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To wipe a tModLoader Terraria server, reset the configured world save—not the tModLoader installation. Stop the server cleanly, copy the current world to a dated backup, check the active world= setting or -world launch argument, move the old .wld file out of the live location, then start with autocreate enabled or select a replacement world. Your mods can remain installed and enabled, and player characters are separate files that you can preserve or remove deliberately.
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What a server wipe actually changes
A tModLoader wipe normally means replacing one Terraria world. It does not require reinstalling tModLoader, deleting the modpack, or rebuilding the server installation. The server loads the world named by its configuration, so the reset is performed against that configured save location.
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The distinction matters because three kinds of data are commonly confused:
- World data: the Terraria
.wldfile selected by the server. Moving or replacing this file produces a new map. - Mods and mod configuration:
.tmodfiles,install.txt,enabled.json, and modpacks. These are managed separately from the world. - Player characters: character files containing inventories and progression. They are not automatically reset when the world is wiped.
You can therefore start a fresh map while keeping the same tModLoader version, enabled mods, and player characters. A full fresh start requires separate decisions for the mod files and character files.
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Before deleting anything: choose the kind of reset
Decide the desired outcome before touching the filesystem. The safest first action is a reversible quarantine: move the old world outside the live Worlds directory rather than permanently deleting it. Once the new world has been tested, you can remove the backup according to your own retention policy.
| Reset choice | World result | Mods | Player characters | Rollback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarantine and autocreate | A new world is generated at the configured destination. | Keep the existing mod files and enabled configuration. | Keep or reset separately. | Easy: restore the moved world. |
| Quarantine and select a replacement | A prebuilt .wld file is loaded instead of generating one. |
Keep only if the replacement is compatible with the enabled mods. | Keep or reset separately. | Easy while the old save remains outside the live path. |
| Permanent deletion | The old world is removed and a new one must be generated or supplied. | Unchanged unless you delete them too. | Unchanged unless you delete them too. | Not available without an independent backup. |
| Full server reset | World, mods, configuration, and possibly characters are rebuilt. | Reinstalled or replaced. | Deleted or replaced. | Depends entirely on your backups. |
For a normal map reset, use the first or second row. A world wipe is not a reason to remove the Mods directory.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteStep 1: announce downtime and stop the server cleanly
Tell players when the server will be unavailable and have everyone disconnect. Do not move or delete a world while the server is writing to it; a partially written save can leave you with neither a reliable old world nor a reliable new one.
Use the lifecycle method belonging to your deployment:
- Docker: stop or detach the container using the normal controls for your compose project. The documented container workflow uses
docker compose up -dto start,docker attach tmlto attach, anddocker exec -it tml execute "YOUR COMMAND"to issue a command inside the container. - Management-script installation: use the script’s stop or lifecycle operation rather than killing the process. The management script provides installation, update, mod-installation, and start operations and exposes the server files.
- Windows direct launch: close the server through the running console or the supplied
start-tModLoaderServer.batworkflow, allowing the process to finish saving. - Linux or macOS direct launch: stop the process through the shell or the supplied
start-tModLoaderServer.shworkflow, again waiting for a clean shutdown.
After stopping, confirm that no tModLoader server process is still running before copying or moving files. If your host has a control panel, its buttons and paths are provider-specific; follow that host’s documented stop procedure.
Step 2: make a recoverable backup
Copy the current world data to a separate location before deletion. Use a dated folder or archive name that identifies the server and the pre-wipe state, such as world-backup-2026-10-15. Keep the backup outside the live Worlds directory so an automatic scan cannot select it as the active save.
The exact host path depends on how tModLoader was installed. Official layouts expose a Worlds directory, while the configured world value can point elsewhere. Back up the file at the configured location and any companion world data your installation keeps with it. Do not assume that a familiar single-player path is the server’s path.
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- Record the original full path and filename.
- Copy rather than cut until the backup has been checked.
- Check that the copied file exists and has a plausible nonzero size before proceeding.
- Keep the backup readable by the account or container that runs the server.
A backup is what makes a quarantine reversible. Permanent deletion should happen only after the replacement world has loaded and players have confirmed that the intended reset occurred.
Step 3: identify the world tModLoader will load
The most common wipe mistake is editing a different file from the one the server actually uses. Find the active configuration and launch arguments, then resolve the final world path.
Read serverconfig.txt
Locate the world= entry in the server configuration. The value must be the full path to the server world and must end in .wld. The tModLoader server guide specifically distinguishes this from .twld: the server world setting takes the .wld file, not the .twld file.
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world=/path/to/Worlds/MyWorld.wldThe example path above is illustrative; use the exact path on your machine or in the mounted container data. If the value is relative, determine which working directory the launch script uses before deciding which file is active.
Check launch arguments
A batch file, shell script, management tool, or container command can override a configuration file. Look for -world and -config arguments. On Windows, the documented form is a full path such as:
-world "C:pathtoMyWorld.wld"Linux and macOS launches use the equivalent -world argument with a full filesystem path. If both a configuration file and command-line arguments are present, treat the argument used by the actual launch command as authoritative and verify the resulting console output.
Check the Docker mount
In Docker, the live Worlds directory is normally a host directory mounted into the container. The official utility setup creates Mods and Worlds directories when they are absent. Edit or move the host-side file in the mounted data, not an unrelated directory on the host. Restart the container after changing the mounted data.
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Step 4: move the old world out of the live location
With the server stopped and the active path confirmed, rename or move the old world to the backup location. Quarantine is preferable to deletion because it prevents the server from finding the old save while preserving an immediate rollback.
- Open the directory containing the configured
.wldfile. - Move that file, and any associated world files your installation stores alongside it, into the dated backup directory.
- Leave the destination named in
world=empty if you want tModLoader to generate a world there. - If you are using a replacement world, copy the replacement
.wldto the destination and make sure the configuration points to that exact filename. - Do not pass a
.twldfilename as the server’sworldvalue.
Do not place the backup folder inside the active Worlds directory if your deployment automatically discovers world files. Keeping it outside the live directory removes ambiguity about which save should load.
Step 5: configure a fresh generated world
To generate a replacement, set autocreate and worldname in the server configuration, while keeping world pointed at the intended destination. The documented behavior is that autocreate=1 enables automatic creation when no world exists at the provided location. Values 1, 2, and 3 select the available world-size choices; choose the value appropriate for your server.
world=/path/to/Worlds/FreshWorld.wld
autocreate=1
worldname=FreshWorldThe same concepts can be supplied as launch arguments where your script uses command-line configuration:
-world "/path/to/Worlds/FreshWorld.wld" -autocreate 1 -worldname FreshWorldUse the syntax required by your existing configuration format. The important conditions are that the destination does not already contain the selected world, autocreate is enabled, and the name and path refer to the world you intend to create. If an old file remains at that path, the server can load it instead of generating anything.
Use a prebuilt replacement instead
If you have a prepared .wld, leave automatic creation off or remove the autocreate setting according to your deployment’s normal configuration, copy the replacement into the configured location, and point world= or -world to it. The replacement must be compatible with the tModLoader version and enabled mods used by the server.
Step 6: start the server using your deployment model
Docker
After editing the mounted data and configuration, start the compose service with the deployment’s normal command. The documented utility workflow uses docker compose up -d. Attach with docker attach tml when you need to watch the server console, or use the documented docker exec -it tml execute "YOUR COMMAND" form for a command inside the running container.
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Do not edit a temporary container path and expect the change to survive a rebuild. The persistent host-mounted data is the location that must contain the backup, configuration, and replacement world.
Management-script installation
Run the management script’s normal start operation after moving the world and changing the configuration. This installation model keeps direct access to the server files and separately manages tModLoader and mods. A start or update action should not be necessary merely to wipe a world; reinstalling the loader is a different operation.
Windows
Use start-tModLoaderServer.bat or the established batch command. If you pass a world on the command line, use the full .wld path, for example -world "C:...MyWorld.wld". Ensure that the batch file is not silently loading a different -config file.
Linux and macOS
Use start-tModLoaderServer.sh or the equivalent shell command. Supply the full .wld path through -world, or use the configuration file that contains that path. Keep the generated destination writable by the account running the server.
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Do not rely solely on the absence of a familiar filename. Verify the server’s behavior and the resulting map.
- Watch the console: confirm that tModLoader creates or loads the path you configured. A successful autocreate run should report world creation rather than loading the quarantined save.
- Check the file: after startup, confirm that a new
.wldexists at the configured destination and that its timestamp reflects the reset. - Connect with the intended client: use the same tModLoader version and mod set expected by the server.
- Inspect the spawn: confirm a new starting location, the selected world size and difficulty, and the expected modded content.
- Test persistence: make a harmless change, stop the server cleanly, restart it, and confirm the new world remains loaded.
The configured world path and the autocreate settings are the authoritative indicators of which world the process should load. If the console and filesystem disagree, stop again and recheck the launch command before allowing players to continue.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keeping or resetting mods
A world wipe does not automatically reinstall, update, or remove mods. Preserve the existing Mods directory, .tmod files, install.txt, enabled.json, and modpack configuration when the goal is a new map with the same gameplay rules.
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Reset the mod set only when that is an explicit part of the maintenance job. Replacing mods at the same time makes troubleshooting harder because a failed startup could be caused by the new world, a changed mod list, or a version mismatch. If you do change mods, record the old enabled configuration in the backup so you can reproduce the pre-wipe environment.
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A replacement world can depend on particular mods. Keep the mod versions and enabled state compatible with that world, and have clients use the same tModLoader version and mod set.
Player characters are a separate decision
Characters are not the world. If players keep their character files, they retain inventories and progression while entering a new map. That can be exactly what a seasonal map reset requires, but it can also undermine a deliberately fresh progression server.
- Keep characters: leave the player files untouched and tell players that inventories carry into the new world.
- Reset characters: make a separate backup, then remove or replace the character files according to your installation’s player-data layout.
- Partial reset: preserve selected characters only if you have a clear policy and a verified backup.
Never delete player files merely because you are moving a world unless the reset policy explicitly includes character progression.
Common failure modes and fixes
The old world still loads
- Re-read the actual launch command and confirm which
-configfile is used. - Check that
world=and-worldpoint to the path you moved, not to a second copy in another directory. - In Docker, verify the host-mounted directory rather than a disposable container directory.
- Ensure the old
.wldis not still present at the configured destination under the same or another selected filename.
No new world is generated
- Confirm that
autocreateis enabled and has a valid value. - Confirm that the destination path is writable and that the parent directory exists.
- Check that a stale world file is not already occupying the exact path.
- Read the console for a path, permission, or configuration error before changing unrelated files.
The server starts but clients cannot join
- Check that the client and server use the same tModLoader version.
- Compare enabled mods and versions on both sides.
- Verify that the replacement world does not require a mod that is missing or disabled.
The container loses the new world after a restart
Inspect the compose volume mapping. The world and configuration must be stored in persistent mounted data; changes made only inside an ephemeral container can disappear when that container is recreated.
You need to undo the wipe
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Move the generated or replacement world out of the active destination.
- Restore the backed-up original
.wldto the exact path named byworld=or-world. - Remove or disable autocreate if the original file is present.
- Start the server and verify that the original spawn and builds return.
A repeatable maintenance checklist
- Announce the maintenance window and stop the server cleanly.
- Record the deployment type and the exact active world path.
- Back up the current world data to a dated location outside the live Worlds directory.
- Confirm that the server setting uses
.wld, never.twld. - Move the old world out of the live path or copy a compatible replacement into it.
- Set
autocreateandworldnameonly when generating a new map. - Leave the Mods directory and enabled configuration unchanged unless a mod reset is intentional.
- Decide separately whether player characters remain.
- Start through Docker, the management script, the Windows batch file, or the Linux/macOS shell script used by the installation.
- Verify console output, the new
.wld, spawn, world settings, mod content, and persistence before reopening the server.
How the approaches differ
| Approach | Reversibility | Deployment considerations | World outcome | Mod continuity | Player continuity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move old save, enable autocreate | High while the backup is retained. | Works with direct scripts, management installations, and mounted Docker data. | New generated world. | Retained. | Retained unless character files are separately changed. |
Move old save, install replacement .wld |
High while the backup is retained. | Requires a known replacement path and compatible mod environment. | Prebuilt world. | Usually retained, subject to compatibility. | Retained unless separately changed. |
| Delete old save permanently | Low or none. | Provider-specific deletion and backup rules may apply. | Generated or replacement world only. | Unaffected unless deliberately deleted. | Unaffected unless deliberately deleted. |
| Reinstall the server | Depends on backups. | More disruptive than a world reset and unnecessary for a map-only wipe. | Depends on what is restored. | May be replaced or lost. | May be replaced or lost. |
For most maintenance windows, quarantine plus autocreate gives the clearest separation between the old map and the new one while preserving a straightforward recovery path.
