How to Switch a Terraria Server to tModLoader or TShock

To switch a Terraria server to tModLoader or TShock, stop it, back up your world file <name>.wld, install the new server, put the .wld in the folder the new server loads worlds from and point its world setting at that exact name. TShock runs vanilla worlds as they are and adds a tshock folder with tshock.sqlite on first start. tModLoader adds a <name>.twld next to the world. In 2026, a world played on Terraria 1.4.5 will not open in tModLoader, which is still built on 1.4.4.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

On a PC, vanilla worlds are in Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds (Windows) or ~/.local/share/Terraria/Worlds (Linux), and tModLoader keeps its own in Documents\My Games\Terraria\tModLoader\Worlds or ~/.local/share/Terraria/tModLoader/Worlds. They are separate, so tModLoader never sees a vanilla world until you copy it across.

Before you start

• Save and stop. Type exit in the server console, which saves the world and stops.
• Back up first. Copy the .wld and its .wld.bak somewhere safe. On a TShock server, also copy the tshock folder.
• Check the version. For tModLoader, the world must come from Terraria 1.4.4 or earlier. For TShock, use the TShock release built for your Terraria version.

Method 1: Vanilla to TShock

1. Install TShock. TShock 6 needs .NET 9, and the TShock releases page says which Terraria version each build is for (TShock 6.2.1 is for 1.4.5.8).
2. Copy your .wld to the place your TShock start command loads it from, and keep the exact file name.
3. Start TShock with -world pointing at that file, for example -world /path/to/worlds/myworld.wld.
4. Watch the console on the first start. TShock creates tshock/ with tshock.sqlite and config.json, and prints a one time setup code.
5. Join, type /setup <code>, then create your account with /user add <name> <password> owner. Our TShock install guide covers groups and regions from there.

Leave server side characters (SSC) off unless your group wants it. When it is on, the server keeps everyone's inventory in tshock.sqlite, and players' own characters no longer decide what they carry.

Method 2: Vanilla to tModLoader

1. Install the tModLoader server, the same tModLoader version your players run from Steam.
2. Copy your .wld into tModLoader's Worlds folder.
3. Add your mods to the server's mods folder and turn them on in enabled.json. See how to add mods to a Terraria server.
4. Start the server with the world set to your file. tModLoader loads it and writes <name>.twld beside it the first time it saves.
5. Players join with tModLoader, not Terraria, with the same mods.

The gotcha: your 1.4.5 world is too new for tModLoader

Terraria 1.4.5 came out in January 2026, and vanilla servers have run it since. Stable tModLoader is still based on Terraria 1.4.4. The tModLoader FAQ explains that a world migrated from a newer Terraria version shows as a later version and cannot be used until tModLoader updates. If your group has played the world on vanilla since 1.4.5, it will not open on a tModLoader server, however you copy it.

Your options are a fresh world on tModLoader, a backup of the world from before 1.4.5, or staying vanilla (or TShock) until tModLoader catches up. Do not try to edit the version in the file. Players' 1.4.5 characters have the same problem, so modded players start with fresh tModLoader characters.

Common problems

• Server makes a new, empty world: the world setting does not match your file name, or the .wld is in a different folder from the one the new server loads. With autocreate on, Terraria quietly makes a new world.
• tModLoader lists the world as a later version: it was saved on 1.4.5. See the gotcha.
• Players cannot join the tModLoader server: they are using Terraria instead of tModLoader, or their tModLoader version or mods differ.
• Players cannot join the TShock server: TShock is built for a different Terraria version from their game. Update TShock to the build for the current version.
• No setup code in the console: TShock only prints it while no owner account exists. If tshock.sqlite came from an old server, log in with that account instead.
• Modded items vanished after going back to vanilla: expected. Vanilla cannot read the .twld, so keep the tModLoader world backup if you might return.

Switching on GamezServers

On a GamezServers Terraria server, open Settings, pick tModLoader or TShock under Server type and press Switch. We back up the server first and reinstall it with the new type, and your files stay on disk. Vanilla and tModLoader both load worlds from saves/Worlds. TShock loads <World name>.wld from the server's main folder, so after switching to TShock, copy your world from saves/Worlds into the main folder in the Files tab before the first start, or TShock creates a new one. Set World name to your file name without .wld. For which Terraria version to run right now, see Terraria server version mismatch.

FAQ

Can I add mods to my existing Terraria world?

Yes, if the world was last played on Terraria 1.4.4 or earlier. Copy it into tModLoader's Worlds folder and start a tModLoader server with your mods. Worlds played on 1.4.5 wait until tModLoader supports 1.4.5.

Does TShock change my world?

No. TShock runs normal vanilla worlds, so you can move the .wld back to a vanilla server any time. Its accounts and regions are kept separately in tshock.sqlite.

Where does tModLoader keep worlds?

In its own folder: Documents\My Games\Terraria\tModLoader\Worlds on Windows and ~/.local/share/Terraria/tModLoader/Worlds on Linux, separate from vanilla worlds.

Can I run tModLoader mods and TShock plugins together?

Not on one server. TShock runs vanilla Terraria with plugins, and tModLoader runs mods. Pick the one that matches what your group wants.