ARK Server Setup

Your first hour: from a fresh order to a tribe online

Game servers are created automatically once payment clears, normally within 20 minutes. Six steps then take you from the default install to a server your friends can find on any platform.

1. Sign in and stop the serverOpen the game panel at cpdeluxe.com and stop your ARK server before changing anything. ASA reads its settings at start-up, so an edit saved while it runs never takes effect.
2. Give it a searchable nameClick Configuration Files, open GameUserSettings.ini with the CONFIG EDITOR and fill in the Session Name field, then Save & Exit. Make it unique: players find unofficial servers by typing the name into a search box.
3. Set the passwordsIn the same file, ServerPassword limits the server to people you invite and ServerAdminPassword unlocks admin commands. Type both without quote marks. The ini chapter covers the other lines worth changing.
4. Choose the mapOpen CommandLine Manager, switch to Custom Commandlines and press New. Give it a description, pick the map, save it, then press Select at the end of its row. The maps chapter shows which maps are free.
5. Start it and read the consolePress Start and open the Web Console. The server is ready once it prints "Server has completed startup and is now advertising for join". Mods and an older save can stretch that to several minutes.
6. Find it in gameIn ASA choose Join Game, open the Unofficial tab, tick Show Player Servers at the bottom, type the server name and press Refresh. If you set a password, tick the password-protected filter as well. PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox players all follow the same steps.

Around the panel: what each ASA button is for

Almost every job on an ASA server starts from one of these buttons, the same ones our ARK: Survival Ascended guides use. Servers on ARK: Survival Evolved have a slightly different set, covered in their own chapter.

Plan changes are made in the client area, not the panel: Services, My Services, your server, then Upgrade/Downgrade options for slots, memory, CPU priority and other options. Sharing admin duties? Give a co-admin their own panel sub user instead of your password, and tick only the areas they need. Access to the service itself is the one permission every sub user must have.

The two ini files: the settings that shape your ARK

ARK keeps its settings in two files. GameUserSettings.ini carries the server identity and most rates; Game.ini carries deeper rules such as breeding, levels and friendly fire. Both sit in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/, take one option=value line per setting, and anything you leave out runs at its default.

Name, passwords and game mode

The rates players notice first

World rules

One ASA quirk: the player cap is no longer MaxPlayers in this file. ASA reads it from the -WinLiveMaxPlayers launch option and forces the ini value back to its default. To let more players in, change your slots in the client area.

Game.ini: breeding and deeper rules

Game.ini lines go under the [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode] heading. On ASE servers Configuration Files opens Game.ini directly, as our PvP guide shows; on ASA you can always reach it in the same folder through the File Manager or SFTP.

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=4.0
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=4.0
MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.5
BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier=0.25
bPvEDisableFriendlyFire=True

Custom player and tame levels live in Game.ini too, as LevelExperienceRampOverrides lines. Our custom XP levels guide builds them with a generator; paste them at the bottom of the file without repeating the section heading.

Maps: what is free, what is paid and how to switch

Every ASA map is a separate world with its own save, so choose before the tribes settle in. Moving to another map later means starting over there, unless you link the maps as a cluster. The map names below are what the server expects.

Switching map on our panel

1. Stop the serverA commandline change only applies to a stopped server.
2. Make a new commandlineOpen CommandLine Manager, switch to Custom Commandlines and press New.
3. Describe it and pick the mapA description is required. Name it after the map so you can tell your commandlines apart, choose the map and change any other settings you want, then Save.
4. Select it and startPress Select at the end of the new row, then start the server and watch the Web Console.

Coming next

The roadmap tracked by the official ARK wiki lists the paid Dragontopia expansion for 9 December 2026 and Genesis: Part 2 for the second quarter of 2027. Treat both as plans: Studio Wildcard has moved map dates before.

Mods: CurseForge, consoles and a healthy mod list

ASA mods come from CurseForge rather than the Steam Workshop. Studio Wildcard and CurseForge built them to be cross-platform, so a modded server can still welcome PlayStation and Xbox players.

1. Stop the serverMods are only picked up at start-up.
2. Install from the CurseForge buttonSearch for each mod by name and install it from the panel.
3. Create a fresh commandlineIn CommandLine Manager open Custom Commandlines and press New. If you already have one, delete it and make a new one: the installed mods are added to the mod line automatically, and an old commandline keeps its old list.
4. Save, select, startName it after your map, save it, press Select and start the server.

Cosmetic mods stay off the server

Mods that only change how things look run on each player's own game. Our ASA mod guide puts it plainly: do not install cosmetic mods on the server.

How ASA loads mods

Behind the commandline, ASA takes a -mods= launch option holding CurseForge project IDs separated by commas, and it checks those mods for updates every time the server starts. A restart is all it takes to pull in a new mod version, which also means a scheduled restart can bring in a mod update you have not tested yet.

Running a cluster where a mod belongs on one map only? The -passivemods= option loads a mod's data without its gameplay, so its creatures can still travel between servers without spawning on maps where you do not want them.

Keeping a mod list healthy

• Add mods one or two at a time and start the server between additions. When it stops appearing, the last mod in is the first suspect.
• Before an ASA patch day, look at each mod's CurseForge page. A mod that has not caught up with the game is one of the first things to rule out if the server fails to come back.
• Mods that add creatures, structures or items raise memory use as the world fills up; see the memory chapter before a big pack goes in.
• Keep a note of your mod IDs. If you ever rebuild the commandline or move servers, you can put the list back in minutes.

Admin rights, console commands and who gets in

Admin power on ASA comes from the admin password in GameUserSettings.ini. Anyone who knows it can switch on cheats from the console; IDs you list in a text file get the same rights without typing it.

1. Open the consoleOn PC press the ~ key. On PlayStation and Xbox, turn on console access in the game settings first, then open it from the pause screen.
2. Log in as adminType enablecheats followed by your ServerAdminPassword, for example enablecheats MyAdminPass.
3. Prefix every commandOn a multiplayer server admin commands start with cheat, for example cheat saveworld. Commands are not case-sensitive.

Commands you will actually use

• cheat SaveWorld writes the world to disk now. Run it before any planned stop.
• cheat Broadcast <message> shows a message to everyone online, ideal for restart warnings.
• cheat ListPlayers lists who is connected with their IDs, which the kick and ban commands need.
• cheat KickPlayer <ID> and cheat BanPlayer <ID> remove a player; cheat UnbanPlayer <ID> lifts a ban.
• cheat DestroyWildDinos clears every wild creature so the map respawns them, useful after a difficulty change or a new creature mod. Our difficulty guide ends with it.
• ShowMyAdminManager opens an admin menu with players, bans, whitelists and the message of the day.

Permanent admins without the password

List each admin's ID, one per line, in ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterAccountIDs.txt and they get admin rights automatically, exactly as if they had typed enablecheats. On ASA the ID is the 32-character Epic Online Services ID: each admin types whoami in the console to see theirs. ARK: Survival Evolved uses Steam IDs in AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt instead, which our ASE admin guide edits through Configuration Files.

Private servers and whitelists

• Password: the simple lock. ServerPassword keeps strangers out; share it inside the tribe.
• Whitelist only: with the -exclusivejoin launch option, only IDs listed in ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/PlayersExclusiveJoinList.txt can join.
• Always room for regulars: IDs in PlayersJoinNoCheckList.txt, in the same folder, get in even when the server is full, and cheat AllowPlayerToJoinNoCheck <ID> adds one without a restart.
• An admin log: -servergamelog records admin activity in a dated file in the server's Logs folder.

Launch options like these belong to the server's commandline. If you cannot see where to add one, open a ticket and our support team will set it for you.

Clusters: one tribe, several maps

A cluster links two or more ARK servers so survivors, items and tames can be uploaded on one map and downloaded on another through the in-game terminals. It is how a community offers more than one map without splitting up.

1. Have two servers or moreA cluster needs at least two ARK servers on the same account, one for each map.
2. Give each its mapSet each server up with its own map and commandline, as in the maps chapter.
3. Open a ticketAsk for a cluster and list the servers. Our team links them for you.
4. Test with something cheapUpload a spare item or a low-value tame, download it on the other map, and only then let the tribe move its best creatures.

What happens behind the scenes

Every server in a cluster starts with the same -clusterid and a shared storage folder named with -ClusterDirOverride, and the terminals then list each server with that ID. A distinctive cluster ID matters: unrelated servers that happen to use the same one can appear in your transfer list without sharing any data. On ASA each map also keeps its save in its own folder.

Settings that decide what can travel

Uploaded data also has expiry timers (TributeCharacterExpirationSeconds, TributeDinoExpirationSeconds and TributeItemExpirationSeconds). ARK applies the rules of whichever server reads the data and can delete anything that has expired by those rules, so keep the timers identical on every server in the cluster. The official wiki also suggests -NoTransferFromFiltering on clustered servers, which stops characters and items coming in from single player.

Memory, slots and CPU on our ARK plans

ASA is one of the heaviest servers we host: it needs a lot of memory before the first survivor joins. These figures come from our order form, checked on 16 October 2026.

• Slots: 20 to 160 players, in steps of ten up to 100, then 120, 140 and 160.
• Memory: 12GB comes with every plan, and the order form offers 16GB, 20GB, 24GB and 32GB. Our plan cards pair bigger slot counts with more memory.
• CPU: 5.0GHz included, with 5.2GHz+ and 5.6GHz+ upgrades and a choice of High or Realtime CPU priority.
• Storage: NVMe at 7,500MB/s with up to 100GB included; up to 200GB and a 14,000MB/s drive are available.

What each map needs before anyone joins

The official ARK wiki measured ASA servers on a new save, with default settings and nobody connected: The Island at 8 to 10GiB, Scorched Earth at 7.5 to 9GiB, Aberration at 8 to 10GiB, Extinction at 7 to 8.5GiB and The Center at 10.5 to 12GiB. Players, tames, bases and mods all come on top, and a world that has run for months holds far more objects than a fresh one.

Sizing it sensibly

• Plan from the map: The Center on 12GB has almost nothing spare once a tribe moves in, so start a tier up on that map.
• Count the mods: creature and building packs grow with the world. Leave headroom before a big pack goes in, not after.
• Clock speed beats core count: the official wiki recommends four logical cores per ASA server and notes that gameplay, physics aside, still runs on one thread. That is why the CPU clock upgrade is the one to look at when a full server lags.
• Restart regularly: our panel FAQ recommends at least two restarts a day to keep performance steady.

Upgrades happen in the client area: Services, My Services, your server, then Upgrade/Downgrade options. An upgrade raises an invoice for the difference, and a restart after payment applies it. Some games also need their config re-saved in the editor after a slot change; our slots guide explains when.

Saves, restarts and patch days

Studio Wildcard patches ASA often, and the server has to keep pace with the version players run. A few habits keep the save safe through all of it.

Restarts on a timer

1. Create the taskOpen Scheduled Tasks, create a new task and choose Scheduled Restart. Name it, for example 6 Hour Restart.
2. Set the first runChoose the date and hour of the next restart. The hour field opens at the server's current time plus 10 minutes, which tells you how server time relates to yours.
3. Make it repeatRecur every 1 day, tick Repeat task, repeat every 6 hours for 24 hours, then Save.

Tasks run on the server's clock. Setting the time zone in your panel profile (My Profile) to match the server makes scheduling far less confusing; our restart guide explains how to find the server's zone.

Patch day, step by step

1. Save, then stopRun cheat saveworld, warn the tribe with a broadcast and stop the server.
2. UpdatePress Steam Update and wait for the update window to finish. If Steam insists the server is current when it is not, use Purge steam cache under More, or delete the steamapps folder in the File Manager, and update again.
3. Let the mods catch upMods update when the server starts, so allow the first boot extra time and keep the Web Console open.
4. Check from the gameWait for the advertising for join line, then look the server up in the Unofficial tab. Players whose game is behind will need to update before they can join.

Reinstall is a last resort

Reinstall, under More, puts the server back to default, and that means deleting all server files, saves included; panel backups survive. Download the ShooterGame/Saved folder over SFTP before you press it, and keep a copy before big updates too, as our Steam update guide recommends.

Still on ARK: Survival Evolved? How ASE servers differ

We still host ARK: Survival Evolved, and many of our older ARK guides are written for it. The game is the same at heart, but on ASE the panel does several jobs differently.

ASE habits worth keeping

• After installing through the Workshop browser, edit GameUserSettings.ini with the text editor only. The easy editor would overwrite the mod list the browser wrote, as our ASE mods guide warns.
• Extinction is a 20GB download: run the Steam update, choose Extinction in Config.bat and wipe the server before you switch, following our Extinction guide.
• Primitive+ is a total conversion: enable it in Config.bat with mod ID 111111111, as in our Primitive+ guide.
• Leave at least 3 hours between automatic Workshop update checks; our mod update guide sets 12.
• Rollback Server returns the world to a snapshot date of your choice when an update or a raid goes badly (rollback guide).

A brand-new ASE server can take hours, sometimes days, to appear in the unofficial list. Until it does, add its query IP and port to Steam's favourites and join from there, as our unofficial list guide explains.

When it breaks: the ARK fixes we try first

Most ARK tickets we answer fall into a short list. Work down it before you reinstall anything.

• The server is not in the Unofficial listCheck the filters first: Unofficial tab, Show Player Servers ticked, and the password-protected filter ticked if you set a password. Then confirm in the Web Console that the server has finished starting.
• It is running but still does not appearA known game bug can lock the server list. Open the console (~ on PC, the menu buttons on a controller), type Ark.UseServerList 0, press Enter, restart the game and search again.
• It vanished after an update or a new modUse Purge steam cache under More, run a Steam update, then remove the mods you added or updated most recently. If players can see other servers but not yours, have them verify their game files in Steam: a client that is behind cannot join.
• Config changes do nothingThey were saved while the server was running. Stop it, save again and start it.
• The new map did not loadA new commandline only counts once you press Select on it, with the server stopped.
• Freshly installed mods are missingAn existing commandline keeps its old mod line. Delete it and create a new one so the installed mods are added.
• Start-up takes a long timeWith mods or a big save, 3 to 10 minutes is normal. Watch the Web Console rather than restarting halfway.
• An ASE server is not listed after a few daysKeep the game and mods updated, join through Steam favourites in the meantime, and open a ticket if it is still missing.
• A .dll or .exe upload is refusedThose file types are blocked for security. Send the file to support and the team will put it in place.

Hosting ASA yourself or renting: an honest comparison

Studio Wildcard's dedicated server is a free download, and plenty of tribes begin on a spare PC. Whether that stays the better deal depends on your hardware, your uptime and how much server admin you enjoy.

Self-hosting ASA means Windows. The server has no native Linux build, so a Linux machine needs a Windows-like environment to run it. You download it with SteamCMD (app 2430930, around 11GiB), forward the game port (UDP 7777 by default) plus TCP 27020 if you want RCON, and on Windows Server editions install Epic's certificate revocation list before the server will show in the list at all.

Two launch-line quirks, both documented on the official wiki, catch people out: ASA needs -port= rather than ?Port=, and ?ServerAdminPassword= has to be the last ? option, otherwise everything after it becomes part of the password.

For two or three friends who always play together, a home server is a fine start. Once people play while the host is offline, or the tribe outgrows a home connection, renting gives you those evenings back. Plans and prices are on our ARK: Survival Ascended Server Hosting page.