ARK Survival Ascended Server Settings Not Working? Fix Rates

When ARK Survival Ascended server settings are not working, the usual reason is that the file was edited while the server was running, so the server wrote its old values back when it shut down. The other common causes are a setting under the wrong section header, a typo, editing the wrong folder, or the same setting also being on the launch line. This guide shows how to find which one it is and get your taming, XP and breeding rates to stick.

Quick fix

1. Stop the server completely. Do not just restart it.
2. Edit ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini or Game.ini.
3. Put each setting under its correct header (see the table below).
4. Save the file and start the server.
5. Check in game. If a value is still wrong, look for it on the launch line, which always wins over the ini file.

Why settings reset after a restart

The ARK server reads its ini files once at startup and keeps the values in memory. When it shuts down cleanly, it writes those values back to GameUserSettings.ini. So if you edit the file while the server is running and then restart, this happens:

1. You save your new rates.
2. The restart shuts the server down, and it saves its old in memory values over your edits.
3. The server starts again and reads the old values.

It looks like the server ignored you, but it actually overwrote you. Always stop first, edit, then start.

Check you are in the right file and folder

The config folder is:

ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/

It is called WindowsServer even on Linux hosts, because Survival Ascended only has a Windows server build. Common mistakes:

• Editing the files in ShooterGame/Config/ (the defaults), which the server does not use for your settings.
• Editing a single player config in your own game folder instead of the server's.
• Editing a copy called GameUserSettings (1).ini or GameUserSettings.ini.txt after a download. The file must be named exactly GameUserSettings.ini.

Put settings under the right header

Every ini file is split into sections, and a setting under the wrong header is silently ignored.

A working example of each:

[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=2.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.5
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=5.0
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=5.0

Watch for these mistakes:

• Breeding settings in GameUserSettings.ini. BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier and friends only work in Game.ini.
• The same setting twice. If TamingSpeedMultiplier appears in two places, only one wins. Search the file and delete duplicates.
• A header that appears twice. Keep one [ServerSettings] block and put everything in it.
• Spaces around the equals sign or a comma instead of a dot. Write XPMultiplier=2.0, not XPMultiplier = 2,0.

GameUserSettings.ini keeps resetting completely

If the whole file goes back to defaults, not just one value, the server could not read it and made a new one. Usually a header got deleted or broken. Make sure the file still contains its standard sections, including [/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameUserSettings], and that every header has both square brackets. Restoring a backup of the file and making your change again is the fastest fix.

The launch line wins over the ini file

Anything passed on the server's launch line after a ? or -, such as ?MaxPlayers=20, ?ServerPassword=, ?SessionName= or ?ServerAdminPassword=, overrides the same value in GameUserSettings.ini. If a setting keeps coming back no matter what you put in the file, look for it on the launch line or start script. Either change it there, or remove it from the launch line and keep it in the ini only.

Difficulty and wild dino levels

A very common "not working" report is wild dinos staying at max level 30 or 120. The difficulty offset alone is not enough. Set both of these under [ServerSettings]:

DifficultyOffset=1.0
OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0

That gives wild dinos up to level 150. Existing wild dinos keep their old levels until they respawn, so run cheat DestroyWildDinos once after the change. Our ARK admin commands guide covers how to run it.

Mods can override your settings

Some CurseForge mods ship their own config and change stack sizes, engrams or multipliers. If one setting refuses to change and you run mods, check the mod's page for its own ini section. Removing the mod for a test restart tells you quickly whether it is the cause.

Commands are not permanent

Changing values in game with admin commands only affects the running server. They are gone after the next restart. For anything you want to keep, use the ini files.

Editing settings on a GamezServers server

On a hosted server the steps are the same, just in your browser:

1. Press Stop in the control panel.
2. Open the Files tab and go to ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/.
3. Edit GameUserSettings.ini or Game.ini and save.
4. Press Start.

The server name in the list comes from the name on your dashboard. Press Backup before large changes, so you can roll back if something breaks.

FAQ

Why do my ARK server rates reset every restart?

You edited the ini while the server was running, and it wrote the old values back on shutdown. Stop the server, edit, then start it.

Where do breeding settings go in ARK Survival Ascended?

In Game.ini under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]. They do nothing in GameUserSettings.ini.

Why are wild dinos still level 30 or 120?

Set OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 and DifficultyOffset=1.0, restart, then run cheat DestroyWildDinos so new dinos spawn at the new levels.

Do I need to restart for ini changes?

Yes. The server only reads the files at startup, so stop it, save your changes and start it again.

Less time in ini files

If you would rather spend the evening taming than troubleshooting, a hosted server gives you the files in your browser with backups a click away. See ARK: Survival Ascended server hosting or the quick start guide.