How to Download Your Valheim World: Difference between revisions

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{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=How to Download a Valheim World (from a Server to Your PC)
|title=How to Download a Valheim World (from a Server to Your PC)
|description=How to download a Valheim world from your dedicated server to your PC, play it locally, and move a single-player or co-op world onto a server before or after Valheim 1.0. A world is two files, .db and .fwl; this guide covers both directions.
|description=Download your Valheim world from a dedicated server with the File Manager or FTP, play it on your PC, and upload a world from your PC back to the server.
}}
}}
This guide covers downloading (exporting) the world from your hosted '''Valheim''' server to your own PC - to play it locally, keep an offline copy, or move it somewhere else. It takes about five minutes. The 1.0 section below covers the other direction too: bringing a single-player or co-op world onto a server.
== Where your world lives ==
== Where your world lives ==


A Valheim world is exactly two files with the same name:
Your world is in the <code>/worlds_local/</code> 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 <code>/worlds_local/209123/</code>. The folder contains the world files (<code>_main.N.db2</code>, <code>_main.N.fwl2</code> and <code>.chunk</code> files).


* <code>.db</code> - the world itself (terrain, buildings, map data)
A world last saved before Valheim 1.0 is two files instead: <code>209123.db</code> and <code>209123.fwl</code>. The server converts them to a world folder the next time it saves.
* <code>.fwl</code> - the world's metadata


On a Survival Servers instance both sit in the <code>/worlds_local/</code> folder of your server, named after your game server ID (for example <code>209123.db</code> and <code>209123.fwl</code>). You may also see <code>.db.old</code> and <code>.fwl.old</code> copies - those are the previous save cycle and you do not need them.
Folders ending in <code>_backup_auto-</code> and a date are automatic backups made by the game.


== Downloading the world ==
== Downloading the world ==


# '''Stop the server''' from your [https://www.survivalservers.com/sspanel/ control panel]. Valheim writes the <code>.db</code> file on its save cycle, so stopping first guarantees you download the latest state of the world.
# '''Stop the server''' from your [https://www.survivalservers.com/sspanel/ Command Center]. Valheim writes the world files on its save cycle, so stopping first guarantees you download the latest state of the world.
# Open the '''File Manager''' in the control panel (or connect with an [[FTP Access|FTP client]]).
# Open the '''File Manager''' in the Command Center (or connect with an [[FTP Access|FTP client]]).
# Go into the <code>worlds_local</code> folder.
# Go into the <code>worlds_local</code> folder.
# Download both the <code>.db</code> and the <code>.fwl</code> file.
# Right-click your world folder and download it as a zip. For a world from before Valheim 1.0, download the <code>.db</code> and <code>.fwl</code> files.
# Start the server again.
# Start the server again.


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# On your PC, open the folder <code>%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local</code> (paste that into the File Explorer address bar). Create the <code>worlds_local</code> folder if it does not exist; older installs may have a <code>worlds</code> folder instead, which the game also reads.
# On your PC, open the folder <code>%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local</code> (paste that into the File Explorer address bar). Create the <code>worlds_local</code> folder if it does not exist; older installs may have a <code>worlds</code> folder instead, which the game also reads.
# Copy both downloaded files in. Keep the two filenames identical to each other - the game pairs them by name.
# Unzip the download and copy the world folder into <code>worlds_local</code>. For a world from before Valheim 1.0, copy the <code>.db</code> and <code>.fwl</code> files into <code>worlds_local</code>.
# Start Valheim, choose your character, and pick the world from the '''Select world''' list.
# Start Valheim, choose your character, and pick the world from the '''Select World''' list.


== Bringing your world into Valheim 1.0 ==
== Bringing your world into Valheim 1.0 ==


Valheim 1.0 arrives 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, and any other world just continues.
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:


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. The world files are the same two files in either direction:
# In Valheim, save and exit the world.
# On the PC that has the world, open <code>%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local</code>. 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.
# On your server's page in the Command Center, go to '''Local Save Upload''' and click '''Upload world'''.
# Select your world folder or a zip of it. For a world from before Valheim 1.0, select the <code>.db</code> and <code>.fwl</code> files. Click '''Upload world'''.


# On the PC that has the world, open <code>%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local</code>. If the world was saved to Steam Cloud it is in the <code>worlds</code> folder next to it instead.
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.
# Zip the world's <code>.db</code> and <code>.fwl</code> together, nothing else in the zip.
# Stop the server, then in the control panel's server settings use the '''Uploading Local Save (.zip)''' option to upload the zip. Pick the uploaded world as the active world, save, and start the server.
# 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]].
'''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 ==
== Frequently asked questions ==


;Do I need both files?
;Do I need all the files?
:Yes. The <code>.db</code> without its <code>.fwl</code> will not appear in the world list.
:Yes. A Valheim 1.0 world needs every file in its folder. A world from before 1.0 needs both the <code>.db</code> and the <code>.fwl</code> file.


;Can I rename the world?
;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.
: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?
;Can I put a world back on the server?
:Yes - the control panel has an '''Uploading Local Save''' tool that takes the <code>.db</code> and <code>.fwl</code> zipped together. The steps are in the 1.0 section above; see also [[How to Backup Or Upload Your Save Data]].
:Yes. Use '''Upload world''' in the Command Center. See the steps above.


;Will my world work after the 1.0 update?
;Will my world work after the 1.0 update?
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;Is this the same as a backup?
;Is this the same as a backup?
:A downloaded copy is a snapshot. The panel's Backup / Restore tool keeps scheduled backups on our side too, so use both: scheduled backups for day-to-day safety, a download when you want the world in your own hands.
: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 ==
== See also ==
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:[[Valheim Incompatible Version Error]]
:[[Valheim Incompatible Version Error]]
:[[Valheim Admin Commands]]
:[[Valheim Admin Commands]]
:[[How to Find Your Valheim Seed]]


You can [https://www.survivalservers.com/services/game_servers/valheim/ host your own Valheim server] with Survival Servers - your world is always yours to download.
With [https://www.survivalservers.com/services/game_servers/valheim/ Valheim server hosting] from Survival Servers, your world is always yours to download.

Latest revision as of 06:15, 21 October 2026

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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