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To wipe a tModLoader Terraria server, reset the configured world save rather than reinstalling the server. Stop the server cleanly, copy the current .wld file and its companion data to a dated backup, confirm the active world= path, move the old files out of the live Worlds directory, then start with autocreate=1, 2, or 3 to generate a replacement. Your mods and player characters remain separate unless you deliberately remove them.
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What a tModLoader server wipe actually changes
A world wipe creates a new Terraria map. It removes the map’s terrain, chests, buildings, NPC housing, defeated-boss state, dropped items and other world-owned progression from the active save. It does not inherently uninstall tModLoader, remove .tmod files, or reset enabled mods.
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The server’s world setting points to a Terraria .wld file. The official tModLoader documentation describes world as setting “the exact path to an existing or new terraria world.” The server world argument must reference .wld, not .twld. A .twld file is supplementary mod data and is not the file you pass as the server’s world path.
Characters are separate from the world. A player can therefore join a newly generated map with an existing inventory and character progression unless you also remove or reset the character files. Decide that separately before you begin.
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Choose the reset outcome before touching files
| Approach | World result | Reversibility | Mods | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarantine the old save and autocreate | Fresh world at the configured destination | High: restore the moved files if needed | Retained unless you change the Mods configuration | Retained unless character files are reset |
| Permanently delete the old save and autocreate | Fresh world after the old files are gone | Low: depends entirely on an external backup | Retained unless separately removed | Retained unless separately removed |
Select a prebuilt replacement .wld |
The selected existing map loads | High if the previous save is backed up | Retained, but the replacement must be compatible with the active mod set | Retained unless reset separately |
| Reset the modpack as well | Fresh or replacement world, depending on your choice | Depends on backups | Enabled mods and configuration are replaced or removed | Unchanged unless character files are also changed |
| Reset characters as well | Fresh or replacement world | Depends on character backups | Unchanged unless separately changed | Inventories and character progression are reset or removed |
For a normal seasonal reset, the safest choice is to move the old world out of the active directory, keep the existing Mods directory and enabled configuration, and let the server create a new map.
Prepare safely before stopping and deleting anything
Announce downtime
Tell players when the server will stop and whether characters, mods, difficulty and world size will change. A clean shutdown lets Terraria finish writing the world. Editing or deleting files while the process is saving can leave a partial or corrupted backup.
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Use the deployment’s normal stop or lifecycle action. On a management-script installation, use the script’s stop method. On Windows, close the server through its console or batch-file workflow rather than terminating the process abruptly. In Docker, stop the compose service or use the container controls used by your deployment. The official Docker workflow documents commands such as docker compose up -d, docker attach tml and docker exec -it tml execute "YOUR COMMAND"; use the equivalent stop operation for your container rather than editing a live mounted save.
Make a dated, separate backup
Copy the active world data to storage outside the live Worlds directory. Use a folder name that records the date and purpose, such as world-backup-2026-10-15-before-wipe. Preserve the .wld file and any companion world data that your installation stores beside it. If you intend to reset characters too, copy those files separately before changing them. Do not treat a file that remains in the live directory as a reliable backup: a later start can overwrite it.
Record the current configuration
Save a copy of serverconfig.txt, the launch command or batch/shell script, and the enabled-mod configuration. This gives you the exact old world path and makes rollback possible if the new map does not load.
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Find the world the server is actually using
Do not assume that the first .wld file you see is active. Read the world= line in serverconfig.txt and inspect launch arguments for -world or -config. The authoritative path is the one supplied to the running server.
Configuration-file method
- Open the
serverconfig.txtused by the server’s start command. - Find the line beginning with
world=(or the equivalent-worldentry in an argument-based configuration). - Confirm that it contains the complete path and ends in
.wld. For example, a Windows path may look likeC:TerrariaWorldsAdventure.wld; a Linux or macOS path may look like/srv/terraria/Worlds/Adventure.wld. - Check for duplicate configuration files. A batch or shell script can load a different
-configfile from the one you opened.
The tModLoader server guide specifically requires the full path to the .wld file, not the .twld file. If the path is relative or points to a different directory than the one you are inspecting, quarantine the file at the configured location, not an unrelated save.
Launch-argument method
Look for an argument such as -world "C:...MyWorld.wld" on Windows or -world /path/to/MyWorld.wld on Linux and macOS. If both a command-line argument and a configuration file specify a world, follow the value used by the actual start command and verify the resulting console output.
Perform the wipe by moving the old save
Moving the save is preferable to immediate deletion because it gives you a simple rollback. With the server stopped and the backup complete:
- Open the directory containing the configured world path. Official layouts use a
Worldsdirectory, but the host path varies by installation. - Identify the active
.wldfile by matching its filename and full path toworld=or-world. - Move that file and its associated world data into the dated backup or a quarantine folder outside the live Worlds directory. Rename the quarantine folder if necessary so the server cannot select it as the active save.
- Leave the Mods directory,
install.txt,enabled.jsonand modpack files in place unless you intentionally want a mod reset. - Keep the
worldsetting pointed at the intended destination. The destination may be the original filename after it has been moved, or a new filename you specify.
Only permanently delete the quarantined copy after the replacement world has loaded and players have confirmed that everything important is present. If the old map is still visible after a restart, the server is probably reading another configuration file or another mounted Worlds directory.
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Configure a fresh generated world
Set the world-generation options in the configuration that the server actually loads:
world=: the full path to the replacement.wldfile.autocreate=1,2or3: enables generation when no world exists at that path; choose the value corresponding to the desired world size.worldname=: the name used for an autocreated world.
The official configuration example defines -autocreate <#> as creating a world if none is found at the path specified by -world, and -worldname as naming an autocreated world. The dedicated-server documentation likewise states that autocreate=1 creates a new world at the provided location when one does not already exist.
Do not leave an old file at the exact configured path if your goal is regeneration: when a matching .wld exists, the server can load it instead of creating a new one. If you want to load a prebuilt replacement, copy that replacement to the configured path and omit autocreation or use the normal existing-world startup settings.
Deployment-specific restart steps
Windows batch installation
- Stop the server and back up the configured world.
- Move the old
.wldout of the active Worlds directory. - Edit the configuration used by
start-tModLoaderServer.bat, or update its arguments, so-worldis the full path to the replacement file and-autocreateand-worldnameare set when a generated map is wanted. - Run
start-tModLoaderServer.batand watch the console for generation and loading messages.
A quoted path is important when a Windows directory contains spaces, for example -world "C:Game ServersTerrariaWorldsFresh.wld".
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Linux or macOS shell installation
- Stop the process through
start-tModLoaderServer.shor your service/lifecycle method. - Back up and move the active save, preserving the exact path you intend to reuse.
- Edit the loaded configuration or shell arguments, using a full path such as
-world /srv/terraria/Worlds/Fresh.wld, plus the desired autocreate and world name values. - Run
start-tModLoaderServer.shor the equivalent command and monitor its output.
Check ownership and permissions if the process cannot create the new file. The account running tModLoader must be able to read the configuration and write to the Worlds directory.
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Management-script installation
The management script provides installation, update, mod-management and start operations while exposing the server files. Use its documented stop/start lifecycle, edit the configuration in the installation’s data directory, and retain the existing Mods and enabled-mod files. Do not reinstall tModLoader merely to reset a world; that changes software and mod state without being necessary for a map reset.
Docker deployment
- Stop or recreate the container using the compose project that owns it.
- Identify the host directory mounted for Terraria data. The official utility creates
ModsandWorldsdirectories when they are absent; the exact host location comes from your compose volume mapping. - Edit the mounted
serverconfig.txtand world files on the host, not an unrelated directory inside another container. - Move the active world into a dated host backup, set
autocreate,worldnameandworld, then restart withdocker compose up -d. - Use container logs or an attached console to verify that the new world was created and loaded.
Container isolation changes where you edit files, not how world selection works. The container still needs a valid full path inside its mounted data layout, and that path must correspond to the file visible inside the container.
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Keeping the current modpack
A world-only wipe normally leaves the modpack intact. Preserve the existing .tmod files, install.txt, enabled.json and any modpack definition. Players must still connect with the same tModLoader version and compatible enabled mods. A newly generated world does not make an incompatible client mod set compatible.
Changing the modpack at the same time
If the reset is also a mod reset, make a second backup of the Mods directory and enabled configuration, then change those files as a separate operation. Record which mods were enabled before the change so you can diagnose world-loading errors. Combining both operations makes it harder to tell whether a failure comes from world generation or mod loading.
Resetting characters
Player characters are not the world save. Keep the character files if players should retain inventories and personal progression. Reset or remove them only after making a separate backup and informing players that their characters will be affected. A fresh world with old characters can be intentional; it is not evidence that the wipe failed.
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Start and verify the replacement world
- Start the server through the normal batch file, shell script, management script or Docker compose project.
- Read the console from startup through world loading. Confirm that the configured path is the one being opened and that generation occurs only because the old file is absent at that path.
- Check the expected world size, difficulty and name. If you selected a generated world, confirm the result matches the configured autocreate value.
- Connect with a client running the same tModLoader version and intended mod set.
- Verify a new spawn area, newly generated terrain, world-owned progression and expected mod content.
- Ask a player to confirm the character outcome: retained inventory if that was intended, or a reset character if you deliberately replaced character files.
- Keep the old world quarantine until this verification is complete.
The configured world path and the autocreate settings are the authoritative indicators of which map the server loaded. A familiar spawn, old structures or unchanged boss progression usually means the old save is still being selected.
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The old world loads again
- Recheck the exact
serverconfig.txtpassed by the launch command; there may be multiple copies. - Search the start script for a hard-coded
-worldargument that overrides the file you edited. - In Docker, verify the host-to-container volume mapping and inspect the Worlds directory from the container’s perspective.
- Confirm that the old
.wldwas moved from the exact configured path, not merely from a similarly named folder.
No new world is created
- Ensure
autocreateis set in the active configuration and uses a supported size value such as1,2or3. - Check that
worldnameis present when your configuration requires a name for an autocreated map. - Verify that the server account can write to the destination directory and that the path is valid inside the container or service environment.
- Read the console for a syntax error, invalid path or an existing file that caused the server to load rather than generate.
The server starts but clients cannot join
- Confirm that the client and server use the same tModLoader version.
- Compare enabled mods and their versions; a world reset does not repair an incompatible modpack.
- Check the server console for a mod-load error before investigating the new world.
The world appears new but players lost or kept the wrong progress
Inspect the character files, not the world files. World-owned progress belongs to the map; inventory and personal progression belong to each character. Restore the character backup only after stopping the server if you need to recover a player’s previous state.
The new world is corrupted or unusable
Stop the server, move the failed replacement out of the active path, restore the backed-up world or generate another replacement, and start again. Because the original was quarantined rather than deleted, rollback does not require reinstalling tModLoader or rebuilding the modpack.
When permanent deletion is appropriate
Permanent deletion is reasonable only after the replacement map has been tested and your backup policy allows the old world to be discarded. Until then, a dated quarantine is safer and costs little disk space compared with the time required to rebuild a large map. Hosting providers and panels differ in retention rules and paths, so follow the storage and backup controls of your particular environment rather than assuming a universal panel workflow.
Minimal repeatable checklist
- Announce the reset and decide whether characters and mods stay.
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Back up the world, configuration, mods and any character files you may need.
- Read the active
world=or-worldsetting and confirm it ends in.wld. - Move the active world outside the live Worlds directory.
- Set
autocreate=1,2or3andworldnamefor a generated replacement, or select a known replacement.wld. - Restart through the correct deployment method.
- Verify the console path, world size, difficulty, spawn, mod content and character outcome.
- Delete the quarantine only after the new world is confirmed.
That process resets the map while preserving the rest of the tModLoader installation by default. Reinstalling the server is unnecessary unless you are addressing a separate installation or software problem.
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