7 Days to Die Save File Location (V2.6, 2026): Local Saves, Dedicated Server, PS5/Xbox & Post-Update Recovery

Updated June 2026 for V1.0 through V3.0: The 7 Days to Die dedicated server save location depends on your platform and which game version your server is running. This page lists the exact paths for V1.0+ (current era, unchanged in the upcoming V3.0 Sandbox Siege update), legacy A21, and the older A19/A20 paths, plus what to back up, how to migrate between machines, and where mod-specific save data lives. With V3.0 on the way, copy your Saves folder before switching branches so an experimental build cannot corrupt your world.

Where the Save Files Live (V1.0+ / V2.x)

Replace <world> with the actual world name (Navezgane, your RWG world’s seed name, or a custom map name) and <name> with the save profile name configured in serverconfig.xml.

What’s in the Save Folder

Legacy / Pre-1.0 Paths

If you’re running an older Alpha (rare in 2026 except for legacy mod servers), the paths haven’t shifted dramatically:

• A21 + A20: same as V1.0+ paths above
• A19 and earlier: some configs used /var/lib/sdtdserver/ on Linux for system-installed instances
• Telltale-era legacy console (now-dead): Save files were on PSN/Xbox cloud and platform-locked; not retrievable to PC

How to Back Up

Linux (recommended)

Windows

Right-click %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves → Send to → Compressed folder. For automation, use Windows Task Scheduler with PowerShell’s Compress-Archive.

Migrating to a New Machine

1. Stop the server cleanly (don’t hard-kill).
2. Copy the entire Saves directory to the new machine.
3. Place it at the matching path on the new machine.
4. Copy serverconfig.xml too (or update it for the new machine’s ports).
5. Match the game version: a V2.6 save won’t load on a V1.x or V2.4 server.
6. Start the new server, verify the world loads, have one player connect to confirm.

Mod-Specific Save Data

Most mods (Darkness Falls, Undead Legacy, Sorcery) store data inside the same main.ttp; their changes ride along when you back up Saves. Some advanced mods write extra files to /Mods/<modname>/State/ — back up your /Mods/ directory too if you’re running heavy modded content.

Common Mistakes

• Backing up Saves but not serverconfig.xml. Half a restore.
• Hard-killing the server before backup. Half-written .ttp files are unrecoverable. Always shutdown via console first.
• Restoring a save into a different game version. 1.0+ saves break in older builds and vice versa.
• Forgetting Mods directory. A modded save without the matching mods is a corrupted boot.

“The Update Broke My Save” — PC and Console Recovery

The hardest pain point on this topic isn’t finding the path; it’s what happens when a 7DTD update lands and the old save won’t load.

PC dedicated server

V1.0+ → V2.x and major-point releases sometimes change the save format. A V2.4 save dropped into a V2.6 server can boot into a corrupted state. Recovery:

• Pin the server back to the exact build that wrote the save. Steam Properties → Betas → pick the version number, boot, load, back up the Saves directory.
• Restore a snapshot from before the version bump if you keep rolling backups (panel-managed hosts do this automatically).
• Re-roll if you can’t pin — 7DTD save data has historically not been forward-portable across major cycles.

PS5 / Xbox console edition

Console patches ship independently of the PC dedicated server cycle, and console saves historically haven’t been backwards-compatible across patches. If a console patch lands and your save won’t boot, the realistic answer is “start a new world”: the platform doesn’t expose the save files to user-side rollback the way PC does. If a long-form save matters to you, PC dedicated server is the only path with real backup and version-pinning control.

“Save says it’s modded and won’t load”

If you uninstalled a mod and the save now refuses to load, the world has mod-data baked into it. Reinstall the exact mod build it was written with via the launcher; if the mod is gone, the save isn’t recoverable in vanilla. Always keep a parallel vanilla save if the modded campaign matters — mods get sunset, vanilla stays loadable.

Defense: snapshot your Saves directory before every game update or mod swap. Two cron lines on Linux, Task Scheduler on Windows, or one click on a panel-managed host.

If You’re Hosted With Us

Managed hosting (us included) handles the backup/restore flow via the panel: rolling daily snapshots, on-demand backups, one-click restores, and snapshot-before-mod-update. See 7 Days to Die hosting plans — backups + crossplay + mods, 5 datacenter regions, 2-day refund.

Running your save on a dedicated box instead of your own PC? A hosted 7 Days to Die server keeps the world online 24/7 and handles backups, so your save survives a crash or a PC rebuild.