7 Days to Die

How to Wipe a 7 Days to Die Server

Which folders to delete, which to keep, and how to start a new season without losing the old world.

TheGameHosting Team 4 min read
Wipe a 7 Days to Die Server
Background: 7 Days to Die © The Fun Pimps

To wipe 7 Days to Die server saves, stop the server, back it up and delete the save folder Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName>. On the next start the server builds a fresh save on day 1. If you want to keep everyone's character and reset only the map, delete just the Region folder inside that save. This guide shows both, plus how to start a new world without deleting the old one.

Groups wipe for three reasons: a major game update, a map that is fully looted, or a fresh season with new rules. Before you choose, decide what should survive. The table below is the short version.

Full wipe, map wipe or a new save

OptionWhat you delete or changeWhat is kept
Full wipeThe whole Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName> folderNothing from that save; the world map itself stays unless you also delete it
Map-only wipeThe Region folder inside the saveCharacters, levels and inventories in the Player folder
New save, old one keptChange GameName in serverconfig.xmlThe old save stays on disk; switch back by restoring the name
New terrain (random world)Change WorldGenSeed and/or WorldGenSizeDepends on which of the options above you combine it with

GameName is the save name, so a new name means a new save folder. That makes it the safest way to try a fresh start: nothing gets deleted.

Where the save folder is

The dedicated server keeps saves in its user data folder, not next to the start scripts: %APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\ on Windows and ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/ on Linux, unless UserDataFolder in serverconfig.xml points somewhere else. Inside you will find:

  • Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName>/: your save. GameWorld is the map (for example Navezgane, or the name of a generated world) and GameName is the value from serverconfig.xml.
  • GeneratedWorlds/<world name>/: the terrain of random worlds (RWG).
  • serveradmin.xml, in Saves: admins, whitelist and bans. Keep it if you want to keep your staff (see how to add an admin).

Folder names must match GameWorld and GameName exactly. On Linux, capital letters and spaces count.

How to wipe 7 Days to Die server saves (full wipe)

  1. Warn your players a few days ahead and pick a quiet hour.
  2. Stop the server from the panel and wait until it is fully off. Never delete saves from a running server.
  3. Back up first. On TheGameHosting: Backups → Create backup. If the wipe goes wrong, or the group misses the old base, you restore it.
  4. Open the save folder in Files (or over sFTP) and delete Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName>.
  5. Optional, new terrain: for a random world, also delete GeneratedWorlds/<world name> and change WorldGenSeed in serverconfig.xml. Generating a new world takes a while on the first start.
  6. Start the server and watch the Console until it says the game has started. Join and check that you are on day 1.

Reset the map but keep characters

A map-only wipe gives everyone a clean world with their skills, levels and inventory intact. The community 7 Days to Die wiki describes it like this:

  1. Stop the server and create a backup, as above.
  2. Delete the Region folder inside Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName>. It holds the placed blocks, bases and dug terrain.
  3. Leave the Player folder alone. That is where characters live.
  4. Optional: delete main.ttp to reset the day counter and the blood moon cycle, and the map_*.dat files to reset what each player has explored on the map.
  5. Start the server and join to check.

Heads-up: do not use a map-only wipe to cross a major update. Characters from an older version can carry items or perks that changed. When a big version lands, read the patch notes from The Fun Pimps and plan a full wipe.

When a wipe is needed

  • Hotfixes on the same version usually keep your save.
  • Major updates (for example from 2.x to 3.0) are when to plan a wipe. Version 3.0 also moved difficulty, loot and blood moon rules into SandboxCode, explained in our 7 Days to Die server config guide.
  • Switching between experimental and stable branches: start a fresh save.
  • Rule changes only (more loot, faster zombies): no wipe needed. Change the sandbox code and restart.

Wiping on TheGameHosting

On 7 Days to Die server hosting from TheGameHosting, the whole wipe happens in the browser: stop in the panel, Backups → Create backup, delete the folder in Files, start again and watch the Console. If you cannot find the save folder, our 24/7 support team will point you to it. Schedules can restart the server at set times, and the backup stays in the list with its name, size and date in case the group wants the old world back.

7 Days to Die needs 8 GB of RAM on our plans, from $6.96 USD a month, and big random worlds like more. To run your next season on AMD 9950X/7950X3D hardware with DDoS protection in Dallas or Amsterdam, see the game server plans and use code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

FAQ

How do I reset a 7 Days to Die dedicated server?

Stop the server, make a backup and delete Saves/<GameWorld>/<GameName> from the user data folder. On the next start it creates a new save on day 1.

Can I wipe the map and keep player levels?

Yes. Delete only the Region folder inside the save and keep the Player folder. Delete main.ttp too if you want to go back to day 1.

How do I get a new random world?

Change WorldGenSeed (and WorldGenSize if you like) in serverconfig.xml, delete the old save and, if you want, the old folder in GeneratedWorlds. The server generates the new world on the next start.

Does a wipe remove my admins and bans?

Not if you only delete the save folder. serveradmin.xml sits in Saves, outside the save, so admins, whitelist and bans stay.

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Written by TheGameHosting Team, the people who run our servers in Dallas and Amsterdam and answer your tickets.

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