# How to Change the Difficulty on a Minecraft Bedrock Server > Learn how to easily adjust the difficulty settings on your Minecraft Bedrock server hosted with Beacon Hosting. Source: https://www.beaconhosting.org/knowledgebase/how-to-change-the-difficulty-on-a-minecraft-bedrock-server Category: Minecraft Last updated: 2026-09-09 # How to Change the Difficulty on a Minecraft Bedrock Server Changing the **difficulty on a Minecraft Bedrock server** controls how challenging the game is for everyone playing on the server. Minecraft Bedrock Edition has four difficulty levels: * **Peaceful** — Hostile mobs do not naturally spawn, and players do not experience normal hunger mechanics. * **Easy** — Hostile mobs spawn and deal less damage than on higher difficulties. * **Normal** — The standard Minecraft survival experience. * **Hard** — Hostile mobs are more dangerous and survival becomes less forgiving. At Beacon Hosting, you can change your Minecraft Bedrock server's difficulty through the `server.properties` configuration in the server control panel. ## How to Change Minecraft Bedrock Server Difficulty ### Step 1: Open Your Minecraft Bedrock Server Log in to the **Beacon Hosting control panel** and open **Your Servers**. Select the Minecraft Bedrock server you want to configure. ### Step 2: Open `server.properties` Open **Files** from the server sidebar. Find and open: ```text server.properties ``` The file opens in the **Visual Editor** by default. ### Step 3: Find the Difficulty Setting In the Visual Editor, expand **Commonly used** or search for: ```text difficulty ``` The difficulty setting controls the gameplay difficulty of your Bedrock server. ### Step 4: Select Your Difficulty Choose one of the available difficulty levels: * **Peaceful** * **Easy** * **Normal** * **Hard** For example, select **Normal** for a standard survival experience. If you prefer to edit the raw configuration directly, the setting uses values such as: ```text difficulty=normal ``` ### Step 5: Save the Configuration Save your changes in the Beacon Hosting control panel. ### Step 6: Restart the Server Restart the Minecraft Bedrock server from **Console**. Wait for the server to finish starting, then join the server and verify that the new difficulty is active. ## What Are the Minecraft Bedrock Difficulty Levels? Minecraft Bedrock Edition has four difficulty settings: **Peaceful, Easy, Normal, and Hard**. ### Peaceful Peaceful provides a relaxed Minecraft experience. Hostile mobs do not naturally spawn, and players do not experience normal hunger mechanics. Peaceful can be useful for: * Building-focused servers * Relaxed exploration * Younger players * Casual multiplayer worlds ### Easy Easy retains Minecraft's survival gameplay while making hostile encounters less dangerous. It is a good choice for players who want survival mechanics without the increased difficulty of Normal or Hard. ### Normal Normal provides the standard Minecraft survival experience. It is a good default for most multiplayer survival servers because it provides a balance between exploration, combat, resource gathering, and survival. ### Hard Hard provides a more challenging survival experience. Hostile mobs are more dangerous and survival mechanics are less forgiving. Hard is a common choice for experienced survival players and communities looking for a greater challenge. ## Can You Change the Difficulty on a Minecraft Bedrock Server? **Yes. You can change the difficulty after creating a Minecraft Bedrock world.** You do not need to create a new world just to change the difficulty. Changing the difficulty changes the gameplay rules applied to the existing world. ## Does Changing Minecraft Bedrock Difficulty Delete Your World? **No. Changing the difficulty does not delete your Minecraft Bedrock world.** Difficulty is a gameplay setting and can be changed without generating a new world. It is still a good idea to maintain regular server backups before making configuration changes. ## Do You Need to Restart a Minecraft Bedrock Server After Changing Difficulty? If you change the difficulty through `server.properties`, **restart the server** so the updated configuration is loaded. A difficulty change made through the appropriate in-game or console command can take effect without a full restart. ## How to Change Bedrock Server Difficulty Using a Command Minecraft Bedrock also supports the `/difficulty` command when you have the required permissions. For example: ```text /difficulty peaceful ``` ```text /difficulty easy ``` ```text /difficulty normal ``` ```text /difficulty hard ``` The command is useful when you want to change the difficulty while the server is running. If you are managing the server through Beacon Hosting, you can instead change the persistent setting through: **Your Servers → Minecraft server → Files → `server.properties`** ## What Difficulty Should You Use for a Minecraft Bedrock Server? For most Minecraft Bedrock survival servers, **Normal is a good default choice**. Use: * **Peaceful** for relaxed building and exploration * **Easy** for casual survival * **Normal** for the standard Minecraft experience * **Hard** for experienced players and challenging survival gameplay If you are running a public community server, Normal is a sensible starting point. You can change the difficulty later if your players want a more relaxed or challenging experience. ## Troubleshooting ### The difficulty did not change Make sure you saved `server.properties` and restarted the server. Also check that you edited the `difficulty` setting for the correct server. ### The server keeps using the previous difficulty Open `server.properties` again and verify that the saved value is correct. For example: ```text difficulty=hard ``` Then restart the server. ### I changed the difficulty but my world was not reset This is expected. **Changing difficulty does not regenerate the world.** Your existing world remains intact. ### Can I change difficulty without restarting? Yes. The `/difficulty` command can change the difficulty while the server is running if you have the required permissions. A change made through `server.properties`, however, should be followed by a restart. ## Minecraft Bedrock Server Hosting With Beacon Hosting [Beacon Hosting](https://www.beaconhosting.org/servers) provides Minecraft server hosting with **Java and Bedrock support, NVMe storage, DDoS protection, and a web-based control panel**. For Bedrock servers, Beacon provides access to tools for managing **server files, console access, player management, configuration, backups, and SFTP**. This lets you manage configuration files such as `server.properties` directly from the hosting panel. Beacon Hosting supports Minecraft **Bedrock and Java Edition**, as well as popular server software including **Vanilla, Paper, Spigot, Purpur, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, and Quilt** where applicable. Plans start from **$1/GB**, with a **2-day free trial and no card required** available on eligible new servers. Whether you are running a private Bedrock world with friends or a larger Minecraft community, Beacon Hosting provides the server management tools needed to configure and maintain your Minecraft server. [Start Your Minecraft Server With Beacon Hosting](https://www.beaconhosting.org/servers)