character wipe
/ˈkærɪktər waɪp/
CommonWhen a player's character progression, levels, unlocks, or inventory are deleted, often at the end of a beta or season.
Character wipes hit differently from server wipes because they are personal. You kept your playtime but lost what you built. Common at end of beta, season resets, and game patches that change progression systems.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | character wipe confirmed for next patch, max level was pointless | The developer announced a progression reset, making current leveling efforts futile. | reddit, 2024 |
| 02 | they said no character wipe at launch, beta progress carries over | Developer confirmed players can keep their progress from testing when the game fully releases. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | why did i spend 80 hours leveling if there is a character wipe anyway | The player feels their time investment was wasted due to the upcoming reset. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | fresh server, no character wipe, just a new season ladder | A new competitive season is starting with a new leaderboard but existing characters are untouched. | x, 2024 |
Use it when
- Player character progression is being deleted at the end of a beta or season.
- You are warning players that leveling up now will not carry forward.
- You are explaining why your character is back at level one.
Do not use it when
- The entire server world is being reset, not just player data.Use “server-wipe” instead.
- You deleted your own character voluntarily.
Character wipe vs server wipe
character wipe
A character wipe deletes individual player progression, levels, and inventory.
VS
server-wipe
A server wipe deletes all data for all players on the entire server.
Origin and context
Developed alongside MMO and online RPG culture where character progression is central to the experience. Became standard terminology as beta testing and seasonal content resets became common in live service games.
- First seen
- 2000s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/character-wipeUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0