Since the August 6 (Thu) update, an issue has affected the Windows version of the game in which previously existing save data could no longer be loaded in-game.
We released an update to fix this issue on August 12 (Wed), Japan Standard Time (JST).
We sincerely apologize once again for the concern and inconvenience caused to our players.
■ First, About Your Save Data
The issue we identified was not caused by save data being deleted, but by a change in the location from which the game reads save data.
We have confirmed that both save data used before the August 6 update and save data newly created after the August 6 update while the issue was occurring remain stored on your PC.
With this update, your save data will be handled as follows depending on its current state.
If you have save data from before the August 6 update
Your previous save data will be restored automatically.
If you also created new save data after the August 6 update, that newer data will be moved to and preserved in a separate location.
If you first started playing after the August 6 update and do not have any previous save data
No migration will be performed, and you can continue using your current save data as it is.
■ Launching the Game After the Update
After confirming that Steam has finished downloading the update, please launch the game for the first time using the “Play” button in your Steam Library, then select “Full Ver. (2022)” from the launcher.
Before “Full Ver. (2022)” starts, any necessary save data migration will be performed automatically.
Normally, no other special action is required.
If you have save data from before the August 6 update, you can continue playing from the restored save data.
If you first started playing after the August 6 update, you can continue using your current save data as it is.
※ Save data for Original Ver. (2013) is not affected by this issue or by this update.
■ For Players Who Have Save Data From Both Before and After the August 6 Update
The following information applies only to players who have save data from before the August 6 update and who also created new save data after the August 6 update while the issue was occurring.
After the automatic restoration, the in-game Load screen will display your save data from before the August 6 update.
Save data newly created after the August 6 update will no longer appear on the Load screen, but it has not been deleted. It is preserved in the following backup folder:
(Game installation folder)\\games\\episode_1\\save_backup_root-save-2026
The in-game “Bookmark” records (records of endings and in-game achievements, separate from Steam Achievements) will also be restored to their state from before the August 6 update.
“Bookmark” progress made after the August 6 update is preserved in the backup folder together with the newly created save data.
If you wish to continue playing using your save data from before the August 6 update, no further action is required.
■ If You Want to Continue Using Save Data Created After the August 6 Update
Only follow the steps below if you wish to continue using save data newly created after the August 6 update.
Before making any changes, please make a backup copy of your save data.
※ If you cannot find either the save folder or the save_backup_root-save-2026 folder in Step 4, do not continue with the remaining steps. Please contact “[email protected]”.
Completely close the game and launcher. Confirm that Steam no longer indicates that the game is running.
In your Steam Library, right-click the game and select “Manage” → “Browse local files” to open the game installation folder.
Open the games\\episode_1 folder.
Copy both the save folder and the save_backup_root-save-2026 folder to a location outside the game installation folder, such as your Desktop, and keep them there as backups.
Confirm that the copies have been created successfully before continuing.
Rename the current save folder to another name, such as save_before_switch.
※ If a folder with that name already exists, use a different unique name. Do not overwrite or merge it with an existing folder.
Copy the save_backup_root-save-2026 folder and rename the copied folder to save.
Leave the original save_backup_root-save-2026 folder unchanged.
Launch the game using the “Play” button in your Steam Library, select “Full Ver. (2022)” from the launcher, and confirm that the save data created after the August 6 update appears on the Load screen.
If you wish to switch back to your previous save data, completely close the game and launcher, rename the current save folder to another name, and rename the folder you changed in Step 5 back to save.
As long as you do not delete the original data and keep each set of data in its own folder, you can switch between them as needed.
■ If You Uninstall the Game
If you uninstall the game, as a precaution, please copy any of the following folders that exist to a location outside the game installation folder, such as your Desktop, before uninstalling:
(Game installation folder)\\save
(Game installation folder)\\games\\episode_1\\save
(Game installation folder)\\games\\episode_1\\save_backup_root-save-2026
■ If Your Save Data Is Not Restored or You Are Unsure About the Steps
If your previous save data still does not appear after the update, or if you are unsure about performing any of the steps above, please do not make any further changes to the save folders and contact “[email protected]”.
We will check your situation and provide further assistance.
We once again sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this save data issue following the addition of Original Ver. (2013).
We will continue working to ensure that everyone can enjoy both versions of “The Forest of Drizzling Rain” with peace of mind.