How to Reset the World on a Terraria Server

Want to reset Terraria server world progress and start over? Stop the server, point world= in serverconfig.txt at a world file that does not exist yet, keep autocreate on, and start the server: it builds a brand-new world. The old .wld file stays in the Worlds folder, so you can return to it or keep it as a backup.

This guide shows the settings that control world creation, two ways to reset (new name or replace the file), what happens to players' characters, and the tModLoader and TShock details that catch people out.

How a Terraria server picks its world

A dedicated Terraria server loads one world file, a .wld, and runs it until you stop it. The Terraria Wiki lists the options in serverconfig.txt that decide which file it is and what happens when that file is missing:

The key line is autocreate. When the file in world= does not exist and autocreate has a size, the server generates a new world with your name, seed and difficulty. That is the whole trick behind a reset.

Reset Terraria server world with a new name (old one kept)

This is the safest method, because you never touch the old world.

1. Take a backup. On TheGameHosting, open your server in the panel, go to Backups and create one. Our guide on how to back up a Terraria server covers this in detail.
2. In Console, type save, then exit. The server saves the current world and shuts down.
3. Open Files and edit serverconfig.txt.
4. Change world= to a file name that does not exist yet, for example Season2.wld in the same Worlds folder.
5. Set autocreate= to 1, 2 or 3 for the size, and fill in worldname=, difficulty= and, if you want a specific map, seed=.
6. Check the Startup tab too. If the world name or path is set there as a launch value, change it there as well, because launch values can override the file.
7. Start the server. Watch Console while it generates the world; a large world takes a little longer. When it says the server is listening, join and look around.

world=/path/to/Worlds/Season2.wld
autocreate=2
worldname=Season2
difficulty=1
seed=
worldpath=/path/to/Worlds/

Leave seed= empty for a random map. Replace /path/to/Worlds/ with the folder your server already uses; you can see it in the current world= line before you edit it.

Reset by replacing the file

If you want the same world name, for example because your community knows it by that name, you can remove the old file instead:

1. Back up and stop the server with exit, as above.
2. In Files, open the Worlds folder and rename MyWorld.wld to something like MyWorld-old.wld. Renaming is better than deleting: if something goes wrong, you rename it back.
3. Make sure autocreate= has a size and worldname= is set.
4. Start the server. It cannot find MyWorld.wld, so it generates a new one with that name.

What happens to players' characters

In vanilla Terraria, characters are not part of the world. Each player keeps their character file on their own PC, phone or console, so after a world reset everyone joins the new world with the same inventory, armor and health they had before. Builds, chests, NPC houses and boss progress belong to the world, so those start from zero.

That is great for a fresh start with friends, but it also means a geared player can skip the early game. If your group wants a real restart, agree that everyone makes a new character. Two cases are different:

• TShock with server-side characters: if your TShock server keeps characters on the server, the character data lives in TShock's database, not in the .wld. A world reset alone does not wipe it; check the TShock documentation for your setup.
• tModLoader: modded worlds come as a pair, WorldName.wld and WorldName.twld. The .twld holds the mod data. When you reset, rename or move both, and see our tModLoader server guide for the rest of the setup.

Picking size, difficulty and evil for the new world

A reset is a good moment to change the rules. The wiki describes world sizes as small, medium (the default when you create a world in game) and large, and four difficulties: Journey, Classic, Expert and Master. Larger worlds give more room for many players and more of every biome, but they also take longer to explore and use more memory on the server.

• 2–4 friends: medium (autocreate=2) is usually enough.
• Bigger groups or long seasons: large (autocreate=3) keeps players from running out of space.
• Expert or Master: set difficulty=1 or 2. Characters made for Journey mode can only play Journey worlds, so check with your group first.
• Corruption or Crimson: the server config has no option for it. If you want to choose, create the world in your own game, then upload the .wld and point world= at it.

Resetting with a world you made yourself

Many groups prefer to generate the world on their own PC, where they can pick the evil biome and a seed with the menus, and then put it on the server. On Windows, worlds are in Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds. Upload the .wld with Files or SFTP, set world= to its path and start the server. If you just set up your server, how to host a Terraria server explains the first start and how friends join; mobile and console friends are covered in Terraria server crossplay.

Fresh worlds, online all day

A reset should be a two-minute job, not a reason to leave your PC on all weekend. With a Terraria server from TheGameHosting your world is online 24/7, ready about 60 seconds after payment, and players join with the IP and port from the panel, without opening ports. You edit serverconfig.txt in Files, keep copies in Backups, and can even switch the same plan to another game later with Game Changer. Servers run on AMD Ryzen 9950X / 7950X3D CPUs with NVMe storage and DDoS protection, in Dallas or Amsterdam.

Terraria runs well on the smallest plans: 2 GB costs $1.90 per month, with unlimited slots. Compare the plans and pricing and use the code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

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