A Valheim server can keep multiple saved worlds but loads one selected world at a time. World selection belongs in Worlds; gameplay configuration belongs in Properties → Settings.

Discover and switch worlds

Open Worlds and select Refresh Worlds to list existing save generations. The selected world is labeled. A pending generation is not yet a complete playable world; an incomplete save cannot be selected.

Before switching, stop the server and make a backup of the world you intend to preserve. Select another complete world, confirm the choice, and start Valheim again. The old world remains stored; switching does not merge progress or rename its save.

The world name and the server browser name are separate values. If a restart shows a different world than expected, stop the server and verify the selected save.

Create a world and choose its seed

Under Create a fresh world, enter an unused name. Choose Random (default) or Use a custom seed. Custom seeds must be 1–10 case-sensitive letters or numbers, and custom-seed world names must use 1–20 letters, numbers, underscores, or hyphens.

Confirm the operation while the server is stopped. MaximusHost prepares the new selection and Valheim generates the playable world on its next start. Reopen Worlds after generation to verify the result.

A seed affects world generation; it is not a setting you can swap on an established save. For a different map, create another world. Check your game's generation version when matching a seed against a third-party map viewer.

Import and export world-only saves

Worlds provides supported world-only .tar.gz transfer actions. An import is validated before installation; use an unused name when there is a collision. Imported saves are added without automatically changing which world is selected.

World-only transfers are not the same as full-server backups. Keep a known-good copy before an import and check the imported world in a safe test session after selecting it.

Valheim automatic backup copies may appear separately from the main world list. Selecting a backup copy creates a separate selected world context; it does not silently overwrite the original save.

Change difficulty and other gameplay rules

Use Properties → Settings to choose a preset or individual modifiers for combat, death penalty, resources, raids, and portals. Review overrides when changing a preset: the overall combination matters.

You can use Save for next restart or Save & restart now. A queued restart uses the Console progress overlay, but the only dependable proof is the game running with the intended behavior.

The current Valheim manager does not save independent modifier profiles per world. When switching between casual and challenge worlds, check the shared server settings before restarting.

Special world keys and persistent rules

The interface also offers No Map, Passive Mobs, No Build Cost, and Player-Based Events. When possible, configure special keys before the new world's first start.

Some existing-world keys persist in Valheim's saved state. Removing a startup setting may not undo the saved rule. Reverting a persistent key can require the game's administrative commands or another supported reset step. Avoid promising that every toggle is instantly reversible.

Create a backup before changing a mature world's rules, restart as needed, then test the resulting behavior in-game. Do not try to repair an unexpected rule by deleting a world folder.

Who can manage worlds?

MaximusHost limits world creation, selection, and import to the owner and also checks that the game is stopped at the node. Shared users may have other server-management abilities according to their granted permissions, but those do not implicitly include owner-only Worlds.

See Backups and Recovery and Connection and Passwords for related steps.