How to Download Your Valheim World From a Dedicated Server (1.0)

To download your Valheim world from a dedicated server, stop the server and copy the world's folder from worlds_local/ down to your PC. Since Valheim 1.0 a world is a folder named after the world, not a .db and .fwl pair. You need the whole folder. On your Valheim server it is at .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/<WorldName>/, not in the server root.

You can get it three ways: archive the folder in the File Manager and download the archive, pull the folder over SFTP, or download a panel backup. All three are below, followed by how to open the world on your own PC.

Before You Download

1. Stop the server. Click Stop on the Console tab and wait for it to go offline. A clean stop writes the world to disk, so you get the current state rather than whatever was there at the last autosave, and you don't copy a folder in the middle of a save. If you can't stop it yet, run save from the console first. It forces a world save immediately (see Valheim Console Commands).
2. Find the folder. In the File Manager, open .config, then unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/. Our startup doesn't pass -savedir, so Valheim uses its default path, and worlds_local does not exist at the top level. The folder you want has the same name as World File Name on the Startup tab.
3. Check what is inside. A 1.0 world folder holds _main.N.fwl2, _main.N.db2, _main.N.chunks, a set of .chunk files and a _main.N.ok marker. If you see a loose <WorldName>.db and <WorldName>.fwl instead, the world hasn't been opened on 1.0 yet. Download that pair, and Valheim converts it the first time it loads. Valheim Save Location and the 1.0 World Folder Format explains every file.

Download the whole folder, never files out of it

Every file in the folder belongs to one world. A partial copy isn't a smaller world, it's a broken one. Valheim won't find a world it can load under that name. Whichever method you use, the unit is the folder.

Method 1: Archive and Download in the File Manager

The File Manager's Download works on files, not folders, so pack the folder into one file first:

1. In worlds_local/, open the ... menu beside your world's folder and choose Archive.
2. A new .tar.gz archive appears in worlds_local/. Open its ... menu and choose Download.
3. When the download finishes, delete the archive from the server. It's a copy of the world sitting on your disk allowance, and worlds_local/ should only hold worlds.

This is the quickest method for most worlds. The archive also keeps the folder name and every file inside it together, which is exactly what you need.

Opening a .tar.gz on your PC

If your PC won't open a .tar.gz, 7-Zip unpacks both formats in the chain (GZIP, then TAR). On Linux and macOS, tar -xzf <archive>.tar.gz unpacks it in place. You end up with the world folder, which is what you copy into your game (below).

Method 2: Download the Folder Over SFTP

SFTP copies folders directly and resumes if the connection drops, so it's better for a world your group has explored heavily, since that world has many chunk files.

1. Connect with FileZilla or WinSCP using the SFTP details on the panel's Settings tab.
2. Go to .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/. If your client hides dot-folders, type the path in or turn on hidden files.
3. Drag the whole world folder to your PC, not the files inside it.

Method 3: Download a Panel Backup

A panel backup snapshots the whole server volume, including worlds_local/. Downloading one gets you the world plus everything else on the server.

1. On the Backups tab, create a backup, or pick an existing one from before the point you want.
2. Download it. It arrives as a .tar.gz of the entire server.
3. Unpack it on your PC and go to .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/<WorldName>/ inside it.

This is the way to get an older version of the world, from before a bad raid or a griefing, because the backup holds the world as it was then. How to create a backup covers creating, downloading and retention.

Valheim's own automatic backups live on the same server

Valheim also keeps rolling backups of its own, set by -backups, -backupshort and -backuplong (see the launch argument reference). They sit on the same disk as the world. A world you have downloaded to your own PC is the copy that survives anything happening to the server.

Opening the Downloaded World on Your PC

Put the world folder into your own worlds_local/:

On a Mac, the Steam and App Store builds keep saves in different places. Use Finder's Go → Go to Folder… and search for worlds_local. There is no copyable world folder on Xbox or the Microsoft Store (Game Pass) build. Those saves sit in a WGS container, so a server world can't be put there by copying files.

Then:

1. Move any local world with the same name out of the way first. Copying a folder over an existing one mixes files from two different saves in one folder, which is the broken partial world the warning above describes.
2. Keep the folder name exactly as it was on the server. The folder name is the world's name.
3. Start Valheim and choose Start Game. The world appears in your world list under that name.

Your character isn't part of the download. Characters always live on each player's own PC, in characters_local, so you load in with the character you already have.

Your game must be at least as new as the server

A world saved by a newer Valheim build won't load in an older one. If the server has updated and your game hasn't, update first. If you're on a beta branch, see Valheim Version Mismatch and Update Problems.

Common Issues

FAQ

Where is the Valheim world on a dedicated server?

In .config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/<WorldName>/ on our servers, because our startup doesn't pass -savedir. On a self-hosted Linux server it's ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/ under the user that runs the server, unless -savedir moves it.

What files make up a Valheim world?

Since 1.0, one folder per world, holding _main.N.fwl2, _main.N.db2, _main.N.chunks, the .chunk files and a _main.N.ok marker. Download the whole folder. Before 1.0 it was a .db and a .fwl. Valheim still accepts that pair and converts it on first load.

Can I download a Valheim world without stopping the server?

You can, but stop it if you can. A running server may be in the middle of a save, and anything since the last autosave isn't on disk yet. If you can't stop it, run save from the console first, or download a panel backup instead.

Do I need the world's .db and .fwl files?

Only for a world that hasn't been opened on Valheim 1.0 yet. On 1.0 those files no longer exist. The world is the folder.

How do I move the world to a different server?

Download it with any method above, then upload the folder to the other server's worlds_local/ and set World File Name to its name. How to Upload Your Existing World to Your Valheim Server walks through the upload.

What to Read Next

• How to Upload Your Existing World to Your Valheim Server: the reverse trip, from your PC onto a server
• Valheim Save Location and the 1.0 World Folder Format: every save path and what each file in a world folder does
• How to create a backup and How to upload files via SFTP: the two tools this page uses
• Valheim Save Editors and Parsers After 1.0: What Still Works if you want to edit the world you just downloaded
• Managing your Valheim server: restores, scheduled restarts and the routine that keeps the world safe

---

Made with 💜 by GameServerKings