The Pixelmon Modpack mod list, RAM and server setup

The Pixelmon Modpack runs on Minecraft 1.21.1 with Forge and NeoForge. It has 13 mods, needs about 4 GB of RAM (our estimate) and runs on both client and server. The latest version is 9.4.2, released Oct 22, 2026.

Minecraft version: 1.21.1
Mod loader: Forge, NeoForge
Mods: 13
RAM to allocate: 4 GB (estimate)
Runs on: Client, server optional
Latest version: 9.4.2 (Oct 22, 2026)
Downloads: 2.4M (#9)
First released: Feb 14, 2023
Pack file size: 43.9 MB
License: All Rights Reserved

What is The Pixelmon Modpack?

The Pixelmon Modpack is a Forge and NeoForge modpack for Minecraft 1.21.1, published by Pixelmon on Modrinth since 2023.

The latest release, 9.4.2 from Oct 22, 2026, declares 13 mods plus 1 other project such as resource packs or shaders. Across 40 published versions it has covered Minecraft 1.16.5 through 1.21.1.

With 2.4M downloads it ranks #9 of the 518 most-downloaded Modrinth modpacks we track, and its authors tag it as adventure and quests.

Our notes on The Pixelmon Modpack

What sets it apart

This is the Pixelmon team’s own pre-built pack. It is small by design: the Pixelmon mod plus a handful of companions chosen to work with it.

The project page lists them. The Pixelmon OST adds a soundtrack. JourneyMap provides a map with Pokemon sprite integration. Oh The Biomes You’ll Go adds more than 80 biomes that Pixelmon is set up to use. Nature’s Compass and Explorer’s Compass help locate biomes and structures.

The pack is versioned in step with the mod. The changelog shows 9.4.2 released in October 2026, and the 9.4 line added Terastallization and Tera Raids.

Who it suits

It suits players who want Pixelmon with sensible extras and no manual setup.

The main alternative is Cobblemon and its packs. The two are separate mods on different loaders. Current Pixelmon runs on NeoForge, while the official Cobblemon pack is published for Fabric with a NeoForge edition alongside.

Before you install

Loader and Java depend on the version line. The Pixelmon wiki says 9.3.0 and later, for Minecraft 1.21.1, need NeoForge and Java 21. The 9.2 releases use Java 17, and anything older uses Java 8. Modrinth lists pack versions for 1.16.5, 1.20.1, 1.20.2 and 1.21.1, with all recent releases on 1.21.1.

The wiki asks for at least 2 GB of assignable memory on the client and points to its memory guides if loading fails.

The project page suggests adding OptiFine by hand for the 1.16.5 version. That advice is specific to 1.16.5.

Some releases are marked beta on Modrinth, including 9.4.0. Pick a full release if you want the stable line.

The wiki lists other official ways to get a pre-built Pixelmon setup, including ATLauncher, Technic and CurseForge.

Playing with friends

Pixelmon is not client-only. The wiki says every player must run the same Pixelmon version as the server, or the connection is rejected.

Modrinth marks the server side of this pack as optional and its releases contain a single client pack file. No server pack is attached there.

The wiki’s server guide covers the manual route: install NeoForge as a server, accept the EULA, then add the Pixelmon server jar to the mods folder. It asks for at least 4 GB of memory allocated to the server. It also mentions a ready-made server pack on CurseForge as an alternative.

The project page notes that some servers disable JourneyMap’s sprite integration.

Written Nov 11, 2026 from public sources, not from hands-on testing. Sources: Modrinth project page, Modrinth changelog, Pixelmon wiki: Installation, Pixelmon wiki: Server Installation. See our editorial policy.

Most widely used mods in The Pixelmon Modpack

The latest version declares 14 projects, 13 of them mods. The ones below appear in the most packs we track.

11 run on client and server
1 client only
1 server only

Full The Pixelmon Modpack mod list

How its mod list compares

Less common picks: 1 mod found in five or fewer tracked packs.

Pixelmon

Packs with the most mods in common

What kinds of mods are in The Pixelmon Modpack?

Of its 13 mods, 7 are tagged worldgen, 6 adventure and 5 utility. Mods can carry several tags, so the counts overlap.

At 54% worldgen, that is a larger share than 100% of the 491 packs we track.

worldgen: 7 (54%)
adventure: 6 (46%)
utility: 5 (38%)
library: 4 (31%)
decoration: 3 (23%)
management: 1 (8%)

How big is The Pixelmon Modpack?

With 13 mods, The Pixelmon Modpack has fewer mods than 94% of the 491 packs we track and fewer mods than 98% of the 86 on Minecraft 1.21.1.

The pack file is 43.9 MB. 1 mod is client-only and 11 also run on a server. Alongside the mods it declares 1 resource pack.

How actively is The Pixelmon Modpack updated?

The Pixelmon Modpack was first published on Feb 14, 2023, and has 40 published versions in total.

The latest release, 9.4.2, is dated Oct 22, 2026, 20 days before our data was fetched on Nov 11, 2026. Releases have covered 4 Minecraft versions over 3.7 years.

Staple mods The Pixelmon Modpack includes and leaves out

Across the 185 Forge packs we track, 15 mods turn up most often. The Pixelmon Modpack includes 2 of them; it leaves out Cloth Config API, Entity Culling, FerriteCore, Architectury API, ImmediatelyFast, Oculus, Embeddium, ModernFix, Geckolib, [ETF] Entity Texture Features, Jade 🔍, Collective and Kotlin for Forge.

How much RAM does The Pixelmon Modpack need?

The Pixelmon Modpack needs 4 GB allocated (3 GB minimum). Our estimate from the 13-mod list, not measured.

4 GB

How to set allocated memory

How to install The Pixelmon Modpack

Search for "The Pixelmon Modpack" in the Modrinth source of your launcher. Pick version 9.4.2 for Minecraft 1.21.1 (Forge and NeoForge). Modpack install guide.

How do I make a The Pixelmon Modpack server?

The Pixelmon Modpack is marked as supporting a server-side install, so the server must run the same mods and version as the players.

Match the version: the latest pack version is 9.4.2 for Minecraft 1.21.1.
Loader: Forge and NeoForge.
Memory: at least 3 GB (our estimate).

Modpack server guide.

Versions

Newest build for each of 4 Minecraft version and loader pairs.

Minecraft	Loader	Pack version	Released
1.21.1	NeoForge	9.4.2	Oct 22, 2026
1.20.2	Forge	9.2.10 (beta)	Dec 17, 2024
1.16.5	Forge	9.1.13	Dec 1, 2024
1.20.1	Forge	9.2.3 (beta)	Oct 4, 2023

Official links

The Pixelmon Modpack on Modrinth (downloads and changelog)
Wiki
Issue tracker
Discord

Facts on this page come from Modrinth's public API, last fetched Nov 11, 2026. Descriptive text is our own. Spotted an error, or are you the author and want something changed? See disclaimer and takedowns.