Valheim World Backups & Migration

Valheim Backups & Migration

Your Viking world is precious. This guide covers how HostedGG protects your world with automatic backups, how to create manual backups, and how to migrate your existing world from another host or your local PC.

Automatic Backups on HostedGG

All HostedGG Valheim servers include automatic daily backups at no extra cost.

How It Works

• Backups run daily during off-peak hours
• The server keeps the most recent backups in rotation
• Backups include the full world save and character data
• Restoring a backup takes about 60 seconds

Restoring from an Automatic Backup

1. Open your HostedGG dashboard
2. Go to the Backups tab
3. Find the backup you want to restore
4. Click Restore
5. Confirm the restoration
6. Wait for the server to restart with the restored world

Manual Backups

Creating a Manual Backup

Method 1: Dashboard Backup

1. Go to the Backups tab
2. Click Create Backup
3. Wait for the backup to complete

Method 2: File Manager Download

1. Open the File Manager
2. Navigate to the world save directory (see File Locations below)
3. Download the world files to your local computer

Recommended Backup Schedule

Valheim Save File Locations

On HostedGG Server

World saves are stored in the server's data directory:

/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/

The key files for each world:

On Your Local PC

If you've been playing Valheim locally, your world files are at:

Windows:

C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local\

Linux:

~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/

Mac:

~/Library/Application Support/unity.IronGate.Valheim/worlds_local/

Migrating to HostedGG

From Your Local PC

1. Locate your local world files (see paths above)
2. Copy both files: [WorldName].fwl and [WorldName].db
3. Open your HostedGG File Manager
4. Navigate to /.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/
5. Upload both files
6. In Settings, set the World Name to match your file name exactly (without the extension)
7. Restart the server

From Another Hosting Provider

1. Download your world files from your current host:
   • Access their file manager or SFTP
   • Download [WorldName].fwl and [WorldName].db
2. Stop your HostedGG server
3. Upload the files to /.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/ on your HostedGG server
4. Update the World Name in Settings to match
5. Start the server

From a Valheim Dedicated Server on Steam

If you've been running the Valheim Dedicated Server tool from Steam:

Windows:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Valheim dedicated server\

The world files are in the same worlds_local subfolder structure.

Migrating Away from HostedGG

We hope you'll stay, but if you need to take your world elsewhere:

1. Open the File Manager
2. Navigate to /.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/
3. Download your [WorldName].fwl and [WorldName].db files
4. Upload them to your new host or local machine

Your world data is always yours.

Character Data

Unlike some games, Valheim characters are stored client-side on each player's computer, not on the server. This means:

• ✅ Players keep their characters when switching servers
• ✅ No character migration needed
• ⚠️ Players can "cheat" by bringing overpowered characters to a new server
• ⚠️ If a player loses their local files, their character is gone

Server-Side Characters (Mod)

For servers that want to prevent character cheating, consider the ServerCharacters mod. This stores character data on the server instead. See our Mods Guide for setup instructions.

Troubleshooting Migration

"World Not Found" After Upload

• ✅ Check that the World Name setting exactly matches your filenames
• ✅ Ensure both .fwl and .db files are in the correct directory
• ✅ File names are case-sensitive

World Loads but Terrain is Missing

This usually means the .db file wasn't uploaded correctly:

1. Re-download from your source
2. Check the file size (should be more than just a few KB for a played world)
3. Re-upload and restart

"Incompatible Version" After Migration

The world was saved in a different Valheim version:

• Update your HostedGG server to the same version as your previous host
• Or wait for the next Valheim update, which usually includes backward compatibility

Next Steps

• Set up your server after migration
• Configure world settings
• Troubleshoot connection issues
• General backup guide

Related Blog Posts

• How to Play Valheim With Friends
• Dedicated Server vs Hosting — Which Is Better?
• Valheim Server Setup Guide