V3.0 Dead Hot Summer: Do You Need a New Save (Wipe) or Can You Continue?

Updated June 16, 2026. V3.0 is the experimental branch (opt in via Steam beta branch "latest_experimental"); V2.6 is still the stable branch. Steam and console stable is targeted around June 29, 2026, barring show-stoppers. Decide before update week, not during it.

Short answer: you do not have to wipe. Old V2.6 saves technically load in V3.0, and V2.6 server continuation is officially supported. But V3.0 reworks world generation, so a brand-new world is the cleanest start, and a fresh RWG world is strongly recommended. Server admins should plan a wipe and must migrate their config: more than two dozen legacy serverconfig.xml properties are replaced by a single SandboxCode property, and an un-migrated server silently runs default rules. So the honest version is: continuing works, a fresh world is better, and there is one mandatory migration step either way.

We know "start over" lands badly. The most common sentiment in the launch threads is save fatigue - "I love the update but I lack the drive to start over again." That is a real cost, and it is fair to weigh your community's history against fresh-world content. This guide gives you the decision straight, plus the middle paths that let you keep your old world and still see the new stuff.

The case for continuing (no wipe)

  • It is officially supported. Old V2.6 saves load in V3.0. Recreate your legacy settings in the in-game Sandbox Options menu, paste the generated code as the SandboxCode property, and your world carries forward - the full procedure is in our SandboxCode migration guide. The one trap: an un-migrated config silently runs default rules, which is how a hardcore server wakes up casual.
  • The sandbox layer works retroactively. The 150 sandbox options, the new rule controls, and item magnitude on new loot apply to your existing world immediately. A continued server still gets most of what makes 3.0 interesting.
  • Your community's bases are your retention. Same calculus as every wipe: history keeps the regulars, and save fatigue is real. If your group is tired of starting over, continuing is a legitimate choice, not a compromise.

The case for a fresh world (recommended)

  • V3.0 reworks world generation. This is the core reason a brand-new world is the cleanest start. A fresh RWG world is strongly recommended so the new terrain rules, biome layout, and POI placement generate the way TFP intended rather than being patched onto an old map.
  • New POIs generate in new terrain. 60+ new POIs and the Sign-Tech overhaul are the visible newness; an extensively-explored map shows them only in unexplored or newly generated areas. A fresh world means the full content from the start.
  • The preset moment. Launching a fresh world with one of the V3.0 challenge presets (see the presets guide) is a clean server identity that a continued world cannot adopt mid-story - death rules and progression options bite differently on day 200 than day 1.
  • The population wave. A 3.0-scale update is the biggest player-return window since 2.0; fresh-start servers capture returning players who will not join a world where established players already own the map.

The middle paths (keep your world and still see 3.0)

  • Season it: archive the V2.6 world (final backup, downloadable), open a fresh 3.0 world as a new season with a preset. The wipe-as-ceremony pattern communities accept, and it answers the save-fatigue problem - the old world is preserved, not destroyed.
  • Two worlds for launch month: continue the V2.6 save for the regulars, open a fresh preset server for the wave, merge attention later.
  • Continue now, wipe at stable: ride experimental on the old world during the June window, then treat the stable release (targeted around June 29) as the wipe moment - this also dodges experimental-cycle instability on a fresh map everyone is invested in.

The update-week checklist (either path)

  • Backup, restore-tested, before touching the version. Saves do not load backward; the backup is the only rollback.
  • Record your V2.6 settings before updating - you will recreate them in the Sandbox Options menu and migrate them into one SandboxCode property (the legacy serverconfig properties are removed). This step is mandatory whether you wipe or continue.
  • Match your client and server to the same branch. A V3.0 experimental client cannot join a V2.6 stable server and vice versa - the launch window is generating "incompatible version" errors for exactly this reason. See our version mismatch guide if players cannot connect.
  • Modded servers: wait for your critical mods. The V3.0 mod compatibility guide covers what breaks; overhaul servers wait longest.
  • Pin V2.6 until you choose to move. Experimental is opt-in; nothing happens to your server until you flip the branch.

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