Set up the Prehistoric World 2 server

Prehistoric World 2 is a dinosaur and extinct-animal modpack by Lupin for Minecraft 1.20.1 on Forge. Its CurseForge page has you dig up fossils, extract DNA and revive creatures with Unusual Prehistory 2, travel through prehistoric eras, and follow hundreds of quests, with The Aether and The Twilight Forest among the dimensions. You install the server from the Modpacks tab, using the pack's CurseForge server pack.

Checked against Prehistoric World 2 8.0.0 (the CurseForge files of 21 October 2026 UTC) on Forge 47.4.20 and Minecraft 1.20.1, October 2026.

What the pack needs

• Minecraft 1.20.1 with Forge 47.4.20. The server pack's variables.txt names both. The panel runs 1.20.1 on Java 17 and picks that for you.
• Memory. The author recommends a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, and more for a large number of players. Your plan sets the RAM, so read how much RAM a Minecraft server needs and check the Minecraft plans before you install. The server pack's variables.txt sets -Xmx4G -Xms4G for its own start scripts, which the panel does not use.
• Disk space. The server pack is a download of about 1.1 GB and unpacks to about 1.1 GB. The download sits on your plan's disk while it unpacks, so you need room for both.
• The same version for players. Players need Prehistoric World 2 8.0.0 as well.

Install from CurseForge

1. Open your server and choose Modpacks under Content in the left rail.
2. Above the search box, press the CurseForge chip and search for Prehistoric World 2. The filters belong to Modrinth, so they do not narrow this search.
3. Pick the row titled Prehistoric World 2 | Unusual Prehistory 2, Dinosaurs, Quests & More by Lupin. Check the title and author, because the original Prehistoric World is a separate pack, and a small unrelated project is also called Prehistoric World 2.
4. Press Install. A window titled "Install" followed by the pack's name opens.
5. Leave Take a backup first ticked, which is the default. Your current world is replaced by the pack's.
6. If the window has Keep my world, settings and player lists, leave it unticked for the pack's own fresh world. If it has a version list, leave it on "Newest that fits your server".
7. Tick Start the server when it's ready if you want the server to boot by itself. If the window shows an I agree to the Minecraft EULA box once that is ticked, tick it too.
8. Hold Install and reinstall until it completes.

The CurseForge file the panel downloads is the dedicated server pack, so no mods are fetched one by one. The pack ships no Forge files of its own, so the install reads variables.txt and sets Forge up itself.

First start

If you did not tick the start box, press Start on the Console tab and accept the EULA when the panel asks. The server is up when the console prints a line containing For help, type. Your address is in the left rail with a copy button, and Connect to your server for the first time covers adding it in Minecraft.

Common problems

• A player cannot join. Check they run Prehistoric World 2 8.0.0 on Minecraft 1.20.1 with Forge. Join a modded server from your launcher shows the steps, and Fix the missing mods exception when joining covers the error screen.
• The install stops while unpacking. Your plan's disk may be too small. Check Disk Analyser, clear space and install again.
• The server lags or runs out of memory. Watch the RAM Usage card on the Console tab. If the RAM Usage card stays full, the author's 8 GB figure is the place to start. Why is my server lagging has more.
• The server crashes at boot. Find and read a crash report shows how to name the mod at fault.