Dark Souls 3 Save File Corrupted — How to Fix & Recover

If Dark Souls 3 says your save is corrupted or won't load, don't overwrite anything yet. Here's the exact file to restore, how to roll back to your last good save, and how to prevent it next time.

Quick answer

%APPDATA%\DarkSoulsIII\<SteamID>

Dark Souls 3 keeps an automatic DS30000.sl2.bak backup beside the main save. Close the game, copy the whole folder somewhere safe, then rename the corrupt DS30000.sl2 aside and rename DS30000.sl2.bak to DS30000.sl2.

Where the files live: see the full Dark Souls 3 save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).

How to transfer your Dark Souls 3 save to a new PC

Fully close Dark Souls 3 (check it isn't still running in Task Manager) so nothing overwrites the files while you work.
Open the save folder: press Win+R, paste %APPDATA%\DarkSoulsIII\<SteamID> and press Enter.
Back up EVERYTHING first: copy the entire folder to your Desktop or a USB drive. This is your undo button — do it before any change.
Restore the game's own backup: in that folder, rename the corrupt DS30000.sl2 to DS30000.sl2.broken, then rename DS30000.sl2.bak to DS30000.sl2. Launch the game — it should load your previous good save.
Roll back Steam Cloud if the local files are also bad: exit the game, disable cloud sync for Dark Souls 3 in the client, restore your known-good local backup, then re-enable sync so the good save uploads (not the corrupt one).
Verify the game files (Steam: right-click the game › Properties › Installed Files › Verify integrity) to rule out a damaged install rather than a damaged save.
Still stuck? Right-click the folder › Properties › Previous Versions (or Windows File History) to pull an older copy of the save from a system restore point.

Does cloud sync move it for you?

When Steam Cloud and your PC disagree, the client shows a sync conflict and asks which save to keep. Read the timestamps: pick the one matching your real last session. If you already picked wrong, restore the folder backup you made in step 3 before letting it sync again — otherwise the corrupt/older save overwrites the cloud copy too.

Common mistakes

Overwriting before backing up. The #1 way people turn a recoverable save into a lost one — always copy the whole folder first (step 3).
Letting the cloud re-sync the bad save. Disable cloud sync before you restore, or the corrupt file just downloads again.
Never edit the .sl2 while EAC/online is active — a mismatched checksum can soft-ban you. Roll back from the .bak instead.
Assuming it's the save when it's the game. If nothing loads, verify the install and check recently added mods before writing off your save.

FAQ

Where is the Dark Souls 3 save file on PC?

It's in %APPDATA%\DarkSoulsIII\<SteamID>. Press Win+R, paste that path, and press Enter to open it. See the full Dark Souls 3 save location guide for PS5/Xbox paths too.

Can I recover a corrupted Dark Souls 3 save?

Often yes. Dark Souls 3 keeps an automatic DS30000.sl2.bak backup you can rename back into place, and Windows Previous Versions or your cloud copy may hold a clean version. Always back the folder up before trying.

Why did my Dark Souls 3 save get corrupted?

Usually a crash or power loss while the game was writing the file, a cloud-sync conflict resolved the wrong way, or a full/failing disk. Keeping manual backups each session is the only reliable protection.

Will I get banned for restoring a save?

Restoring the game's own backup or a folder copy you made is fine. Byte-editing a save with an external editor is what risks anti-cheat flags in online games — avoid that route if you play online.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.