The Witcher 3 Save Location and Safe Backup Guide

A useful Witcher 3 save is more than a filename. Before moving it, identify the quest, character progression and installed content that make it the checkpoint you actually want. This guide explains local Windows save management; it does not convert saves or guarantee that a file from another installation will load.

Community save download

Level 100 save files – late game and early game — hosted on Nexus Mods. This listing offers early-game and late-game save options. Choose the intended checkpoint and read its version and mod requirements; do not assume compatibility with every edition.

View download on Nexus Mods

This opens the original download page, not an instant download from SaveGamesDL. Follow the host’s sign-in and download prompts. Completion labels belong to the uploader; we have not independently verified completion, compatibility or file safety. Preserve your own saves before importing anything.

Find the gamesaves folder

CD PROJEKT RED lists the following location for The Witcher 3 save files. Paste it into File Explorer. If your Documents folder has been redirected, check the actual Documents location used by your Windows account as well. 1

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Witcher 3\gamesaves

Confirm the folder with a fresh manual save and its modification time after you exit the game. An old directory left behind by a previous installation can look convincing while no longer receiving new saves. Keep that distinction clear before importing a large archive.

Preserve the matching SAV and PNG files

The official support instructions describe a save as a .sav file and a .png image with the same name. Keep each matching pair together when archiving or transferring checkpoints. Do not combine the screenshot for one quest with the data file for another. 1

The screenshot is useful for identification, but it is not proof of everything completed in the playthrough. Confirm important claims inside the loaded game and preserve the original filenames until the relationship between the files is clear.

Record the environment before transferring

Write down the exact source and destination game versions, relevant expansions, mods and the purpose of the checkpoint. “Latest version” is not a durable description, because the phrase changes meaning over time. Similarly, an edition name or “endgame” label does not replace a compatibility check.

For a story save, include a spoiler-conscious summary of the current quest and character level. For a New Game+ starting point, ask the file provider to explain exactly what the save is intended to enable. Do not infer readiness from an archive name alone.

Move one checkpoint first

1. Close the game and make a dated copy of the complete gamesaves folder outside its active location.
2. Extract the incoming archive into a temporary directory and identify the matching save and image.
3. Compare the file’s documented requirements with your own installation.
4. Copy the selected pair, keeping existing files intact. Stop at a duplicate-name prompt until the original has been backed up.
5. Load the intended checkpoint, inspect the character and quest state, then create a separate test save.
6. Restart the game and load the test save before deciding the transfer is successful.

Start with one known checkpoint instead of replacing your entire archive. A limited test makes it easier to identify what changed and to reverse an unsuccessful attempt.

When the new save is missing

Check the active Windows account, redirected Documents folders, extraction depth and exact filenames. A common diagnostic question is whether the game can still create and load a new local save of its own. Keep “not listed” separate from “listed but cannot load”; the second case calls for version and dependency checks rather than more guessed folder paths.

Frequently asked questions