Complete ARK Server Hosting Guide: Setup, Configuration, and Management

Hosting your own ARK server gives you and your community complete control over rates, mods, maps, and rules. Whether you choose ARK: Survival Evolved or Survival Ascended, the fundamentals of server hosting are similar. This guide covers everything from hardware requirements to advanced cluster configuration.

Hardware Requirements

ARK is one of the most resource-intensive games to host as a dedicated server. Plan your hardware accordingly.

ARK: Survival Ascended (UE5)

• CPU: 8+ cores recommended. ARK Ascended leverages more threads than Evolved
• RAM: 16 GB minimum for a single server instance. Budget 20-24 GB for heavily modded servers or maps with high creature counts
• Storage: 20 GB minimum per server instance. SSD storage is critical for acceptable world-load times
• OS: Windows is required. ARK: Survival Ascended does not have native Linux server support

ARK: Survival Evolved (UE4)

• CPU: 4+ cores, with strong single-thread performance
• RAM: 8-12 GB for a standard server. Large maps like Genesis Part 2 may need more
• Storage: 15 GB per instance on SSD
• OS: Windows or Linux supported

Port Configuration

ARK servers require three ports to be open and forwarded:

Port	Protocol	Purpose
7777	UDP	Game client connections
27015	UDP	Steam query (server browser)
27020	TCP	RCON (remote administration)

For clustered servers, each instance needs its own set of ports. Offset by 2 for each additional server (e.g., 7779, 27017, 27022 for the second instance).

Installation

Using SteamCMD

Install SteamCMD on your server and download the ARK server files:

For Survival Ascended, use App ID 2430930:

login anonymous
force_install_dir /ark-asa-server
app_update 2430930 validate
quit

For Survival Evolved, use App ID 376030:

login anonymous
force_install_dir /ark-ase-server
app_update 376030 validate
quit

Startup Command

A basic startup command for Survival Ascended:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName=MyServer?MaxPlayers=70?ServerAdminPassword=YourAdminPass -port=7777 -QueryPort=27015

Replace TheIsland_WP with the map identifier you want to run, such as ScorchedEarth_WP, Aberration_WP, or LostColony_WP.

Configuration Files

ARK uses two primary configuration files located in the Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ directory (Ascended) or ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ (Evolved on Linux).

GameUserSettings.ini

This file contains most server settings. Key sections under [ServerSettings]:

[ServerSettings]
ServerHardcore=False
ShowMapPlayerLocation=True
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
ServerCrosshair=True
RCONEnabled=True
RCONPort=27020
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=3.0
XPMultiplier=2.0
DifficultyOffset=1.0
OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0

Game.ini

This file handles deeper gameplay tweaks like per-level stat multipliers, engram overrides, and stack size modifications:

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=20.0
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=15.0
MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.1
BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier=0.05

Always stop the server before editing configuration files. ARK writes its current configuration to these files on shutdown, overwriting manual edits made while the server is running.

Clustering Multiple Servers

One of ARK’s biggest draws is cluster play, where players transfer characters, creatures, and items between servers running different maps.

To enable clustering, add the following to each server’s startup command:

-clusterid=MyClusterName -ClusterDirOverride="/path/to/shared/cluster"

All servers in the cluster must share the same cluster directory and cluster ID. Players use Obelisks or supply drops to transfer between servers.

Cluster Tips

• Use the same rates and mod list across all clustered servers for consistency
• Enable upload and download timers to prevent exploits
• Monitor the cluster directory size; stale transfer data can accumulate over time

Mod Management

ARK: Survival Ascended uses CurseForge for mod distribution, accessible directly from the in-game mod browser. On the server side, specify mod IDs in the startup command:

-mods=ModID1,ModID2,ModID3

Popular server mods include stack size modifiers, structure improvement mods, custom creature spawn adjustments, and UI enhancements. Keep your mod list reasonable since each mod increases server load and client download times.

Backup Strategy

ARK world saves can corrupt, especially after unexpected shutdowns. Implement a backup routine:

• Frequency: Every 15-30 minutes for active servers
• Retention: Keep at least 7 days of rolling backups
• Scope: Back up the entire Saved directory, including player profiles and tribe data
• Pre-update: Always create a manual backup before applying ARK updates

Managed Hosting with Reactor

Self-hosting an ARK server demands significant hardware, constant maintenance, and a reliable internet connection. Reactor provides managed ARK server hosting that handles the infrastructure so you can focus on your community.

With Reactor, you get automatic game updates when Studio Wildcard releases patches, built-in automated backups with retention policies, SFTP access for direct file management, and enough resources to run ARK smoothly. Browse our ARK: Survival Ascended or ARK: Survival Evolved hosting plans to find the right fit.

For help optimizing your server experience, check out our ARK server settings guide or our comparison of ARK Evolved vs Ascended to decide which version to host.