An ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server is the game’s world running as its own program, around the clock, whether or not anyone is playing. You can run one yourself on a Windows or Linux PC: download the free server (Steam app 376030) with SteamCMD, give it 8–12 GB of RAM per map, open UDP ports 7777, 7778 and 27015, and set the rules in GameUserSettings.ini. Here is every step, then mods, clusters, admin commands and the errors that stop people from joining.
Dedicated vs. non-dedicated server: what’s the difference?
A non-dedicated server is a session you host from inside your own game. You play and run the world at the same time, it closes when you quit, and everyone else is tethered to you, so nobody wanders far alone. A dedicated server runs apart from any game client: it stays up when everyone logs off and each player explores freely. ARK’s Host / Local menu starts either one.
| Non-dedicated session | Dedicated server | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | The host’s game | Its own process, on any PC or a rented server |
| Host has to be online? | Yes, the world closes with the host’s game | No, it runs 24/7 |
| Players roam freely? | No, they’re tethered to the host | Yes |
| Where the rules live | The Host / Local menu | GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini and the launch line |
| Where the world saves | The host’s PC, in a per-map folder such as SavedArksLocal |
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks on the server |
So, do non-dedicated servers save? Yes, but only on the host’s PC. If more than two or three of you play, or you play at different times, you want a dedicated server: self-hosted with the steps below, or rented through ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting if nobody wants to leave a PC running.
ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server requirements
Plan on a 64-bit Windows or Linux machine with 8–12 GB of RAM free per map, a CPU with strong single-core speed (two logical cores per server is enough, and ARK never uses more than four), about 18 GB of disk for the install plus room for saves and mods, and an upload that can carry roughly 60 KB/s per player. The community wiki puts the bare minimum to start at 6 GB.
Memory depends mostly on the map. These are the community wiki’s measurements for a fresh world with default settings and nobody online. The level name in the second column is also the map name you put on the launch line.
| Map | Level name | RAM, empty map |
|---|---|---|
| The Island | TheIsland |
3.5–4.5 GB |
| The Center | TheCenter |
3–4 GB |
| Scorched Earth | ScorchedEarth_P |
3–4 GB |
| Ragnarok | Ragnarok |
4–5 GB |
| Aberration | Aberration_P |
3–4 GB |
| Extinction | Extinction |
3–4 GB |
| Valguero | Valguero_P |
3–4 GB |
| Genesis: Part 1 | Genesis |
5–6 GB |
| Crystal Isles | CrystalIsles |
5.5–6.5 GB |
| Genesis: Part 2 | Gen2 |
10–12.5 GB |
| Lost Island | LostIsland |
5.5–7 GB |
| Fjordur | Fjordur |
4–5 GB |
Those numbers are the floor. Every player online adds about 50–150 MB, and memory keeps climbing as tribes build bases and stack up tames, so a world that idles at 4 GB in its first week needs a lot more a few months in. That is why 8–12 GB per map is the realistic budget.
- Windows: Windows 10 22H2 or newer, or Windows Server 2016 or newer, with the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64) and the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) installed.
- Linux: an ARK Linux dedicated server runs on any current distribution (it needs glibc 2.17) once the open-files limit is raised, covered in step 5 below.
- Same PC you play on? Good enough for a small group, as long as the machine has memory for the game and the server at the same time.
How to set up an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server
An ARK dedicated server setup takes six steps: download the server files with SteamCMD, write a start script, run it once so it creates its folders, put your settings in the INI files, open the ports, and (on Linux) raise the open-files limit. Once the first server works, a second one or an update is a matter of minutes.
Step 1: Install SteamCMD and download the server
Install SteamCMD, Valve’s command-line Steam client, and create a folder for the server, for example C:\arkserver on Windows or /home/steam/servers/ark on Linux. On Debian or Ubuntu, SteamCMD needs 32-bit libraries first (lib32gcc-s1, or lib32gcc1 on older releases). Then download the server anonymously:
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\arkserver +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quitNo game licence is needed for the server download. Run the same command again whenever ARK updates.
Step 2: Create a start script
On Windows, create start_server.bat in ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=MyTribeIsland?ServerPassword=joinpass?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20?ServerAdminPassword=adminpassOn Linux, create server_start.sh in ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux and make it executable with chmod +x server_start.sh:
#!/bin/bash
./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=MyTribeIsland?ServerPassword=joinpass?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20?ServerAdminPassword=adminpassSwap TheIsland for any level name from the table above. Drop the whole ?ServerPassword= part for an open server. Keep the name free of spaces on the command line; a name with spaces is easier to set in the INI file in step 3.
Step 3: Start it once, then configure it
Run the script and wait. The first start creates ShooterGame/Saved, which holds the config files, the world save, logs and cluster data. Once the server is up, stop it and open GameUserSettings.ini in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ (LinuxServer/ on Linux):
[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=joinpass
ServerAdminPassword=adminpass
XPMultiplier=1.5
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
[SessionSettings]
SessionName=My Tribe's Island
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=20With the settings in the file, the launch line can shrink to ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland. Always edit with the server stopped. ARK writes its current settings back into the INI when it shuts down, so changes made while it runs get lost. Every option, from taming speed to breeding, plus the best starting values for a small tribe, is in ARK server settings explained.
Step 4: Open the ports
| Port | Protocol | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Game port, where players connect |
| 7778 | UDP | Peer port, always the game port + 1 |
| 27015 | UDP | Query port, used by the Steam server browser |
| 27020 | TCP | RCON remote console, only if you enable it |
- Windows Firewall: run
wf.mscas administrator, go to Inbound Rules → New Rule → Port, choose UDP and enter7777-7778, 27015, then Allow the connection. Add a TCP rule for 27020 only if you use RCON. - Linux (UFW):
for port in 7777 7778 27015; do ufw allow $port/udp; done - Router: forward the same ports to the server PC. The ARK server doesn’t support UPnP, so this has to be done by hand.
Running more than one server on the same machine? Give each its own set: 7779/7780/27016 for the second, 7781/7782/27017 for the third. Keep query ports out of the 27020–27050 range, which Steam uses.
Step 5 (Linux only): raise the open-files limit
ARK opens a huge number of files. If the limit is too low, the server starts but burns CPU time without ever reaching about 5.5 GB of memory, and may never finish loading. With systemd, put LimitNOFILE=100000 in the service file. Without it, add fs.file-max=100000 to /etc/sysctl.conf (apply with sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.conf) and * soft nofile 1000000 plus * hard nofile 1000000 to /etc/security/limits.conf, then enable them with session required pam_limits.so in /etc/pam.d/common-session.
Step 6: Start it automatically (optional)
On Windows, create a Task Scheduler task that runs your .bat file When the computer starts. On Linux, a systemd unit can update the server before each start:
[Service]
ExecStartPre=/home/steam/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/servers/ark +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit
ExecStart=/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=MyTribeIsland
WorkingDirectory=/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
LimitNOFILE=100000
User=steam
Group=steamRun it as an unprivileged user like steam, never as root, and keep WorkingDirectory: without it, automatic mod downloads fail.
How to join your ARK server
Launch ARK, choose Join ARK, set the session filter to Unofficial and search for your server’s name. The in-game list only queries so many servers a minute, so a new server can take a while to appear. If it doesn’t, add it to your Steam favorites or connect by address from the in-game console.
- Steam favorites: View → Servers → Favorites, then add your public IP with the query port, for example
203.0.113.25:27015. It then shows under the Favorites filter in ARK. - Console: press Tab in game and type
open 203.0.113.25:7777. This one uses the game port, not the query port.
To check whether Steam can see the server at all, open https://api.steampowered.com/ISteamApps/GetServersAtAddress/v0001?addr=YOUR_IP in a browser. A listed server shows "appid": 346110 and its game port.
How to become admin, and the ARK server commands you’ll use
Admin access on an ARK server comes from the ServerAdminPassword you set. Join, press Tab to open the console, type enablecheats yourpassword, and every admin command after that starts with cheat. To skip the password, list your 17-digit Steam ID in ShooterGame/Saved/AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
cheat ListPlayers |
Lists everyone online with their Steam IDs |
cheat KickPlayer <SteamID> |
Disconnects a player |
cheat BanPlayer <SteamID> |
Bans a player; cheat UnbanPlayer <SteamID> undoes it if someone was banned from the server by mistake |
cheat Broadcast <message> |
Announces a message to the whole server |
cheat SaveWorld |
The server save command: writes the world to disk now |
cheat DoExit |
Shuts the server down as soon as possible |
cheat DestroyWildDinos |
Clears every untamed creature so new ones spawn |
cheat Ghost / cheat Walk |
No-clip on, and back off again |
On Xbox and PlayStation the console opens with a button combination instead of Tab; the commands are the same.
Adding Workshop mods to an ARK dedicated server
A modded ARK server needs two things: the Workshop mod IDs on the ActiveMods line in GameUserSettings.ini, which decides which mods load and in what order, and the -automanagedmods option on the launch line, which makes the server download and update Workshop mods itself. The ID is the number at the end of the mod’s Steam Workshop page address. Order matters: the left-most mod has top priority when two change the same thing.
[ServerSettings]
ActiveMods=111111111,222222222,333333333ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=MyTribeIsland -automanagedmodsThe community wiki also documents a second list for the auto-installer: one ModIDS= line per mod under a [ModInstaller] header in Game.ini. Either way, ActiveMods is what decides which mods actually load.
Players don’t need to set anything up. A player who doesn’t have the server’s mods gets them when joining, but on big mods the first join can time out before the download finishes; join again once it’s done.
The Aquatica problem. ARK’s Aquatica DLC (July 15, 2025, patch 360.1) changed enough of the game that a large share of older Workshop mods and ServerAPI plugins stopped working. If your mods break, the server can be rolled back to the last version before it, 358.24, with the preaquatica branch:
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\arkserver +login anonymous +app_update "376030 -beta preaquatica validate" +quitEvery player then has to switch too, in Steam under ARK → Properties → Betas → preaquatica. That build can’t run the Aquatica map, and you should only restore saves that a 360.1 or later server never loaded, or some tames and structures can come back corrupted.
Running an ARK server cluster
An ARK cluster is two or more servers, usually one per map, that let survivors carry their character, tames and items between maps through obelisks and transmitters. Each server gets the same -clusterid and the same shared folder through -ClusterDirOverride:
ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=TribeIsland -clusterid=mytribecluster7 -ClusterDirOverride="C:\ARKCluster"
ShooterGameServer ScorchedEarth_P?SessionName=TribeScorched -clusterid=mytribecluster7 -ClusterDirOverride="C:\ARKCluster"- Pick a cluster ID nobody else will use. A common one like
cluster1can clash with other servers that use the same ID. - Each map is its own server process, so it needs its own ports and its own 8–12 GB of RAM.
- Add
-NoTransferFromFilteringto stop players bringing in characters from single player. - What can move is controlled with
PreventDownloadDinos,PreventDownloadItems,PreventDownloadSurvivorsand theirUploadtwins.
Updating, backing up and wiping an ARK server
An ARK server update works the same way every time: stop it, run the same SteamCMD app_update 376030 command and start it again; players on a newer game version can’t join until you do. Back up before every update by copying the whole ShooterGame/Saved folder, which holds every tribe, player, world and config file.
- Autosave: every 15 minutes by default (
AutoSavePeriodMinutes). A crash in the first 15 minutes after a fresh start loses everything since the start. - Built-in backups: the server keeps a backup of the save every two hours, 20 of them by default (
-MaxNumOfSaveBackups=changes that). - Before you stop it: run
cheat SaveWorldso nothing since the last autosave is lost.
When do ARK servers wipe? On your own server, only when you decide. Official servers used to wipe some types on a timer, every 60 days on Beginner servers and every 30 on ARKpocalypse. For an ARK server wipe, stop the server, back up, move everything out of ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks and start it again; your config files stay where they are. To refresh only the wild creatures, run cheat DestroyWildDinos instead.
ARK server manager tools
If the launch lines and INI files feel like a lot, a server management tool does that part for you. ARK Server Manager (Windows, ARK: Survival Evolved only) installs and updates the server through SteamCMD, writes the INI files and launch line from a form, schedules updates and backups and manages the Windows Firewall rules. On Linux, ARK Server Tools gives you commands like arkmanager install, arkmanager update, arkmanager installmods, arkmanager backup and arkmanager saveworld, and LinuxGSM is another option.
PvE, PvP or roleplay: picking a server type
ARK servers are PvP by default, which the game also calls PvPvE: players fight the environment and each other, and can raid bases. Set serverPVE=True for an ARK PvE server, where players can’t hurt each other or each other’s tames and buildings. A roleplay server is not a setting; it’s a PvE or PvP server with house rules and often a few mods.
Are ARK servers down? What happened to the official servers
If you are looking for official ARK: Survival Evolved servers today, they are not down for maintenance: Studio Wildcard closed them in 2023, after a last snapshot of the official worlds on September 30, 2023. Since then the game lives on unofficial servers, public community ones and private ones like this guide builds. If your server shows as offline, check that it is running, updated to the current game version and reachable on its ports.
Steam and Epic players can download the 2023 official saves from survivetheark.com and run them on their own server. Extract the archive into ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks and add -newsaveformat -usestore to the launch line (Legacy server saves need only -newsaveformat), or the save won’t load correctly. Big saves are heavy: most run on a 32 GB machine, the biggest (3.5 GB files and up) can need 64 GB. To match official rules, keep the rates at 1x and set OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 for wild creatures up to level 150.
Common ARK server problems and fixes
Most ARK server problems come down to four things: a port that isn’t open, a server and game on different versions, mods that are still downloading or no longer work, and INI files edited while the server was running. Find your symptom below. If the server itself won’t start, read the end of the latest file in ShooterGame/Saved/Logs first; it usually names the cause.
| Problem | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ARK server not showing up in the list | Query port 27015 not open, or the in-game list hasn’t reached it yet | Check the Steam API link above; add IP:27015 to Steam favorites |
| “Unable to query server info for invite” | The game couldn’t fetch the server’s details through a Steam invite or the Steam browser | Join from the in-game Unofficial list or Favorites, or use open IP:7777 |
| Connection timeout when joining the server | Server still loading, version mismatch, or mods still downloading | Wait for start-up to finish, update the server, rejoin after mods download |
| Crashing or a black screen when joining a modded server | A mod out of step with the server, or broken since the Aquatica update | Let Steam finish updating mods, verify game files (Properties → Installed Files), remove broken mods |
| “Server hitch detected” in the log | The server stalled for a moment | An occasional one is nothing to chase; if they’re constant, check memory use and any mod you added recently |
| Characters or world gone after a restart | The server can’t write to its folder, or crashed before its first autosave | Give the server user write access to the install folder |
| Linux server stuck at high CPU, never reaching about 5.5 GB RAM | Open-files limit too low | Raise it (step 5) |
| Server shuts itself down during a long first start | ARK treats a start-up longer than 45 minutes as a hang | Add -NoHangDetection for very big saves or slow machines |
| Settings reset after a restart | The INI was edited while the server was running | Stop the server, edit, start |
Skip the setup: rent an ARK server
Running your own ARK server means a PC that never sleeps, router ports, INI files that rewrite themselves, and mods that break on update day. If you’d rather spend the evening taming, ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting on GameTeam is ready in minutes. You pay per GB of RAM (from $0.49/GB a week, so an 8 GB server is $3.92 a week), slots are unlimited and there are no ports to forward.
The built-in AI copilot handles the fiddly parts. Type “make taming 3x and turn the server to PvE” and it stops the server, edits GameUserSettings.ini and reads the values back. Ask “why won’t the server start since the update?” and it reads the log and tells you which mod broke.
On Survival Ascended instead? Its server works differently; see the ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server guide.
FAQ
How much RAM do you need to host an ARK server?
Plan on 8–12 GB per map. An empty Island uses about 4 GB, but players, tames and structures push that up steadily, and Genesis: Part 2 needs 10–12.5 GB before anyone joins. A cluster needs that much for every map.
How much does it cost to run a dedicated ARK server?
The server software is free. Self-hosting costs a PC that stays on and its electricity. Renting costs whatever the host charges; on GameTeam it’s $0.49 per GB of RAM a week ($1.99/GB billed monthly), so an 8 GB server is $3.92 a week with unlimited slots.
Can you make your own ARK server for free?
Yes, if you host it yourself: the dedicated server downloads free through SteamCMD with an anonymous login. You still need a machine with enough RAM that can stay on, and a connection that can take the players. You don’t need to buy anything to start a non-dedicated session either, but it closes when you do.
Can I host an ARK server on Xbox or PS4?
Not a dedicated one. The ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server runs on Windows and Linux and serves the PC network: Steam players, plus Epic players when it runs with the -crossplay and -PublicIPForEpic= options. Xbox and PlayStation are separate networks, so console players can’t join a PC dedicated server.
How do I disable ghost mode in ARK?
Type cheat walk in the console (just walk in single player). It turns off both ghost (no-clip) and fly mode.
Are there still active ARK: Survival Evolved servers?
Yes, on unofficial servers. The official ones closed in 2023, but the game still gets content: the Aquatica DLC came out in July 2025.
What is a procedural server in ARK?
A server running a Procedurally Generated ARK: a randomly generated map instead of a fixed one, started with the map name PGARK.