How to Launch an ARK Survival Ascended Server?

Par Benjamin D. · PDG

August 22, 2026 · Mis à jour le August 22, 2026 · Lecture 10 min

Contents

Setting up an ARK Ascended server in 2026 is far less painful than it was at launch, but it still demands more resources and more attention than any other survival game. Between Unreal Engine 5, CurseForge mods, cluster transfers and save file bloat, a badly configured instance will stutter within weeks. This tutorial walks through the full setup, from hardware sizing to GameUserSettings.ini tuning.

What an ARK Ascended server really needs before you install anything

ARK: Survival Ascended is built on Unreal Engine 5, and the dedicated server binary inherits that weight. Compared to ARK: Survival Evolved, expect roughly double the RAM footprint and a much stronger dependency on single-thread CPU performance. The simulation loop — dinos, tames, structures, breeding, decay timers — is largely serialized, so raw clock speed matters more than core count.

Realistic hardware sizing

Scenario	RAM	CPU	Storage
Vanilla, 10 players, 1 map	12–16 GB	High-frequency Ryzen, 2–4 dedicated threads	40 GB NVMe
Modded, 20–40 players, 1 map	16–24 GB	4–6 dedicated threads	60–80 GB NVMe
Cluster of 3–4 maps	16–24 GB per map instance	4+ threads per instance	150 GB+ NVMe

Two points people underestimate. First, storage type is not optional: an ASA save file grows constantly, and world saves are written synchronously. On classic SATA or shared spinning storage, every autosave produces a visible freeze for every connected player. NVMe removes most of that hitch. Second, a shared CPU is a lag machine on ASA. If the host oversells cores, your tick rate collapses at prime time no matter how much RAM you bought.

That is why our Serveur ARK offers run on high-frequency Ryzen with NVMe storage and anti-DDoS filtering enabled by default — ARK servers are a classic target for UDP floods, and a volumetric attack on port 7777 will kick everyone off long before your config ever becomes the problem.

Ports to plan for

Port	Protocol	Role
7777	UDP	Game traffic (ASA no longer needs 7778)
27015	UDP	Steam/Epic query, server browser listing
27020	TCP	RCON (remote administration)

On a managed game hosting plan these are assigned automatically. On a self-hosted box you open them yourself, and you only expose RCON to trusted IPs.

Method 1: deploy an ARK Ascended server on a managed panel

This is the fastest route, and the one most communities should take. On a Pterodactyl-based panel, the ARK Ascended server egg pulls the dedicated server files, generates the config and exposes a live console. Installation is instant, then you configure.

Step 1 — Choose the map and slot count

In 2026 the map rotation available for ASA includes the official releases and several ported maps. The internal names matter because they go straight into the startup command:

TheIsland_WP
ScorchedEarth_WP
TheCenter_WP
Aberration_WP
Extinction_WP
Ragnarok_WP
Astraeos_WP (community map distributed as a mod)

Slot count on ASA is controlled by the -WinLiveMaxPlayers flag, not by the old -MaxPlayers argument. Getting this wrong is the number one reason a fresh server refuses connections past a certain player count.

Step 2 — Startup parameters

A typical ASA startup line looks like this:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="Fly-Serv Community"?ServerPassword=?ServerAdminPassword=ChangeMeNow?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?RCONEnabled=True?RCONPort=27020 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=40 -NoBattlEye -servergamelog -ServerRCONOutputTribeLogs -NotifyAdminCommandsInChat -mods=930022,928988

Breakdown of the important bits:

?listen — mandatory, makes the session visible.
?ServerAdminPassword= — this is also your RCON password. Use a long random string, never the same as your panel password.
-WinLiveMaxPlayers= — real slot limit.
-NoBattlEye — optional; disabling BattlEye lowers overhead but also lowers anti-cheat coverage on PvP servers. Decide consciously.
-servergamelog — writes gameplay events to the console, essential for admin work.
-mods= — comma-separated CurseForge mod IDs (see below).

Step 3 — First boot and generated files

Start the server once and let it finish loading before touching anything. First boot on ASA can take several minutes because the engine builds shader and world data. You will then find:

ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/Game.ini
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/            # world saves + player profiles
ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/                 # ShooterGame.log

Always stop the server before editing these files. ASA rewrites its config on shutdown, so live edits get overwritten. Use the panel's stop button, edit, then start.

Step 4 — Core GameUserSettings.ini tuning

[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=
ServerAdminPassword=ChangeMeNow
MaxPlayers=40
DifficultyOffset=1.0
OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0
XPMultiplier=2.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=5.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=3.0
StructureResistanceMultiplier=1.0
PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=0.8
PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=0.8
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
ServerCrosshair=True
ShowMapPlayerLocation=True
AllowCaveBuildingPvE=False
DisableStructureDecayPvE=False
PvEDinoDecayPeriodMultiplier=2.0
AutoSavePeriodMinutes=15
KickIdlePlayersPeriod=3600
RCONEnabled=True
RCONPort=27020

[SessionSettings]
SessionName=Fly-Serv Community

[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=40

OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 is what gives you level 150 wild dinos. Setting DifficultyOffset alone will not do it. And AutoSavePeriodMinutes is a balance: 15 minutes is a sane default — too frequent and you multiply the save hitch, too rare and a crash costs an hour of progress.

Step 5 — Game.ini for rates and stats

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=10.0
BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier=0.1
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=15.0
MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.3
CropGrowthSpeedMultiplier=3.0
GlobalSpoilingTimeMultiplier=2.0
PoopIntervalMultiplier=2.0

PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[0]=1.5   ; Health
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[7]=1.5   ; Weight
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[8]=1.2   ; Melee
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoTamed_Add[8]=0.2
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoTamed_Affinity[8]=0.4

bAutoUnlockAllEngrams=False
bDisableStructurePlacementCollision=True

Breeding multipliers are the settings that generate the most support tickets. If imprinting is impossible on your server, it is almost always because BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier was not lowered in proportion to BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier. Rule of thumb: divide the cuddle interval by roughly the same factor you multiplied maturation.

Method 2: self-hosting an ARK Ascended server on a VPS

If you want full control — custom scripts, several game instances, your own monitoring stack — a VPS is the alternative. Be honest about the RAM requirement first: ASA is not a game you squeeze into 8 GB.

Windows VPS with SteamCMD

The dedicated server for ASA is distributed on Steam under app ID 2430930. On a VPS Windows, install SteamCMD then:

steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\ASAServer +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit

Create a start script:

@echo off
cd /d C:\ASAServer\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64
start ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="My Server"?ServerAdminPassword=SuperLongSecret?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?RCONEnabled=True?RCONPort=27020 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=40 -servergamelog

Open the firewall:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ASA Game" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=7777
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ASA Query" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=27015

Linux VPS

On a VPS Linux, run the server under a dedicated unprivileged user, never root:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steamcmd ufw fail2ban
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" asa
sudo -u asa -i
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/asa/asaserver +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit

Then wrap it in a systemd unit so it restarts cleanly after a crash or a reboot:

[Unit]
Description=ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=asa
WorkingDirectory=/home/asa/asaserver/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64
ExecStart=/home/asa/asaserver/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?RCONEnabled=True?RCONPort=27020 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=40 -servergamelog
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=20
LimitNOFILE=100000

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now asa-server
sudo journalctl -u asa-server -f

Note that if your build requires a Proton/Wine wrapper, the ExecStart line changes accordingly — check the launcher documentation shipped with your build. Baseline VPS hardening applies in every case:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "asa-admin"
sudo sed -i 's/^#\?PasswordAuthentication.*/PasswordAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
sudo systemctl restart ssh
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
sudo ufw enable

Notice that RCON port 27020 is not opened globally. Restrict it to your admin IP with sudo ufw allow from YOUR.IP.HERE to any port 27020 proto tcp, or tunnel it over SSH. An exposed RCON port with a weak password is a full server takeover.

If you prefer the panel experience while keeping root access, a VPS Pterodactyl gives you both: containerized instances, a web console and file manager, without giving up control of the underlying machine. The official Pterodactyl documentation covers node configuration and allocation management in detail.

Mods, clusters, backups: running the ARK Ascended server long term

Installing mods from CurseForge

ASA uses CurseForge instead of the Steam Workshop. You do not upload mod files manually — you list the numeric mod IDs in the startup command and the server downloads them at boot:

-mods=930022,928988,899987

Practical rules learned the hard way:

Order matters for structure and stack mods. Put overhaul mods first, cosmetic mods last.
Every mod added to a live map is a one-way door. Removing it later can destroy structures and tames tied to it.
Mod updates are pulled on restart. A broken update means a boot loop — check the console log rather than restarting blindly.
Before enabling a new mod on production, restart once with the mod on an empty copy of the save.

Details on IDs, map names and settings syntax are documented on the official ARK wiki server configuration page.

Building a cluster

A cluster lets players transfer characters, items and dinos between maps. Each map runs as its own instance with its own ports, but shares a cluster directory and ID:

-clusterid=flyserv2026 -ClusterDirOverride="/home/asa/cluster" -NoTransferFromFiltering

Instance	Map	Game port	Query port	RCON
1	TheIsland_WP	7777	27015	27020
2	ScorchedEarth_WP	7779	27017	27022
3	Aberration_WP	7781	27019	27024

Every instance needs its own full RAM allocation. A three-map cluster is three ARK Ascended servers, not one bigger server — plan the budget accordingly. The cluster directory must be readable and writable by all instances, which is trivial on a single node and requires shared storage across nodes.

Backups that actually restore

The critical data lives in ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/: the .ark world file, .arkprofile player files and .arktribe tribe files. Automatic backups on a managed panel cover this, but you should still keep an off-server copy before every major change (mod addition, game update, rate overhaul).

Manual snapshot via RCON then archive:

rcon -a 127.0.0.1:27020 -p SuperLongSecret "SaveWorld"
tar -czf ~/backups/asa-$(date +%F-%H%M).tar.gz /home/asa/asaserver/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/

Test a restore at least once, on a spare instance. A backup you have never restored is a hypothesis, not a safety net.

Day-to-day admin commands

SaveWorld                       # force a world save
Broadcast Restart in 5 minutes  # message all players
DoExit                          # clean shutdown (saves first)
ListPlayers                     # connected players + IDs
BanPlayer <EOSID>
DestroyWildDinos                # respawn wild population

Run SaveWorld before any stop, even though DoExit saves — it costs two seconds and has saved countless tribes.

Keeping performance stable over months

Structure count is the main killer. Abandoned mega-bases inflate the save file and the tick cost. Keep PvE decay enabled with a reasonable multiplier.
Watch save file size. Past 400–500 MB, expect longer boot times and heavier autosave hitches. cheat DestroyStructures on abandoned zones and pruning old tribes helps.
Schedule a daily restart during low traffic. UE5 memory usage creeps up; a nightly restart resets it.
Don't stack too many overlapping mods. Three well-chosen mods beat fifteen half-maintained ones.
Check latency, not just FPS. Server tick rate drops before player ping does; the console log and player reports of rubber-banding are your early warning.

For a broader look at other titles and hosting setups, see Tous nos serveurs de jeu or browse the Blog Fly-Serv for game-specific guides.

Conclusion

An ARK Ascended server is mostly about three things: enough RAM, fast single-thread CPU with NVMe storage, and configuration discipline. Stop the server before editing INI files, test mods on a copy, keep backups you have actually restored, and schedule restarts. Do that and your cluster will still run smoothly six months in, with or without a hundred tamed dinos.

FAQ

How much RAM does an ARK Ascended server need for 20 players with mods?

Plan 16 GB minimum, 24 GB if you run several heavy overhaul mods or a large built-up world. ASA on Unreal Engine 5 uses roughly twice the memory of ARK: Survival Evolved, and memory usage climbs as the save file grows. In a cluster, each map instance needs its own full allocation — three maps means three times the RAM.

Why do my GameUserSettings.ini changes disappear after a restart?

Because you edited the file while the server was running. ASA rewrites its configuration files on shutdown, overwriting anything you changed live. Always stop the instance from the panel, wait for the process to fully exit, edit GameUserSettings.ini or Game.ini, then start again. Also check you are editing the file in Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ and not a default template.

Why don't players see my ARK Ascended server in the in-game browser?

Usually one of four causes: the ?listen parameter is missing from the startup line, the query port (27015 UDP) is not open, -WinLiveMaxPlayers was left at its default, or the server is still loading — first boot can take several minutes. Meanwhile, players can connect directly via the "Join by IP" option using IP:7777.