Extract text from KeyValues3 configuration files (KV3)
To convert KV3 configuration files to another format, you need Source 2 Engine or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "KeyValues3 Data Format" file type, you need software like Source 2 Engine or a similar tool.
The .KV3 file format primarily stores structured game data using the KeyValues3 standard developed by Valve Corporation. This format is heavily utilized by the Source 2 Engine for games like Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and Dota 2 to manage AI behavior trees, particle definitions, and generic entity properties. A smaller subset of .KV3 files are associated with the Componentace K2 Database engine as proprietary key-value storage files.
The primary disadvantage of the .KV3 format is its closed, engine-specific nature. While the text version of KeyValues3 resembles .JSON with specific C++ style type annotations, Valve frequently uses a compiled binary version of the format to optimize game loading times. This means standard text editors will fail to read binary .KV3 files, displaying only corrupted characters and rendering the file entirely useless outside of the official ecosystem.
Modders and developers often need to convert these files into standard .JSON or .XML formats to batch-edit game parameters, extract assets, or analyze logic without loading the heavy and complex Source 2 Workshop Tools. Unfortunately, standard online converters fail to process these files because the binary encoding is proprietary and strictly tied to Valve's internal engine tools. Converting binary .KV3 requires specialized community decompilers like Source 2 Resource Viewer (VRF). Similarly, Componentace K2 Database files require specific C# or Delphi libraries to access the proprietary records.
Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible using convert.guru. Our advanced tool can inspect the internal file headers to determine if your file is a compiled binary or an uncompiled text-based .KV3. If our analysis detects readable text structures or standard underlying formatting, viewing or partial conversion to .TXT or .JSON may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your KV3 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
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If you want to convert KV3 file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Source 2 Engine or similar software from the "Game Engine Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to KV3, try Source 2 Engine or another comparable tool in the "Game Engine Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our KV3 converter.