Watch the Video Guide

Splitgate-MapLoader

A streamlined, automated utility designed to simplify loading custom maps and prefabs into Splitgate.

Caution

The underlying code for this project was built by AI.

[!IMPORTANT] Windows only. This tool relies on a .bat/PowerShell script and > Windows-specific paths (%LOCALAPPDATA%), so it won't run on macOS or Linux as-is.

Why is this script needed?

Adding custom maps to Splitgate manually is notoriously frustrating. Simply dropping a downloaded .bin map file into your game directory does not make it show up in-game; the game relies on a strict CloudSaveManifest.json file to recognize and list custom content in your menus. Modifying this JSON manually is error-prone and time-consuming.

This tool completely automates the process. Drop your .bin files straight into the game's own MapCreator folder, run the script, and it rebuilds a clean, correctly formatted CloudSaveManifest.json so the game immediately recognizes your new content.

Features

• No Staging Folders: Just drop .bin files directly into the live MapCreator / MapCreatorPrefab folders - no separate import step, no intermediate copying.
• Two-Way Sync: Add a .bin file and it's added to the manifest. Delete a .bin file and run the script again - it's automatically removed from the manifest too. Your own native maps (the ones you build in the in-game editor) are never touched by this.
• Automated Manifest Generation: Scans your MapCreator / MapCreatorPrefab folders and dynamically rebuilds a clean, correctly formatted CloudSaveManifest.json - matching whatever encoding your manifest already uses.
• Built-in Backups: Prompts you to back up your own native map folders and manifest before making any changes, saving them to a timestamped Backup/ directory. Downloaded community maps aren't included in the backup since they can always be re-downloaded.
• One-Click Execution: A single .bat file - no separate script files to keep track of, and it bypasses strict PowerShell execution policies automatically, meaning you just double-click and go.

Where to Get Maps

Browse, search, and download community-made maps here:

Splitgate-CommunityMaps

Every map on the site is a ready-to-use .bin file with the map name, author, and category already built in - just download and drop it in.

Prerequisite

Before using this tool for the first time, you must have created and saved at least one map of your own in the in-game Map Lab. This is what makes your OwnerId show up in CloudSaveManifest.json in the first place - the script reads it from there and reuses it for every map you import. Without at least one native map already saved, there's nothing for it to read.

How to Install & Use

1. Get some maps

• Head to Splitgate-CommunityMaps and download the .bin file(s) for any maps you want to play.

2. Install the loader

• Download MapLoader.bat from the latest release.
• Open File Explorer, paste the following into the address bar, and press Enter:

  %LOCALAPPDATA%\PortalWars2\Saved\Cloud\CloudSave
  

• Place MapLoader.bat directly into this CloudSave folder.

3. Add your maps

• Copy the .bin file(s) you downloaded directly into the MapCreator folder (for maps) or MapCreatorPrefab folder (for prefabs) inside CloudSave. No subfolder needed - just the .bin file itself.

4. Run the loader

• Double-click MapLoader.bat.
• When asked whether to back up your files, it's recommended to type Y - this backs up your own native maps and the current manifest into a timestamped Backup\ folder.
• Once the script finishes, close the window.

5. Play

• Launch Splitgate and open the Lab / Customs menu - your new maps should already be there.

Uninstalling Maps

Don't want a map anymore? Just:

1. Delete its .bin file from the MapCreator (or MapCreatorPrefab) folder.
2. Run MapLoader.bat again.
3. Close the window once it finishes.

The map's entry is automatically removed from CloudSaveManifest.json - no manual JSON editing required.

Editing an Imported Map

Opened a downloaded map in the in-game editor and saved changes? Splitgate keeps your edit and the original side by side rather than replacing it, which affects how uninstalling works for that map. See EDITING-IMPORTED-MAPS.md for what happens and how to fully remove a map you've edited.