How to Move a Myth of Empires Save to a Private Server

Move a Myth of Empires private server save to a new server: the World and Players folders in MOE/Saved/SaveGames, and the Server ID that must match.

Updated Oct 3, 2026 · 5 min read

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To move a Myth of Empires private server save, copy the World and Players folders from MOE\Saved\SaveGames\ on the old server (on a PC running PrivateServerTool, inside the game folder's WindowsPrivateServer). Upload them to MOE/Saved/SaveGames/ on the new server. The world file is named after the map and the Server ID, like LargeTerrain_Central_Main_100.sav, so set the new server's map and Server ID to match. Copy your launch settings over and keep the game version the same.

What you can and cannot move

Save Can it move?
A private server you ran with PrivateServerTool, same version Yes, this guide
A private server at another host Yes, download MOE/Saved/SaveGames and follow the same steps
Official server characters No. Official servers are run by the developer and their saves are not downloadable
A local single player or listen server game Not supported. Some people copy the world file across, but it is undocumented and results vary
A multi map cluster built with MatrixServerTool Not with these steps. Each scene server has its own saves and IDs
Mods Only to a server that runs the same mods

A walled settlement and fields in Myth of Empires

Before you start

  • Shut the old server down cleanly so it writes the world. Use the tool's stop button or the shutdown service, not a forced close.
  • Back up the whole MOE\Saved\SaveGames folder with the date in the name.
  • Match the version. The new server must run the same game version as the old one. Both update through Steam, so update both before moving.
  • Write down your settings. Open StartPrivateServer.bat, which PrivateServerTool writes with every choice as a launch parameter, and note the map, -ServerId, -ClusterId, -MaxPlayers, the PvP type and -ServerAdminAccounts.

Step 1: Find the save on the old server

Where it ran Save folder
Your PC with PrivateServerTool steamapps\common\Myth of Empires\WindowsPrivateServer\MOE\Saved\SaveGames\
A standalone server install MOE\Saved\SaveGames\ inside the server folder
Another host Their file manager or SFTP, MOE/Saved/SaveGames/

Inside you will find:

Folder or file What it holds Where it goes
World/<MapName>_<ServerID>.sav The world: buildings, NPC troops, resources, the map state MOE/Saved/SaveGames/World/
World/<MapName>_<ServerID>.bak The previous save, a spare Same folder, optional
Players/<MapName><ServerID>/ One file per character, including inventories and skills MOE/Saved/SaveGames/Players/

Newer builds can use .sav2 and .bak2 for the world file instead of .sav and .bak. Treat them the same way.

Step 2: Stop the new server and back it up

Stop the new server. If it has run, it made its own world under its own map and Server ID. Download its SaveGames folder as a backup, then delete its World and Players contents so the server cannot load the wrong world.

Step 3: Upload World and Players

Upload the contents of your old World folder into MOE/Saved/SaveGames/World/, and the character folders into MOE/Saved/SaveGames/Players/. Big worlds are slow in a browser, so use SFTP (FileZilla or WinSCP) or upload one zip and extract it on the server.

Step 4: Match the map and the Server ID

This is the step that makes a moved world look gone. Myth of Empires stores saves by map name and Server ID, and both are in the file names. A server started with map LargeTerrain_Central_Main and Server ID 100 loads World/LargeTerrain_Central_Main_100.sav and the characters in Players/LargeTerrain_Central_Main100/. Anything else in the folder is ignored, and the server quietly boots a fresh world.

You have two ways to line them up:

  • Set the new server to the old values. Use the same map and the same Server ID your old StartPrivateServer.bat had. This is the safest way, since world and characters stay matched.
  • Rename the files to the new server's values. If the new server must use another Server ID, rename the world file and the Players subfolder to the new ID, for example _100 to _7. Rename both, or the world loads without its characters.
Map Map name
Central Mainland (Zhongzhou), the original map LargeTerrain_Central_Main
Eastern Mainland (Dongzhou) LargeTerrain_Central2_Main
Xizhou (the desert map) LargeTerrain_Desert_Main

A changed map name is a different world, not the same world on a new map.

Step 5: Copy the settings and start

Set the server name, password, PvP type, max players and GM Steam IDs to what you had. The developer's private server walkthrough explains what each tool setting does. Start the server. Big worlds take several minutes to boot, so wait for the console to finish before searching for it under Custom Server. Join and check your city, your troops and your storage.

Common problems

  • Server boots a fresh world: the map name or Server ID does not match the file names in World. Check both, including the underscore before the ID in the world file.
  • The world is there but everyone is a new character: the Players folder name does not match the map and Server ID, or it was not uploaded.
  • Server will not start after the move: the world used mods the new server does not have, or the versions differ.
  • Friends cannot find the server: it is still loading, or the game and query ports are closed. Search the exact name under Custom Server.
  • Settings are different: gameplay rules live in the launch settings, not the save. Copy them from the old StartPrivateServer.bat.

Moving it to GamezServers

On a Myth of Empires server from GamezServers, click Backup, stop the server, and upload to MOE/Saved/SaveGames over the SFTP login in Settings or in the file manager, which also extracts zips and can download a file from a link straight to the server. Set the map and Server ID to match your files, add your admin Steam IDs, and the world keeps running for the guild without anyone's PC on. Our template has no mod list setting, so plan on a vanilla world. More in how to host a Myth of Empires server.

FAQ

Where are Myth of Empires private server saves stored?

In MOE\Saved\SaveGames under the server, with the world in World and characters in Players. For PrivateServerTool on your PC, that is inside the game folder's WindowsPrivateServer.

Why does my server start a new world after I uploaded my save?

The world file name must match the server's map name and Server ID. Set those to the old values, or rename the files.

Will my friends keep their characters?

Yes, if the Players folder moves with the world and its name matches the map and Server ID.

Can I move a single player save to a private server?

Not in a supported way. The developer does not document it, so start fresh on the private server or keep that world local.

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