Where Are Valheim Saves and Worlds Located?
Valheim character and world file paths on Windows and Linux, and how to move a dedicated server world without corrupting it.
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Valheim splits progress in two. Characters live in a characters folder, worlds live in a worlds folder, both under an IronGate/Valheim tree. You need both sets to keep playing the same Viking in the same base. Files use .fch, .db and .fwl extensions.
Steam Cloud syncs these by default. Turn it off while hand copying or the cloud copy can overwrite your restore. Server admins should also grab the worlds folder from the server machine itself, since local files do not include hosted maps.
Where Valheim stores this, by platform
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim
Contains characters and worlds subfolders with .fch and .db files. Copy the whole Valheim folder with the game closed to move everything.
~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim
Native Linux Steam builds use this path. Dedicated servers store worlds under the server install folder instead, so check there for hosted maps.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up my Valheim world?
Close the game, then copy the worlds folder plus your .fch character file. Keep the .db, .fwl and backup files together. A world without its matching backups often fails to load after a bad copy.
Where is the Valheim dedicated server world?
On the server machine, not your gaming PC. Look in the server profile folder for worlds. Copy the .db and .fwl pair while the server is stopped, then restart to load the transfer.
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