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Where Are Valheim Worlds and Characters Stored?

Valheim worlds and characters folders on Windows and Linux, including the Steam Cloud versus local split.

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Valheim splits saves into worlds and characters subfolders under an IronGate folder. Local files live there whether or not Cloud is on.

With Steam Cloud enabled, active saves move into the Steam userdata tree instead, with local _local suffixed folders as the offline copy. The game labels each save with its location in the character and world lists.

Where Valheim stores this, by platform

Windows
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim

Worlds in worlds (or worlds_local), characters in characters (or characters_local). Cloud copies live under Steam\userdata\[ID]\892970\remote.

Linux
~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim

Same worlds and characters split. Cloud copies live under ~/.steam/steam/userdata/[ID]/892970/remote.

Frequently asked questions

How do I run a Valheim world on a dedicated server?

Move the world to a local folder first (use the cloud/local toggle in game). Servers can only read local files, not Steam Cloud copies.

Why do I have worlds and worlds_local folders?

The plain folders hold legacy saves; _local holds current offline saves. The game moves files between them when you toggle Cloud per save.

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