How to reset the Overworld, Nether, or End on your Minecraft Server

This article will help you reset the Overworld, Nether, or End dimensions on your server. “Resetting” a dimension means deleting its generated terrain, so the next time a player enters that dimension, Minecraft generates it fresh, as if nobody had ever explored it. This is different from resetting your entire world, which also wipes player data, the world’s name and seed settings, and everything else, not just the terrain of one dimension.

If you’d rather not spend the time doing this yourself, you can always open a support ticket and our support team will do it for you. If you want to reset the entire world instead of just one dimension, follow our guide for resetting the world.

Check your Minecraft version before following these steps. Minecraft 26.1 changed where dimension data is stored on disk, so the folder you need to delete depends on whether your server is on 26.1 or newer, or 1.21.11 or older. Both layouts are covered below, open your world folder in File Manager first to see which structure your server actually has, rather than assuming based on when you set it up.

How to Tell Which Folder Structure You Have

Before deleting anything, open File Manager and look inside your world folder (usually named world, or whatever you set as your world name in Properties). You’ll see one of two layouts:

• If you see a folder named dimensions, you’re on the newer 26.1+ structure. Open it, and you’ll find minecraft/overworld, minecraft/the_nether, and minecraft/the_end inside.
• If you see a folder named region directly inside your world folder, along with DIM-1 and DIM1 folders next to it, you’re on the older, pre-26.1 structure.

This matters because the two structures don’t overlap, a 26.1+ world will never have a DIM-1 folder, and an older world will never have a dimensions folder. If you delete the wrong one (for example, following an old guide’s DIM-1 instructions on a 26.1+ world), nothing will happen, since that folder simply doesn’t exist there.

Quick Guide

If you’re already familiar with FTP and locating folders, these are the steps for you.

1. Stop the server.

   This can be done in the control panel, or from inside the server with the /stop command.

2. Determine which dimension(s) you’d like to reset.

3. Locate the correct folder for that dimension, inside your world folder on the server. Which path you need depends on your Minecraft version:

   Minecraft 26.1 and newer:

   Dimension	Folder
   Overworld	<world>/dimensions/minecraft/overworld/region/
   The Nether	<world>/dimensions/minecraft/the_nether/region/
   The End	<world>/dimensions/minecraft/the_end/region/

   Minecraft 1.21.11 and older:

   Dimension	Folder
   Overworld	<world>/region/
   The Nether	<world>/DIM-1/region/
   The End	<world>/DIM1/region/

   On Paper, Spigot, or Purpur servers running 1.21.11 or older, the Nether and End are often split into their own world_nether and world_the_end folders instead, with the same DIM-1/DIM1 structure inside them.

4. Delete the region folder for the dimension you want to reset.

   WARNING: This permanently deletes everything built or generated in that dimension, including player builds, naturally generated structures (like Nether fortresses or End cities), mobs, and any items dropped on the ground there. Players themselves are not affected, and their inventory, experience, and progress in other dimensions stay intact. This cannot be undone once the files are deleted, so make a backup first if there’s any chance you’ll want this data back later.

5. Repeat step 4 for every dimension you want to reset, then start your server.

If a dimension doesn’t appear to have reset, double check you deleted the folder matching your actual Minecraft version, deleting a DIM-1 folder that doesn’t exist on a 26.1+ world won’t do anything, since that version no longer uses it.

Modded Dimension IDs

Removing a dimension added by a mod works the same way, you just need the right folder for that dimension instead of a vanilla one. On the older, pre-26.1 folder layout, these are commonly identified by a numeric dimension ID, with the folder named DIM<id>. Some common examples:

• The Twilight Forest: 7
• The Beneath: 10
• Aroma’s Mining Dimension: 6
• Betweenlands: 20

Note: Even on modded servers, the vanilla dimension IDs stay the same:

• Overworld: 0
• Nether: -1
• The End: 1

These numeric IDs come from the older save format. On a 26.1+ world, dimensions (including modded ones) use the namespaced dimensions/<modid>/<dimension_name>/ folder structure instead of a numeric DIM<id> folder. Check your mod’s documentation or the folder names visible in File Manager if you’re unsure which one applies to your setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this affect my players’ inventories or progress? No. Resetting a dimension only deletes the generated terrain and anything physically inside that dimension (structures, mobs, dropped items). Player data, such as inventory, experience, and achievements, is stored separately and is not touched.

Do I need to delete the whole region folder, or can I reset just part of the dimension? Deleting the whole region folder resets the entire dimension. If you only want to reset a specific area (for example, just the spawn region, or a specific radius), you’ll need a tool like MCA Selector or the Chunky mod’s deletion commands, rather than deleting the whole folder. Deleting the full region folder is the simplest option if you want the whole dimension gone.

I deleted the folder, but the dimension didn’t actually reset. What happened? This almost always means you deleted the wrong folder for your Minecraft version. Go back to How to Tell Which Folder Structure You Have above and double check which structure your world actually uses before trying again.

Can I reset a dimension while the server is running? No. You must fully stop the server first. Deleting world files while the server is running can corrupt your world, since the server may still be reading or writing to those files.