How to Reset the World on a Valheim Server

To reset Valheim server world progress, stop the server and start it with a new name in -world: the official Iron Gate guide says the server creates a world with the name you enter, or loads an existing one with that name. The old world's .db and .fwl files stay in worlds_local, so nothing is lost unless you delete them.

This guide shows where the world files live, two ways to reset, how to choose a seed, the world modifiers you can set for the new run, and what happens to everyone's characters.

Where a Valheim server keeps its world

A Valheim world is two files with the same name: WorldName.db, with the terrain, buildings and items, and WorldName.fwl, with the world's name and seed. On a dedicated server they sit in the worlds_local folder inside the save path. According to Iron Gate's dedicated server guide, that save path is ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim on Linux and %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim on Windows, unless the server was started with -savedir, which overrides where worlds and permission files are stored.

worlds_local/
├── Dedicated.db     world data (terrain, builds, items)
├── Dedicated.fwl    world metadata (name, seed)
├── Season2.db
└── Season2.fwl

The permission files (the admin, ban and permitted lists) are in the same save path, not inside the world files. A reset does not touch them, so your admins stay admins. If you have not set them up yet, see how to add an admin on a Valheim server.

How to reset Valheim server world with a new name

This is the cleanest method: the old world stays on disk and you can go back to it by switching the name again.

1. Tell your group, and agree whether everyone keeps their characters (see below).
2. Make a backup. On TheGameHosting, open your server in the panel, go to Backups and create one.
3. Stop the server from Console.
4. Open Startup and find the world name. On a hosted server the launch options, such as -world, are usually set there. If you cannot find it, ask us in the chat.
5. Change the world name to something new, for example Season2. Keep it simple: letters and numbers, no spaces.
6. Add any world modifiers you want for the new run (next section).
7. Start the server and watch Console. The log should say it is creating a new world, not loading one.
8. Join with the same IP, port and password as before and check that you spawn at the start stones of a fresh world.

-name "Viking Friends" -port 2456 -world "Season2" -password "longsecret" -preset hard -modifier raids less

Reset by removing the old world files

If you want to keep the same world name, take the old files out of the way instead:

1. Back up and stop the server.
2. Open Files, go to the worlds_local folder in the save path and rename WorldName.db and WorldName.fwl, for example to WorldName-old.db and WorldName-old.fwl. Rename both, not just one.
3. Start the server. It cannot find a world with that name, so it creates a new one.

Choosing a seed

The launch options in Iron Gate's guide have no seed setting: a world created by the server gets a random seed. If your group wants a specific seed, for example one with a trader close to spawn:

1. In your own game, create a new world and type the seed you want.
2. Close the game. On your PC, open the worlds_local folder in the same save path and find the new .db and .fwl files. If the world is set to cloud storage instead of local, the files will not be there.
3. Upload both files to the server's worlds_local folder with Files or SFTP.
4. Set -world to that world's exact name and start the server.

The same steps move any world you already played on your PC to the server. The full setup is in our Valheim dedicated server setup guide.

World modifiers for the new run

A reset is a good moment to change the rules. Iron Gate lists these launch options:

Order matters: the guide says a preset overwrites earlier modifiers, so put -preset first and any -modifier after it.

What happens to characters

Valheim characters are saved on each player's PC, not in the world. After a reset, everyone can join the new world with their current character, skills and gear. That is fun for a casual restart but skips the early game. For a real fresh start, ask everyone to create a new character in the game's character menu before they join. Players on other platforms join the same way if the server uses crossplay; see Valheim server crossplay.

Built-in backups and the reset

The Valheim server makes its own backups. Iron Gate's guide lists -backups (how many to keep, default 4), -backupshort (first interval, default 2 hours) and -backuplong (later intervals, default 12 hours), plus -saveinterval (default 1800 seconds). These are good for undoing a bad night, but they rotate, so a world you reset weeks ago will eventually drop out. Keep a panel backup or a download on your PC for any world you might want back. If you play with mods, also note your mod list for that world; see Valheim server mods.

New world, same easy server

With a Valheim server from TheGameHosting your world stays online 24/7, even when your PC is off, and friends join with the IP and port from the panel without opening ports. Changing the world is a few clicks in Startup and Files, you keep old worlds in Backups, and Schedules can restart the server for you every night. It runs on AMD Ryzen 9950X / 7950X3D CPUs up to 5.7 GHz with DDR5 and NVMe, DDoS protection included, in Dallas or Amsterdam.

Valheim needs at least 4 GB of RAM ($3.69 per month); we suggest 6 GB for bigger builds. See the plans and pricing and use the code FULL2026 for 15% off for life.

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