I think this is an ark engine thing tbh. Most player pawn-related changes, be it engram listings, etc. require death to take place in order to take effect, which is why ARK isn't really stable enough for hardcore.

However, applying the settings, then deleting the save file, then starting a new game with those settings in theory should apply those changes right at the start. But i haven't tested this so don't quote me here. I will test it soon and get back to you.