How to Move a Valheim Dedicated Server to a New Host

To move a Valheim dedicated server to a new host, stop the old server and download two things from its save folder (.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/ on Linux hosts): the world in worlds_local (a world folder since 1.0, or a .db and .fwl pair on older saves) and the three lists adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt. Upload them to the same places on the new server and set its world name to exactly the same name the old -world launch option used. Characters need no moving.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

Skip the .old files and the numbered backup folders unless you want them as a fallback. The live world is enough.

Before you start

• Stop the old server. A running server saves every 30 minutes by default and on shutdown. Stop it so the last save is written and nothing changes while you copy.
• Note the launch line. Write down the -world, -name, -password, -crossplay, -public, -savedir and any -modifier or -preset values. Most hosts show this as startup settings in their panel.
• Match the version. Both servers should run the current Valheim release, or the same public-test branch if that is what you played.
• Match the mods. A modded world needs the same mods on the new server, or anything they added disappears.

Step 1: Download everything from the old host

Every host gives you one of three ways to get files out:

1. A backup download. If the panel can make a backup and let you download it, that zip usually holds the whole save folder.
2. The file manager. Zip the IronGate/Valheim folder (or worlds_local plus the three lists) and download the zip.
3. SFTP. Connect with FileZilla or WinSCP using the login from the host's panel and drag the folders to your PC. This is the most reliable route for big world folders.

Open the download on your PC and check the world folder is complete: in 1.0 it holds _main.N.fwl2, _main.N.db2, a .chunks index and many .chunk files.

Step 2: Find the world if it is not where you expect

This is the trap that catches most moves. If the old host started Valheim with -savedir, the save root is wherever that points, not the default IronGate/Valheim path. Worlds then sit in <savedir>/worlds_local and the three lists sit directly in <savedir>. Copy from there.

Also check you are copying the world that actually loaded. The server's console log prints the world name on start, and the world folder with the newest modified date is almost always the live one.

Step 3: Upload to the new server

Stop the new server first, then upload:

• The world folder (or the .db and .fwl pair) into worlds_local.
• adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt into the parent Valheim folder, replacing the empty ones the new server made.
• Mod configs into BepInEx/config on a BepInEx server.

Keep names exactly as they were. On Linux, Midgard and midgard are two different worlds.

Step 4: Set the world name to match

The server loads the world whose name matches -world. If nothing matches, it quietly generates a brand new world with that name and your upload sits unused next to it. So a folder called Midgard needs -world "Midgard", with no file extension, same capitals and spaces.

Set the password, server name, public listing, crossplay and world modifiers to what you used before. The password needs at least 5 characters and cannot be part of the server name, or the server refuses to start.

Step 5: Start, check, then tell players

Start the server and watch the console until the world loads. A pre 1.0 .db and .fwl world converts on its first load, which takes a few minutes on big worlds, so do not stop it halfway. Join, check a base and a portal, then send players the new address (and the new join code if you run crossplay). Iron Gate's Valheim 1.0 FAQ covers the save format change.

Common problems

• Server makes a brand new world: the world name does not match the folder or file name exactly, or the old host used -savedir and you copied an older world from the default folder.
• Admins lost their powers: the lists went into worlds_local instead of the parent folder, or the server was not restarted after uploading them.
• Nobody can join, "not whitelisted": permittedlist.txt came across with IDs in it. Add the missing players or empty the file to open the server.
• World half there, terrain missing: a browser upload timed out partway. Upload the folder again over SFTP.
• Modded items gone: the new server runs vanilla, or a different mod version. Install the same mods and restore your backup of the world.
• Friends' maps are blank: they joined with a different character. The explored map is saved with the character, not the world.

Moving to GamezServers

On a Valheim server from GamezServers, the save folder is .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/ in the Files tab. Click Backup before you replace anything, upload the world over SFTP (login in Settings) or as a zip that the file manager can extract, then set World name in the panel to your world's name. The file manager can also download a backup zip straight from a link your old host gives you. Your world then stays online without anyone's PC. For a world from your own PC instead, see how to upload a Valheim world to a dedicated server.

FAQ

Where are Valheim dedicated server worlds stored?

In worlds_local inside the save folder: ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local on Linux, AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local on Windows, or under the -savedir folder if the server sets one.

Will my friends keep their characters?

Yes. Characters are stored on each player's own device, so they bring them to any server.

Do I need to copy adminlist.txt?

Only if you want the same admins, bans and whitelist. Without it, add admins again by their IDs on the new server.

Why did my new server make a fresh world?

The world name in the launch settings does not exactly match your uploaded world's folder or file name. Fix the name and restart.