How to Move an Abiotic Factor Save to a Dedicated Server

To move an Abiotic Factor save to a dedicated server, copy your world folder from %LocalAppData%\AbioticFactor\Saved\SaveGames\<SteamID>\Worlds\ and upload it to the server's AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/. The server loads the folder named Cascade by default, so rename your world to Cascade or start the server with -WorldSaveName=<your folder>. Then copy the world's SandboxSettings.ini to wherever the server reads its sandbox file. Only Steam saves work, on the same game version as the server.

What you can and cannot move

Before you start

• Quit to the main menu so the world is saved, then close the game.
• Back up the whole Worlds folder.
• Match the version. Keep auto update on for the server and make sure your game is updated too.
• Stop the server before replacing anything.

Step 1: Find the world on your PC

Paste %LocalAppData%\AbioticFactor\Saved\SaveGames\ into the Explorer address bar, open the folder with your Steam ID, then Worlds. Each folder is one world, with files such as WorldSave_MetaData.sav and one WorldSave_ file per area of the facility.

Step 2: What goes where on the server

Step 3: Upload and name the world

1. Stop the server.
2. In AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/, back up and delete the server's own Cascade folder, which it made on first start.
3. Upload your world folder (zip it, then extract on the server) and rename it to Cascade.
4. Check that WorldSave_MetaData.sav and PlayerData sit directly inside Worlds/Cascade/.

If your server lets you edit its launch options, you can instead keep your folder name and add -WorldSaveName=<your folder>, as the Abiotic Factor dedicated server wiki describes. Renaming to Cascade works everywhere.

Step 4: Bring the sandbox rules

By default the server reads SandboxSettings.ini from the world folder, so your rules travel with the world. But a server started with -SandboxIniPath= reads a different file, and ignores the one in the world folder.

GamezServers starts Abiotic Factor with -SandboxIniPath=Config/WindowsServer/SandboxSettings.ini. The path is relative to Saved, so the file that counts is AbioticFactor/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/SandboxSettings.ini. Copy your world's SandboxSettings.ini over that file, keep the [SandboxSettings] header at the top, and restart.

The gotcha: two files with the same name

This is where most moves go quietly wrong. Everything loads, your base is there, but loot respawns, death penalties or enemy difficulty are different, because the server is reading a sandbox file you never edited. Players blame the server for being harder or easier than before.

The check takes ten seconds: open the sandbox file at the server's path and compare it with the one in your world folder. If they differ, copy yours over and restart. From then on, edit only the file at the server's path. Our Abiotic Factor sandbox settings guide explains each value.

The other half of the trap is the folder name. If the world is not called Cascade (and no -WorldSaveName is set), the server does not complain. It creates a fresh Cascade world and your folder sits unused next to it.

What happens to characters

Each player's character is saved in the world's PlayerData folder with their Steam ID in the file name. When the group joins the server with the same Steam accounts, everyone gets their character, skills and inventory back with the world.

Admin rights are not part of the world. In a hosted game the host is in charge automatically. On the server, stop it, open AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Admin.ini, add your SteamID64 under [Moderators] as Moderator=76561198000000000, and start it again.

Common problems

• Server starts a fresh world: the folder is not named Cascade, or the files are one folder too deep.
• Rules feel different: the server reads its sandbox file from Saved/Config/WindowsServer/, not the world folder. Copy yours over.
• Version mismatch when joining: restart the server so auto update installs the new build, and update the game.
• Console players start fresh: expected. Console and Game Pass saves cannot be moved to a server.
• Admin commands do not work: your Steam ID is not in Admin.ini under [Moderators].

On GamezServers

An Abiotic Factor server from GamezServers gives you an SFTP login in Settings and a file manager that uploads zips, extracts them and can download a file from a link straight to the server. Click Backup before replacing Cascade, and the facility stays online for the night shift without the save owner's PC. For setting up from scratch, see how to host an Abiotic Factor server.

FAQ

Where are Abiotic Factor saves stored?

In %LocalAppData%\AbioticFactor\Saved\SaveGames\<SteamID>\Worlds\ on Windows. Each folder there is one world.

Will my friends keep their characters?

Yes. Characters are saved in the world's PlayerData folder by Steam ID, so they come with the world.

Why is my world called Cascade on the server?

Cascade is the default world folder the dedicated server loads. Rename your world to it, or set -WorldSaveName if you can edit the launch options.

Can I move my PS5 or Xbox save to a server?

No. Only Steam saves work on dedicated servers, so console players start a new world.