I'm not sure why, I unistalled the game even cleaned my recycle bin clearing the game files and reinstalled this update expecting to have to play again but had my saves.
The save files are located in a different area than where the game files are actually stored, thus deleting them won't remove progress. I don't actually know where the saves are stored, as I've never looked for them - but this has been what multiple people have said and seems to hold weight.
