Understanding World Save Files

Understanding Valheim's save file structure helps you manage worlds, create backups, and troubleshoot issues.

Save File Structure

Each Valheim world consists of two files:

Both files share the same name (your world name):

MyWorld.fwl
MyWorld.db

Save Location on Server

On XGamingServer, world saves are located at:

.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/

Go to Files and navigate to this path to find your world files.

Save Intervals

Valheim auto-saves at regular intervals:

• Default: Every 30 minutes (1800 seconds)
• Configurable: Use the -saveinterval startup parameter

-saveinterval 900

This sets auto-save to every 15 minutes.

💡 Tip: More frequent saves protect against data loss but can cause brief lag spikes during the save. Every 15–20 minutes is a good balance.

Back Up Your World

Manual Backup

save

Automatic Backups

Use the Backups page in the sidebar to set up automatic backups. See Restore Backup for details.

Upload a World

Multiple Worlds

You can have multiple worlds on your server, but only one runs at a time. Switch worlds by changing the world name in Startup.

All worlds in the worlds_local folder are preserved — switching doesn't delete anything.

Cloud Saves vs Local Saves

Valheim supports both cloud saves and local saves for singleplayer:

• Cloud saves are stored in Steam's cloud storage
• Local saves are in worlds_local

To upload a cloud save to your server, you must first move it to local storage in the Valheim game settings, then upload the files.

Save File Size

Large save files can cause longer load times and save lag spikes. If your world file is very large, consider starting fresh or reducing build complexity.

Related Guides

See also: Upload Save | Restore Backup | Find World Seed | Reset Server

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