Pak Pipeline

Once you’ve edited assets or data, you package them into a .pak the game loads from its mod folder. This page covers the mechanics that every asset and data mod shares.

Packing and unpacking

• Unpack an existing container to see or modify its contents. A common question in the help channels is simply “how do I open a PAK mod to change it?” - you unpack it with a pak tool, edit the files inside, and repack.
• Pack your modified files (keeping the correct internal folder structure) into a new .pak.
• The community standard tool for this is repak; Unreal’s own UnrealPak is used in the Unreal-Engine-based workflows (model/audio/translation).

The _P suffix

Mod .pak files that should override base game content are named with a _P suffix (for example MyMod_P.pak). The _P marks the pak as a patch so it loads after, and takes priority over, the base content it replaces. Getting this wrong is a frequent reason “my mod isn’t doing anything.”

Keep cooked pairs together

Cooked assets are .uasset + .uexp pairs (see cooked uasset basics). Pack both, in the correct path, or the asset won’t load.

Where mods go

Built mod .pak files are placed in the game’s mod paks folder (e.g. under ...\Pal\Content\Paks). The exact subfolder depends on your setup and whether you’re loading via a mod manager - see Unreal Shimloader.

Match your build’s container format

Confirm which container format your Palworld build expects before packing - guides written for older builds may assume a different tool or format. See Palworld 1.0 vs early access.

Next: Load order & conflicts.