How to Move an ARK Survival Evolved Save to a Server

To move an ARK: Survival Evolved save to a dedicated server, copy three things from ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal in your ARK install: the map file (for example TheIsland.ark), your LocalPlayer.arkprofile and every .arktribe file. Upload them to ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ on the server, rename LocalPlayer.arkprofile to your 17 digit SteamID64 (76561198012345678.arkprofile), and run the server on the same map. This works for Steam saves from single player or a non-dedicated session.

What you can and cannot move

Before you start

• Close ARK so the save is fully written. In single player, the world saves when you exit to the menu.
• Back up. Copy the whole SavedArksLocal folder somewhere safe.
• Know your map. The .ark file only loads on a server running the same map: TheIsland.ark needs the map set to TheIsland, Ragnarok.ark needs Ragnarok, ScorchedEarth_P.ark needs ScorchedEarth_P.
• Match the mods. Every Workshop mod the save used must be on the server, in the same load order, or modded dinos, items and structures vanish.

Step 1: Find the files on your PC

In Steam, right click ARK: Survival Evolved, choose Manage, then Browse local files. Open:

ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal\

ASE keeps every map in this one folder. What you need:

Turn on file extensions in File Explorer (View, File name extensions) so you can see the real names.

Step 2: Find your SteamID64

The server stores characters by SteamID64, a 17 digit number that starts with 7656119. Paste your Steam profile link into steamid.io and copy the steamID64 value. Do not use your Steam name or the short Steam ID.

Step 3: Rename your character

Make a copy of LocalPlayer.arkprofile and rename the copy to your SteamID64:

LocalPlayer.arkprofile  ->  76561198012345678.arkprofile

This is the step that breaks most moves. A dedicated server never reads LocalPlayer.arkprofile. If the file keeps that name, or gets saved as 76561198012345678.arkprofile.txt, you spawn as a fresh level 1 survivor while your whole base sits there untouched. If you were the host of a non-dedicated session, only your profile is called LocalPlayer. Your friends' profiles already have their SteamID64 names and work as they are.

Step 4: Stop the server and back up its save

Stop the server so it cannot write over your upload. ARK saves the world on shutdown, so files uploaded while it is running get replaced the moment it stops. If the server has run once, it already has its own TheIsland.ark in ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/. Back that folder up, then delete the server's map file and any profiles you are replacing.

Step 5: Upload the files

Upload into ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ on the server:

• the map file, for example TheIsland.ark
• your renamed <SteamID64>.arkprofile
• every .arktribe file
• in a non-dedicated save, your friends' <SteamID64>.arkprofile files

Map files from long running saves get large, so use SFTP (FileZilla or WinSCP) rather than a browser upload.

Step 6: Set the map and settings, then start

Set the server's map to the one your save uses, then start it and give it a few minutes to load. Join and check that your character, tames and doors all belong to you.

If you played with single player settings, the server does not know about them. ASE has a switch that applies the same single player balancing (faster breeding and maturing, among others). Put it in Game.ini with the server stopped:

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
bUseSingleplayerSettings=True

Or set your own taming, harvest and XP multipliers in GameUserSettings.ini, as covered in how to host an ARK Survival Evolved server. The full key list is on the ARK wiki server configuration page.

Common problems

• You spawn as a new character: the profile is still called LocalPlayer, has a hidden .txt extension, or uses the wrong ID. It must be your 17 digit SteamID64.
• The server makes a brand new world: the map setting does not match the file name, or the .ark went into the wrong folder. Ragnarok.ark on a server set to TheIsland is ignored.
• Tames are there but you cannot ride them or open doors: the .arktribe file did not come across. Upload it and restart.
• Modded dinos and structures are gone: a mod is missing or in a different order. Restore your backup, fix ActiveMods, and upload again.
• Breeding and taming feel slow: single player settings do not travel. Turn on bUseSingleplayerSettings or set the multipliers yourself.

Doing it on GamezServers

On an ARK: Survival Evolved server from GamezServers, click Backup, stop the server, and upload over the SFTP login in Settings or in the file manager, which also takes zip files, extracts them and can download a file from a link straight to the server. Pick your map in Server Map, paste your Workshop IDs into the Mods setting, and the island stays online with babies maturing and crops growing without anyone's PC on. Big DLC maps need more memory, so check the plan sizes on the game page.

FAQ

Where are ARK Survival Evolved single player saves stored?

In your ARK install under ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal\. Each map is one .ark file named after the map, next to LocalPlayer.arkprofile and your .arktribe files.

Why did I lose my character after moving my save?

The server looks for a profile named after your SteamID64. Rename LocalPlayer.arkprofile to your 17 digit SteamID64 with the .arkprofile extension.

Will my friends keep their characters?

From a non-dedicated session, yes: their profiles are already named by SteamID64. If they only played on your PC in single player, they never had characters and start fresh.

Can I move an ARK Survival Evolved save to Survival Ascended?

No. ASE and ASA saves are not compatible, so an ASE world can only continue on an ASE server.