Arma 3 scenario and campaign saves normally live in the active player or server profile, not in the Steam installation directory. On Windows, check DocumentsArma 3Saved (or the matching named profile under DocumentsArma 3 - Other Profiles). On a documented Linux dedicated-server setup, check the profile created under ~/.local/share/Arma 3 - Other Profilesserver. To move progress to a dedicated server, stop the server, identify the profile selected by its launch parameters, copy the save or mission-variable file into that profile, upload the exact mission .pbo to the server’s active MPMissions directory, then restart with the same mission and mods.
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Where Arma 3 stores saves
The first question is which profile Arma 3 is using. A profile is the directory that holds player settings and persistent data. The location can differ between the game you host locally and a dedicated server because launch parameters can select another profile path.
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Windows default profile
For the default Windows profile, the documented location is:
C:Users<UserName>DocumentsArma 3Scenario and campaign savegames are in its Saved subfolder:
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C:Users<UserName>DocumentsArma 3SavedReplace <UserName> with the Windows account that actually ran the game. Looking under another account, an administrator account, or a service account will show a different profile and may make a valid save appear to be missing.
Windows named profiles
If the game or server was started with a named -name profile, use the corresponding alternate-profile directory:
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C:Users<UserName>DocumentsArma 3 - Other Profiles<profile>The save directory is then:
C:Users<UserName>DocumentsArma 3 - Other Profiles<profile>SavedDo not assume that the profile name is the Windows login name. It is the value selected by the Arma 3 launch configuration. A server started with -name server, for example, reads the server profile rather than the default profile.
Linux dedicated-server profile
The official Linux dedicated-server setup creates the server profile at:
~/.local/share/Arma 3 - Other Profiles/server/server.Arma3ProfileIn that documented setup, the profile directory is:
~/.local/share/Arma 3 - Other Profiles/serverThe same setup notes that the Linux -profiles parameter is broken there. Consequently, verify the actual profile created by the server and the account that runs the service instead of relying on a Windows-style path or assuming that -profiles relocated it successfully.
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There is no single universal “Arma 3 save file.” The game engine, the mission, and the mod can persist state in different ways. Identify the storage method before copying anything.
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Scenario and campaign savegames
The profile’s Saved folder is the documented location for “savegames of scenarios and campaigns.” If you used the normal save or load functions in a scenario or campaign, start your search there.
Editor-preview saves
The profile also has a UserSaved folder for scenarios previewed in the editor. A save made while previewing an editor scenario may therefore not appear in Saved. Check both folders when you cannot find a preview session.
Mission-profile variables
A mission can persist variables through saveMissionProfileNamespace. When that command saves variables, Arma 3 writes them to a file named after the mission:
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Mission namespace state
The engine’s missionNamespace is serialized by the normal saveGame and loadGame operations. That is separate from the mission-profile namespace represented by missionName.vars. A framework can use either mechanism or implement its own files, so preserve every relevant file rather than renaming one file to a generic name.
Save file versus mission PBO
A multiplayer mission’s .pbo is the packaged mission program and content. It is not the progress database. A server can launch a mission after receiving its PBO while still showing a new campaign if the corresponding save or variable data was not copied.
Conversely, copying a save without the exact mission build can fail to load it. Persistent data may refer to objects, variables, scripts, and world coordinates that do not exist in a different mission version or world.
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For a reliable transfer, move both components:
- Persistent state: the appropriate files in the active profile, such as
Savedcontents ormissionName.vars. - Mission content: the matching multiplayer mission PBO in the server’s active
MPMissionsdirectory.
How mission filenames determine the upload
Multiplayer mission files use the format:
<mission name>.<world name>.pboThe mission name and world portion matter. Uploading a similarly named PBO for another terrain or a different revision can create a separate mission entry instead of loading the state you intend to restore.
If your mission exists as an unpacked folder, an external PBO-packing tool is needed to create the multiplayer PBO. Keep the resulting filename consistent with the mission’s expected name and world.
Before copying anything: make a safe transfer plan
Persistent files can be changed while the mission is running. Copying them during a live session risks an incomplete or internally inconsistent state.
- Record the source details. Note the mission name, world, mission version, active profile name, and mod set used by the hosted game.
- Make a backup. Copy the entire source profile, or at minimum the relevant
Saved,UserSaved, and*.varsfiles, to a dated backup location. Do not edit the only copy. - Stop the destination server. Use the server manager or service control and wait for the process to exit before replacing profile or mission files.
- Locate the destination profile from its launch configuration. Check
-name,-profiles, and the account running the server. The path shown by a file manager is useful only if it is the path the running server actually reads. - Check the mission directory parameter. If the launch command contains
-mpmissions, use that alternate directory rather than the default directory beneath the installation.
Step-by-step: move a hosted save to a dedicated server
1. Find the source profile
On Windows, open the default Documents profile or the named profile under Arma 3 - Other Profiles. If you host through a shortcut, launcher, batch file, or management panel, inspect it for -name and -profiles. Those parameters take precedence over your assumption about the default path.
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2. Identify the persistence files
Look in the source profile’s Saved folder for scenario or campaign saves. Check UserSaved if the session was an editor preview. At the profile root, look for a mission-specific file matching the mission name and ending in .vars.
For mod-driven campaigns such as persistent cooperative frameworks, consult that mission’s documented save method. The framework may use a different namespace or filename. Do not delete unrelated files until you know which system produced them.
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3. Export or copy the mission PBO
Obtain the exact multiplayer mission build used by the source session. Its filename should follow <mission name>.<world name>.pbo. If you only have an unpacked mission directory, pack it into a PBO with an external packing tool before uploading it.
Keep the mission’s world and name unchanged. A different world suffix is a different multiplayer mission from the server’s point of view.
4. Put the PBO in the active server MPMissions directory
The normal destination is:
<server install>MPMissions<mission>.<world>.pboOn a server started with -mpmissions, the parameter selects an alternate path relative to the Arma 3 directory. Follow that configured path instead of placing the file in a second, unused MPMissions folder.
5. Copy state into the destination profile
Preserve the source filenames and mission name. Merge the relevant save data into the destination profile selected by the server. If the transfer includes a Saved subfolder, retain that folder structure. If it includes missionName.vars, place it at the root of the active profile, not inside MPMissions.
Do not overwrite a destination profile without a backup. If the server already has a campaign, copy the existing destination profile aside first so you can restore it if the imported state is incompatible.
6. Match the mission and mods at startup
Start the dedicated server with the same mission and the required mod set. The PBO alone does not supply client-side or server-side addons that the mission expects. A mismatch can prevent the mission from starting or make its saved state unusable.
7. Test with the owning profile
Join using the profile that owns the transferred data, select the matching mission, and use that mission’s load, resume, or continue function. Test first with the server empty if possible, then make a harmless change and confirm that the mission saves and reloads correctly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verifying that the server is reading the files you copied
If the mission starts but progress is absent, check the runtime paths rather than copying the same files repeatedly. Work through these checks in order:
- Profile name: Does the server’s
-namevalue match the directory where you placed the files? - Profile path: Is
-profilesselecting another location, or is the Linux setup using its documented default because the parameter is not working there? - Mission path: Is
-mpmissionspointing to a directory different from the one you uploaded to? - Filename and world: Does the PBO exactly match the mission and world selected in the server browser?
- Persistence type: Is the mission reading
Saved, amissionName.varsfile,missionNamespacedata, or a mod-specific file? - Ownership: Are the files readable by the operating-system account running the server?
- Version and mods: Is the mission build and addon set the same as the source session?
Common symptoms and fixes
The server offers the mission but starts a new campaign
This usually means the PBO reached MPMissions but the persistent state did not reach the active profile. Recheck the profile selected by -name and -profiles, then inspect both Saved and the mission’s .vars file. A mission that stores state in a custom location will not read a generic save copied from another mechanism.
The mission is missing from the server list
Check the PBO filename, the world suffix, and the configured -mpmissions path. If the source was an unpacked mission folder, create a valid PBO. Also confirm that the server and clients have the required mission dependencies and mods.
The save file exists but cannot be loaded
Compare the mission revision, world, profile name, and mod set. A state file can reference objects or variables that a changed mission no longer defines. Restore the backup and test the original mission build before attempting an upgrade.
Progress disappears after a restart
Confirm that the mission’s save or persistence action was actually invoked before shutdown. For mission-profile persistence, the .vars file is created only when saveMissionProfileNamespace runs. For ordinary saves, verify that the server process has permission to write to the active profile and that you are checking the same profile after restart.
Windows and Linux paths do not look alike
That is expected. Windows commonly uses the user’s Documents directory, while the documented Linux dedicated-server setup uses the service account’s local share directory. The important point is not a universal path; it is the profile selected by the server process.
Local hosted game versus dedicated server
A save transfer is easier when the host exposes the files and launch settings needed to identify both paths. Compare the two environments on these practical points:
| Transfer concern | Local hosted game | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Profile path control | Often visible in the local shortcut or launcher; default and named Windows profiles are common. | Determined by the service account and launch parameters such as -name and -profiles; Linux setups may use a documented default. |
| Mission path control | Usually the game’s configured multiplayer-mission directory. | Normally the server installation’s MPMissions, unless -mpmissions selects another path. |
| File-transfer access | Direct access to the local filesystem. | Depends on the host’s file-access method, such as SFTP or FTP, and the permissions granted to the server account. |
| Safe replacement | Stop the hosted session before copying saves. | Stop the service before replacing profile data or PBOs, then restart it after the upload. |
| Diagnostics | Launcher settings and local files are usually available. | The launch command, service account, logs, and configured directories must be exposed by the server operator or host. |
If a managed host does not provide the launch command, profile path, or file-transfer access, ask which values it uses for -name, -profiles, and -mpmissions before uploading. A host that offers SFTP or FTP and configurable profile and mission directories makes this workflow practical, but confirm its current Arma 3 support and file-access terms.
HTTP mission downloads do not transfer saves
Arma 3 can deliver mission files over HTTP and fall back to direct game-server downloading if the HTTP transfer fails or the hash does not match. That mechanism distributes the mission PBO to clients. It does not move the server’s persistent profile data, campaign saves, or mission-variable files. You still need to place those files in the server’s active profile.
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Backup and rollback checklist
- Stop the source session before taking the final copy.
- Keep an untouched copy of the source profile and mission PBO.
- Back up the destination profile before replacing files.
- Record the mission name, world, revision, profile name, and mod set.
- Upload the PBO before selecting the mission, but do not assume that its presence proves the save was imported.
- After the first successful load, make a small change, save, restart, and verify that the change persists.
- If the transfer fails, restore the destination backup rather than deleting files at random.
The short version
- Find the active profile selected by the source game.
- Copy scenario or campaign data from
Saved; checkUserSavedfor editor previews and the profile root formissionName.vars. - Use the exact mission PBO named
<mission>.<world>.pbo. - Stop the dedicated server and determine its active profile and
MPMissionspaths from-name,-profiles, and-mpmissions. - Upload the PBO, copy the state files into the active profile, restart with the same mission and mods, and test the load or resume function.
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