Extract text from RPG Maker data files (RVDATA2)
To convert RVDATA2 data files to another format, you need RPG Maker VX Ace or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Serialized Game Data" file type, you need software like RPG Maker VX Ace or a similar tool.
The .RVDATA2 file is a proprietary game data container used exclusively by RPG Maker VX Ace, a game development engine created by Enterbrain. These files store critical game assets, including maps, character stats, item databases, enemy configurations, and event scripts. Under the hood, an .RVDATA2 file is simply a serialized Ruby object generated by the engine's underlying Ruby Game Scripting System 3 (RGSS3).
Working with .RVDATA2 files outside of their native engine is notoriously difficult. Because the format relies on Ruby's binary Marshal module, the data is completely unreadable in standard text editors. This creates severe vendor lock-in. If a developer wishes to port their game to modern engines like Godot or even newer RPG Maker versions (which use accessible JSON files), the data is trapped. Modders and translators face the same barrier, as extracting text requires custom coding rather than simple editing.
To make this data usable elsewhere, the ideal conversion targets are JSON, CSV, or XML. However, converting this format is a significant challenge. Because the data structure depends on the specific Ruby classes defined inside the game engine, standard online file converters will fail to process it. The conversion typically requires writing a custom Ruby script inside the RPG Maker engine to deserialize the data and export it. If our analysis detects an underlying format that can be parsed, partial viewing or data extraction may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your RVDATA2 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted RVDATA, RGSS3A, RPGSAVE, TXT, RVPROJ2, RAR, JSON, DATA, SAV, SAVE, PNG, DLL and IFO files.
If you want to convert RVDATA2 file to RPGSAVE, EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP or SAV, you can use RPG Maker VX Ace or similar software from the "Game 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 RVDATA2, try RPG Maker VX Ace or another comparable tool in the "Game 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 RVDATA2 converter.