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On Windows, WARDOGS stores progress in %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedSaveGames and controls and other client settings in %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedConfigWindowsClient. Back up the complete SaveGames folder plus GameUserSettings.ini while the game is closed, keep dated copies outside the live folder, and turn off Steam Cloud before restoring an older copy. Linux players using Proton use the same Windows-style folders inside the active WARDOGS Steam compatibility prefix.
WARDOGS save and settings locations at a glance
The locations below apply to the Windows Steam build and to the Windows build running through Steam Proton. The folder structure is stable enough to use for a backup, but Early Access builds can change their Steam app ID or create a new prefix. Always verify which installation you are launching before copying files.
| Data | Windows Steam path | What it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Progress and profiles | %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedSaveGames |
Campaign or profile save data stored by the game |
| Configuration directory | %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedConfigWindowsClient |
Client settings, input, display and related preferences |
| Key settings file | GameUserSettings.ini inside the configuration directory |
Controls and settings that you may want to carry from the playtest |
On Linux, look under the active Steam library’s steamapps/compatdata/<app-id>/pfx/ directory, then follow the Windows-style path through drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved/. A commonly documented Early Access app ID is 1867240; a playtest prefix has also been recorded with 4809930. Treat both numbers as clues, not permanent identifiers: Steam can change an app ID or create another prefix.
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SaveGames is the progress backup
Copy the entire SaveGames folder, not just one file inside it. This preserves every profile and subfolder currently used by the installation. Do not open a save in a text editor or rename individual save files unless a future developer instruction specifically requires it; an apparently harmless change can make a profile unreadable.
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GameUserSettings.ini is the settings backup
GameUserSettings.ini is the important file for controls and other client preferences. It is separate from progress. Saving only this file will not protect a campaign, while saving only SaveGames will not reliably preserve unusual keybinds, graphics choices or input settings. Keep both in the same dated backup set.
Do not rely on automatic playtest carryover
The playtest and Early Access clients may use different Steam app IDs and therefore different prefixes. Automatic migration of settings is not guaranteed. Manual preservation of GameUserSettings.ini is safer. Keep a screenshot or written note of unusual controls as a second reference in case the Early Access build rewrites or ignores the file. No cited developer procedure establishes an in-game command that migrates playtest saves or settings.
Prepare a reliable backup set
Use a dated folder outside the live game tree
Create a location that is not inside %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSaved (or its Proton equivalent). An external drive, a separate folder in your user documents, or another storage volume works. Use an unambiguous name such as WARDOGS-backup-2026-10-18-before-EA-update. Include the build or branch in the name when you know it, for example WARDOGS-backup-2026-10-18-EA-build.
Keeping the copy outside the live tree matters because an update, uninstall, profile reset or mistake in the game folder should not remove every recovery point. Retain at least two dated copies while testing a new build: the most recent known-good state and the previous one. Never edit the only copy.
Close every process that can write the files
Exit WARDOGS normally, then wait for its window and process to disappear. If Steam still shows the game as running, let it finish shutting down before copying. A file copied while the game is saving can be incomplete even when Windows reports that the copy succeeded.
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Back up WARDOGS on Windows
- Exit WARDOGS completely. Do not begin a copy from the pause menu or while the game is still running in the background.
- Press
Windows+R, enter%LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSaved, and press Enter. If Run is unavailable, paste the same path into File Explorer’s address bar. - Copy the complete
SaveGamesfolder to your dated backup directory. Preserve the folder name and every item beneath it. - Open
ConfigWindowsClientunder the sameSaveddirectory. - Copy
GameUserSettings.inito the dated backup directory. A simple layout isWARDOGS-backup-2026-10-18-before-EA-updateSaveGamesandWARDOGS-backup-2026-10-18-before-EA-updateGameUserSettings.ini. - Open the copied folder and confirm that
SaveGamescontains its expected subfolders or files and that the INI file has a non-zero size. Do not make changes to the live or backup files after this check.
If you cannot see AppData, do not search randomly through the game installation. The %LOCALAPPDATA% shortcut takes you directly to the correct Windows user-data location. If the Wardogs directory does not exist, launch WARDOGS once, exit it normally, and check again; an installation that has never completed a first launch may not have created its save tree yet.
Back up a Linux Proton installation
Find the prefix used by the active installation
Proton stores the Windows build’s user data inside a Steam compatibility prefix rather than in the native Linux home-directory layout. In the Steam library that contains WARDOGS, open steamapps/compatdata/ and locate the prefix associated with the client you actually launch. The documented examples are 1867240 for Early Access and 4809930 for a playtest, but app IDs can change.
Within the chosen prefix, the relevant path is:
steamapps/compatdata/<active-app-id>/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved/
Under that directory, use the same SaveGames and Config/WindowsClient/GameUserSettings.ini items as on Windows.
Copy without mixing prefixes
- Exit WARDOGS and Steam, or at minimum ensure no Proton process for WARDOGS remains active.
- Open the Steam library’s
steamapps/compatdata/directory and inspect the candidate prefixes. Use the prefix that changes when you launch and exit the WARDOGS client you intend to back up; do not assume an old app ID is still current. - Navigate to
pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Wardogs/Saved/. - Copy the complete
SaveGamesfolder andConfig/WindowsClient/GameUserSettings.inito a dated directory outside the prefix. - Label the backup with the platform and prefix, such as
WARDOGS-linux-2026-10-18-EA-1867240, so a playtest copy cannot be mistaken for the release copy.
Two prefixes can contain similarly named WARDOGS folders. Restoring a backup into the wrong one will appear to do nothing when you start the game. Confirm the active prefix before every restore, especially after reinstalling Steam or moving a library.
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Carry playtest keybinds and settings into Early Access
Manual copy is the dependable method
Before launching Early Access for the first time, preserve the playtest’s GameUserSettings.ini. After closing both clients, copy that file into the Early Access configuration directory:
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%LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSavedConfigWindowsClient on Windows, or the corresponding path beneath the Early Access Proton prefix on Linux.
If the destination already contains a newly generated GameUserSettings.ini, rename it rather than deleting it. For example, use GameUserSettings.ini.EA-first-launch. Then place the preserved playtest file under the exact filename GameUserSettings.ini. Keeping the generated file gives you a second recovery point if the Early Access build behaves unexpectedly.
Check controls after the first launch
Start Early Access and inspect every unusual binding, not only movement. Verify mouse buttons, controller mappings, sensitivity, accessibility choices and any graphics options you rely on. If the settings did not carry over, exit the game before trying again, restore the saved INI to the Early Access path, and check once more. Some settings can be rewritten by a newer build; screenshots or written notes let you reproduce them without guessing.
Do not assume playtest progress migrates
A settings file and a progress save are different data sets. The available path documentation supports preserving files, but it does not establish an official playtest-to-Early-Access save migration command or promise that a playtest profile will be accepted by the released client. Keep the playtest SaveGames folder as its own dated archive, but do not overwrite a newly created Early Access save until you have a specific reason and a separate backup.
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Choose the right recovery copy
| Recovery method | Protects | Strength | Risk or limitation | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dated local copy of SaveGames |
Progress and profiles | Known point-in-time snapshot that you control | Must be created and stored safely by you | Rollback after a bad update or accidental overwrite |
Dated copy of GameUserSettings.ini |
Controls and client settings | Small, easy to carry between playtest and Early Access prefixes | Does not restore campaign progress | Preserving keybinds and graphics/input preferences |
| Steam Cloud | Whatever state Steam has synchronized | Convenient across installations | Can synchronize an older, empty or otherwise unwanted state during recovery | Normal convenience after you have verified the desired local state |
| Playtest prefix copy | Files belonging to the playtest installation | Separates test data from Early Access data | Different app IDs and build formats may prevent automatic use | Archiving the original playtest before experimenting |
For a rollback, a dated local copy is the authoritative starting point. Cloud synchronization is useful only after you have confirmed which local files are correct.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Restore an older save or roll back after an update
1. Stop all writers
Exit WARDOGS. Close Steam as well if it continues to manage the game or a cloud operation. The objective is to prevent a running process from recreating files while you are replacing them.
2. Temporarily disable Steam Cloud
In Steam, open Library, right-click WARDOGS, choose Properties, and use the General section’s Steam Cloud setting to turn synchronization off for the game. Steam’s wording can vary slightly between client versions. Leave Cloud disabled until you have launched the restored copy and verified it.
This step is essential: an older or empty cloud state can be downloaded or uploaded during the next launch and overwrite the local save you intended to recover. Do not rely on a conflict dialog to protect you; disabling synchronization removes that race while you test.
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In the live Saved directory, rename the current SaveGames folder to something such as SaveGames.before-rollback-2026-10-18. Rename the current GameUserSettings.ini to GameUserSettings.ini.before-rollback-2026-10-18. Renaming, rather than deleting, leaves a second recovery point if the selected backup is wrong.
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4. Copy the dated backup into the exact live locations
Copy the chosen backup’s complete SaveGames folder into %LOCALAPPDATA%WardogsSaved on Windows, or into the matching Saved directory inside the active Proton prefix. Copy the saved GameUserSettings.ini into SavedConfigWindowsClient. Avoid accidental nesting such as SaveGamesSaveGames; the folder immediately below Saved should be named SaveGames.
5. Launch once and inspect the result
Start WARDOGS with Steam Cloud still disabled. Check the expected campaign or profile, then inspect controls and settings. Do not make a new save or spend time changing options until you know that the restored state is the one you wanted.
6. Keep or reverse the restore
If the state is correct, exit normally and decide whether to re-enable Steam Cloud. Re-enable it only when the local copy is the state you want synchronized. If the state is wrong, exit the game, remove or rename the restored folders, and put the before-rollback folders back—or try another dated backup. Keep Cloud disabled during each attempt.
Troubleshoot common backup and rollback failures
The save folder is missing
- Launch WARDOGS once, exit normally, and check the documented path again.
- On Windows, use
%LOCALAPPDATA%rather than searching only inside the Steam installation directory. - On Proton, check every plausible
compatdataprefix and identify the one updated by the client you actually run.
The restored profile does not appear
- Confirm that Steam Cloud is still disabled.
- Check that the backup was copied into the active installation’s path, not a playtest prefix or another Steam library.
- Check for an extra directory level such as
SavedSaveGamesSaveGames. - Exit the game before replacing files again; a running process may have recreated a new profile.
Steam keeps bringing back the wrong state
Exit WARDOGS and disable Cloud before another attempt. Rename the unwanted live files, restore the dated local copy, and launch once with synchronization off. Only after verifying the result should you consider enabling Cloud. If a Cloud conflict appears, do not select an option while unsure which copy is local; cancel or leave Cloud disabled and verify the local files first.
Controls reset after migration
- Confirm that the file is named exactly
GameUserSettings.ini, notGameUserSettings.ini.txt. - Place it under
SavedConfigWindowsClientfor the active installation. - Copy it while the game is closed, then launch and inspect the bindings.
- If the build rewrites the file, use your screenshots or notes to recreate unusual bindings and retain the rewritten file as the current configuration.
A Proton restore appears to do nothing
The most likely cause is a wrong prefix or app ID. Compare the modification time of candidate prefixes before and after a short launch-and-exit test, then restore into the prefix that changes. Keep playtest and Early Access backups clearly labeled so their similarly named directories are not confused.
A backup looks incomplete or corrupted
Do not repair the only copy by editing it. Try the next older dated backup, and keep the suspect directory renamed for later diagnosis. Going forward, make copies only after a clean exit and retain more than one dated snapshot while testing a new build.
Limits of the documented rollback method
This is a file-level recovery workflow. The available path references cover Windows Steam and Linux Proton, but they do not establish a console file-copy method. They also do not document an official in-game rollback menu or a developer-provided Early Access save-migration command. If a future WARDOGS update changes the directory layout, app ID or save format, re-check the live paths after the update and create a fresh backup before experimenting.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA backup cannot make an incompatible or damaged save usable, and copying a playtest save into Early Access may not work simply because the folders look identical. Preserve the original files, test one change at a time, and keep Steam Cloud out of the process until the local result is confirmed.
Quick Recap
Recommended routine for every Early Access update
- Before updating, close WARDOGS and copy
SaveGamesplusGameUserSettings.inito a newly dated folder outside the live tree. - Keep the previous dated backup instead of replacing it.
- Install and launch the update with Steam Cloud left on only if you are not attempting a rollback; if you are testing an older copy, disable Cloud first.
- After the first launch, verify the profile and controls before making substantial progress.
- If the update causes a problem, exit, disable Cloud, rename the current files, and restore the dated copy using the rollback steps above.
- Re-enable Cloud only after deciding that the verified local state should become the synchronized state.
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