To reset a Valheim server, first stop it, then choose between a reversible world-name change and permanent save-file deletion. Renaming the configured world creates or loads a separate save while leaving the original intact. Deleting the selected world’s save files produces a fresh world with the same name, but only after you make a backup.
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Choose the kind of reset you actually need
Valheim treats the value passed to the server’s -world argument as the save to create or load. A control-panel field may be labelled World or SavegameName, but it serves the same purpose: it selects the world name.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →| Method | What changes | Reversible? | Scope | Typical access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change the world name | The server starts a different save and generates it if that name does not exist | Yes. Restore the old name to return to the previous world | One new world; old saves remain | Hosting control panel or startup configuration |
| Delete one world’s files | The selected name has no save files, so Valheim generates a new world under that name | Only if you kept a usable backup | One selected world | File manager, FTP, or shell |
| Delete all savegames | Every server world is removed | No on GPORTAL; its panel warns that the action cannot be undone | All worlds on that server | Host control panel |
For testing, a clean start, or a new group, changing the world name is the safest option. Use targeted file deletion only when you specifically need the original name and have verified a backup. Never use an all-save deletion control when other worlds must survive.
Before resetting: protect the existing world
Players may still be connected while a server is stopped or its files are changed. Announce maintenance, wait for everyone to log out, and stop the process through the host panel or service manager. Do not edit configuration or delete files while the server is running; the process can overwrite changes or leave a partially written database.
Make and verify a backup
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Copy the complete world save set to a location outside the live save directory. Keep the original filenames, including any
.oldfiles. - Record the current world name exactly, including capitalization, and note the server’s configured save path.
- Check that the copied files have non-zero sizes and can be opened or downloaded again. A backup that exists only in the same directory is not protection against an accidental deletion.
Iron Gate’s Ashlands guidance also recommends backing up worlds. If players have already explored the terrain where new content would appear, a new world may be preferable because unexplored areas are where the game can generate that content correctly.
Resetting a hosted server with a new world name
This approach does not require deleting anything. Stop the server, select a new name in the host’s configuration, save the setting, and start the server. Valheim will create the new world when that name has no existing save. To return to the previous world later, stop the server and change the setting back to its original value.
Shockbyte control panel
- Stop the Valheim server in the control panel.
- Open the Config tab and locate the World value.
- Enter a new world name, save the configuration, and start the server.
- Connect once the server is online and confirm that the map, buildings, and explored areas are new. Keep the old name recorded so you can switch back.
Changing the value preserves the old files. Do not remove them unless you have decided that the old world is no longer needed.
GPORTAL control panel
- Stop the server.
- Change SavegameName to the new name.
- Select Create new world, save the settings, and start the server.
- Join and check that the expected new terrain appears before inviting the rest of the group.
GPORTAL also offers a panel action labelled delete all savegames. It removes every server save and cannot be undone, so it is unsuitable for a one-world reset or for a server that contains worlds you may want later.
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Reset one hosted world by deleting its files
Use this method when the server must keep the same world name. Stop the server first and back up the selected world. Delete only the files belonging to that name; leaving another world’s files untouched prevents collateral loss.
Shockbyte file manager
- Stop the server.
- Open Files and navigate to
savedata/worlds. - Identify the exact selected world name. Delete its
<worldname>.dband<worldname>.fwlfiles. - If present, delete the matching
<worldname>.db.oldand<worldname>.fwl.oldfiles as well. These are older copies for that world; retaining one can allow an old state to be mistaken for the reset target. - Start the server and connect after it reports ready. The same world name should now open as a newly generated map.
GPORTAL FTP deletion
- Stop the server from the panel.
- Connect with FTP and open
/save/world_local. - Find the selected world’s
.dband.fwlfiles and delete only those files. - Start the server and verify the new map in-game.
Do not click the panel’s all-save deletion command for this task. FTP targeting is safer when several worlds share the server.
Resetting a self-hosted dedicated server
On a self-hosted installation, the most important detail is the active save directory. Iron Gate documents the -savedir [PATH] option for overriding the location of worlds and permission files. A custom startup script may therefore point somewhere other than the operating system’s default.
| Platform | Documented default save location |
|---|---|
| Windows | ../%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim |
| Linux | ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim |
Find the active world and save path
- Stop the dedicated-server process cleanly.
- Open the service, batch file, shell script, container definition, or scheduled task that launches Valheim.
- Record the value after
-world. Iron Gate’s example uses-world "Dedicated"; your server may use another name. - Look for
-savedir. If it is present, use that path rather than assuming the Windows or Linux default. - Inside the active save directory, locate the world files matching the configured name. Do not delete files from an unused installation or from a different user account.
Reversible self-hosted reset
Change the quoted value after -world in the launch command to a new name, save the script, and start the server. If the name is new, Valheim creates the world. Restoring the previous value later loads the old save, provided you did not delete it.
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Permanent same-name reset
- Stop the process and wait until it has exited completely.
- Copy the matching world files to an external backup location.
- Delete the selected world’s
.dband.fwlfiles. Remove matching.db.oldand.fwl.oldfiles when they exist and you intend to eliminate the old state. - Leave unrelated world names, permission files, and server configuration untouched.
- Start the server with the desired
-worldvalue and join to confirm generation.
Iron Gate advises keeping a copy of the dedicated-server configuration and editing the copy because the original can be reset when Steam updates it. A custom launch script also gives you a stable place to preserve -world, -savedir, and backup settings.
Which files make up a Valheim world?
The primary world data is split between two files with the same base name:
.dbcontains the world database, including the persistent game state..fwlcontains world metadata needed to load that database..db.oldand.fwl.oldmay appear as older copies, depending on the host and save history.
Delete the pair together. Removing only one file can leave an incomplete save that fails to load or behaves unexpectedly. Never use a wildcard that could match every world unless your intention is to erase all saves and you have accepted the loss.
Automatic backups for a dedicated server
The official dedicated-server guide documents these backup arguments:
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-backups 4keeps four backup sets.-backupshort 7200sets the short backup interval to 7,200 seconds.-backuplong 43200sets the long backup interval to 43,200 seconds.
These options are safeguards, not a substitute for an independently stored copy before a reset. Confirm where the server writes its backups, and test that the account running the service can create and retain them.
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Confirm that the reset worked
After starting the server, allow it to finish loading before connecting. Check all of the following:
- The server log shows the intended world name and the expected save directory.
- The map does not contain the previous group’s explored markers, structures, portals, or discovered locations.
- The world seed and starting surroundings are new when you intended a newly generated world.
- Players can connect without a version or permission error.
- The original backup remains outside the live directory and can be restored if necessary.
If the old map returns, stop the server and inspect the launch command or panel field. A different -world value, a custom -savedir, or an overlooked copy of the old files can make the server load a save you did not intend to use.
Troubleshooting common reset problems
The server still loads the old world after changing the name
Verify that the new name was saved in the panel or in the script actually used to launch the service. Check for a second startup profile, container environment variable, or command-line argument overriding the visible setting. Stop the server again before correcting it.
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The new world is empty but the old world is missing
Do not create more files in the old save directory. Stop the server, restore the backed-up .db and .fwl pair to the active save path, and set -world back to the original name. If the backup is only an archive, extract it without changing the base filenames.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe server will not start after deletion
Confirm that the selected world’s .db and .fwl were deleted as a matching pair and that unrelated files were not removed. Check file ownership and permissions on self-hosted Linux systems, then review the server log for the exact path it is trying to read. Restoring the backup is the safest recovery while you diagnose the path or permission issue.
Players see their characters but the map is new
Character and world data are separate. A world reset can leave player profiles intact while removing structures and exploration. Tell players that inventories, skills, or character progress may not mirror the world reset, and verify the behavior on your server before promising a particular outcome.
When a new world is the better choice
A reset is not always required for new content. Iron Gate’s Ashlands guidance explains that new terrain generates properly in previously unexplored areas. If your group has not explored the relevant regions, keeping the existing world can preserve builds and progress while still allowing the game to generate new content farther out. Starting a separate world is more appropriate when the relevant terrain has already been explored, when the group wants a clean progression, or when an old save has become difficult to manage.
Quick Recap
Recommended decision sequence
- Need to preserve the existing map? Change
-worldor the panel’s World/SavegameName value. - Need the same name but a clean map? Back up first, stop the server, and delete only that name’s
.dband.fwlfiles, plus matching.oldcopies when applicable. - Need to erase every world? Use an all-save control only after confirming that no save must be retained; on GPORTAL this action is explicitly irreversible.
- Running your own server? Check
-savedirbefore touching files and preserve a custom launch-script copy so updates do not remove your settings.
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