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The safest way to delete a Valheim world is in the game: leave the world, open Start Game, select the world, choose Manage Saves, and delete the world or its backups. Make a backup first if there is any chance you will want the map later. If the world returns, check whether another copy remains in Steam Cloud, local storage, or a dedicated-server save directory.
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Delete a Valheim world from the game
This is the normal method for Steam and Microsoft Store PC installations because Valheim identifies the save for you and exposes its backups. It also works when a world entry has a damaged or missing file that would be difficult to locate manually.
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- Open Start Game. This opens the character and world selection interface.
- Select the world you want to remove. Check the spelling and the cloud/local indicator beside the entry. If two entries have similar names, select the one whose storage location you actually intend to clean.
- Choose Manage Saves. The menu lists the selected world’s save data and available backups.
- Choose the delete command for the world or for a particular backup. Deleting the world removes that save from the list; deleting a backup removes only that restore point. Read the confirmation dialog before accepting it.
- Confirm and return to the world list. The world should no longer appear in the location you deleted. If another entry with the same name remains, it is probably a separate local or cloud copy.
Iron Gate’s April 12, 2023 patch notes specifically state that world saves with missing .fwl files now appear in Manage Saves so they can be deleted. That means a broken entry does not require immediate file-by-file cleanup: select it in the menu and remove it there.
Back up anything you may want to keep
World deletion is intended to be permanent from that storage location. Before confirming, preserve a copy or verify that a recent automatic backup is available in Manage Saves. A backup is useful for recovering a world after an accidental deletion, a bad update, or corruption, but it is not a substitute for checking which copy you are deleting.
- Use a distinct name for worlds you are keeping. Similar names make it easy to delete a local copy while leaving a cloud copy, or vice versa.
- Check the storage marker. Valheim’s world list identifies whether each entry is in Steam Cloud or local storage. Record that marker before deleting.
- Do not delete while the game or server is writing. Exit the world first. For a server, stop the server process and wait for it to finish closing.
- Keep a manual copy until verification. If you use file deletion, move the intended files to a temporary backup folder instead of emptying the recycle bin immediately.
Valheim can restore from the most recent backup through the Select World menu. Iron Gate has also documented repeated restoration after a backup-related fix, so a backup listed by the game is the first recovery option to try.
What the Manage Saves menu can remove
The complete world
Use the world-level delete option when you want the world gone from that storage location, including its normal save data. Confirm the name carefully because this is the option that removes the playable world rather than one historical copy.
Individual backups
Use a backup-level delete option when you want to retain the current world but reduce old restore points. This is useful when a damaged or obsolete backup is causing confusion, but it does not remove the active world.
Entries with missing files
A world entry can remain visible even when part of its underlying data is missing. Iron Gate’s patch notes say that saves missing their .fwl file are shown in Manage Saves specifically so they can be deleted. Select that orphaned entry and use the in-game command rather than guessing at filenames.
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Steam Cloud and local saves are separate copies
The most common reason a “deleted” world comes back is that you removed one storage copy while another still exists. Valheim’s current save-location guidance shows a cloud or local indicator for each world and allows a world to be moved between cloud and local storage from Manage Saves.
| Indicator or location | What it means | What to do when deleting |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Cloud | The save is associated with Steam’s cloud storage for the game. | Delete the cloud entry in Manage Saves. If it reappears, inspect the Steam userdata copy for Valheim app ID 892970. |
| Local | The save is stored on the computer in Valheim’s local save directory. | Delete the local entry in Manage Saves, or remove the matching local files after closing Valheim. |
| Both cloud and local entries | You have two independently stored copies, even if their world names match. | Delete the intended copy in each location, or move the one you want to retain before removing the other. |
If a deleted world returns after restarting the game, open the world list again and compare the storage marker. Remove the remaining copy, not merely the copy you happened to select during the first attempt. Cloud synchronization can also make the surviving copy visible again after Steam reconnects.
Why a deleted world can reappear
A second cloud or local copy still exists
Deleting a local world does not delete a separate cloud version. Likewise, removing the cloud entry does not remove local files. Check both indicators in the world list and use Manage Saves for each copy you intend to remove.
You deleted a backup instead of the active world
Manage Saves lists current data and backups. Removing one backup leaves the active world intact by design. Reopen the menu and verify that you selected the world-level command if the goal is to remove the world itself.
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You are looking at a server world
A dedicated server can use a different save directory from the client. Deleting a single-player copy does not delete the server’s world, and deleting server data does not remove a local or cloud client copy. Follow the server procedure below.
The game is still open or synchronization has not finished
Always leave the world before deleting. If you use Steam Cloud, allow Steam to finish synchronizing before launching Valheim again. Otherwise an older surviving copy can be presented as if the deletion failed.
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Manual deletion is useful when the in-game list is unavailable, when you are cleaning files after uninstalling, or when you need to remove a local copy that is not being displayed correctly. Close Valheim completely first, then identify the exact world name. Delete only the files or folder belonging to that world.
| Platform | Local world directory |
|---|---|
| Windows | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimworlds_local |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local |
| Linux | ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local |
Windows procedure
- Exit Valheim and wait for Steam to finish any pending synchronization.
- Open File Explorer and paste
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimworlds_localinto the address bar. - Match the exact world name with the entry you recorded from Valheim’s world list. Do not remove similarly named worlds without checking them.
- Move the matching save files or folder to a temporary backup location first. After you confirm that the world is gone from Valheim, you can permanently empty that temporary copy.
macOS procedure
- Quit Valheim and Steam, or at least ensure the game is no longer running.
- In Finder, use Go to Folder and enter
~/Library/Application Support/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local. - Identify the files belonging to the exact world name.
- Move only those files to a backup folder, launch Valheim, and verify the world list before deleting the backup.
Linux procedure
- Close Valheim and stop any process that could still write the save.
- Open your file manager or terminal at
~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local. - Match the exact world name and move only its data to a separate backup directory.
- Start Valheim and confirm that the intended entry is gone. Permanently remove the backup only after that check.
Do not infer a world from a file’s modification date alone. Names can be similar, and a recent timestamp may reflect a backup or synchronization operation rather than the world you meant to remove.
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Clean up a Steam Cloud copy manually
Steam Cloud data is stored under Steam’s userdata area for Valheim’s app ID 892970. The exact parent directory differs by operating system and Steam installation, so use Steam’s userdata folder on your computer and locate the directory named 892970 rather than relying on a hard-coded drive path.
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- Close Valheim and Steam, and keep a copy of the world before changing cloud files.
- Open Steam’s userdata directory and locate the Valheim app-ID directory
892970. - Identify the cloud save that corresponds to the exact world name and storage entry you recorded.
- Move only that world’s data to a temporary backup location.
- Restart Steam, open Valheim, and check the world list. If the world still appears, it may be a local copy; if it returns after synchronization, stop and recheck both locations before deleting anything else.
Whenever possible, use Manage Saves instead of manually editing cloud data. The in-game menu knows which save Valheim is presenting and can move a world between cloud and local storage without requiring you to identify Steam’s internal folders.
Delete a world on a dedicated server
A dedicated server may save worlds somewhere other than the client directory. Iron Gate’s server documentation describes default Windows and Linux locations and the -savedir [PATH] launch option, which overrides the default with a custom directory.
- Stop the server cleanly. Do not remove files while the server is running or while it is saving.
- Find the configured save directory. Check the server launch command or service definition for
-savedir [PATH]. If it is present, that path is authoritative; otherwise use the platform’s documented default. - Identify the exact world. Compare the world name used by the server with the files in that directory. If several worlds are present, do not delete the directory wholesale.
- Make a temporary backup. Copy the intended world data outside the server directory so you can recover from a naming mistake.
- Remove only the intended world data. Leave other worlds and server configuration files untouched.
- Start the server and verify. Confirm that the deleted world is no longer offered and that any retained worlds still load.
If a server world keeps returning, inspect the actual directory named by -savedir. Removing a similarly named client save, or deleting files from the server’s default directory while the server is configured for a custom path, will not affect the world the server loads.
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Xbox, Steam PC, and Microsoft Store PC saves
Save synchronization depends on the platform and edition. Iron Gate’s 1.0 FAQ says an Xbox player can access saves from a PC when launching the Microsoft Store version. Outside that documented Microsoft Store case, there is no general cross-platform save synchronization.
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|---|---|
| Xbox | Delete it through the Xbox version’s world-management interface. Do not assume a Steam PC installation will show the same save. |
| Steam PC | Use Manage Saves, then check Steam Cloud and the local PC directory if the world reappears. |
| Microsoft Store PC | An Xbox save may be available when the Microsoft Store version is launched, as described in Iron Gate’s 1.0 FAQ. Manage the copy shown by that installation. |
| Different platforms outside that case | Treat the saves as separate. A deletion on one platform is not evidence that the other platform’s copy was removed. |
Recover a world deleted by mistake
Use the newest in-game backup
- Open Valheim’s Select World menu.
- Choose the world entry or backup-management option that exposes available restore points.
- Select the most recent backup that predates the deletion or corruption.
- Restore it, then load the world and check that the expected structures, characters, and map state are present.
Restoration depends on a backup still existing. If you deleted every copy and no automatic or manual backup remains, the game has no in-game source from which to reconstruct the world.
Restore a manual copy
If you moved the files to a temporary folder before deletion, close Valheim, put the matching data back into the same platform’s local save directory, and reopen the game. For cloud saves, use Manage Saves to move or restore the retained copy rather than mixing cloud and local files while both are active.
A practical deletion checklist
- World name checked character by character.
- Cloud or local indicator recorded.
- Any valuable world backed up or covered by a recent automatic backup.
- Valheim closed before local file removal.
- Dedicated server stopped before server-file removal.
- Only the intended world data selected.
- Steam Cloud synchronization allowed to finish.
- World list checked after deletion and again after restarting the game.
Choosing the right method
| Your situation | Best method | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The world appears normally in Valheim | Start Game → select world → Manage Saves | It is the least error-prone way to remove the active save or a backup. |
The entry is broken or missing a .fwl file |
Manage Saves | Iron Gate added visibility for these entries so they can be deleted in-game. |
| A local PC copy remains after an in-game deletion | Close Valheim and inspect the platform’s worlds_local directory |
The local copy may not be the one you removed. |
| A cloud copy keeps returning | Check the cloud indicator and Steam userdata app ID 892970 |
Steam Cloud and local data are separate storage locations. |
| A dedicated-server world remains | Stop the server and clean its configured -savedir |
Server worlds are independent of client saves. |
| An Xbox and PC copy differ | Manage the save on the platform that owns it | Cross-platform synchronization is limited to the Microsoft Store case documented by Iron Gate. |
Bottom line
Use Valheim’s Manage Saves menu first, and back up before confirming. If deletion does not stick, look for the other storage copy: Steam Cloud versus local PC files, or a dedicated server’s configured save directory. Manual removal is safe only after the game or server is closed and you have matched the exact world name and platform path.
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