NieR Replicant stores its Steam PC data beneath a user-ID directory, which is useful because it keeps different Steam accounts separated but also makes casual copy/paste mistakes easier. Community troubleshooting shows that persistent completion state can survive in shared game-data files, so a single character slot is not a complete backup strategy. SaveEditor recommends copying the whole user-ID directory, keeping Steam Cloud state in mind, and restoring files from the same snapshot rather than mixing a new slot with old global data.
Start with the least destructive explanation
When NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… progress appears missing, first verify the active PC location: Windows: %USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy GamesNieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139Steam<user-id>. Expected files/folders: Game and system data are stored inside the Steam-user-specific save directory; community reports commonly reference GAMEDATA among the persistent files.. Many apparent save failures are actually profile, storefront, path-redirection, or cloud-selection problems rather than damaged game data.
Preserve every surviving copy
Close the game and Steam synchronization, then copy the entire user-ID directory. Keep a dated untouched copy before experimenting with GAMEDATA or individual slot files. Before renaming, moving, replacing, or opening candidate backups, copy them outside the live directory. Do not use the only surviving file as the test specimen for repair or editing.
Check launcher and cloud state
Storefront context: Steam. The save directory is Steam-account-specific. Do not merge files from different user-ID folders without keeping a known-good copy of each set. Cloud notes: Steam Cloud can re-download deleted or replaced files when synchronization is enabled. A sync client can reintroduce an older or newer version after a manual restore, so recovery work should keep local and cloud copies conceptually separate until the wanted progress is confirmed.
Use format and compatibility clues
The remaster stores PC progress under a Steam user ID directory in Documents. Some persistent state can remain outside the currently selected character slot, so folder-level backup is safer than removing one file. Persistent completion/system state may be stored alongside character saves. Deleting a file to reset one behavior can have broader consequences and cloud sync may restore it. If the file exists but is ignored, compare the complete directory structure, slot/profile naming, game edition, mods/DLC, and any companion metadata. Do not assume an extension change or generic checksum tool can repair a game-specific container.
Game-specific troubleshooting
If deleted data reappears, check Steam Cloud. If a save is reported corrupt after a manual replacement, restore the full matching backup set instead of mixing files from different dates. If a known-good backup works, preserve it and create a fresh in-game save before further experiments. If no copy works, prefer read-only inspection and source-backed game-specific tooling over repeated writes.
Verification context: Reviewed against current PCGamingWiki NieR Replicant save path and community reports describing persistent GAMEDATA/cloud behavior.