Whether you want a creative build server or a hardcore survival world, gamemode and difficulty are two quick settings. Here is how to change both — for one player or the whole server — with commands and in server.properties.
Quick answer
As an operator, change gamemode with /gamemode creative (or survival, adventure, spectator), adding a player name to change someone else, and difficulty with /difficulty hard. To set the defaults for the whole server, edit gamemode= and difficulty= in server.properties and restart.
Change gamemode (survival, creative, adventure, spectator)
As an operator, use the /gamemode command:
/gamemode survival
/gamemode creative
/gamemode adventure YourFriendAdd a player name to change just that person; leave it off to change yourself. Short forms like /gamemode 1 (creative) also work.
Set the default gamemode for everyone
The gamemode new players start in is set by gamemode in server.properties. Set force-gamemode=true to snap returning players back to it every time they join.
Change difficulty (peaceful, easy, normal, hard)
/difficulty peaceful
/difficulty hardThis applies to the whole server immediately. The startup default is the difficulty line in server.properties. Note that hardcore=true locks difficulty to hard and makes death permanent.
Why is my difficulty not sticking?
hardcore=trueforces the world to hard difficulty.- Peaceful removes hostile mobs and slowly heals players — that is expected, not a bug.
- You changed server.properties but did not restart.
- A datapack or plugin is overriding it.
In server.properties
gamemode=survival
force-gamemode=false
difficulty=normal
hardcore=falseCommands change things right now; server.properties sets the defaults for the next start. Use the command to test, then bake it into properties to make it permanent.
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