Palworld: Upload World Save

In this article

• Introduction
• Transfer Save from Dedicated Server
• Uploading save to DatHost
• Transfer Save from Co-op
• Transfer or replace a character
• Common world upload issues

Want to move your existing Palworld world to DatHost? You can transfer saves from another dedicated server or a local co-op game while keeping your world progress, bases, and Pals.

The process depends on where your world was originally hosted:

• Dedicated server: Transfer your existing world files directly to DatHost.
• Local co-op: Upload your world files and use an external save tool to transfer the host character.

Before you begin: Back up your original world files and your DatHost server. Save transfers can sometimes cause players to be asked to create new characters because their player IDs differ between hosting environments.

1. Start your DatHost Palworld server and connect at least once so the server generates its initial save files.
2. Stop the server and create a backup before replacing any files.
3. Open the File Manager and navigate to /Saved/SaveGames/0/.
4. Open the folder containing your active world save. If multiple folders exist, check the DedicatedServerName= entry in GameUserSettings.ini to identify the correct folder.
5. Replace the existing Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, and Players folder with the files from your previous server.
6. Start your server and connect to check that your world and characters load correctly.

Important: Upload the contents of your original save folder into the active DatHost world folder, rather than creating another nested folder.

Asked to create a new character? Open your server's Settings page and try changing the Character File System between Epic and Steam. Restart the server and reconnect to test the change.

Transfer Save from Co-op

Moving a local co-op world to a dedicated server requires a few additional steps. While you can transfer your world files directly, the original co-op host's character may need to be remapped to a dedicated-server player ID to preserve their progress.

Step 1: Locate your co-op save

1. Launch Palworld and select Start Game.
2. Select the world you want to transfer.
3. Click the folder icon in the bottom-left corner to open its save directory.
4. Keep this folder open so you can access your world files.

Step 2: Upload your world to DatHost

1. Start your DatHost Palworld server once to generate its initial save files, then stop it.
2. Create a backup before replacing any files.
3. Open your server's File Manager and navigate to /Saved/SaveGames/0/.
4. Open the active world folder. If multiple folders exist, check the DedicatedServerName= entry in GameUserSettings.ini to identify the correct folder.
5. After backing them up, remove the existing generated save files from the active world folder.
6. Upload your co-op world's Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, and Players folder.
7. Do not upload WorldOption.sav, as your dedicated server uses its own world settings.

Step 3: Transfer your co-op host character

When moving from co-op to a dedicated server, the original host character may not transfer automatically. Co-op hosts use a special character save ending in 0001, while dedicated servers assign different player IDs.

You can use PalStudio, a third-party Palworld save editor, to help manage and transfer character data.

1. Start your DatHost server and join using the account that originally hosted the co-op world.
2. If prompted, create a temporary character and allow the server to save.
3. Stop the server and download a fresh copy of your world save, including Level.sav and the Players folder.
4. Open PalStudio and follow its instructions for editing or transferring player save data. The goal is to associate the original co-op host character with the new dedicated-server player ID.
5. Once you've completed the changes, upload the modified save files to the active world folder while the server is stopped.
6. Restart your server and reconnect to check that your original character progress has been restored.

Important: Creating a new character does not automatically transfer your original co-op character. The character data must be correctly associated with your dedicated-server player ID.

Note: PalStudio is a third-party tool and isn't maintained by DatHost. Always keep an untouched backup of your original world files before making changes. Available features and compatibility may vary by Palworld version.

Need to move or replace just one player's character instead of transferring an entire world?

Palworld stores player information in both the individual character save files and Level.sav. This means replacing a file inside the Players folder alone may not correctly transfer the character.

1. Stop your DatHost server.
2. Create a backup of the entire active world save, including Level.sav and the Players folder.
3. Download the save files you want to modify.
4. Use a compatible Palworld save editor to transfer, remap, or remove the affected character.
5. Upload the modified save files to the same active world folder.
6. Restart the server and verify that the correct character loads.

Important: Always keep a backup of the original files. Editing character data incorrectly can affect player progress, inventory, and other saved information.

My server starts with a new world

Check that your save files were uploaded into the active world folder under /Saved/SaveGames/0/. If multiple folders exist, use the DedicatedServerName= entry in GameUserSettings.ini to identify the correct folder.

I'm being asked to create a new character

First, try changing the Character File System setting between Epic and Steam, then restart the server.

If you transferred a co-op world, you may also need to remap the host character using a compatible save editor.

My world loads, but my character progress is missing

Make sure the Players folder was transferred along with Level.sav. Character data is also linked to player IDs stored in the world save, so you may need to use a save editor to restore the correct character association.

My changes disappear after uploading

Always stop the server before replacing save files. Uploading files while the server is running can cause your changes to be overwritten when the game saves again.