How to Enable Auto Level in Save the World
Enable Auto Level in Save the World if you want the game to spend People XP automatically on the roster pieces you are actively using. Epic added the setting as part of the 2026 progression changes, and it is enabled by default for new players. It can take a lot of small upgrade decisions out of the early game, but you can switch it off whenever you want direct control.
If you prefer to choose every upgrade yourself, there is no penalty for disabling it. The setting changes how your existing People XP is applied, not how much XP missions award. That distinction matters once you have several Heroes, Defenders and Survivor Squads competing for the same shared roster currency.
How to enable Auto Level in Save the World
enable Auto Level in Save the World Image SaveTheWorldDB.
To enable Auto Level in Save the World, open Settings, choose the Game tab and find the Save the World: Automatically Apply XP option. Turn it on and apply the settings. The game can then use People XP on Heroes and Defenders in your active loadout and on Survivors currently assigned to your squads.
The main reason to enable Auto Level in Save the World is convenience. New accounts receive a lot of roster items quickly, and automatic levelling keeps active pieces moving without forcing you to open several management screens after every few missions.
What happens when you enable Auto Level in Save the World
Players who enable Auto Level in Save the World are not creating extra XP or bypassing normal progression. The setting simply spends People XP that belongs to the account. Evolution requirements remain separate, so reaching an evolution point can still require campaign progress and the appropriate evolution materials.
Before you enable Auto Level in Save the World on an established account, look at the Heroes and Survivors you currently have active. Automatic spending is most useful when those are pieces you genuinely intend to keep using rather than temporary cards you are about to replace.
Should you enable Auto Level in Save the World?
For a brand-new player, the default setting is a reasonable way to avoid getting buried in menus while Stonewood is teaching the basics. Later, you may prefer manual control so that a new Mythic Lead, matched Survivor or important Hero gets the XP before a less useful active card.
You can enable Auto Level in Save the World again at any time if manual roster management starts feeling tedious. Nothing about the choice is permanent, which makes it safe to experiment with both approaches and keep whichever one fits the way you manage Homebase.
How Auto Level fits with People XP
The 2026 system is easiest to understand alongside the People XP guide. People XP replaced the old separate Hero XP and Survivor XP pools, so Auto Level now works from one shared roster currency rather than juggling those older balances.
If Survivor progression is the confusing part, the Survivor Squads guide explains how active squads affect Power Level and why some roster upgrades are much more valuable than others.
What Auto Level actually changes
Auto Level is mainly a convenience setting, not a separate source of XP. It spends the People XP you already own on the Heroes and Defenders in your active loadout and the Survivors assigned to your squads. Turning it off does not stop progression or reduce rewards. It simply gives you direct control over which roster cards receive levels, which is useful once you have enough options that you no longer want every active card upgraded automatically.
Epic also documents the current setting on its Save the World Auto Level support page.
