Sekiro uses one profile-level S0000.sl2 file, so a file replacement can roll back several in-game slots at once. The safest routine is therefore simple but strict: close the game, copy the whole account-ID directory, keep more than one dated generation, and only then experiment. Steam Cloud is another revision source; if a manual restore appears to revert itself, solve the synchronization conflict before overwriting the folder again.
Where Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice stores PC saves
The researched save-location boundary is Windows: %APPDATA%Sekiro<user-id>S0000.sl2 | Linux / Steam Play: Steam Play: <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/814380/pfx/. The known file or folder pattern is S0000.sl2. This is the practical starting point because launcher, profile, and storefront context can change which copy is active even when two folders look similar.
Storefront and profile differences
Documented launchers or storefronts: Steam. The user-ID directory is part of the save context. Do not assume a copied S0000.sl2 belongs to the active Steam identity. When looking for a missing save, identify the executable/storefront you actually launched and the user/profile that created the progress before copying anything between directories.
Cloud synchronization
Steam Cloud is documented. A cloud service should be treated as another copy of the save, not as proof that the local folder is disposable. Before a manual restore, let synchronization finish, make an offline backup, and avoid starting the game while files are being replaced.
What the files represent
The Steam PC profile is a single S0000.sl2 container under an account-ID directory. Multiple in-game slots are not separate operating-system files. The current filename/folder evidence is S0000.sl2. File-extension context: .sl2 A location guide does not claim that every file in the directory is safe to edit or that files from another storefront are automatically interchangeable.
If the save is not where expected
If a restore is replaced on launch, compare Steam Cloud state and modification times. Keep the original local file before testing any imported container. Also check redirected Documents folders, Steam Play prefixes, account IDs, and launcher-specific containers where applicable. Preserve every candidate copy before testing a restore so troubleshooting does not destroy the only surviving version.
Verification context: Windows path, S0000.sl2 filename, Steam Play behavior, and Steam Cloud support were reviewed against current PCGamingWiki coverage.