Preparing Your Server for Conan Exiles UE5 Update

The Exiled Lands are about to look better than ever. Surviving the harsh environments of Conan Exiles requires preparation, and massive engine upgrades demand even more attention. Funcom is releasing the Conan Exiles Enhanced update on May 5th. This update migrates the game to Unreal Engine 5, visually enhancing your graphics and immersion. In this Nitrado guide, we explain exactly how to prepare your server for the migration and configure character transfers for your players.

When you switch your server from Conan Exiles Legacy (Unreal Engine 4) version to the new Conan Exiles Enhanced (Unreal Engine 5) build, you’ll need to manually trigger the save file transfer via the web interface. If a Legacy installation is detected, a Save Game Migration section will appear in your dashboard with the Copy Saves and Settings option. Clicking this button starts the automatic migration process, converting your existing Exiled Lands database to the new file format while carrying over all characters and structures. Although everything runs automatically once triggered, the guide below still outlines the manual file upload steps in case you ever need to restore a backup yourself.

Note: Conan Exiles Legacy Isle of Siptah save files need to be transferred manually to the Enhanced (UE5) version.

The UE5 Update Explained

The update moves the game to Unreal Engine 5. This brings a massive visual overhaul and merges the Exiled Lands and Isle of Siptah into one continuous map. Client file sizes drop from roughly 120GB down to 40GB. And shrinking the file size gives you faster load times while saving local storage space.

Choosing Your Path: Legacy (UE4) Vs. Enhanced (UE5)

The migration introduces a separation between game versions based on your platform. Steam users have a choice between the new Unreal Engine 5 build, officially titled Conan Exiles Enhanced, or staying on the legacy build (accessible via Steam > Properties > Game Versions & Betas > Conan Exiles Legacy).

Players on Epic Games, the Microsoft Store, Xbox, and PlayStation will remain on the legacy Unreal Engine 4 version. Funcom has no current plans to bring the update to console, Epic, or the MS Store. But they are considering it for the future. For now, the legacy version receives ongoing bug fixes.

Depending on your platform and preference, follow one of the two paths below to prepare your world.

Path 1: Staying On Conan Exiles Legacy (UE4)

Steam players who prefer the older engine can choose to keep their server running on the legacy framework. As a precaution, we strongly recommend backing up your current save files before making any changes.

Secure A Manual Database Backup

Download a copy of your database file based on your active map.

Local save files:

• Exiled Lands: …\steamapps\common\Conan Exiles Dedicated Server\ConanSandbox\Saved\game.db
• Isle of Siptah: …\steamapps\common\Conan Exiles Dedicated Server\ConanSandbox\Saved\dlc_siptah.db

❗ Note: If you plan to play in single-player only, make sure to download your files before May 5th or before updating your game on Steam. Once the game updates, your database files will automatically be converted to the Enhanced version. While you can switch the game back to the Legacy version, the database files themselves cannot be reverted.

Server save files:

Follow these exact steps to secure your server save files:

1. Stop your Conan Exiles server.
2. Navigate to Tools > File Browser on the left-hand menu.
3. Follow the folder paths conan/ConanSandbox/Saved to locate your specific .db file.
4. Select the file (either game.db or dlc_siptah.db) and click download to save a copy directly to your local computer.

Path 2: Migrating To Conan Exiles Enhanced (UE5)

Steam players moving to Unreal Engine 5 face different steps depending on their map. Existing saves carry over, but the preparation varies for Exiled Lands and Isle of Siptah servers.

If your server runs the Exiled Lands map, your game.db file is fully readable in UE5. Your specific preparation steps happen after the update officially releases on May 5th.

Migrating An Isle Of Siptah Server

Because the new update merges both regions into the Exiled Lands map, there are no private Isle of Siptah servers in the Enhanced version. Isle of Siptah players must move their characters to an Exiled Lands server first. Your Siptah database files do not work with the new map. So you must execute a server transfer before to save your character progress.

Follow these steps to migrate your Siptah community:

1. The server owner creates a new Conan Exiles Legacy server running with Exiled Lands map.
2. Navigate to Settings > General on the new server to verify that server transfer / character imports are allowed.
3. Locate the Base Settings section and toggle on the Enable Server Transfer option.
4. Players manually dismantle their Siptah bases and store the valuable resources into their followers’ inventories. Placed structures do not transfer.
5. Players use the built-in Server / Character Transfer Tool from their in-game menu to export their Isle of Siptah characters and import them over to the new UE4 Exiled Lands server.

This drops players at a new character spawn point in the Exiled Lands. Their level, progress, inventory, and followers remain completely intact. Once your community transfers, you wait for launch day.

Note: If you have a Conan Exiles Legacy server at Nitrado with no character on the Exiled Lands map, you can simply transfer your character from Isle of Siptah to that server. Otherwise you have to order a new server or delete the character that exists on Exiled Lands.

Pro Tip: Coordinate a specific teardown day with your community. Having all players online at once makes dismantling bases and transferring items into follower inventories much faster.

Evaluate Mod Compatibility

While Funcom released a new Mod Dev Kit and confirmed several popular mods are ready for launch, existing Unreal Engine 4 mods are not guaranteed to work on the Unreal Engine 5 build. Mod authors need time to publish updated versions. Expect a transition period where parts of your active mod list might not function.

This gives you two distinct options for your community. If your server relies on a heavy mod stack, consider staying on the Conan Exiles Legacy version for a few weeks while developers catch up. You can switch your game to the Enhanced version later once your required mods update. If you run a vanilla or lightly modified server, the upgrade path is easy. Secure your backup, perform the update, and jump back in.

Managing your content remains exactly the same. You still use the Mods + Workshop option in the Settings section of your Nitrado web interface to install items from the Steam Workshop. The only difference is verifying if the specific mods you want have a confirmed Unreal Engine 5 release.

What To Do After The Update Releases

Upgrading your server is only possible after the official update releases on May 5th. The main folder name changes from “Conan Exiles Dedicated Server” to “Conan Exiles Enhanced Dedicated Server” after the Steam update installs. You can manually upload your saved database file to carry your characters and structures forward.

Switching To The Enhanced Version

To finalize the migration to Unreal Engine 5 on launch day, you manually tell your server to run the new game version.

Progress is always secured when you use the game switching feature. If you ever need to access your original UE4 files later, you can simply switch your server back to the Conan Exiles Legacy integration to retrieve them.

Follow these steps to switch your server to the Enhanced version:

1. Log into your Nitrado web interface and stop your server.
2. Select the Switch Game feature in the left sidebar.
3. Search for “Conan Exiles Enhanced” in the available games list.
4. Select the game and confirm the installation.
5. Start your server.

Uploading Your Save Data

Once the new version installs, the main folder name changes from “Conan Exiles Dedicated Server” to “Conan Exiles Enhanced Dedicated Server.” You must manually upload your saved database file into this new folder to carry your characters and structures forward.

Follow these steps to upload your backup:

1. Navigate to Tools > File Browser on the left hand menu.
2. Follow the file path conanenhanced/ConanSandbox/Saved/ folder inside the new Conan Exiles Enhanced Dedicated Server directory.
3. Upload the game.db file you saved prior to the update.
4. Start your server.

Dominate The Exiled Lands In Unreal Engine 5

Taking control of your server preparations today means your community jumps straight into the action tomorrow. Pick your path, secure your data, and get ready to experience the game like never before. Grab your weapons and stake your claim in the upgraded Exiled Lands!