Where Phantom Blade Zero keeps its saves
The exact folder on Steam, what each subfolder is for, and the settings file that lives somewhere else entirely.
The path
The save is at
<SteamLibrary>\steamapps\common\PBZ\ProjectPBZ\Saved\SaveGames\Steam\<17-digit SteamID>\PBZSaveGame.sav,
where <SteamLibrary> It does not have to be
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam. The fastest route is to right-click the game in Steam, choose
Manage → Browse local files, then open ProjectPBZ, Saved,
SaveGames, and finally Steam.
Inside Steam there is one folder per account that has played, named with that account's 17-digit
SteamID64. On a machine that has only ever had your account, there will be exactly one.
What sits inside your SteamID folder
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
PBZSaveGame.sav | The save the game loads. This is the file you replace or edit. |
1RealTime | Rolling backups written as you play. Your undo. |
2Hourly | Older rotation, same purpose. |
3Daily | Oldest rotation. The furthest back you can reach without your own copy. |
Back up the whole SteamID folder, not only the .sav. The rotation folders are the difference between "I
overwrote my run" and "I lost an evening".
The settings file is not in the same place
Graphics, resolution and language live outside the install directory, under your Windows profile, in a file called
GameUserSettings.ini inside ProjectPBZ\Saved\Config\Windows\. That is a different system
from the save folder, and it is the single most common wrong turn when people go looking on their own.
This catches people out because most Unreal Engine games keep their saves in the Windows profile as well, so searching there feels like the obvious move. Phantom Blade Zero does not: saves sit beside the executable and only the config lives in the profile. There is no SaveGames folder among your local app data to find.
On Game Pass there is no folder to copy into
The Xbox app version stores its data inside a packaged container, so dropping a file into a directory does not apply.
Everything on this site about replacing a PBZSaveGame.sav assumes the Steam build.
Copy the folder before you touch it
Two minutes of copying is the whole insurance policy. Drag your 17-digit folder to the desktop, keep it until the new save has loaded once in-game, and only then delete it. If anything goes wrong you put the old folder back and you are exactly where you started.
Steam Cloud will try to help and can undo you instead. Moving a save between accounts gives the order that makes your file win.
Questions people ask
Where is the Phantom Blade Zero save file on Steam?
Inside the game install folder, under ProjectPBZ\Saved\SaveGames\Steam\<your 17-digit SteamID>\, as PBZSaveGame.sav. It is not in %LOCALAPPDATA%, which is where most Unreal games put saves.
Where is the save file on Game Pass?
Game Pass builds use a packaged container instead of a folder you can browse, so there is no PBZSaveGame.sav path to copy into. Replacing a save is a Steam-version technique.
What is the 17-digit number in the path?
It is your SteamID64. The game makes one folder per account that has played, so a shared PC can hold several. It names the folder and nothing else; it is not checked against the contents of the .sav.
What are 1RealTime, 2Hourly and 3Daily?
The game’s own rolling backups, written as you play. They sit inside the same SteamID folder and are the fastest undo you have when a manual save goes wrong.
Does deleting PBZSaveGame.sav reset progress?
Yes, and Steam Cloud may push a copy back on the next launch, which is why a delete sometimes appears not to have worked. Move the folder somewhere else instead, and only remove it once you have that copy.
Why is the settings file somewhere else?
Saves sit next to the executable; graphics, resolution and language sit in your Windows profile at %LOCALAPPDATA%\ProjectPBZ\Saved\Config\Windows\GameUserSettings.ini. Two different systems, two different places.