How to Make an ARK Survival Ascended Server (2026 Guide)

An ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server keeps your world running when nobody is online, so dinos keep breeding, crops keep growing and your tribe can play on its own schedule. The server software is free, but it is heavy and it only runs natively on Windows. This guide covers the full setup, and at the end there is a quicker option if you would rather skip it.

Short on time? A hosted ARK: Survival Ascended server is live in about 60 seconds with no SteamCMD, no port forwarding and no Windows PC left running. The quick start guide shows every step.

What you need

• A Windows PC or server that stays on while people play. Linux works too, but only through Proton (more on that below). Dinos only mature and crops only grow while the server runs, so for most tribes that means around the clock.
• Plenty of memory. The Island uses around 8 to 10 GB with nobody online, so plan on 12 GB free for a small tribe and 16 GB or more for bigger groups or mods.
• Around 30 GB or more of free space on an SSD. Slow disks make startup and saves painful.
• A modern CPU with good single core speed.
• Access to your router for port forwarding.

For a deeper look at sizing, read how much RAM a game server needs. If your gaming PC does not have 12 GB or more to spare while you play, a hosted server with its own memory is usually the simpler route.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

Download SteamCMD from Valve, extract it to a folder such as C:\steamcmd and run steamcmd.exe once so it finishes updating itself.

Step 2: Download the server

The ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server is app ID 2430930 (the old Survival Evolved server is a different app, 376030, so do not mix them up). It downloads anonymously:

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\asa-server +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit

Run the same command whenever the game updates. Players on a newer version cannot join an outdated server. On a hosted server, a restart pulls the update for you.

Step 3: Create a start script

The server executable lives in ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkAscendedServer.exe. Create start.bat in your server folder:

start ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="My ARK Server"?ServerPassword=joinpass?MaxPlayers=20?ServerAdminPassword=adminpass -port=7777

Things that trip people up:

• Ascended maps end in _WP, for example TheIsland_WP, ScorchedEarth_WP, TheCenter_WP and Ragnarok_WP.
• Set the port with -port=7777, not ?Port=. Survival Ascended ignores the old style and falls back to 7777.
• Put ?ServerAdminPassword= last in the ? options. Anything after it can be read as part of the password.
• Leave out ?ServerPassword= if you want an open server.

The first start can take several minutes while the map loads, and longer with mods. Give it time before assuming something is wrong.

Step 4: Tune your rates

After the first start, stop the server and open the config folder at ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\. Two files matter:

• GameUserSettings.ini: the everyday settings under [ServerSettings], such as XPMultiplier, TamingSpeedMultiplier, HarvestAmountMultiplier and DifficultyOffset.
• Game.ini: deeper tuning under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode], such as breeding and maturation speeds and per level stat multipliers.

For example, to double taming and harvesting, add these under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini:

TamingSpeedMultiplier=2.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0

Always edit with the server stopped, because it rewrites these files when it shuts down.

Step 5: Add CurseForge mods

Survival Ascended mods come from CurseForge. Each mod page shows a Project ID. Add the IDs to your launch line, separated by commas:

-mods=927131,928988

The server downloads the mods on start, and players get them automatically when they join. If console players are on your server, only use mods marked as cross platform.

Step 6: Open the ports

Forward these ports on your router to the server's local IP address:

Many older guides also list 7778 UDP and 27015, and forwarding them does no harm. Allow ArkAscendedServer.exe through Windows Firewall too. Our port forwarding guide walks through the router side. If your router or internet provider will not cooperate, a hosted server has nothing to forward at all.

Running it on Linux

Wildcard only ships a Windows server build. On Linux, people run the Windows build through Proton, Valve's compatibility layer, usually with a community Docker image that bundles SteamCMD and a Proton version. It works well, but expect a little more memory use and occasional breakage after big updates until the image catches up.

Step 7: How your tribe joins

1. Launch ARK: Survival Ascended and click Join Game.
2. Switch the list to Unofficial and turn on Show Player Servers.
3. Search for your session name and click Join, then enter the password.

On PC you can also connect directly: open the console in game and type open 203.0.113.10:7777 with your public IP instead of the example. Survival Ascended servers are cross platform, so Xbox and PlayStation players can find the server in the same list.

Running a cluster

To let players move characters and dinos between maps, run one server per map, each with its own port, and give them all the same -clusterid=yourcluster and a shared -ClusterDirOverride= folder. Each map server needs its own share of RAM, so a two map cluster needs roughly twice the memory.

Common problems

• Server does not show in the list: make sure Show Player Servers is ticked, search the exact session name and give it a few minutes after startup. The full checklist is in ARK server not showing up.
• Server stuck on startup: big maps and mods take a while. Watch memory use: if the machine runs out, the server crashes or hangs.
• Everyone can join on your network but not outside it: UDP 7777 is not forwarded, or Windows Firewall is blocking the executable.
• Settings keep resetting: you edited the ini files while the server was running. Stop it first, then edit. More causes in ARK server settings not working.
• Version mismatch: rerun the SteamCMD update command after every patch.

The easy way

Self hosting ARK is a real commitment: a Windows machine with 12 to 16 GB of memory free, left on every hour your tribe wants to play, plus port forwarding, Proton on Linux and a SteamCMD update after every patch. If you would rather skip all of that, a hosted server is live in about 60 seconds with its own address, nothing to forward and your home IP kept private. You still get the same GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini in a browser file manager, a live console, CurseForge mods by project ID and 3 backups, and plans start at 29.99 USD a month with the option to split the bill with your tribe.

See ARK: Survival Ascended server hosting for plans, or follow the quick start guide to see exactly what the first hour looks like.