How to Move a Singleplayer Valheim World to a Dedicated Server
Your local Valheim worlds are in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local. Copy the whole world to the same kind of folder on the server (the .db and .fwl pair for older worlds, or the world's entire folder on Valheim 1.0), then set the server's -world name to match exactly.
Most failed transfers come down to three things: copying only one file, a name that does not match, or an out-of-date Steam Cloud copy. This guide covers each, including the Valheim 1.0 world format change. Checked 2026-11-01.
- Pre-1.0 worlds are two files,
Name.dbandName.fwl. Move both. 1.0 worlds are a folder; move the whole folder. - The server's
-worldvalue must match the name exactly (no extension). On Linux names are case-sensitive. - If the name does not match, the server quietly creates a new empty world with that name.
- Characters are stored on each player's PC, so they do not need to be moved.
- Keep an untouched copy: 1.0 converts old worlds to the new format and the change is effectively one-way.
On this page
Step 1: find the world on your PC
On Windows, local worlds are under:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local\Open it by pasting the path into File Explorer's address bar. Older guides may mention a folder called worlds; current versions use worlds_local. Characters are kept separately (in characters_local) on your PC, so only the world needs to move.
Steam Cloud caveat. If cloud saves are on, your newest copy may exist only in Steam's cloud folder, Steam\userdata\YOUR_ID\892970\remote\worlds. In Valheim's world list, select the world and choose Move to Local so the current version is written to disk. Do this before copying anything, and close the game first so a save is not in progress.
Step 2: know which files to copy
| Valheim version | What a world is | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1.0 | Name.db (progress) and Name.fwl (seed and metadata) | Both files, same name |
| 1.0 and later | A folder named after the world, holding numbered .fwl2, .db2 and chunk files | The whole folder, intact |
A world needs all of its files to load. A .db without its .fwl, or a 1.0 folder with missing chunk files, will not load as your world. In a 1.0 folder, the live save is the highest-numbered set that has all its files, and an incomplete set is skipped.
Step 3: upload it to the server
- Stop the server. Copying into the folder while it is running risks a half-written world.
- Open the server's save folder: the
worlds_localsubfolder of the folder set by-savedir, or the default location (~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheimon Linux). - Upload the world with SFTP or your host's file manager. Hosting with ChicagoServers? The Valheim server hosting page lists what is included, such as a one-click BepInEx installer, free server backups and SFTP file access.
- Upload every file, not just the one that looks biggest.
Hosts differ on the exact folder, so check where the server's existing worlds, or its log, point before you upload. If the server has run once already, it will have created its own folder structure you can copy into.
Step 4: set the world name
The name is the file name without its extension, or the 1.0 folder name. For Midgard.db and Midgard.fwl, the name is Midgard.
-world "Midgard"- The match is exact. Watch for trailing spaces, capital letters and underscores.
- On Linux,
Midgardandmidgardare different worlds. - The server password must not contain the world name and must be at least five characters, otherwise the server will not start.
- If you leave a typo in the name, the server will not complain. It will create a brand-new world with that name.
Step 5: confirm the right world loaded
- Start the server and watch the console until it shows Game server connected.
- Look at the log: it should show your world name loading, not a fresh one. Host documentation describes a
missingmessage for a file that was not found, followed by a new world being created. - Join and check that your base, chests and boss progress are where you left them.
Troubleshooting a world that will not load
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| A fresh, empty world | The -world name does not match the files or folder. Fix the name; the server never errors on this, it just generates a new world. |
| Terrain but no buildings or items | The .db file did not upload completely or is corrupt. Re-copy it with the game closed and the server stopped. |
| World is not found at all | Files are in the wrong folder (for example worlds instead of worlds_local), or only part of a 1.0 world folder was copied. |
| Server will not start | The password is under five characters or contains the world name or server name. |
| Players cannot join after the move | Client and server are on different Valheim builds. Update the server first, then the clients. |
| Older server cannot open the world | It was already converted to the 1.0 format. Restore your untouched original files and use a matching server version. |
The same files work in the other direction if you want a server world back in singleplayer: stop the server, copy the world into worlds_local on your PC and select it in the game. Do not copy a world that has been saved by a 1.0 server into an older game version.
Backups and rollback
Do not overwrite your only copy. Keep the original local files, and keep the server's own copy before you replace any world with the same name. Valheim also makes automatic backups on a server (-backups, -backupshort, -backuplong), but they sit on the same disk as the world. Download a copy to your PC after your first successful session so you have a known-good version. Admin, ban and permitted lists are not part of the world, so they do not move with it and need to be recreated.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Valheim worlds saved on Windows?
In %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local. If Steam Cloud is on, use Move to Local in the in-game world list first to make sure the newest copy is on disk.
Which Valheim files do I need to upload?
For worlds before 1.0, both the .db and .fwl files with the same name. For Valheim 1.0, the entire world folder. A world will not load if any required file is missing.
Why did my server create a new world instead of loading mine?
The -world name did not match the file or folder name exactly, so the server generated a new empty world. Check for case, spaces and extensions.
Do I need to move my character too?
No. Characters are stored locally on each player's PC and are used on whichever server they join.