What Happens to Your World When a Game Server Subscription Ends?

When a game server subscription ends, the server shuts down and, after a grace period set by the host, its files are deleted for good, including the world and often the backups stored with it. With GamezServers, a cancelled server runs until the end of the period you paid for, then shuts down, and its files are kept for about 14 days before deletion. The only safe copy is one you download yourself.

What happens when you cancel a game server?

Most hosts follow the same three stages, with different timings:

1. Paid period. Cancelling usually stops the next charge, not the current month. The server keeps running until the end of the time you already paid for.
2. Shut down. When the paid time ends, the server stops and nobody can join. The files still exist on the host's storage.
3. Deletion. After a grace period, the host deletes the server's files to free the space. Some hosts do this within days, some keep files for weeks, and some delete at once. Once it happens, the world is gone unless you have a copy.

Hosts also differ on what counts as "the server's files". Backups taken through a control panel are often stored alongside the server and removed with it. Read your host's terms for the exact rules, and treat any grace period as a courtesy rather than a backup plan.

What is the GamezServers policy?

Here is exactly what happens with us:

There are no contracts, so you can cancel anytime, and new customers can get a full refund within 72 hours of their first purchase. The details are in billing and cancellation.

Deleting a server is different from cancelling. Delete server in Settings removes the game server and all its files, including backups, straight away. Download first.

What if a payment fails or a friend stops paying their share?

If your card expires or a renewal fails, update the payment method in the Billing portal from your dashboard as soon as you can, so the next charge goes through and the server keeps running.

If friends split the bill, each payment keeps the server running for its part of the month. When someone leaves the split, the remaining payers cover their part so the server keeps going, and everyone is emailed before their share changes. Our guide on splitting the cost of a game server covers how shares work.

How do you save your world before the server is deleted?

Download it while the server still exists. It takes a few minutes:

1. Stop the server so the world is fully saved to disk. Some games write their latest state only on shutdown.
2. Find the save folder for your game (see the table below).
3. Download it with the file manager for small worlds, or with SFTP for large or modded ones. FileZilla and WinSCP both work.
4. Copy the configs too, like admin lists and settings files, so you can recreate the server exactly.
5. Zip it and name it with the date, then keep a second copy somewhere other than your PC, such as cloud storage.

If you are not sure what SFTP is, what is SFTP for game servers explains it in plain terms.

Where is the world saved for popular games?

More games and a routine for regular copies are in how to back up a game server.

Can you bring the world back later?

Yes, if you downloaded it. A saved world can go on a new server with the same host, a different host, or your own PC. Upload the folder to the new server's save location, point the server at it (many games choose the world by name in a setting), and start it. Characters stored inside the save come along. Two catches:

• Game versions. A world from an older version usually loads on a newer server, but rarely the other way round.
• Mods. A modded world needs the same mods, ideally the same versions, or modded items and buildings may vanish.

Moving between hosts is covered in how to move a game server to a new host.

Can you pause a server instead of cancelling?

It depends on the host. Rather than cancelling and risking deletion, two common alternatives are downgrading to a cheaper plan while the group takes a break, or keeping a downloaded copy and starting a fresh server when everyone comes back. With us, you can upgrade or downgrade anytime, which keeps the world in place for less while nobody is playing.

FAQ

Does my world get deleted as soon as I cancel?

Not with us. The server runs until the end of the paid period, then shuts down, and its files are deleted about 14 days later. Other hosts set their own timings.

Can I get my world back after the server is deleted?

Usually not. Once a host deletes the files, they are gone, and backups stored with the server go with them. Only a copy you downloaded is safe.

Are backups kept after a game server is cancelled?

Panel backups normally live with the server and are removed when it is deleted. Download a backup to your own PC before the end date.

Can I download my world from a cancelled server?

With us, files are kept for about 14 days after shutdown in case you change your mind, so contact support within that window. Better still, download before the paid period ends whenever you can, because the server is still running and accessible then.

What happens to my world if I switch games on the same server?

With us, the server is backed up before a type switch, but the switch replaces what is running. Download the old world first if you want to keep it long term.

The easy option

If you are coming to us from another host, or bringing a world back from a download, full file access and SFTP mean you can upload it as is. Every server includes DDoS protection, backups before game updates and type switches, and 24/7 support from real people if a world will not load. Browse the games we host to start a server for it.