How to Move a Palworld Game Pass World to a Dedicated Server

To move a Palworld world from Game Pass or the Xbox app on PC to a dedicated server, first convert it: Game Pass keeps saves as unnamed blobs in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_ad4psfrxyesvt\SystemAppData\wgs\, so run a converter (XGP Save Extractor or PalworldSaveTools) to get a normal world folder with Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav and Players. Upload that folder to the server's Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/, set DedicatedServerName to its name, delete WorldOption.sav, and match the server version.

What you can and cannot move

The trap: Game Pass files are not Steam files

On Steam, a world is a folder of readable files you can copy. On Game Pass, the same data sits in a sync container: folders and files with long GUID names, no .sav extensions and an index file that maps them. Copy those to a server and it just builds a new world, because it cannot find a Level.sav.

You have to unpack and rename them first. Two community tools do it:

• XGP Save Extractor reads the container and writes a zip per save, with the files under their real names. Palworld is on its list of supported games.
• PalworldSaveTools has a GamePass to Steam converter, plus the host character fix you need later.

Both warn about the same thing: the game must be fully closed, and the save synced, before they run. If Palworld is still open, or Windows still holds the files, the conversion fails or produces an old copy. Close the game, wait a few minutes, then convert.

What goes where

Before you start

• Load the world one last time on Game Pass and let it save, then quit to desktop.
• Wait for the sync and close the Xbox app's game fully. Give it a few minutes.
• Update the server to the same Palworld version as your game.
• Start the server once and stop it, so it creates Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ and its config files.

Step 1: Convert the Game Pass save

With XGP Save Extractor: put xgp-save-extractor.exe in an empty folder and run it. It writes a zip for each supported save it finds. Unzip it and look for the folder that contains Level.sav.

With PalworldSaveTools: open it, use the GamePass to Steam converter, and find the converted world in its output folder.

Copy the converted world folder to a second place as a backup before going on.

Step 2: Upload the world folder

Stop the server. Upload the whole world folder into Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/, next to the folder the server made itself. Check that Level.sav sits directly inside your world folder, not one level deeper.

Step 3: Point the server at it

Open GameUserSettings.ini and set DedicatedServerName to your world folder's exact name:

[/Script/Pal.PalGameLocalSettings]
DedicatedServerName=8F2A6B1C4D3E5F607182930A1B2C3D4E

The other way: copy the contents of your converted folder into the server's own world folder, replacing its files, and leave DedicatedServerName as it is.

Step 4: Delete WorldOption.sav

Co-op worlds carry a WorldOption.sav that overrides PalWorldSettings.ini. Leave it in and your rates, password and player cap seem to do nothing. Move it out of the world folder and set everything in the server's settings instead.

Step 5: Start and test with a guest

Start the server and have a guest from the co-op world join first. Guests keep their level, Pals and inventory, because their player files already carry their own IDs. Game Pass and Xbox players find the server in the community server list, so make sure the server's crossplay platforms include Xbox.

Step 6: Fix the host character

The co-op host is always saved as 00000000000000000000000000000001.sav in Players. A dedicated server gives every account its own ID, so the old host is asked to make a new character. To keep it:

1. The host joins the server, makes a throwaway character and leaves.
2. Stop the server and download the world folder. A new .sav in Players is the host's new ID.
3. Run the host fix in PalworldSaveTools on your PC, swapping the old 0001 character into the new ID.
4. Upload the fixed folder and start the server.

These are community tools. Big Palworld patches can break them until they are updated, so always work on a copy.

Common problems

• Server loads a brand new world: you uploaded the raw wgs files, or DedicatedServerName does not match the folder name.
• Converter finds nothing or an old save: the game was still open or the cloud had not synced. Close it, wait, retry.
• Settings ignored: WorldOption.sav is still in the world folder.
• Host has to make a new character: expected. Use Step 6, or start fresh and let the guild hand over gear.
• Xbox friends cannot see the server: Xbox is missing from the crossplay platforms, or the versions differ.

Moving it to GamezServers

On a Palworld server from GamezServers, press Backup, upload your converted world as a zip and extract it in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/ with the file manager, or use the SFTP login in Settings. Crossplay platforms are a panel setting, and the world stays online without anyone's PC. Our Palworld servers run the vanilla Linux server, so do the conversion and host fix on your PC, then upload. More on the co-op steps in how to transfer a Palworld co-op save.

FAQ

Where are Palworld Game Pass saves stored?

In %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_ad4psfrxyesvt\SystemAppData\wgs\, as unnamed container files that need converting before use.

Can I copy Game Pass save files straight to a server?

No. The server needs named files like Level.sav, so convert the container first with XGP Save Extractor or PalworldSaveTools.

Will my friends keep their characters?

Guests do, because their files use their own IDs. The host needs the character fix or a new character.

Can Game Pass players join a dedicated server?

Yes. Palworld supports crossplay between Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac on dedicated servers, with Xbox players joining from the community server list.