How to Change the Map on an ARK Survival Ascended Server

To change the map on an ARK: Survival Ascended server, run SaveWorld, stop the server, replace the map name at the start of the launch line (for example TheIsland_WP with Ragnarok_WP, or the Map setting on GamezServers) and start it. Each map keeps its own save in ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/<map>/, so the old world is not deleted and switching back loads it as you left it. Survivors, tribes and tames stay on the map they were made on unless you transfer them through a cluster.

What changes with the map and what stays

So a map change is a fresh start for everyone's character on the new map, with the same server rules, while the old map waits on disk.

ARK Survival Ascended map names

The server expects these exact names, capitals and _WP included:

The list matches the ARK community wiki's server configuration page. Some maps are paid DLC, so check your players own a map before switching to it. Which map suits which tribe is covered in the best ARK Survival Ascended maps for a server.

Step 1: Back up first

Take a full backup of ShooterGame/Saved/. The old map's folder is not touched by a switch, but a backup protects you from a typo that makes the server write into the wrong place, and from mod problems on the new map. On GamezServers, press Backup.

Step 2: Save and stop the server

Run SaveWorld in RCON, or cheat SaveWorld in game as admin, wait for the save, then stop the server. Ask players to finish anything in progress first. If your group uploads items or dinos at obelisks, read the cluster section below before you stop.

Step 3: Change the map name

The map is the first word of the start line, before the ? options:

ArkAscendedServer.exe Ragnarok_WP?listen?SessionName="Our Tribe"?Port=7777 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=30

Change only that first word. On GamezServers, type the new name into Map in Settings and save.

Step 4: Start and wait for the new map

Start the server. A map that has never run on this server builds a fresh SavedArks/<map>/ folder and spawns its creatures, so the first start takes longer than usual. Once it shows up under Unofficial with Show Player Servers on, join and create a survivor.

Step 5: Switching back later

Set the map name back, for example to TheIsland_WP, and restart. The server loads SavedArks/TheIsland_WP/ with every base, tame and survivor exactly as it was. Nothing on a map changes while the server runs a different one.

Can characters and dinos move to the new map?

ARK moves survivors, dinos and items between maps with obelisk, terminal and supply drop uploads. Those uploads leave the map save and go into a cluster folder, and downloading them on another map needs servers started with the same -clusterid sharing the same cluster folder. That is the cluster setup in how to set up an ARK Survival Ascended cluster.

Without a cluster, plan a map change as a new playthrough. Anything a player uploaded and never downloaded is stuck in transfer storage, so ask everyone to download their survivor, dinos and items back onto the current map before you switch.

The gotcha: one wrong character in the map name

ARK does not reject a bad map name with a clear error. Type TheIsland (the Survival Evolved name), Theisland_WP or Ragnarok and the server does not load the map you meant. Studio Wildcard's 27 August 2026 patch notes even list an incorrect map name as a cause of creatures not spawning. And because each map's save folder is named after the map, a typo that does start leaves your real world sitting untouched while players wonder where their base went.

Mod maps add a second trap. The map name comes from the mod's CurseForge page, and the mod's project ID must be in the -mods= list, or the server cannot find the level. Add the ID first, then the name, as covered in how to add a mod map to an ARK Survival Ascended server.

Does a bigger map need more RAM?

Usually, yes. The Island, Scorched Earth and Aberration run comfortably for a small tribe on 12 GB. Large maps like Ragnarok, Valguero, The Center, Extinction, Genesis, Astraeos and Lost Colony, or boosted rates with a few mods, want 16 GB. Heavy mod lists or busy public servers want 24 GB. Memory grows as tames and bases pile up, so leave headroom.

Common problems

• Fresh map, nobody's base: the map name does not exactly match the folder in SavedArks. Check capitals and _WP.
• Server will not start or acts strangely after switching: a misspelled map name, or a mod map whose ID is missing from the mod list.
• Everyone has to create a new survivor: expected on a map they have not played. Survivors belong to their map.
• Dinos uploaded before the switch are gone: they are in transfer storage, which needs a cluster to download elsewhere. Switch back and download them.
• Settings feel different on the new map: they are not. GameUserSettings.ini is shared, but map differences such as spawn tables and biomes change how rates feel.
• Players cannot join a DLC map: they need to own that map's DLC.

On GamezServers

On an ARK: Survival Ascended server from GamezServers, the map is the Map setting: type the name, save, restart. Every map you have played keeps its folder in ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/, visible in the Files tab, and one click Backup covers you before each switch. Clusters are not offered yet, so each server runs one map at a time, and plans run from 12 GB for smaller maps to 24 GB for heavy setups.

FAQ

Does changing the map delete my ARK save?

No. Each map has its own folder in SavedArks, so switching back loads the old world with its bases and tames intact.

Do I keep my character when I change the map?

No, not on its own. Survivors are saved per map. Moving one needs an obelisk upload and a cluster to download it on the other map.

What is the server map name for Ragnarok in ARK Survival Ascended?

Ragnarok_WP. Every official Survival Ascended map name ends in _WP.

Do I need to change my settings for the new map?

No. GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini are shared by every map on the server, so your rates and rules carry over.