ARK Server Hosting

What is the difference between ARK: Survival Ascended and Survival Evolved servers?

ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) is the 2023 remake built on Unreal Engine 5, while ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) is the original Unreal Engine 4 game played since 2017. Servers of the two versions cannot connect to each other and do not share saves or mods, so before renting a server you need to be clear about which version your community plays.

In practice, this difference directly shapes your server choice. ASA requires a server running Windows Server with at least 12–16 GB of dedicated memory per map. ASE can run on Linux with less memory and performs reasonably even on older hardware. If you are building a new community, most of the player base has moved to ASA; if you have existing ASE saves and a mod set, keeping an ASE server running can make sense.

How much RAM and CPU does an ARK server need?

ARK is one of the most resource-hungry survival games: a single ASA map uses several gigabytes of memory even when empty, and as players tame dinosaurs and build bases, this climbs to 14–16 GB and beyond. The table above gives estimated values per map; if you run several maps, add the values together.

The main factors that increase memory usage on an ARK server are:

• Number of tames: every dinosaur, with its inventory and stats, is a separate object. When large tribes accumulate hundreds of dinosaurs, memory use and save times rise noticeably.
• Number of structures: base pieces and storage containers enlarge the world save; this is why short freezes happen during saves.
• Mods: mods that add new creatures, structures or maps load extra assets. Large map mods alone can require several gigabytes of memory.
• Map: there is a clear difference between official maps such as The Island and Scorched Earth and large community maps.

On the CPU side, ARK benefits from high clock speed cores; and since every map is a separate process, multi-map clusters also benefit from more cores. When memory runs out, Windows servers start spilling into virtual memory (the page file) and performance drops sharply, so do not plan memory too tightly.

Ready-made package or VDS for an ARK server?

The best infrastructure for an ARK server is a VDS whose resources are not shared with other customers; ASA's high memory needs and Windows requirement make small shared game packages insufficient for this game. The packages shown on this page are the current values of the VDS options suitable for ARK.

You can take one of two routes for ARK:

1. Your own installation on a VDS: when ordering a VDS server, choose Windows Server as the operating system, download the ASA or ASE server files with SteamCMD and manage the server yourself. With full administrator rights, you set up any mods, number of maps and backup scheme you want.
2. Installation via support ticket: if you do not want to deal with server administration, after ordering the VDS you can open a ticket for an ARK installation from the Support section of the customer panel; just state the version, map and mods you want.

A VDS has one more advantage for ARK: you can build a cluster on the same server with cross-map transfers enabled, and run a Discord bot or website alongside it. You can find a comparison of the two routes on the game server package or VDS page.

Which ports does an ARK server use?

By default, an ARK server uses port 7777/UDP for game traffic along with the port right above it, 7778/UDP; 27015/UDP for Steam queries and 27020/TCP for remote management (RCON) are common defaults. Since the ARK server does not open ports via UPnP, you need to open them manually in the firewall.

In ASA, servers register with the in-game list through Epic Online Services, so the Steam query port matters less; what players need to connect is an open game port. If you run more than one map on a server, give each map a different game port and a different RCON port, for example 7779/UDP and 27021/TCP for the second map. Instead of exposing the RCON port to the whole internet, allow only admin IP addresses.

Which files hold the ARK server settings?

ARK server settings are kept in two main files: GameUserSettings.ini for general server and gameplay settings, and Game.ini for more detailed game rules. Both are located under ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer in the server folder (LinuxServer for ASE on Linux).

• GameUserSettings.ini: the [ServerSettings] section holds the server password (ServerPassword), admin password (ServerAdminPassword), experience, taming and harvesting multipliers (XPMultiplier, TamingSpeedMultiplier, HarvestAmountMultiplier), PvE mode and RCON settings.
• Game.ini: detailed rules such as level caps, engram points, hatching and maturation speeds (EggHatchSpeedMultiplier, BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier), and structure and tame limits are defined here.

An important pitfall: if you edit these files while the server is running, the server writes its own values back to the file when it shuts down and your changes are lost. So always change settings while the server is stopped. The map name, player limit (?MaxPlayers=), session name and mod list (-mods=) are passed on the launch command line. An example ASA command line for one map looks like this:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?SessionName=Server?Port=7777?RCONPort=27020?MaxPlayers=40 -mods=MOD_ID

PvE or PvP on an ARK server, and which rates should you pick?

Two decisions largely define the identity of an ARK community server: whether players can attack each other (PvP or PvE) and how many times faster than official values the experience, taming and gathering rates are. These choices affect both your player base and the server's resource usage, because faster rates mean more dinosaurs and structures piling up in less time.

Common approaches can be summarised as follows:

• PvP close to official rates: suits competitive tribes and communities that want a long-running game. Raid pressure keeps structures at a certain level, but attack and defence require management.
• PvP with boosted rates (e.g. 3x, 5x): attractive for players with little time, but tame counts grow quickly, so tame limits and a regular wipe plan become important.
• PvE: ideal for groups of friends and build-focused communities. It is enabled with serverPVE=True; without attacks, structures accumulate, the save file grows and memory needs rise over time.

Rates are set in GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini, and writing them in the server description helps players choose your server with the right expectations. Defining your rule set from the start also reduces community disputes and admin intervention in the weeks ahead.

How do you add mods to an ARK server?

In ARK: Survival Ascended, mods are distributed through CurseForge and added by listing comma-separated mod IDs in the -mods= parameter on the server launch line; the server downloads the mods itself on startup. In ARK: Survival Evolved, mods come from Steam Workshop and are loaded via the ActiveMods line in GameUserSettings.ini or a launch parameter.

Points to watch when managing mods:

1. Order matters: if two mods change the same object, the one listed first wins. Put structure and UI mods near the top and handle map mods separately.
2. Updates must stay in sync: if the mod version on a player's client does not match the server's, the connection is refused. When a game update arrives, wait for mods to update too.
3. Removing mods is risky: when you remove a mod, the structures, items and creatures belonging to it are deleted from the world. Always take a backup before removing one.
4. Measure the memory impact: watch the server's memory usage after each new mod; large mod packs alone can need as much memory as a map.

On ASA servers that console players also join, using only mods supported on console is important so cross-platform players can connect. Check the platform information on the CurseForge page when choosing mods.

How do you set up an ARK cluster server?

An ARK cluster links several map servers on the same host, or with access to the same shared folder, so that players can carry their characters, items and dinosaurs from one map to another through an obelisk or transfer terminal. A cluster is built on two parameters: a -clusterid= value identical across all maps, and -ClusterDirOverride=, which points to the shared folder where transfer data is stored.

Follow these steps when setting up a cluster:

1. Define a separate server copy or a separate save folder (AltSaveDirectoryName) for each map.
2. Give each map a different game port, query port and RCON port.
3. Use the same clusterid and the same cluster folder on all maps.
4. Configure transfer rules (NoTributeDownloads, PreventDownloadSurvivors, PreventDownloadDinos) to match your community rules.

For resource planning, multiply the single-map values in the table by the number of maps; two ASA maps will not fit on a single 16 GB server. Clusters usually run on large VDS plans or, for very large communities, on a dedicated server. Staggering restarts across maps prevents all players from being disconnected at the same time.

How can you improve ARK server performance?

Most performance problems on an ARK server come from excessive tame and structure build-up, slow disks during saves and insufficient memory; settings that limit these, plus regular maintenance, can be more effective than a hardware upgrade.

• Set tame limits: use MaxTamedDinos for a server-wide limit and MaxPersonalTamedDinos for a per-tribe limit.
• Keep structure decay enabled: letting abandoned bases decay over time keeps the world save small.
• Write saves to a fast disk: on large worlds a save can take seconds; NVMe storage shortens that pause.
• Remove unnecessary mods: even an unused structure or creature mod affects startup time and memory.
• Schedule restarts: an announced restart once a day resets memory build-up and gives you a window to apply updates.
• Clean up the world: on long-running servers, clearing dropped items and abandoned structures with admin commands reduces load.

Server-side slowness and player-side network latency are different problems. On a Windows server, monitoring memory and CPU usage with Task Manager or Resource Monitor quickly shows which map is causing the load.

How do you protect an ARK server against DDoS and cheating?

ARK servers, especially in PvP communities, can be targeted by rival tribes; protection against DDoS attacks happens at the network level, while protection against cheating relies on the game's own anti-cheat system and careful administration.

On LIONFIN infrastructure, the RouteFence firewall filters attack traffic at the network level before it reaches your server, and 24/7 NOC and SOC teams monitor the network in our data center. Measures you can take on the server side include:

• Keep ServerAdminPassword long and unique; never share the admin password in chat channels.
• Enable RCON only when needed and restrict its port to admin IP addresses.
• Use the in-game BanPlayer command for player bans and back up the ban list.
• Protect Remote Desktop access on Windows Server with a strong password; if possible, change the RDP port and open it to your own IP address only.

ARK uses BattlEye on player clients; disabling BattlEye on the server increases the risk of cheating.

How do you back up and migrate an ARK world?

Persistent data of an ARK server lives in the ShooterGame/Saved folder: the world save is a file with the .ark extension, player profiles are .arkprofile files and tribe data is stored in .arktribe files. Backing up this folder and the cluster folder is enough to restore the server completely.

When migrating from another provider or from a server at home:

1. Run the SaveWorld command on the server and shut it down.
2. Archive the Saved/SavedArks folder (a subfolder named after the map in ASA) and the Saved/Config folder; if you use a cluster, include the cluster folder as well.
3. Install the same game version and the same mod list on the new server.
4. Upload the files to the same paths, start the server, then confirm with a player account that character and tribe data came across.

ASE saves cannot be moved directly to ASA; the two versions use different engines and save formats. ARK servers also take automatic backups, but these sit on the same disk; to protect against disk failure, keep a copy of your backups in another location.

What are the most common ARK server errors?

The most common problems on ARK servers are the server not appearing in the list, version or mod mismatches, and crashes caused by insufficient memory; most can be diagnosed quickly by reading the log file (ShooterGame/Saved/Logs).

If you hit a problem not in the table, first look at the end of the latest log file; ARK usually writes the error that stopped startup in the last lines. On days when a game update is released, announcing maintenance to players and updating the server first, then the mods, keeps connection errors to a minimum. If you cannot solve it, open a support ticket from the Support section of the customer panel and attach the log file; including it speeds up the investigation considerably.