Transfer a Palworld Save to a Dedicated Server (Host Fixed)

You can transfer a Palworld save to a dedicated server and keep everything, including the host’s character, as long as you fix one thing co-op does differently: it saves the host as player 00000000000000000000000000000001. Copy the folder as is and the host lands on the character screen while everyone else keeps playing. This guide walks the order that works on Palworld 1.0.5: find the world on Steam, Game Pass or Mac, fix the host, leave WorldOption.sav behind and put the world on the server. We ran every step on a real 1.0.5 Linux server with a co-op world of 741 Pals and 2,572 buildings: the server loaded it on its day, and the host’s character, Pals and guild came up under the host’s Steam-based ID.

If you are still weighing whether to move, see the five signs your group has outgrown co-op before following the file steps.

Know what moves and what needs fixing#

A co-op world is a folder of .sav files. Most of it moves as is; three pieces need attention.

Part	Where it lives	On the server
World, bases, buildings, items in chests	Level.sav	Moves as is
World name and options shown in menus	LevelMeta.sav	Moves as is
Each guest’s character (Steam)	Players/<their ID>.sav	Moves as is: guests already use their server ID
The host’s character	Players/00000000000000000000000000000001.sav	Needs the host fix
Co-op world settings	WorldOption.sav	Leave it out
Explored map (fog of war)	LocalData.sav on each player’s PC	Stays on each PC

The host is the only character that changes. On a dedicated server Palworld gives every player an ID made from their account (for Steam, a hash of the Steam ID: our test host 76561198069166674 became 14A11710000000000000000000000000). The host’s co-op ID …0001 is a placeholder that only exists in co-op, so the server doesn’t recognise it.

The fix isn’t renaming a file. The host’s ID is written all over Level.sav: as the owner of every Pal they caught, in their guild, on every building they placed, in work assignments and expeditions. In our test world that was 741 Pals and 2,572 buildings. A blind find-and-replace of the ID bytes breaks the save, because the same byte pattern also shows up in thousands of unrelated item counts.

Find the co-op save on Steam, Game Pass or Mac#

The world is on the host’s PC, in a folder named with a long ID. Quit Palworld from the title screen first, so the last save is written.

Platform	Folder
Steam on Windows	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\<Steam ID>\<world ID>\
Steam Deck or Linux (Proton)	…/steamapps/compatdata/1623730/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/
Game Pass / Microsoft Store PC	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\PocketpairInc.Palworld_ad4psfrxyesvt\SystemAppData\wgs\
Mac	usually ~/Library/Containers/com.pocketpair.palworld.mac/Data/Library/Application Support/Epic/Pal/Saved/SaveGames/

On Steam, the <Steam ID> folder name is the host’s Steam ID: you need it for the host fix. Inside, each world is its own folder with Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, a Players folder and usually WorldOption.sav and LocalData.sav. If you have several, open each LevelMeta.sav date or check the folder dates to find the right one. Our list of every Palworld save path covers the server side too.

Game Pass stores saves in containers with unreadable file names, not in a world folder. Tools like XGP Save Extractor turn them back into the normal layout; or send us the wgs folder and we do it.

Fix the host’s character before it reaches the server#

The host fix moves everything owned by …0001 to the host’s server ID. You need that ID first.

• Steam: the host’s Steam ID is enough. It’s the folder name from the previous step, or the number in their Steam profile URL.
• Xbox, Game Pass PC or PlayStation 5: the ID can’t be worked out from the account. Have the host join the dedicated server once, make a throwaway character and leave. The server writes Players/<ID>.sav; that file name is the ID.

Then convert the world. Our free Palworld co-op save converter takes the world folder (or its zip) and the Steam ID (or the player ID), works in your browser without uploading the save, and gives back a server-ready zip: Level.sav and LevelMeta.sav with the host remapped, the host’s player file renamed to their server ID, and WorldOption.sav and LocalData.sav left out. It handles Palworld 1.0’s compressed saves, which older scripts from 2024 can’t open.

What the fix changes, from our test run:

Changed	Count
Pals whose owner moved to the host’s server ID	741
Guild entries (members, admin, Pals)	759
Buildings the host placed	2,572
Work assignments	35
Host player file	…0001.sav → 14A11710000000000000000000000000.sav

Guests are left alone: their files already carry their server IDs.

Leave WorldOption.sav behind#

WorldOption.sav holds the co-op world settings. Leave it out of the server copy. On our Palworld 1.0.5 test we put a co-op WorldOption.sav into a server world on purpose: the server obeyed it instead of PalWorldSettings.ini, the admin password became empty, and the REST API refused every request with Unauthorized (AdminPassword is empty). Tools and panels that talk to the server through that API stop working, and your server settings don’t apply.

If you liked your co-op settings, write them into the server’s PalWorldSettings.ini instead: EXP rate, capture rate, death penalty and the rest have the same names. Our Palworld server settings generator builds the whole file from presets, including one that keeps inactive guilds’ bases. The PalWorldSettings.ini reference shows the captured template and which limits Pocketpair documents. Two co-op defaults trip people up after the move: the server allows 4 bases per guild (BaseCampMaxNumInGuild) and may reset inactive guilds’ bases (bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers).

If a world is already on a server and its settings won’t stick, look for WorldOption.sav in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world>/, stop the server, move the file out (keep a copy) and start again. If they still don’t change, our settings checker shows why your Palworld settings aren’t applying.

Put the world on the server#

The server loads the folder named in Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini (WindowsServer on Windows), on the line DedicatedServerName=<world ID>. The simplest move keeps that folder and replaces its contents, so nothing else has to change.

1. Start the server once, then stop it

   A fresh server creates Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world ID>/ and GameUserSettings.ini on its first start. Stop it with /Shutdown or your panel’s stop, not by killing it.

2. Back up the server's world folder

   Copy Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/<world ID>/ somewhere safe.

3. Replace the files

   Delete Level.sav, LevelMeta.sav, the Players folder and any WorldOption.sav in that folder, then copy in the ones from the converted zip. Keep the folder name.

4. Start the server and check the log

   The log should reach Running Palworld dedicated server. The in-game day and base count (the REST API’s /v1/api/metrics, or your panel) should match the co-op world, not day 1.

5. Have the host join first

   The host should load straight into their character, with their Pals in the Palbox. Guests join after.

Our converter writes the saves in Palworld’s zlib format. The 1.0.5 server loaded them and rewrote them in its own compressed format at the next autosave, which is expected.

After the save is in place, use the Windows dedicated-server setup guide to configure firewall access and test the LAN before inviting outside players.

Check everything after the first restart#

Don’t call it done until the world survives a restart. Palworld autosaves every 30 seconds, so a problem shows up quickly.

1. Restart the server once after everyone has joined.
2. The host checks their level, inventory, Palbox and guild.
3. A guest checks theirs.
4. Walk to a base: buildings, chests and working Pals should all be there.
5. Keep the backup from before the transfer until all of that holds.

If the host still gets the character screen, the fix used the wrong ID: compare the file name in Players/ with the one the server created when they joined once. If the server rolls back to day 1, it didn’t find Level.sav in the folder DedicatedServerName points to.

Or let us do it for free#

If you’d rather not do any of this, rent the server from us and the transfer is part of the deal. Game Hosting’s Palworld servers have a “Bring my world” button: upload the zip, pick which player the host is on the server, and the panel fixes the host, leaves WorldOption.sav out, backs up the world that was there and starts the server with yours. Or open a support ticket, upload your world’s zip (it goes to our storage through a private link) and we move it for you, free, including Game Pass and Mac worlds. Players keep their own explored maps either way, and you can compare hosting a Palworld server yourself before you decide.

Quick answers

Can you transfer a Palworld co-op save to a dedicated server?

Yes. Copy the world folder, fix the host’s character (co-op saves the host under the fixed ID 00000000000000000000000000000001) and leave WorldOption.sav behind. We tested it on a Palworld 1.0.5 Linux server.

Do my friends lose their characters when I move the world to a server?

No. Steam guests are already saved under their server IDs in co-op, so they keep their characters. Only the host needs the fix.

Why is my character missing after transferring my Palworld save?

The host was saved as player …0001 in co-op, and the server gives them a new ID from their account, so it asks for a new character. Remap the host’s character, Pals, guild and buildings to that ID.

Does WorldOption.sav go on the server?

No. On our Palworld 1.0.5 test the co-op WorldOption.sav overrode PalWorldSettings.ini, blanked the admin password and locked out the REST API. Leave it out.

Do we keep our explored map?

The fog of war lives in LocalData.sav on each player’s PC, not in the world. It stays with each player; the server has nothing to copy.