How to Download and Import a Valheim Server World

Overview

A Valheim server world can hold a lot of work, from careful longhouse construction to the kind of storage room only its owner understands. If you want an extra backup or prefer to continue the same world in singleplayer, you can download the world files from your server and place them on your computer.

Valheim worlds are stored as a small set of files, so the process is mostly about finding the correct world name, compressing the matching files, and moving them into the right local folder. The steps below explain how to save a Valheim world from your game server and load it locally.

Find the World Name

Before downloading anything, confirm the active world name. This tells you which files to select later.

1. Open your server panel and log in.
2. Stop the Valheim server.
3. Scroll to the World section.

1. Write down the current world name.
2. Open your FTP or file manager from your panel menu.
3. Locate and enter the `worlds_local` folder.

Inside this folder, you should see the available Valheim world files stored on the server.

Download the Valheim World Files

Once you are in `worlds_local`, download every file that begins with the world name you noted. Missing one file can prevent the save from loading correctly, which is a very efficient way to ruin your afternoon.

1. Stay inside the `worlds_local` folder.
2. Find all files that start with your current world name.

1. Use the checkboxes to select the matching files.
2. Click the Zip button in the upper-right corner.

1. Enter a file name for the archive, then submit the prompt.
2. Locate the newly created `.zip` file.
3. Use the Download button to save it to your computer.

Keep the downloaded archive somewhere easy to find, such as your Downloads folder or a dedicated backup folder.

Import the World into Singleplayer

After downloading the archive, move its contents into Valheim's local world folder.

1. On Windows, press Windows Key + R to open the Run prompt.
2. Enter this path:

`%APPDATA%\..\LocalLow`

1. Press Enter to open the folder.
2. Navigate to `IronGate\Valheim\worlds_local`.
3. Extract the contents of the downloaded `.zip` file into this folder.

Start Valheim after the files are extracted. The server world should appear in your local world list and be available for singleplayer.

Common Problems

The world archive will not download from the panel. If the `.zip` file is very large, the browser download may fail. In that case, connect with an external FTP client and download the archive, or download the individual world files directly. After that, continue with the import steps normally.

The `worlds_local` folder is missing on my computer. Valheim moved local saves from `worlds` to `worlds_local` in a previous update. If `worlds_local` does not exist, create it manually inside the Valheim directory. You can also create a new world in Valheim, which should generate the folder automatically.

Final Notes

Saving a Valheim server world gives you a practical backup and lets you keep playing the same map offline. Since Valheim characters can be used across multiple worlds, you can usually continue with your existing inventory and progress once the world is loaded locally.