plugin enabled

The test server's server.properties read hardcore=true, difficulty=hard and pvp=false.

2What hardcore means on a server

• One life. A player who dies turns into a spectator: they can fly around and watch, but not play.
• The world goes on. Unlike singleplayer hardcore, nothing is deleted, and everyone still alive keeps playing.
• Hard, always. Mobs hit harder and hunger can kill, and the difficulty can't be turned down while hardcore is on.

3Bringing someone back

Some groups allow it once. In the Console, move them somewhere safe first, since a spectator can be inside a wall, then give them survival back:

tp Steve Alex
gamemode survival Steve

Or restore the backup from before the fatal fight. It brings the world and every player back as they were then; Playkeeper's Back up now takes one without stopping the server.

4Before the first night

• Pre-generate the world on the World tab, which runs Chunky: lag on hard difficulty gets people killed.
• Talk. Simple Voice Chat uses UDP 24454, which Playkeeper opens on the machine; open it in your provider's firewall too, and friends add the mod.
• Back up before big fights. The Nether, the End or a raid are where most runs end.

5Open it in one click

Playkeeper runs your server on a VPS you rent. Install it with one command:

1. 1

   Open the template below

   Your dashboard shows hardcore on, hard difficulty and each plugin before anything installs.

2. 2

   Create and start it

   Hardcore is set as the world is made, so it applies from the first block.

3. 3

   Invite the group

   Invite links put each friend on the allowlist by their Minecraft name.

6The same server by hand, with Docker

# Hardcore SMP: Paper 26.2 on Java 25, 4 GB in all
docker run -d --name hardcore-smp -p 25565:25565 -p 24454:24454/udp \
  --memory 4G --memory-swap 4G \
  -e EULA=TRUE -e TYPE=PAPER -e VERSION=26.2 -e MEMORY=3G -e USE_AIKAR_FLAGS=TRUE \
  -e DIFFICULTY=hard -e PVP=false -e MAX_PLAYERS=10 -e HARDCORE=true \
  -e MODRINTH_PROJECTS=chunky,coreprotect,simple-voice-chat \
  -v hardcore-smp-data:/data itzg/minecraft-server:java25