Palworld 1.0 Launch: Should You Wipe Your Save File or Keep Your Progress?

Palworld is officially leaving Early Access with its massive Version 1.0 update launching on Friday, July 10, 2026. The game will be available globally across PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Game Pass. This milestone update represents the largest content drop in the game's history, packed with 27 pages of patch notes, structural overhauls, and a massive map expansion.

Because of the sheer size of the update, players are facing a major dilemma: Should you keep your hard-earned endgame progress, or wipe your save data for a completely fresh start?

Here is a breakdown of the official guidance from developer Pocketpair, the pros and cons of resetting, and how you can fast-track your progress if you choose to start over.

What Pocketpair Officially Says About Save Files

The development team has addressed the community’s biggest concern regarding data preservation. Pocketpair officially confirmed that old Early Access save files will carry over and remain fully compatible with Version 1.0. Your characters, base locations, stockpiled resources, and captured Pals will not be deleted automatically.

However, the studio has issued a strong recommendation. According to John “Bucky” Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director, the developers strongly encourage players to delete their old progress and start a completely fresh save file.

The reasoning comes down to structural rebalancing. Pocketpair has completely restructured the low-to-mid tier progression path, reworked the early game tutorial loop, rebalanced how wild Pals scale across different regions, and introduced integrated story elements right from the start of the game. Loading up an old endgame character means you will miss how these brand-new mechanics and narrative beats naturally unfold.

Pros and Cons: Keeping Your Old Save vs. Wiping

To help you decide which path fits your playstyle, compare the pros and cons of each choice:

Who Should Keep Their Save and Who Should Restart?

Keep your old save if:

You are a casual player who has limited time and simply wants to check out the World Tree endgame area without repeating forty hours of leveling.

You run a heavily customized dedicated server with a dedicated group of friends who want to keep their shared automated infrastructure intact.

You should wipe your save if:

You have not played Palworld in months and want to experience how the new 1.0 mechanics rewrite the survival loop.

You want to fully experience the new low-and-mid tier Pals that Pocketpair has scattered across the starting islands.

How to Safely Back Up Your Old Save File

If you decide to wipe your data but want a safety net in case you change your mind, you can manually preserve your old files on PC:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Paste the following directory path and hit Enter: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Pal\Saved\SaveGames
3. Copy the entire folder inside this directory and paste it into a safe backup location on your desktop.

If you ever wish to recover your old empire, simply paste this folder back into the local directory.

Rebuild Your New Empire Quickly

Starting fresh allows you to experience the definitive version of Palworld, but losing your stockpiled weapons and rare materials can be incredibly daunting.

If you want to experience the new story progression without suffering through the repetitive resource grind all over again, visit SSEGold. You can safely acquire essential starting materials, rare breeding items, and fast-track services to bypass the early-game inventory hurdles and construct your brand-new 1.0 base instantly.