Yes, you can keep playing Conan Exiles on UE4, but not through the official PC server network. Install the Steam branch named Conan Exiles Legacy, run a private, self-hosted, or rented UE4 server, and keep the client and server on the same version. Back up the server database before changing branches: UE4 data can be read by UE5, but a character or database converted to UE5 cannot be returned to UE4.
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The safest plan is to decide where your characters will live, stop the server, copy game.db (and dlc_siptah.db for Isle of Siptah) to separate storage, then pin both the Steam client and server to Legacy. Isle of Siptah needs additional planning because its structures and server path do not behave like Exiled Lands content.
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Conan Exiles Legacy is Funcom’s continuing Unreal Engine 4 version. It is a separate Steam branch of the current Conan Exiles Enhanced installation, not a toggle inside an already-running UE5 game. Funcom has stated that the UE4 version remains available for players who want it, but the official PC servers moved to UE5 with the Enhanced update.
That creates a simple rule: Legacy multiplayer requires infrastructure that is also running UE4. A UE4 client cannot join a UE5 server, and a UE5 client cannot join a UE4 server. Funcom’s support guidance is explicit that the client version must match the server version.
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You therefore have three practical Legacy arrangements:
- Self-hosted dedicated server: you run the Conan Exiles Dedicated Server software and retain control of its files and updates.
- Private rented server: a hosting provider runs a private instance for you. Confirm before paying that the provider still offers the UE4 Legacy build rather than only Enhanced.
- Single-player or co-op: you run the Legacy client without a public server. This preserves a private play session but is not the same as a persistent dedicated server.
Official PC servers are not a Legacy fallback. After the Enhanced conversion, official PC play is UE5, so an official-server character must be moved or preserved through the migration options available before conversion.
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A branch change is easy; recovering data after an irreversible conversion is not. Make these decisions while your current server and client are still usable.
- Choose the destination: identify the private UE4 server, self-hosted machine, or single-player save that will hold your Legacy characters.
- Separate maps: decide whether you are continuing on Exiled Lands, Isle of Siptah, or both. Siptah has stricter migration and structure limitations.
- Inventory mods: record every mod and its version. A character or world using modded content can fail a transfer or load incorrectly when the destination does not have matching content.
- Plan transfers first: source and destination server types determine eligibility. Single-player and co-op characters cannot be imported directly to dedicated servers.
- Schedule downtime: stop the server cleanly before copying its database. Do not back up a live database while it is being written.
- Prepare separate storage: keep the backup on an external SSD or another device, not only in the same server folder that could be damaged by an update.
Install the Legacy UE4 client in Steam
- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Find Conan Exiles Enhanced, right-click it, and choose Properties.
- Open Game Versions & Betas.
- Open the branch selector and choose Conan Exiles Legacy.
- Allow Steam to download or verify the Legacy files. The download may replace the currently selected game build, so let it finish before launching.
- Start the game and verify that the client is the UE4 Legacy build before attempting to connect. If your server remains on UE5, the Legacy client will correctly reject the connection because the versions differ.
Use the same branch selection on every computer that will connect. A friend who leaves Steam on Enhanced will need to switch to Legacy as well; otherwise the server will appear incompatible even when its address and password are correct.
Keep the dedicated server on UE4
The server must be pinned to the same Legacy generation as the clients. For a self-hosted installation, keep a known-good copy of the dedicated-server files and avoid accepting an update that moves the server to Enhanced until you have decided to leave UE4. For a rented server, the provider must expose a Legacy/UE4 version choice; if its control panel offers only Enhanced, it cannot host this setup.
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Self-hosted operating sequence
- Stop the Conan Exiles Dedicated Server process and wait for it to exit fully.
- Confirm that the server installation is the UE4/Legacy build, not an automatically updated Enhanced build.
- Copy the database files described in the backup section to separate storage.
- Set Steam or the hosting panel to the Legacy version before starting the server again.
- Launch the server, then connect with a Legacy client and test a character, inventory, base, and map travel.
Do not assume that a server folder’s name proves its engine version. The reliable test is whether the server build and every connecting client are on the Legacy branch and whether they accept one another without a version-mismatch message.
Back up the UE4 databases before changing versions
For a private dedicated server, the primary world and character database is located under the server’s installation directory:
...steamappscommonConan Exiles Dedicated ServerConanSandboxSavedgame.db
The leading ellipsis represents the drive and parent folders you chose when installing Steam or the dedicated server. On an Isle of Siptah setup, also copy:
...steamappscommonConan Exiles Dedicated ServerConanSandboxSaveddlc_siptah.db
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Make a dated copy of each file after the server has stopped. Keep the original filenames and preserve the folder structure in your backup so you can identify which files belong together. Store at least one copy on separate media, such as an external SSD. A second copy on another machine protects you if the server disk fails.
Restoring a known-good snapshot
If a later update damages or converts the world, stop the server again before attempting recovery. Move the suspect database files out of the Saved folder rather than overwriting your only copies, then place the matching backup files back in their original paths and start the server on the same UE4 build used when the snapshot was made. Test the restored world before allowing players to continue, and create a new backup once it is confirmed.
Never treat a UE5-converted database as a reversible backup. Funcom’s migration guidance says UE4 databases are readable by UE5, while the reverse is not true. Your last reliable UE4 copy is the point to which Legacy play can be restored.
The one-way UE4-to-UE5 data boundary
| Data or action | What is supported | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| UE4 database opened by UE5 | UE5 can read and update UE4 data. | Keep an untouched UE4 backup first; opening the only copy in UE5 removes your safe return path. |
| UE5 database opened by UE4 | Not supported. | Do not copy an Enhanced database into a Legacy server and expect it to load. |
| UE4 character on a private UE4 server | Normal Legacy play, subject to the server’s settings and mods. | Keep the character on the Legacy server and maintain matching clients. |
| UE5-converted character or world returned to UE4 | Not supported. | Use the pre-conversion UE4 database or an eligible transfer made before conversion. |
This is why the backup must happen before a branch switch or server update, not afterward. Copying files after UE5 has already written to them preserves a UE5 state, not a Legacy recovery point.
Character transfers: source, destination, and timing
Transfers are separate from changing the Steam branch. They move an eligible character between supported server types; they do not turn a UE5 database into a UE4 database and do not guarantee that buildings or map data will follow.
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Official PC characters
Funcom’s official-server migration guidance required PC characters to be removed from official servers before the official PC shutdown and UE5 conversion if players wanted to retain them in Legacy. The operational dates were May 4 for the official-PC shutdown and May 5 for the Enhanced launch. Those dates describe the migration event; they are not a recurring annual schedule.
If a character remained on an official server through conversion, it became part of the UE5 environment and cannot be returned to a UE4 server. A character preserved before conversion still needs an eligible Legacy destination.
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Destination restrictions
Check the source and destination pair before starting a transfer. Restrictions can depend on whether the source is official, private, dedicated, single-player, or co-op. A single-player or co-op character cannot be imported directly to a dedicated server. The destination also needs compatible map and mod conditions.
Transfers can have cooldowns, so do not use a transfer as a last-minute test immediately before a shutdown. Confirm that the character has arrived, inspect its inventory and progression, and only then retire the original copy if your plan requires it.
Mod and content risks
Modded items, feats, or buildings may not exist on the destination. Even when the character itself is eligible, a missing or different mod can make content disappear or prevent the transfer from completing. Record the source mod list, install the compatible versions on the destination, and remove or replace unsupported content before transferring.
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Exiled Lands versus Isle of Siptah
Do not assume that a successful Exiled Lands migration proves that Siptah will work the same way. Funcom’s Enhanced arrangement does not provide a separate Isle of Siptah private-server/database path equivalent to simply carrying every Siptah structure forward.
| Consideration | Exiled Lands | Isle of Siptah |
|---|---|---|
| UE4 Legacy server use | Can continue on a private, self-hosted, or rented UE4 server with matching clients. | Requires the same UE4 version matching, but has additional map and structure limitations. |
| Database backup | Back up game.db. |
Back up game.db and dlc_siptah.db when those files are present. |
| Structure retention during migration | More straightforward when the destination is the same Legacy environment. | Bases and structures do not transfer in the same way; verify the destination before moving. |
| Recommended preservation route | Keep the character and world on an Exiled Lands UE4 server. | Move the character to an Exiled Lands UE4 server first if preserving Legacy play is the priority, and treat Siptah structures as at risk. |
If your priority is the character rather than the Siptah base, move the character to an Exiled Lands UE4 destination before shutting down the old arrangement. If the base is the priority, retain an untouched Siptah database backup and continue using the original compatible Legacy environment instead of relying on a transfer to rebuild it elsewhere.
Official servers versus private Legacy infrastructure
| Feature | Official PC servers after Enhanced | Private or self-hosted UE4 server |
|---|---|---|
| Engine version | UE5/Enhanced. | UE4 Legacy, if the operator keeps the Legacy build. |
| Who controls updates | Funcom controls the server version. | You or the hosting provider control when the server is updated. |
| Legacy multiplayer | Unavailable. | Available with a matching Legacy client. |
| Database access | No direct server-file control. | You can back up game.db and, for Siptah, dlc_siptah.db. |
| Risk management | Migration timing is determined by the official service. | You must stop the server, maintain backups, manage mods, and prevent accidental UE5 updates. |
Troubleshooting common Legacy failures
Steam shows only Enhanced
Open the Properties window for Conan Exiles Enhanced, then return to Game Versions & Betas. The Legacy branch is selected there, not from the normal Play button. If Steam is still downloading, wait for the branch files to finish and restart Steam before checking again.
The server says the client version is wrong
Check both ends. Every player must select Conan Exiles Legacy, and the dedicated server must also be on the UE4 build. A Legacy client cannot negotiate with an Enhanced server, even if the server address, password, and mods are otherwise correct.
The server starts, but the world is empty or progress is missing
Stop the server and verify that the backed-up database was copied to the exact ConanSandboxSaved path used by that installation. Confirm that the server is reading the intended installation directory rather than a second Steam library. For Siptah, verify that dlc_siptah.db was preserved as well as game.db. Keep the suspect files aside until the correct snapshot is identified.
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A character transfer is unavailable
Recheck the source and destination types, map restrictions, mod list, and any transfer cooldown. A single-player or co-op character cannot be imported directly to a dedicated server. A destination that lacks required mod content can also make an otherwise eligible character fail.
Siptah bases are missing after a move
This is an expected risk rather than proof that the character transfer failed. Siptah structures do not transfer in the same way as character data. Return to the preserved Siptah database and the original compatible Legacy environment if the base is essential, or move the character to an Exiled Lands UE4 destination if keeping the character is more important.
A maintenance routine that prevents accidental conversion
- Keep a text record of the selected Steam branch, server build, map, and active mods.
- Before every server update, stop the server and make a dated copy of the relevant database files.
- Keep at least one backup disconnected from the server machine.
- Test a backup on a separate Legacy instance when possible, without allowing that test to update the original files.
- Tell every player to remain on Conan Exiles Legacy and to avoid launching Enhanced immediately before a scheduled session.
- Do not open your only UE4 database in a UE5 server. Preserve the original copy first, because the conversion boundary is one-way.
With the Legacy branch selected, a matching private server, and independent copies of the databases, you can continue UE4 play after the official PC network’s move to Enhanced. The critical choices are version matching, pre-conversion backups, and treating Isle of Siptah transfers as a separate and less predictable case.
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