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Early AccessPATCH 2026.10.18

WARDOGS Early Access Save Backup and Rollback Guide

By VGSources Team 8 min read

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On Windows, WARDOGS stores progress in %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedSaveGames and controls and graphics settings in %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedConfigWindowsClient. The file that matters most for custom controls is GameUserSettings.ini. Linux players using Proton should find the same folders inside WARDOGS’s active Steam compatdata prefix.

Back up with the game closed, keep dated copies outside the live folder, and turn off Steam Cloud before restoring an older copy. Automatic migration of playtest settings into Early Access is not guaranteed, so manually preserve GameUserSettings.ini.

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Where WARDOGS stores saves and settings

WARDOGS uses separate folders for campaign or profile data and for client configuration. Backing up only one of them protects only part of your setup.

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Windows Steam installation

Data Location What it contains
Save data %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedSaveGames Campaign, profile, and other game progress files.
Configuration %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedConfigWindowsClient Client settings, including input and display configuration.
Most important settings file GameUserSettings.ini inside the WindowsClient folder Keybinds and other user settings that you may want to carry from the playtest.

To open the Windows location, press Win+R, enter %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSaved, and press Enter. If the folder does not appear, confirm that WARDOGS has been started at least once under the Windows account you are using; the documented path is created under that account’s local application-data directory.

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Linux Steam Proton installation

Proton keeps the Windows version of the game in a Steam compatibility prefix. Look in the Steam library that contains WARDOGS, then navigate through steamapps/compatdata/<WARDOGS-app-ID>/pfx/ and continue through the Windows-style path:

drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved/SaveGames/

The configuration folder is alongside it at drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved/Config/WindowsClient/. Do not assume that an app ID found in an old guide is still current. A community discussion records 4809930 for a playtest prefix and 1867240 for an Early Access prefix, but Steam app IDs can change. Identify the active prefix from the WARDOGS installation currently selected in Steam before copying anything.

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What to include in a backup

Protect progress with the complete SaveGames folder

Copy the entire SaveGames folder, not just one file. This keeps all save slots and profile-related files together and gives you a point-in-time snapshot that can be restored as a unit.

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Preserve controls with GameUserSettings.ini

Copy GameUserSettings.ini from SavedConfigWindowsClient. This is the specific file identified for keybinds and settings. A save backup without it can preserve progress while leaving you to recreate custom controls and display choices.

Use a separate backup directory

Never place the backup inside the live WardogsSaved tree. A dated folder outside that tree prevents the game from treating your archive as active data and makes it clear which snapshot you are restoring. Use a name such as WARDOGS-backup-YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm, and retain more than one snapshot while testing a new build.

Back up before an Early Access update

  1. Close WARDOGS. Wait for the game window to disappear and make sure it is no longer writing files.
  2. Open the Saved directory. On Windows, use %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSaved. On Proton, open the equivalent AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved directory inside the active prefix.
  3. Create a dated destination outside the live tree. A folder on another drive is acceptable, provided it remains available when you need to restore it.
  4. Copy SaveGames in full. Copy the folder itself so its internal structure is unchanged.
  5. Copy GameUserSettings.ini. Place it in the dated backup beside the saved-game copy, or inside a clearly labeled ConfigWindowsClient subfolder.
  6. Check the archive. Open the copied folder and verify that it is not empty and that the copied configuration file has the expected .ini extension. Windows can hide extensions, so do not accidentally create a file named GameUserSettings.ini.txt.
  7. Keep the original untouched. Do not edit the only backup while experimenting with a new build. Make another dated copy first if you need to test a change.

Optional PowerShell copy

Windows users who prefer a repeatable copy can run the following after exiting WARDOGS. It creates a timestamped folder under your Documents directory and copies both required items:

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$stamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd_HHmm"
$source = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA "WardogsSaved"
$destination = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE "DocumentsWARDOGS-backup-$stamp"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $destination -Force | Out-Null
Copy-Item (Join-Path $source "SaveGames") (Join-Path $destination "SaveGames") -Recurse
$config = Join-Path $source "ConfigWindowsClientGameUserSettings.ini"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $destination "ConfigWindowsClient") -Force | Out-Null
Copy-Item $config (Join-Path $destination "ConfigWindowsClientGameUserSettings.ini")

If the command reports that a source path does not exist, stop and locate the active WARDOGS folder manually rather than creating empty replacement folders.

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Carry playtest controls into Early Access

Automatic carryover is uncertain because the playtest and Early Access clients can use different Steam app IDs and therefore different Proton prefixes. Treat a manual copy as the dependable method.

  1. Close both the playtest and Early Access clients.
  2. Find the playtest prefix and copy its GameUserSettings.ini from AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved/Config/WindowsClient/ into a dated backup.
  3. Launch the Early Access build once so it can create its own folders, then exit it.
  4. Find the Early Access prefix and make a backup of its newly created GameUserSettings.ini before replacing it.
  5. Copy the preserved playtest file into the Early Access WindowsClient folder, keeping the filename exactly GameUserSettings.ini.
  6. Start Early Access and test movement, combat, camera, and any unusual bindings. If a control is missing or changed, exit without overwriting your preserved copy and use your screenshots or written notes to restore it manually.

Do not assume that a playtest save belongs in the Early Access SaveGames folder merely because the directory names match. The documented carryover suggestion specifically concerns GameUserSettings.ini; preserve progress separately and restore it only from a backup made for the same build state.

Restore an older save or roll back safely

This is a file-level rollback. The available documentation does not identify an in-game rollback menu or an official Early Access save-migration command.

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  1. Exit WARDOGS and Steam. Close the game first, then exit Steam so no process can immediately rewrite the files during recovery.
  2. Temporarily disable Steam Cloud for WARDOGS. Open WARDOGS’s Steam properties and turn off its Cloud synchronization setting before launching the restored copy. Cloud can otherwise replace an older local save with an empty or newer state.
  3. Choose the dated backup. Select the snapshot whose progress and settings you want. Do not modify that archive directly.
  4. Rename the live folders and file. Rename the current SaveGames folder to something such as SaveGames-before-rollback. Rename the current GameUserSettings.ini similarly. Renaming, rather than deleting, preserves a second recovery point.
  5. Copy the backup into the documented live locations. Put the selected SaveGames folder under Saved and the selected GameUserSettings.ini under SavedConfigWindowsClient. On Proton, perform the same operation inside the active prefix.
  6. Launch once and inspect. Check the campaign or profile, save slots, keybinds, and important display settings before playing far enough to create new progress.
  7. Decide on Cloud synchronization. If the restored state is correct, keep the local files as the intended state and then decide whether to re-enable Cloud. If the result is wrong, exit immediately and restore the renamed live files or try another dated snapshot.

Why Cloud must be disabled first

Cloud is useful for convenience, but it is not a guaranteed historical archive. During a rollback it may synchronize the wrong version and overwrite the local files you just copied. Disabling it creates a controlled test in which the local snapshot is the first state WARDOGS reads.

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Choosing the right recovery source

Recovery source Strength Risk or limitation Best use
Dated local copy Known point-in-time state containing the folders you selected. You must create and store it yourself. Rolling back after an update or testing an experimental build.
Steam Cloud Convenient synchronization between installations. It can synchronize an unwanted or empty state during recovery. Normal use after you have confirmed which local state should be synchronized.
Complete SaveGames folder Protects progress and all saved slots together. Does not by itself preserve custom controls. Safeguarding campaign or profile data.
GameUserSettings.ini only Preserves keybinds and client settings. Does not contain the complete save set. Moving controls from a playtest client or rebuilding settings.
Windows native path Direct access through local application data. Applies only to the Windows installation using that account. Windows Steam backups.
Proton prefix Contains the Windows-style data used by the Linux client. You must identify the active library, prefix, and app ID. Linux Steam backups and restores.
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Troubleshooting common failures

The folder is missing

Start WARDOGS once, exit it, and check the path again. On Windows, verify that %LOCALAPPDATA% resolves to the same user account that runs Steam. On Linux, inspect the Steam library that actually contains the installed client and search its compatdata directories for pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Wardogs.

Steam restores the wrong save after rollback

Exit the game, disable Cloud, and repeat the restore with the current files renamed rather than deleted. Launch only after the intended local copy is in place. If the wrong state returns even with Cloud disabled, restore the renamed files and test another dated backup.

Controls did not carry over

Confirm that you copied GameUserSettings.ini, not a similarly named text file, and that it came from the playtest’s active prefix. Make sure the Early Access client was closed while you replaced the file. Keep a screenshot or written list of unusual bindings because automatic conversion between builds is not guaranteed.

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The game opens with no progress

Check that you copied the complete SaveGames folder into the live Saved directory, rather than copying the backup folder itself one level too high. Compare the restored folder with the dated archive and try another snapshot if the selected one was made before the relevant campaign progress.

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The app ID or prefix changed

Do not force files into the old directory. Locate the prefix associated with the currently installed WARDOGS client, make a fresh backup of that location, and then copy the chosen files there. The recorded playtest and Early Access IDs are examples, not permanent identifiers.

You are using a console version

The documented paths and procedure apply to Windows Steam and Linux Steam Proton. They do not establish a console file-copy method. Console players should not attempt to apply the PC paths to a console storage device.

Post-restore checklist

  • Verify the expected campaign or profile appears before creating new saves.
  • Test critical movement, combat, camera, and menu bindings.
  • Confirm the restored settings file remains in the active client’s WindowsClient folder.
  • Keep the pre-rollback renamed folders until the restored state has been tested.
  • Create a new dated backup before the next major Early Access update.
  • Re-enable Steam Cloud only after deciding that the local state is the one you want synchronized.

Limitations and version awareness

Early Access builds can change folder behavior, file formats, or Steam app IDs. Re-check the active path after a major update instead of assuming that an older playtest location remains valid. The available path documentation supports Windows Steam and Linux Proton; it does not provide a console workflow or an official developer rollback utility.

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