---
title: How to Configure Wild Pokémon Spawning in Pixelmon
description: Every wild Pokémon your players encounter is influenced by the settings in wild.yml. This guide breaks down how Pixelmon handles wild spawns, including spawn timing, density, proximity, chunk behavior, per-player limits, and the other settings that shape Pokémon population across your world.
source: "https://nodecraft.com/support/games/minecraft/mods/pixelmon/how-to-configure-wild-pokemon-spawning-in-pixelmon"
image: "https://dynamic-assets.nodecraft.com/signedurl/w7vokBAexMnVlnMZ1Q/image.jpg?modifications=W3sibmFtZSI6ImdhbWVfYmciLCJpbWFnZV91cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2Ntcy1hLm5vZGVjcmFmdC5jb20vZi8xMzM5MzIvMjAwMHg1NTAvZGNiMGFkNjkzOC9jYXZlcy1hbmQtY2xpZmZzLXB0LTItMS0yLTAucG5nL20vIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiZ2FtZV9sb2dvIiwiaW1hZ2VfdXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jbXMtYS5ub2RlY3JhZnQuY29tL2YvMTMzOTMyLzM3NXgxNTAvM2MxZGIyYmFiNS9taW5lY3JhZnQucG5nL20vIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiY3RhX3RleHQiLCJ0ZXh0IjoiQ3JlYXRlIHlvdXIgb3duIHNlcnZlciEifSx7Im5hbWUiOiJ0ZXh0IiwidGV4dCI6IkhvdyB0byBDb25maWd1cmUgV2lsZCBQb2vDqW1vbiBTcGF3bmluZyBpbiBQaXhlbG1vbiJ9XQ&s=371958cc9a9f2f96f423e5fd5e217a8adb1874ef1757ae2ad2ea95053c349c5e"
published: "2026-08-16T23:25:59.759Z"
updated: "2026-08-16T23:25:59.759Z"
---

# How to Configure Wild Pokémon Spawning in Pixelmon

Every wild Pokémon your players encounter is influenced by the settings in wild.yml. This guide breaks down how Pixelmon handles wild spawns, including spawn timing, density, proximity, chunk behavior, per-player limits, and the other settings that shape Pokémon population across your world.

The Wild Pokémon Spawn section contains the options Pixelmon uses for this part of the server. Configure wild spawn timing, proximity, density, per-player limits, chunk behavior, and related spawning controls.

## Pixelmon Wild Pokémon Spawn Settings

The settings below are listed in the same order as they appear in wild.yml. The table preserves each default and identifies the accepted value type. The Setting column shows a reader-friendly name first, followed by the matching wild.yml key for reference.

| Setting and Config Key | Default and Accepted Values | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Entities Per Player** entities-per-player | **Default:** 30 **Values:** whole number | The maximum number of entities (NPC or Pokémon) that can spawn per player. Lower for better performance. |
| **Spawns Per Pass** spawns-per-pass | **Default:** 5 **Values:** whole number | The maximum number of spawns in a single spawn cycle for a single player. Lower for slower spawning and better performance. Values above 5 are very unlikely to make a noticeable difference. |
| **Spawn Frequency** spawn-frequency | **Default:** 60.0 **Values:** decimal number | The number of spawn passes made per minute. Decrease for better performance. |
| **Minimum Distance Between Spawns** minimum-distance-between-spawns | **Default:** 4.0 **Values:** decimal number | The minimum number of blocks between a spawned entity and an existing living entity. |
| **Minimum Distance From Centre** minimum-distance-from-centre | **Default:** 18 **Values:** whole number | The minimum distance from the player that entities may spawn. The lower this is, the closer entities will spawn to players. |
| **Maximum Distance From Centre** maximum-distance-from-centre | **Default:** 120 **Values:** whole number | The maximum distance from the player that entities may spawn. |
| **Horizontal Track Factor** horizontal-track-factor | **Default:** 80.0 **Values:** decimal number | How many ticks 'lead' the player tracking spawner will give players based on their motion. This tries to spawn at locations the player is about to be. |
| **Vertical Track Factor** vertical-track-factor | **Default:** 0.0 **Values:** decimal number | How many ticks 'lead' the player tracking spawner will give players based on their vertical motion. Typically best as zero due to the interference jumping can cause. |
| **Horizontal Slice Radius** horizontal-slice-radius | **Default:** 5 **Values:** whole number | The horizontal radius of the areas randomly selected near the player to do spawning in. Lower for better performance but less reliable spawning. |
| **Vertical Slice Radius** vertical-slice-radius | **Default:** 25 **Values:** whole number | The vertical radius of the areas randomly selected near the player to do spawning in. Lower for better performance but less reliable spawning. Making this larger than the horizontal slice radius is a good idea. |
| **Maximum Spawned Pokémon** maximum-spawned-pokemon | **Default:** 3000 **Values:** whole number | The maximum number of Pokémon that can be naturally spawned in at once. This does not count fishing, Move Skills, commands, or legendary spawning |
| **Maximum Spawned Flying Pokémon** maximum-spawned-flying-pokemon | **Default:** 500 **Values:** whole number | The maximum number of Flying Pokémon that can be naturally spawned in at once (soft limit). This does not count fishing, external moves, commands, or legendary spawning. |
| **Maximum Spawned Flying Pokémon Per Player** maximum-spawned-flying-pokemon-per-player | **Default:** 15 **Values:** whole number | The maximum number of Flying Pokémon that can spawn per player. Lower for better performance. |

## Important Wild Pokémon Spawn Setting Notes

### Defaults and Value Types

Boolean toggles, numeric rates, timers, lists, and mappings use different value formats. Preserve the value type shown in the table and keep collection syntax intact when changing wild.yml.

### Settings That Work Together

Several wild pokémon spawn options can affect the same outcome. Review related rates, limits, timers, and lists together before deciding that one value is responsible for a result.

### Testing Changes

- Change one related group of settings at a time so its effect is easy to measure.
- Test the result under the conditions affected by the setting, including relevant dimensions, player states, or encounter types.
- Keep a copy of the previous values so unexpected balance or performance changes can be reversed quickly.

## Final Thoughts

Wild Pokémon Spawn settings are easier to balance when changes are deliberate and documented. Start with the defaults, adjust only what the server needs, and verify the result before moving on to the next group.