IcarusHow to Move an Icarus Prospect to a Dedicated Server
Move an Icarus prospect to a dedicated server: copy the prospect .json into PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects, never rename it, and set LoadProspect.
Updated Oct 3, 2026 · 5 min read
On this page
- What you can and cannot move
- What goes where
- Before you start
- Step 1: Find the prospect file
- Step 2: Create the folders on the server
- Step 3: Upload the prospect
- Step 4: Tell the server to load it
- Step 5: Start and join
- The gotcha: renaming the file breaks it
- Will everyone keep their characters?
- Common problems
- Moving it to GamezServers
- FAQ
To move an Icarus prospect to a dedicated server, copy <ProspectName>.json from %LocalAppData%\Icarus\Saved\PlayerData\<SteamID>\Prospects\ on the PC that owned it into the server's Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/ folder (create the folders if they are missing). Do not rename or edit the file. Then set LoadProspect=<ProspectName> in ServerSettings.ini, or load it from the lobby. Server and game must be on the same version.
What you can and cannot move
| Save | Can it move to a dedicated server? |
|---|---|
| Open world outpost you hosted, same version | Yes, this guide. This is what most groups move |
| Timed mission prospect | Yes, the same way, with its mission timer as it was |
| Another dedicated server's prospect | Yes, from that server's PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/ |
| A prospect you renamed or edited by hand | No. The developer warns it corrupts the save |
| Characters, talents and tech tree | They are not in the prospect. Each player keeps their own |
What goes where
| File | What it holds | On your PC | On the server |
|---|---|---|---|
<ProspectName>.json |
The prospect: terrain, buildings, crops, storage, deployables | %LocalAppData%\Icarus\Saved\PlayerData\<SteamID>\Prospects\ |
Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/ |
<ProspectName>.json.bak |
Rolling backup of the same prospect | Same folder | Not needed |
ServerSettings.ini |
Join and admin passwords, max players, which prospect loads | Not on a game PC | Icarus/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ |
%LocalAppData% is C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local. Paste the path into the Windows Run box (Win + R). Your Steam ID is the long number folder under PlayerData. Only the player who created the prospect has it; friends who joined do not have a copy.
Before you start
- Leave the prospect in game and return to orbit so the file is saved.
- Back up the
.jsonsomewhere safe. RocketWerkz is clear that corruption from edits cannot be undone. - Match the version. Update Icarus on your PC and make sure the server has updated.
- Stop the server before copying files or editing the ini.
Step 1: Find the prospect file
Open %LocalAppData%\Icarus\Saved\PlayerData\, then your Steam ID folder, then Prospects. Each prospect is one .json file named after the save name you gave it, for example OlympusBase.json. Copy it. Ignore the .bak files.
Step 2: Create the folders on the server
A server that has never run a prospect may not have the save folders yet. In Icarus/Saved/ on the server, create them in this order:
Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/
Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/
Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/
The names are case sensitive on Linux servers, so type them exactly.
Step 3: Upload the prospect
Upload OlympusBase.json into Prospects/ with the file name unchanged. Long played outposts can be large, so SFTP (FileZilla or WinSCP) is the reliable choice.
Step 4: Tell the server to load it
Open ServerSettings.ini with the server stopped and set:
[/Script/Icarus.DedicatedServerSettings]
LoadProspect=OlympusBase
CreateProspect=
ResumeProspect=True
LoadProspect takes the file name without .json. Leave CreateProspect empty, or the server builds a new prospect at startup instead. ResumeProspect=True brings the prospect back after every restart and update. The keys are documented in the Icarus Dedicated Server wiki.
Step 5: Start and join
Start the server. In game, open Join Session and flip the toggle at the top from player hosted to Dedicated Servers, then join yours. If it opens to the lobby instead of the prospect, an admin (/AdminLogin <password> in chat) can launch it from the lobby list.
The gotcha: renaming the file breaks it
The obvious move is to rename the prospect to something tidy, or to match a name a guide used. Do not. The prospect name is stored inside the JSON as well as in the file name, and the developer's migration guide warns that changing either the file name or its contents corrupts the save, with no recovery. If you want LoadProspect to say something different, change the setting to match the file, never the file to match the setting.
The second trap is the empty server timer. By default the server unloads the prospect and goes back to the lobby after 300 seconds with nobody on. People see the lobby, assume the upload failed and copy it again. It did not fail. Set ShutdownIfEmptyFor=-1 and ShutdownIfNotJoinedFor=-1 if you want the outpost to keep running, or just rejoin and it loads again.
Will everyone keep their characters?
Yes. Characters, levels, talents and the tech tree belong to each player, not to the prospect, so everyone joins the server with the character they already have. What moves with the prospect is the world: buildings, crops, storage boxes and anything placed or dropped there.
Common problems
- Server starts a fresh prospect:
CreateProspectstill has a value, orLoadProspectdoes not match the file name exactly. - Prospect will not load at all: the file was renamed or opened and saved in an editor, or it comes from a newer game version than the server. Restore your backup copy.
- Server cannot be found: the Join Session toggle is still on player hosted. Switch it to Dedicated Servers.
- Back in the lobby after a while: the empty server timer. Change
ShutdownIfEmptyFor. - Settings in ServerSettings.ini reset: you edited it while the server was running, and it wrote its own values back. Stop, edit, start.
Moving it to GamezServers
On an Icarus server from GamezServers, you create the folders and upload the prospect in the file manager or over SFTP (login in Settings). The file manager also handles zips, extracting and downloading a file from a link straight to the server. Click Backup first, and the outpost stays available for the whole crew without the owner hosting. For every key in the ini, see Icarus server settings explained.
FAQ
Where are Icarus prospect saves stored?
In %LocalAppData%\Icarus\Saved\PlayerData\<SteamID>\Prospects\ on Windows, one .json file per prospect. A dedicated server keeps them in Icarus/Saved/PlayerData/DedicatedServer/Prospects/.
Can I rename my prospect before uploading?
No. Renaming the file or editing its contents corrupts the prospect. Set LoadProspect to the existing name instead.
Will my friends keep their characters?
Yes. Characters and their progress belong to each player, not to the prospect, so they join with the character they already use.
Why did my server go back to the lobby?
It was empty for 300 seconds, the default. Set ShutdownIfEmptyFor=-1 in ServerSettings.ini to keep the prospect loaded.
Skip the setup. Your own Icarus server.
Then $14.99/mo. Just trying it? $3.75 for 3 days