How to Transfer Your Crusader Kings III Save to a New PC

Last verified: 2026-09-15

Save file location

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games

Copy the whole save folder at %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games (files end in .ck3) from the old PC to the exact same path on the new PC — those are your Crusader Kings III saves.

Back up first (Windows) — copy & run

Before you move anything, make a full backup of every Crusader Kings III save on the OLD PC in one command. Press Win+R (or open Command Prompt), paste this, and hit Enter:

robocopy "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\CrusaderKingsIII-save-backup" /E /COPY:DAT /R:1 /W:1

/E mirrors the whole save tree (every profile sub-folder and slot) to a backup folder on your Desktop without touching the originals. Copy that folder to the new PC, then restore by swapping the source and destination paths.

Switching computers? Here's exactly which Crusader Kings III save files to copy, where they live, and how to make sure your progress loads on the new PC.

Where the files live: see the full Crusader Kings III save file location guide for every platform path (PS5, Xbox, Steam Cloud).

How to transfer your Crusader Kings III save to a new PC

On the old PC, press Win+R, paste %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games, and press Enter to open the save folder.
Select everything in that folder and copy it to a USB drive, cloud folder (OneDrive/Google Drive), or network share.
Install Crusader Kings III on the new PC and launch it once, then close it — this creates the empty save folder.
Match your mods, DLC, and game version on the new PC before loading, or a modded/DLC save may refuse to load.
On the new PC, open the same path (%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games) and paste the copied files in, overwriting if asked.
Launch the game and confirm your progress loaded before deleting the backup copy.

Does cloud sync move it for you?

On PC, yes — Steam Cloud and the Paradox launcher back up saves if enabled. Console (PS5/Xbox) saves live in that platform's cloud and cannot be copied as raw files.

Common mistakes

Achievements/Ironman: an Ironman save copied to a PC with different mods or a different game version may disable achievements or refuse to load.
OneDrive redirection: if Documents is synced to OneDrive, the real folder may be under %USERPROFILE%\OneDrive\Documents instead.

FAQ

How do I move my Crusader Kings III save to a new PC?

Copy the save folder at %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games from the old PC to the exact same path on the new PC, then launch the game. Use a USB drive, cloud storage, or a network share to move the files.

Will Crusader Kings III cloud saves transfer automatically?

On PC, yes — Steam Cloud and the Paradox launcher back up saves if enabled. Console (PS5/Xbox) saves live in that platform's cloud and cannot be copied as raw files.

Where is the Crusader Kings III save folder on the old PC?

It's at %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Paradox Interactive\Crusader Kings III\save games (files end in .ck3). Paste that into the File Explorer address bar (or Win+R) to open it. See our full location guide for every platform.

Do I need to copy any other files?

Copy the whole save folder, not just one file — these games store profiles, autosaves, and settings alongside the main save. Copying the entire folder avoids missing anything.

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.