Back up the active save safely

On Windows, save and quit, then search your user profile for recently modified folders named MortalShell2 or SaveGames. Verify the candidate by matching its modification time to your last save. Copy the entire folder while the game is closed, and keep Steam Cloud enabled unless you are deliberately restoring an older backup.

Never overwrite the only copy; restore from a duplicated backup folder.

Open the folder directly

  1. Press Win + R.
  2. Paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\MortalShell2\Saved\SaveGames.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. If the folder is empty, launch the game, load the correct playthrough, return to the title screen, and check again.

SteamDB's cloud-file record uses the same MortalShell2/Saved/SaveGames location under the Windows user profile. Do not use the original Mortal Shell path, which belongs to a different game.

The Week 1 Update changed save writing so a crash or sudden shutdown should no longer leave the player without a usable save. Keep manual backups anyway: the patch reduces one corruption path, but it does not replace rollback copies or protect against choosing the wrong cloud-conflict version.

Make a safe backup

Close Mortal Shell II completely, then exit or pause Steam synchronization. Copy the entire SaveGames folder to a dated location such as MortalShell2-backup-2026-08-28. Keep at least one untouched copy. A single loose file may not contain every piece of slot and profile state.

To restore, first back up the current folder, copy the chosen backup into the original location, and then start Steam. If Steam Cloud reports a conflict, compare timestamps and choose deliberately. Never assume “newer” means “correct” after a rollback.

Console backup limits

This exact path applies only to Windows. PS5 and Xbox saves are managed by their platform storage and cloud systems. Do not follow PC file-copy instructions on a console.

Back up before testing mods or attempting a risky trophy cleanup. The path was rechecked on August 30, 2026; a future update could change file layout even if the top-level folder stays the same.

Confirm that the folder belongs to the sequel

The verified Windows path is %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\MortalShell2\Saved\SaveGames, also available as %LOCALAPPDATA%\MortalShell2\Saved\SaveGames. PCGamingWiki and SteamDB cloud metadata point to the same sequel-specific location.

Do not substitute the first Mortal Shell folder. Confirm the MortalShell2 name and match the most recent modification time to a deliberate save or return to title. If several Windows users share the PC, open the folder under the profile that runs Steam.

What to copy

Copy the complete SaveGames folder, not one file selected by size or date. Slot, profile, and supporting state can be distributed across multiple files. Keep the folder structure unchanged inside the backup.

Use a name that records date, time, game build, and purpose, such as MortalShell2-2026-09-03-before-mod-test. Store it outside the active game and mod directories. A second drive or protected cloud folder can survive a local disk problem, but do not let a generic sync tool overwrite older generations silently.

Safe backup sequence

  1. Return to the title screen and quit Mortal Shell II.
  2. Wait for the process to disappear from Task Manager.
  3. Let Steam finish the current cloud synchronization or pause it deliberately.
  4. Open the verified SaveGames path.
  5. Copy the entire folder to a new dated destination.
  6. Compare file count and total size.
  7. Keep the backup untouched until the current save has loaded successfully again.

Never copy while the game is writing. A file that can be copied is not automatically a consistent save set.

Verify the backup before relying on it

Open the backup destination and confirm that files exist, have plausible sizes, and retain their timestamps. Do not “test” the only backup by moving it back over the live folder. Make a duplicate for any restore rehearsal.

For a critical trophy or long save, keep at least two generations from different times. One recent copy can already contain the progression mistake or corruption you are trying to undo.

Safe restore sequence

  1. Close the game and Steam completely.
  2. Copy the current live SaveGames folder to a new emergency backup.
  3. Duplicate the chosen historical backup so its original remains untouched.
  4. Replace the live folder contents with the duplicated restore set.
  5. Start Steam and inspect any cloud-conflict prompt carefully.
  6. Choose the copy by verified timestamp and purpose, not by “newer” alone.
  7. Launch, confirm the slot, location, inventory, and playtime, then exit normally.

If the restored state is wrong, close everything and return the emergency backup. Do not cycle several versions while Steam Cloud is actively synchronizing.

Steam Cloud conflicts

SteamDB shows that the save path participates in cloud synchronization. A local rollback can therefore be replaced by a newer cloud copy, while uploading the rollback can replace the desired cloud state.

Before choosing a conflict option, compare timestamps, expected playtime, and which device last played. Screenshot the prompt. If the choice is unclear, cancel, copy both accessible states where possible, and investigate before committing.

Cloud synchronization is redundancy, not version history. Once an unwanted save synchronizes, it may no longer provide the older state the player expects.

Week 1 save protection

The Week 1 Update changed save writing so an interrupted write should not leave the player without a valid save. This addresses a specific failure path; it does not protect against a wrong cloud choice, modded save, accidental slot overwrite, quest mistake, or disk failure.

Continue using manual versioned backups before mods, major quest decisions, final bosses, or trophy conditions. Patch protection and user-controlled rollback solve different problems.

After a crash or “no valid save” message

Stop launching repeatedly and do not create a new save in the affected slot. Close Steam, copy the entire current folder, and preserve any cloud state before changing files. Record the game build, crash timing, power loss, last checkpoint, and exact message.

Check whether another slot loads. If the platform offers a cloud conflict or recovery workflow, read the timestamp rather than assuming the cloud copy is safe. Use official support for account-side recovery; this site cannot reconstruct missing proprietary save contents.

Mods and uploaded saves

Back up before every mod that changes gameplay, inventory, configuration, or saves. Use a separate slot when possible. An uploaded save can replace progression and may carry quest flags or achievements that do not match the current account.

To diagnose a problem, restore a clean protected copy, verify official game files, and reproduce without mods. Keep the modded folder separate so evidence is not destroyed.

Trophy protection

Create a generation before each irreversible missable identified by the trophy guide, then keep it until the platform trophy registers. Do not rely on a screenshot of the trophy alone when the save must also continue from that state.

The current specialist roadmap uses one playthrough after fixes, but four missables still make deliberate backups useful. A rollback should be planned before the decision, not improvised after cloud synchronization.

Console saves

PS5 and Xbox do not expose the Windows folder. Use the platform's supported local and cloud management, account, and subscription workflows. Never connect a console drive to a PC and delete folders based on this guide.

On console, confirm synchronization before and after a session and preserve any supported local copy before a risky step. If the cloud has already synchronized the unwanted version, contact platform support rather than entering credentials into a third-party recovery service.

Privacy and support reports

Do not publish save files, account identifiers, cloud tokens, purchase receipts, or full local usernames. A useful report needs platform, game build, slot state, last successful checkpoint, failure timing, and whether cloud or mods were involved.

This guide was rechecked on September 3, 2026. The path is corroborated by PCGamingWiki and SteamDB; restore operations remain intentionally conservative because protecting the only remaining copy matters more than speed.