Before you download anything
The server is a 64-bit application and needs a 64-bit operating system. On Windows it also wants the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable x64 and the June 2010 revision of the DirectX End-User Runtimes installed first. On Linux it needs glibc 2.17, which any modern supported distribution has.
Windows Server editions carry an extra step that catches people who never see an error message. Since 18 November 2023, running crossplay with Epic clients requires the certificate revocation list r2m02.crl to be installed by hand into Trusted Root Certification Authorities, and a restart may be needed. If you installed the older r2m02.cer certificate before that date, it now has to be removed or the server will not show up.
Install with SteamCMD
Make a folder for the server, then pull the files down. The app id for Survival Evolved is 376030:
steamcmd +force_install_dir <install_dir> +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit
Survival of the Fittest uses 445400 and Survival Ascended uses 2430930, which is worth knowing because half the guides you will find are written for the wrong one.
The launch line
ARK reads its settings from the launch line and from two config files; the launch line carries the map and the session basics, joined by question marks. On Windows, put a start_server.bat in ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/; on Linux, a server_start.sh in ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/. The documented shape is:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=<name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>
Swap TheIsland for whichever map you want. Two notes matter if you are on Survival Ascended rather than Survival Evolved: the admin password has to be the last argument in the question mark chain, or everything after it is parsed as part of the password, and the port has to be given as -port= rather than ?Port= or it will default to 7777 no matter what you asked for.
Four ports, not one
| Port | Purpose |
|---|---|
| UDP 7777 | Game port. |
| UDP 7778 | Peer port. Always the game port plus one. |
| UDP 27015 | Query port, for Steam's server browser only. |
| TCP 27020 | RCON, for remote console access. Optional. |
The wiki adds a warning that explains a lot of failed home setups: ShooterGameServer does not support UPnP or the other protocols that let a router open ports on its own, so manual port forwarding may be needed. Running several servers on one machine is supported by stepping the ports up together, for example 7779, 7780, 27016 and 27021 for a second instance. Steam's browser cannot find servers whose query port is above 27019 unless the query port is given explicitly.
The two config files
Once the server has run at least once, the settings you did not put on the launch line live in two files, in the same folder:
GameUserSettings.iniandGame.ini, inShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\on Windows- The same two, in
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/on Linux
Broadly, GameUserSettings.ini holds the server's options and the everyday gameplay rates, such as XP, taming, harvesting and PvE, and Game.ini holds the advanced changes, such as breeding, per-level stats and engrams; the ARK server settings guide lists them. Two settings in the first are worth setting deliberately on day one. AutoSavePeriodMinutes defaults to 15.0, which is the size of the hole a crash can leave. And RCONEnabled is False by default; switching it on also needs RCONPort and ServerAdminPassword to be set before it does anything.
For in-game administration, connect as a normal player and run enablecheats <admin_password> in the console.
Where the world lives, and how to lose it
Everything that matters is under one folder: ShooterGame/Saved. The wiki describes it as holding "all tribe, player and world data, as well configuration files, logs and cluster data for the server", and recommends copying it before updating to a new release. That copy is your entire backup strategy and it takes one command.
The most alarming ARK failure has a dull cause. If your server is not keeping characters or world data across restarts, the wiki's first check is whether ShooterGame/Saved was ever created. If the server has run and that folder is missing, the account running it cannot write to the install directory. On Windows, check User Account Control. Combine that with the fifteen minute save interval and you get the classic report: everything was fine, we played for ten minutes, and it was all gone.
Mods and updates
Updating is the same SteamCMD command you installed with, run again. If you run the server under systemd, the documented pattern puts the update in ExecStartPre so every start pulls the current build first.
One systemd detail is worth copying exactly. The wiki notes that not setting WorkingDirectory "will fail to download mods (if using with -automanagedmods)". A server that starts fine but never gets its mods is usually this, not the mods.
Take the Saved copy before every update. ARK updates are frequent and mods break on them, which is a normal part of running this game rather than a sign that something is wrong.
Self-hosting or renting
Self-hosting ARK is entirely doable and it is the cheapest option if you already own a machine that can sit there doing nothing else. You get full access to Saved, you can move it whenever you like, and cluster setups with several maps are far easier when you own the whole box.
The costs are heavier than for lighter survival games. The install is large, the updates are large and frequent, and the server wants a machine to itself. Four ports have to be forwarded by hand because the server will not do it for you, and many home connections cannot accept incoming connections at all regardless. Whoever hosts is on call for restarts, and if that person is away, so is the server.
Renting moves that work rather than removing it. The launch line, the two ini files, the mods and the save copies are still your decisions.
Where ForgeWorld Gaming fits
Prefer renting to keeping your own server machine online? ForgeWorld Gaming currently offers ARK Standard: 10 player slots at CA$31.49/month. Hosted in Iowa, United States. Prices are in Canadian dollars, with no setup fee and cancel any time. Your server is set up automatically after payment. Continue to secure billing, ARK · Survival Evolved, CA$31.49 / month (Standard, 10 slots), or compare ARK plans.