How-ToMigrationPreservation

How to Safely Migrate Community Assets When a Game Shuts Down

UUnknown

2026-02-16

10 min read

Technical guide to migrate game assets before servers go offline. Learn IPFS/Arweave archival, NFT reminting, and metadata preservation.

If your game's server shutdowns are closing, your community's creations are on the line — here's how to rescue them

When a studio announces a server shutdown, community assets — items, avatars, maps, and the social history encoded in them — can disappear overnight. That risk is painfully real in 2026: Amazon's New World has been delisted and will go offline on January 31, 2027, giving creators a shrinking window to act. This guide walks through a technical, practical migration workflow so communities, creators, and small studios can preserve content using decentralized backups and NFT reminting, while minimizing loss and gas costs.

"We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion. ... We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you." — New World announcement

Why act now: lessons from New World and other shutdowns

Two recent examples make the stakes clear. New World is scheduled to go offline in 2027 and has already been delisted in 2026, meaning the official distribution and backend support are ending. Separately, fan-built islands in Animal Crossing have been removed without a path to export. These events show that even long-lived games can abruptly remove access to player-made content.

In late 2025 and early 2026 the ecosystem matured: studios and tooling providers increasingly support decentralized backups, and storage solutions like Filecoin deals, IPFS pinning networks, and Arweave Bundlr became easier and cheaper to use. That means communities who move now can take advantage of better UX and lower Layer 2 gas for anchoring and reminting than was available a few years earlier.

Overview: migration options and trade-offs

There are three practical migration outcomes you should consider:

Decentralized archival: Save raw assets and metadata to IPFS and Arweave so they remain accessible regardless of servers.
On-chain anchoring: Publish cryptographic hashes and provenance on-chain so ownership and authenticity survive.
NFT reminting: Convert items into tokens (ERC-721 or ERC-1155) for transfer, trading, or exhibition on marketplaces.

Each layer increases durability but also complexity and cost. Best practice combines all three: archive the full dataset off-chain to IPFS/Arweave, anchor metadata hashes to a blockchain, and remint tokens only when there is demand or a clear distribution policy.

Step 1 — Governance and legal first: get permission and form a plan

Before touching any game files, confirm the legal and community governance rules. Many ToS prohibit extraction or redistribution of game assets. If you are a community leader, organize an approval path:

Contact the publisher or studio and request a migration policy or export. Document responses.
If permission is denied, pivot to community-created data only: screenshots, user-generated maps, and tools that export purely user-owned content.
Set a migration governance model: who signs transactions, who pays gas, and how reminted NFTs will be issued.

Step 2 — Inventory and prioritization

Create a simple catalog of what must be preserved. For a game like New World, that might include creator islands, housing decorations, unique maps, and rare cosmetic items. For each asset record these fields:

Asset name and in-game ID
Creator and ownership proof (player name, screenshots, transaction logs)
File types available (OBJ, FBX, PNG, JSON metadata)
Estimated size and dependencies (textures, shaders)
Priority: archival, remint, or skip

Practical tip

Focus on high cultural value assets first: unique player-built islands, event-only items, and avatars that represent community identity. These are the things fans will want preserved and potentially reminted.

Step 3 — Exporting game assets and metadata

Methods differ by engine and game. Common approaches include:

Use built-in export or "save folder" options if available.
For user-generated levels, use game-provided sharing features to export a package or world file.
When no export exists, capture canonical representations: high-resolution screenshots, screen-capture walkthroughs, and complete save files.
Extract metadata from local saves and logs. Even if binaries are unreadable, save timestamps, player IDs, and version hashes.

Be careful with client reverse-engineering. When in doubt, prioritize publicly visible assets and seek studio permission before deeper extraction.

Step 4 — Prepare files for decentralized storage

Organize an archival directory with a strict structure so metadata remains tied to files. A recommended layout:

/assets/ - raw 3D models, textures, audio
/metadata/ - JSON files with provenance, creator, timestamps, game version
/captures/ - screenshots, video walkthroughs
/README.md - migration notes and legal status

Each metadata JSON should include a canonical content hash (SHA-256) of the files it references. That hash becomes the integrity anchor you later publish on-chain.

Example metadata JSON fields

name, description, creator_handle
in_game_id, game_version
file_hashes: { model: sha256hex, texture: sha256hex }
export_date, source_notes, permissions_status

Step 5 — Archive to IPFS and Arweave (practical commands and tools)

Use both IPFS and Arweave for layered redundancy. IPFS gives quick retrieval and easy content addressing; Arweave offers permanent single-payment storage for critical items.

IPFS pinning workflow

Use a hosted pinning provider like nft.storage, Pinata, or web3.storage for simplicity. These services have CLI and JS SDKs and will store your data on IPFS and arrange replication.
Local CLI: ipfs init, ipfs add -r ./my_migration_package. Then pin the resulting CID with your provider.
Pin to multiple providers and encourage community nodes to run ipfs pin add CID to increase availability.

Arweave permanent storage

Use Bundlr or ArDrive to fund an Arweave upload. Bundlr lets you upload large bundles and pay once for permanence.
Split very large packages into logical bundles to reduce cost spikes and make retrieval easier.

After upload, record all returned CIDs and transaction IDs in your metadata JSON and in an external ledger for redundancy.

Step 6 — Preserving metadata and creating verifiable provenance

Archival is only useful if authenticity is verifiable. Build a provenance pipeline:

For each asset, compute a content hash (SHA-256) of the archive bundle.
Create a Merkle tree across your collection to support partial proofs and efficient verification.
Publish the Merkle root on-chain as a small transaction to a low-fee Layer 2 like Polygon zkEVM, Base, or another eco-friendly chain supported in 2026.

On-chain anchoring gives you a tamper-evident timestamp. Users can later prove that a reminted NFT corresponds to the original archived bundle by presenting a Merkle proof and the archived CID.

Step 7 — Choosing the token approach: reminting strategies

There are several patterns for converting preserved assets into tokens.

Lazy minting: Store the metadata and signatures off-chain; mint on first claim. This saves upfront gas but requires a centralized relayer or marketplace relayer.
Batch minting with ERC-1155: If many assets belong to a single collection, use ERC-1155 to mint many IDs in a single transaction to reduce per-item gas costs.
On-demand reminting with proofs: Hold mint permissions in a multisig. When a player proves ownership via in-game logs/screenshots and matches the archived metadata, mint a token to their wallet and attach the provenance proof.
Non-transferable museum tokens: If the goal is cultural preservation rather than trading, mint non-transferable (soulbound) tokens or use a marketplace badge system.

For community assets, the most common successful approach in 2026 is hybrid: archive widely, anchor once, then remint high-value items with batch ERC-1155 minting triggered by governance-approved claims.

Step 8 — Wallets, multisig, and transaction safety

Operational security matters. Don’t let a single person control the minting key or funds.

Use a multisig wallet like Gnosis Safe to hold funds for storage and gas and to control minting contracts.
Implement role separation: archivists, verifiers, and minters should have distinct responsibilities and keys.
Use hardware wallets for signing sensitive transactions and require multi-party approvals for large spends.

Onboarding community claimants

Create a clear claims process: verifiable proof (screenshots, account logs), wallet address to receive NFTs, and an off-chain approval queue. Use POAP or small test tokens to verify addresses before minting valuable assets.

Step 9 — Gas optimization and cost control (2026 strategies)

Gas remains an important cost. In 2026 you can optimize as follows:

Mint on Layer 2 networks with robust bridge liquidity. L2s reduced costs dramatically during 2025, and many rollups support blob storage improvements that lower calldata fees.
Use ERC-1155 batch minting instead of many individual ERC-721 mints.
Implement lazy minting where possible and use relayers or marketplace paymasters that can sponsor first-time users.
Anchor only the minimal proofs on-chain (Merkle roots, single content hashes). Store heavy metadata on Arweave/IPFS.

Example cost plan

Estimate costs for an initial archival batch and a conservative remint of top 200 assets. Factor in Arweave permanence fees, IPFS pinning subscriptions, and L2 minting gas. Present this budget to your community with sponsorship or crowdfunding options.

Step 10 — User experience: discovery, marketplaces and secondary markets

Preserved assets are only useful if discoverable. Publish an index page that maps in-game IDs to archive CIDs and on-chain anchors. Integrate with marketplaces that respect content-addressed metadata.

In 2026, many marketplaces support direct Arweave or IPFS metadata fields and will display archived 3D previews and screenshots. When reminting, provide rich metadata and a link to the archival bundle and Merkle proof so buyers can verify authenticity.

Migration timeline and checklist (New World example)

Given the New World shutdown date of January 31, 2027, here is a practical countdown you can adapt:

Now — 180 days out: Form migration working group, contact publisher, start inventory.
120 days out: Begin exports and community capture events to record rare items and islands.
90 days out: Archive first batches to IPFS and Arweave. Publish interim index and Merkle root on-chain.
60 days out: Open claims for top-priority assets and begin controlled reminting tests on an L2 testnet.
30 days out: Confirm funding, pin all CIDs with multiple providers, finalize multisig policies.
7 days out: Final full archive dump and on-chain anchor. Publish public verification guide.
Shutdown day: Publish closure report and steps for future remints or community transfers.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Ignoring legal constraints — Always document studio permissions and respect IP.
Single-point-of-failure custody — Don’t let one person hold keys or funds.
Poor metadata — Record provenance rigorously; without this, reminted NFTs may be contested.
Over-minting — Mint only what the community needs. Excess low-value tokens dilute value and cost a lot in gas.

Technical reference: tools and libraries

IPFS: ipfs CLI, nft.storage, web3.storage, Pinata
Arweave: arweave-js, Bundlr, ArDrive
On-chain: MerkleTreeJS for proofs, Hardhat/Foundry for contracts, ERC-1155 reference implementations
Wallets & Multisig: Gnosis Safe, Argent, hardware wallets like Ledger
Verification UI: simple static site that displays CID, Merkle proof, and on-chain tx
distributed file systems and reviews that compare durability/performance tradeoffs
Edge and datastore strategies: see Edge Datastore Strategies for 2026 when you plan retrieval patterns

Final checklist before you hit publish

All assets archived to IPFS and Arweave with verified CIDs
Merkle root and minimal proof published on-chain
Multisig in place with defined roles and signatories
Clear claims process and community communications plan
Budget approved and funding sourced for storage and minting

Looking forward: future-proofing your archive

Storage and minting costs will evolve, but good provenance and decentralization make assets resilient. Consider these long-term moves:

Use community treasury or DAOs to fund ongoing pinning and custody costs.
Keep a public, versioned index and API so future tools can discover the archive.
Encourage marketplace support for Merkle-proof verification so buyers can trust preserved items.

Closing thoughts

Server shutdowns are painful, but they also create a clear deadline to move. In 2026 the tooling and best practices to migrate community assets are mature enough for any dedicated group to preserve what matters. The combination of IPFS/Arweave redundancy, on-chain anchoring, and careful governance minimizes loss and preserves provenance.

If you are part of a New World creator islands community or face a similar sunset, start the inventory and archival steps today. Time and clarity are the only scarce resources here.

Call to action

Want a ready-made migration checklist and starter metadata schema you can adapt? Join the gamenft.online community hub to download our Migration Toolkit, get access to migration consultants, and sign up for the next community-run archival event. Protect your creations before they vanish.

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