How to Download Your Valheim World

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Where your world lives

Your world is in the /worlds_local/ folder on your server. Since Valheim 1.0, each world is a folder named after the world. By default this is your game server ID, for example /worlds_local/209123/. The folder contains the world files (_main.N.db2, _main.N.fwl2 and .chunk files).

A world last saved before Valheim 1.0 is two files instead: 209123.db and 209123.fwl. The server converts them to a world folder the next time it saves.

Folders ending in _backup_auto- and a date are automatic backups made by the game.

Downloading the world

  1. Stop the server from your Command Center. Valheim writes the world files on its save cycle, so stopping first guarantees you download the latest state of the world.
  2. Open the File Manager in the Command Center (or connect with an FTP client).
  3. Go into the worlds_local folder.
  4. Right-click your world folder and download it as a zip. For a world from before Valheim 1.0, download the .db and .fwl files.
  5. Start the server again.

Playing the world on your own PC

  1. On your PC, open the folder %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local (paste that into the File Explorer address bar). Create the worlds_local folder if it does not exist; older installs may have a worlds folder instead, which the game also reads.
  2. Unzip the download and copy the world folder into worlds_local. For a world from before Valheim 1.0, copy the .db and .fwl files into worlds_local.
  3. Start Valheim, choose your character, and pick the world from the Select World list.

Bringing your world into Valheim 1.0

Valheim 1.0 came out on September 9, 2026. Your existing world carries over. The Deep North generates in parts of the map nobody has explored yet, so a world that is already charted to the far north needs a fresh world to see the new biome. Any other world just continues.

The 1.0 moment is also when many groups move a single-player or co-op world onto a server so everyone can keep playing in it. To upload a world from your PC to your server:

  1. In Valheim, save and exit the world.
  2. On the PC that has the world, open %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local. If the world was saved to Steam Cloud, first open Manage saves in Valheim, pick the world and choose Move to local so it lands in that folder.
  3. On your server's page in the Command Center, go to Local Save Upload and click Upload world.
  4. Select your world folder or a zip of it. For a world from before Valheim 1.0, select the .db and .fwl files. Click Upload world.

The panel stops your server, backs up the current world and sets the uploaded world as the active world. If Start after upload is checked, the server starts when the upload is finished. Players join with the same characters they always used. Characters are separate files on each player's own PC or console, so nothing about them changes.

Note: A world saved by a newer build cannot be opened by an older one. Update the server before uploading a world you have already played on 1.0, and keep a copy of the pre-1.0 files before a world is loaded on 1.0 for the first time. Once it has been saved on 1.0, it will not open on the old build. If a player cannot join after the move, the version mismatch is the first thing to check: see Valheim Incompatible Version Error.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need all the files?
Yes. A Valheim 1.0 world needs every file in its folder. A world from before 1.0 needs both the .db and the .fwl file.
Can I rename the world?
Renaming the files does not rename the world: the world's name is stored inside them. Rename both files the same if you want tidier filenames, but the name shown in-game stays what it was on the server.
Can I put a world back on the server?
Yes. Use Upload world in the Command Center. See the steps above.
Will my world work after the 1.0 update?
Yes. Worlds carry over into 1.0 and the new biome generates in unexplored areas. The only one-way step is the first save on 1.0, after which the world cannot go back to an older build, so download a copy first if you want one.
Is this the same as a backup?
A downloaded copy is a snapshot. The Command Center keeps scheduled backups on our side too, listed under Restore a Valheim Backup on your server's page, so use both: scheduled backups for day-to-day safety, a download when you want the world in your own hands.

See also

How to Create a Valheim Server Guide
How to Backup Or Upload Your Save Data
How to Set Up a Valheim Crossplay Server
Valheim Incompatible Version Error
Valheim Admin Commands
How to Find Your Valheim Seed

With Valheim server hosting from Survival Servers, your world is always yours to download.

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