How do I enable hardcore on my Minecraft server?

Set hardcore=true in server.properties before the world is generated for the first time and restart the server. The difficulty is then locked to hard and players who die automatically become spectators.

Can a dead player come back on a hardcore server?

Yes. An op puts the player back with /gamemode survival , or you use a revive or deathban plugin so it happens according to fixed rules without an admin.

How many players can be on a hardcore SMP?

That depends on the RAM, not on hardcore itself. 5 GB is enough for ten players, 8 GB for twenty and 10 to 15 GB for bigger groups with plugins.

Does hardcore work on an existing world too?

The real hardcore mode with locked difficulty and hardcore hearts only works on a world that was created as hardcore. On an existing world you can mimic the behaviour with difficulty hard and a deathban plugin.

// Minecraft

How to make a hardcore SMP server with friends: step by step (2026)

7 September 2026 · 4 min read

A hardcore SMP is the simplest form of Minecraft with friends and at the same time the most exciting: everyone has one life, whoever dies watches, and after a few weeks there's a winner. You don't need a modpack for it. Hardcore is simply built into Minecraft itself. In this guide you set up a server like that step by step, including the settings the creators use too and the pitfalls almost every group falls into at some point.

Step 1: pick a server that fits your group

Hardcore isn't heavier than regular survival, so the rule of thumb is the same: up to ten players 5 GB of RAM is enough, up to twenty players 8 GB, and with lots of plugins or a big group 10 to 15 GB. At MC-Node that's €5.50, €8.80, €11.00 or €15.00 per month, with NVMe storage, DDoS protection and our own panel. Your server is ready right after payment and you can always upgrade later. Not sure about the size? Read How much RAM does an SMP server need?.

Step 2: install Paper

Pick the latest Paper version in your panel. Paper is fully compatible with vanilla, runs noticeably smoother with multiple players and can run plugins. Purpur is fine too; the difference is explained in Paper or Purpur for your Minecraft server?. Start the server once so all the files get created, then stop it again.

Step 3: enable hardcore in server.properties

Open server.properties in your panel's file manager and set these lines:

hardcore=true
difficulty=hard
white-list=true
enforce-whitelist=true
spawn-protection=0
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6
pvp=true

hardcore=true is the core: one life, and whoever dies automatically becomes a spectator. On a hardcore server the difficulty is locked to hard, even if you enter something else.
white-list=true with enforce-whitelist=true makes sure only your friends get in, and that anyone you remove from the list is kicked immediately.
spawn-protection=0 prevents a situation where nobody but ops can build around spawn.
pvp is a choice. Many groups turn it on because it's part of the format; if you only want to fight the world, turn it off. See also how to disable PvP.

Important: hardcore only works on a world that was created as hardcore. So set the option before the world is generated for the first time. On an existing world you can still enforce hardcore with the /difficulty hard command plus a death-means-spectator rule via plugins, but you only get the real hardcore hearts and the locked difficulty with a fresh world.

The full walkthrough, including the common pitfalls, is in the knowledge base: enabling hardcore mode.

Step 4: whitelist and ops

Start the server and add your friends from the console:

whitelist add Player1
whitelist add Player2
whitelist list
op YourName

Give op rights only to yourself and at most one other admin. An op can put any dead player back, and you don't want to leave that to the whole group. There's more in the knowledge base under using a whitelist.

Step 5: agree what happens after a death

This is the part groups forget most often, and it decides whether your server is still fun after a week. There are three common variants:

Variant	How it works	Who it's for
Dead is dead	Spectator until the season is over	Short seasons of 2 to 4 weeks, like the creators
One revive	A living player can bring a dead one back once, for example with a sacrifice of rare items	Groups that want to play for months
Deathban	After a death you're a spectator for a fixed number of days and then you come back	Big groups with varying turnout

Technically, bringing someone back is simple: an op types /gamemode survival Player1 and optionally sets the spawn point with /spawnpoint Player1 x y z. If you want it to run without an admin, use a revive or deathban plugin; you'll find them in your panel's plugin library. Exactly how to do that is in reviving a dead player on a hardcore server.

Step 6: the plugins that make the difference

Keep it small. Three plugins are enough for a hardcore SMP:

Simple Voice Chat: talk to whoever is standing next to you. This makes a cave in hardcore twice as tense. Installation: installing Simple Voice Chat.
CoreProtect: logs every block and every chest, so you can roll back griefing or an accident without restoring a backup.
A revive or deathban plugin, if you don't go for "dead is dead".

Everything beyond that is optional: a map like BlueMap for an overview, DiscordSRV to mirror the chat to Discord, LuckPerms if you want ranks. A full overview of what you do and don't need is in The best plugins for a hardcore SMP.

Step 7: backups and the world border

Turn on daily backups in your panel before someone accidentally blows up the base one day. How that works: creating a backup. A world border of a few thousand blocks keeps the group together and the world small enough to pre-generate, which prevents lag while exploring:

worldborder set 4000
worldborder center 0 0

Step 8: invite your friends

Share the address from your panel and the whitelist does the rest. Got friends playing on phone or console? With Geyser and Floodgate, Bedrock players simply join in on the same world; the guide is in Java and Bedrock together on one server.

Honest about hardcore

Hardcore isn't for every group. If your friends only play one evening a week, a three-week season is too short and a three-month season is too long for whoever dies in week one. So start with a short season, a clear end date and one agreed revive rule. If you like it, start a new season with a fresh world and a new seed. That way the format stays exciting instead of frustrating.