Lost or Not Saving Game Data for Call of the Wild: The Angler

Additionally, your APEX account is not in any way linked to your save data.

Your save data can be lost or completely wiped in the following (but not limited to) cases:

• Starting a new game

• Files are corrupted due to PC crash (e.g. power cut)

• Files are corrupted due to game crash

• Deleting 'Saved Games' folder or subfolders

• Starting the game on a different PC / different user account

• Reinstalling Windows without backing up your files

• Reinstalling the game without enabling Steam Cloud

This issue is more than likely linked to your security suite, for example Windows Defender, BitDefender, Avast, Norton, Acronis, etc.  It may be that your anti-virus/security suite is stopping COTW from (over)writing the necessary save files to record your game progress.  Could you please make sure your anti-virus software(s) have your CotWTheAngler executable whitelisted?

STEAM:

"CotWTheAngler_Steam.exe"

This file can be found in your steam games folder, usually found here:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of the Wild The Angler\CotWTheAngler_Steam.exe"

(EPIC and Windows Store locations to be updated)

For users using Windows Defender, they can follow the steps listed below to perform either action:

To add Call of the Wild: The Angler as an exclusion (recommended) :

1. Open Windows Defender (also known as Windows Security).

2. Go to Virus & threat protection settings.

3.  Click manage settings.

4.  Navigate to Controlled folder access.

5.  Click "Manage Controlled Folder Access".

6.  Click "Allow an app through Controlled Folder Access".

7.  Add an allowed app

8.  Navigate to your steam games folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of the Wild The Angler\CotWTheAngler_Steam.exe)

Finally, Cloud Backups could be rolling back your game progress.  You could try turning them off to see if that is causing your issue.

It might be possible to restore some, or even all of your data by loading a backup save file (PC) or cloud save

You can find a guide to access your save files here. 

To check your backup save file, find your save folder located here:

• C:\Users\%USER%\Saved Games\Avalanche Studios\CotwTheAngler

Inside that folder, find the "Saves" folder, and rename it to something else (Saves1).  Then, open the "Backup" folder, copy the "Saves" folder inside, then paste it in the "CotWTheAngler" folder to replace the original "Saves" folder.  Then trying launching the game to see if your progress has been restored.

If not, you will likely have to start a new game.

For information about Cloud backup services, please refer to the following articles published from the associated platforms:

(restoring a Cloud backup will only work if the corrupted files have not overwritten the latest backup).

If you lose all of your data and are unable to recover it using the above methods, you will either have to start a new game, or you can ask the community (Discord, Reddit, or even Support) for a "Donor" save file.