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Back up the entire active world folder before deleting anything. A mistaken identifier, inactive world slot, or stale upload can otherwise reset the wrong character or make it appear that the reset did not work.
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What a player-data reset actually changes
An Abiotic Factor world has shared state and per-player state. The shared portion contains the world that everyone explores. The PlayerData directory contains records associated with individual Steam identifiers. Removing one matching record clears that character’s stored progress for that world; it does not intentionally remove the world folder or the records belonging to other players.
After the server is restarted and the affected player joins, the game creates a fresh record for that identifier. Citadel Servers describes the result as the player’s data being reset the next time they join. The new character should therefore begin without the deleted character’s stored progression, while the existing world remains available.
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This is different from deleting or replacing the entire world directory. A world wipe removes shared state as well as player records and is appropriate only when everyone has agreed to start over.
Before changing any files
Confirm the intended scope
Decide whether you need a single-character reset or a complete world reset. For the usual request—one player starting over—your target is one file or one folder inside PlayerData. Do not remove the parent Worlds, world-name, or PlayerData directory.
Stop the server completely
Use the host panel’s stop control and wait until the server is fully offline before opening or deleting files. Shockbyte’s February 3, 2025 knowledgebase guidance specifically warns: “Ensure your server is stopped before making any changes to avoid data corruption.” Editing while the game is writing a save can leave an incomplete or inconsistent record.
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Copy the complete active world folder, not just the file you intend to delete. Keep the copy outside the live save location and label it with the world name and date. If the wrong SteamID is selected, restoring the original PlayerData record is much simpler when the whole folder is available.
Hosts expose different file-manager and download controls, so the exact backup button varies. The important checks are that the copy finishes, the copied folder can be opened, and the original live folder is left untouched until the reset has been verified.
Obtain the correct Steam identifier
Do not guess from a display name. Steam names can change and multiple players can use similar names. Obtain the player’s SteamID64 (or the exact SteamID format used by the server’s record), then compare every digit with the filename or folder name in PlayerData. If the identifier cannot be confirmed, stop rather than deleting a similarly named record.
Find the active dedicated-server save
The usual dedicated-server tree is:
AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/<WorldName>Open the folder for the world that the server currently loads, then open its PlayerData subdirectory:
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/home/container/AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/<WorldName>/PlayerDataThe leading location differs by host, operating system, or control panel; the meaningful part is the sequence AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/<WorldName>/PlayerData.
Verify the world name before opening PlayerData
Servers can retain more than one world slot. Read the folder name and compare it with the world selected in the server’s configuration or startup settings. A perfectly executed deletion in an unused slot has no effect on the world players actually join.
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Understand the file-versus-folder difference
Provider documentation describes the per-player record in two ways: Citadel refers to a SteamID64 folder, while Shockbyte refers to a file named for the player’s SteamID. The safe rule is to open the active world’s PlayerData directory and remove only the single item whose name exactly matches the confirmed identifier, whether that item is a file or a folder. Never delete every item in the directory for a one-player reset.
Step-by-step: reset one player
- Ask the player to leave. Have the player disconnect and confirm that no one is using the server while maintenance is performed.
- Stop the server. Use the host’s stop action and wait for the offline or stopped status.
- Open the live world save. Navigate to
AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/<WorldName>, adding/home/containerfirst when that is how the panel presents the container filesystem. - Back up the world folder. Copy the entire
<WorldName>directory to a separate location before editing. - Open
PlayerData. This is the per-player portion of that world, not a global server folder. - Match the identifier. Compare the player’s SteamID or SteamID64 character by character with the item name shown in
PlayerData. Check for leading or trailing characters and do not rely on a display name. - Delete only the matching item. Remove that one file or folder. Leave the
PlayerDatadirectory itself, every other player record, and all other world files in place. - Close the file operation cleanly. Ensure the panel reports that deletion or upload activity has finished before starting the server.
- Start the server. Use the normal start control and wait for the server to become available.
- Have the player join again. The game should generate a new record for the identifier after the player connects. The reset is complete only after the player confirms that the old character state is gone.
What remains after a single-player reset
| Area | Expected result |
|---|---|
| Selected player’s record | Removed; a new record is generated on the next join. |
| Other players’ records | Remain in PlayerData when their identifiers are not deleted. |
| Shared world folder | Remains in place when only one player item is removed. |
| World progress and structures | Not intentionally erased by a correctly targeted player-record deletion. |
| Whole-world state | Removed only if the world directory is deleted or replaced; that is a separate, destructive operation. |
The exact inventory, character progression, and other attributes represented by the record are game-managed. The reliable distinction is scope: one identifier’s record versus the complete world save.
Dedicated server versus local or non-dedicated saves
The path above applies to a dedicated server. A locally hosted or non-dedicated game uses a user-profile save tree rather than the server path under SaveGames/Server/Worlds. Do not assume that a local save and a hosted save are interchangeable.
A Steam Community report describes deleting the affected server-side PlayerData and the corresponding local save data so a player was recognized as new. That report is anecdotal, not a universal procedure. If the player has also played locally, make separate backups before touching local files, identify the correct profile and world, and change only the data needed for the intended reset.
How to tell whether you are editing the live save
When a reset appears to do nothing, the most common explanation is that the edited folder is not the folder the running server loads. Check the following in order:
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- Server status: Confirm the server was stopped before the edit and restarted afterward.
- World slot: Compare the folder name with the configured active world; do not rely on a similarly named backup or test slot.
- Path root: In a container panel, include the panel’s root such as
/home/container; on another host the same tree may begin elsewhere. - Identifier: Recheck every digit of the SteamID64 or SteamID against the item removed.
- Record type: Look for the exact matching file or folder; provider documentation uses both descriptions.
- Restart cycle: Start the server after the deletion and have the player join again so a fresh record can be generated.
XGamingServer’s save documentation treats PlayerData as a distinct part of each world upload. That means two world folders can each contain a different PlayerData directory; editing one does not alter the other.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The old character still appears
Stop the server again and verify the active world and exact identifier. Make sure the first deletion was not performed in a stale download, an old upload, or a different world slot. Confirm that the player joined only after the restart. If the original record is still present, remove that exact matching item while the server is stopped.
The wrong player was reset
Do not attempt a second deletion immediately. Stop the server, preserve the current folder, and restore the mistakenly removed record from the pre-change copy. Then verify the intended player’s identifier before repeating the operation. A complete world backup gives you a recovery point even when the provider does not offer a dedicated restore command.
The server will not start after editing
Stop trying to repair the live folder by deleting additional files. Reapply the backed-up world folder, or restore the original PlayerData item, then start the server and check whether it loads. If the panel reports a permission, upload, or filesystem error, contact the host with the world name, the path edited, and the time of the change rather than removing unrelated save files.
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First establish whether the player is joining the dedicated server or a local/non-dedicated session. Dedicated-server data is stored in the server’s world tree; local sessions use a user-profile tree. The anecdotal local-save procedure should be attempted only after a separate local backup and only when the player is actually using that local save.
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Several worlds contain similarly named records
Player records are scoped to their world directory. Work from the folder selected by the running server, not from a global search result. If you cannot identify the active slot with confidence, leave the files untouched until the server configuration has been verified.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Recovery and rollback plan
- Keep the original copy. Do not overwrite it when testing the reset.
- Stop the server. Recovery should also be performed offline to avoid simultaneous writes.
- Restore only what is needed. If one record was deleted accidentally, place that original file or folder back in the same
PlayerDatadirectory. If the save has broader damage, restore the complete world folder. - Start and test. Confirm that the server loads and that the affected player can join.
- Retain the backup until confirmed. Keep it until the player verifies the desired result and no other player reports missing progress.
Do not treat a host’s snapshot or upload feature as a substitute for identifying the correct world. A backup is useful only when it is known to correspond to the active world and can be restored without overwriting newer, valid changes.
Choosing manual reset or host assistance
Manual deletion is appropriate when you can access the active save path, stop the server, make a copy, and confidently match the SteamID. Ask the host for help when any of those conditions is missing, especially when the panel hides the filesystem or several world slots are in use.
| Decision point | Manual file reset | Ask the host or change hosting arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Access to active path | Requires file-manager, FTP, or container access to the live world. | Useful when the provider does not expose the save tree. |
| Stopping and backing up | You control the stop sequence and create your own copy. | Prefer assistance when you cannot confirm an offline state or restore method. |
| Operating-system conventions | Windows-style and container/Linux roots can differ, but the AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds sequence remains the reference. |
A host can identify its actual root and active slot. |
| Scope control | Deleting one matching item gives the narrowest change. | Host support can reduce the risk of deleting a world directory by mistake. |
| Recovery if the wrong record is removed | Depends on your pre-change copy. | May provide provider-side restore options; ask what point-in-time recovery is available before making changes. |
Changing hosts does not itself reset a character. The same world and PlayerData can be uploaded to another server, and preserving that directory preserves player progress. A move is therefore a hosting decision, not a replacement for the identifier-specific deletion described above.
If you are moving this world to a new host, Godlike.Host’s Abiotic Factor servers provide a Pterodactyl-based game panel with SFTP/FTP access, up to three free backups a day, and a built-in mod installer and updater. Not on the Abiotic Factor dedicated server wiki’s list of Verified Server Providers (github.com/DFJacob/AbioticFactorDedicatedServer, 10 Oct 2026).
Operational checklist
- Identify whether the session is dedicated or local.
- Write down the active world name.
- Record the player’s exact SteamID or SteamID64.
- Stop the server and wait for the stopped state.
- Copy the entire active world folder.
- Open that world’s
PlayerDatadirectory. - Delete only the item matching the confirmed identifier.
- Leave every other player item and the world directory intact.
- Start the server and wait until it is ready.
- Have the affected player join and verify the new character state.
- Keep the backup until everyone confirms that no unintended data changed.
Key distinction: reset one character or wipe everyone
If one person needs a fresh start, remove one identifier-matched record. If the group wants a new map or a completely clean campaign, replace or delete the world folder only after making a full backup and obtaining agreement from every player. Confusing these operations is the main way a targeted reset becomes an irreversible world wipe.
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