ARK Dedicated Server Setup 2026 — ASA & ASE on Linux

The definitive 2026 ARK dedicated server guide — covers both ARK: Survival Ascended (the UE5 remaster most servers are running now) and ARK: Survival Evolved (still alive with its huge legacy mod library). Full install walkthroughs, GameUserSettings.ini deep dive, the mod install trap that catches nearly everyone (-passivemods), clustering, crossplay, RCON, backups, and hardware recommendations that actually hold up under load.

01 // Which version should you run?

ASA is the graphical and engine upgrade with a brand-new CurseForge-based mod ecosystem. ASE is the battle-tested original with a decade of Steam Workshop mods and a native Linux binary. The right answer depends on your community, hardware budget, and mod tolerance.

Comparison at a glance:

02 // Requirements

ARK is one of the most RAM-hungry survival games ever shipped. Underprovisioning is the single most common reason servers crash or tick below 15 FPS. These are the real minimums — not the marketing ones.

ASA (Survival Ascended) minimums

• OS: Debian 12 / Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with Proton (GloriousEggroll recommended), or Windows Server 2019+.
• CPU: 4 modern cores minimum — single-thread performance matters more than core count. Prefer AMD EPYC or Intel Xeon Gold/Platinum tiers on VPS shopping lists.
• RAM: 16 GB for a single vanilla map, 24–32 GB for modded, 32 GB+ for a 2–4 map cluster.
• Storage: 30 GB free NVMe. Save files balloon with tames and structures.
• Network: 100 Mbit symmetric, public IPv4.
• Ports: 7777/udp (game), 27020/tcp (RCON, optional). No query port — ASA uses EOS discovery.

ASE (Survival Evolved) minimums

• OS: Debian 11/12 or Ubuntu 20.04/22.04 LTS. Native ELF binary.
• CPU: 2–4 cores.
• RAM: 8 GB single map, 16 GB modded or multi-map.
• Storage: 20 GB free.
• Ports: 7777/udp (game), 7778/udp (steam raw), 27015/udp (query), 27020/tcp (RCON, optional).

03 // Install ASE — native Linux path

This is the clean path: Wildcard ships a native Linux binary, so there’s no Proton layer, no Wine prefixes, no weirdness. If you picked ASE above, start here. If you picked ASA, skip to section 04.

3.1 Create the steam user and install SteamCMD

# as root
apt update && apt upgrade -y
dpkg --add-architecture i386
apt update
apt install -y software-properties-common lib32gcc-s1 libsdl2-2.0-0:i386 curl wget tar unzip

useradd -m -s /bin/bash steam
su - steam
mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz | tar zxvf -

3.2 Download the ASE server (app 376030)

# still as steam user
mkdir -p ~/servers/ark
./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/servers/ark \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 376030 validate \
  +quit

First download is ~20 GB — go make a coffee. Re-run the same command anytime Wildcard ships an update.

3.3 First launch — generate the config files

ARK only writes GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini on first shutdown, so you need to boot once and stop it cleanly:

cd /home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/
./ShooterGameServer "TheIsland?listen?SessionName=MyArk?ServerPassword=changeme?ServerAdminPassword=admin123?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20" -server -log
# wait until you see "Wildcard is up", then Ctrl+C to stop

# configs now exist at:
# /home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini
# /home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini

04 // Install ASA — Proton / Windows path

ASA has no Linux-native binary, so on a Linux VPS you run the Windows server under Proton (Valve’s Wine fork). The community-maintained cdp1337/ARKSurvivalAscended-Linux script handles Proton install, creates a steam user, registers a systemd service, and sets up sensible defaults. It’s the closest thing to a one-line install ARK has on Linux.

4.1 Install ASA on Debian 12 / Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

# as root
apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install -y curl wget sudo

# Download and run the community installer
curl -o /tmp/install.sh -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cdp1337/ARKSurvivalAscended-Linux/main/install.sh
chmod +x /tmp/install.sh
sudo /tmp/install.sh

The installer will:

• Create a steam system user
• Install SteamCMD and GloriousEggroll’s Proton build
• Download ASA server (app 2430930) into /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/
• Register a ark-island.service systemd unit so the server auto-starts on boot and restarts on crash

4.2 Configure your first map

After install, edit the systemd unit or the generated config to set session name, ports, and admin password. The installer drops convenience links in /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/ that point at the real config paths.

# Start and enable the service
systemctl enable --now ark-island
systemctl status ark-island

# Follow the log live
journalctl -u ark-island -f

First launch takes 3–5 minutes as Proton builds its prefix and ARK loads the map. You’ll see the familiar Commandlet display: lines, then Wildcard is up.

4.3 Alternative — Windows Server install

If you’re running Windows Server 2019+ natively, use SteamCMD directly. No Proton needed:

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\ARKServer +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit

Then launch with:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName=MyArk?Port=7777?MaxPlayers=20?ServerAdminPassword=admin123 -NoBattlEye

05 // Ports & firewall

The single biggest “my server doesn’t show up” issue is the firewall. Open the right ports for your version and only those ports.

# UFW on Debian/Ubuntu — ASE
ufw allow 7777/udp
ufw allow 7778/udp
ufw allow 27015/udp
ufw allow 27020/tcp   # only if you expose RCON
ufw reload

# UFW on Debian/Ubuntu — ASA
ufw allow 7777/udp
ufw allow 27020/tcp   # only if you expose RCON
ufw reload

06 // systemd service (ASE)

ASA users get systemd for free via the cdp1337 installer. For ASE, create your own unit so the server auto-restarts and starts at boot.

# as root
cat > /etc/systemd/system/ark-ase.service << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=ARK Survival Evolved Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=steam
Group=steam
WorkingDirectory=/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
ExecStartPre=/home/steam/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/servers/ark +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit
ExecStart=/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer "TheIsland?listen?SessionName=MyArk?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20" -server -log
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=15
LimitNOFILE=100000

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now ark-ase
journalctl -u ark-ase -f

The ExecStartPre line auto-updates the server every time it starts, so you never fall behind a Wildcard patch. Comment it out during a wipe week if you want to freeze the version.

07 // GameUserSettings.ini — rates & multipliers

ARK’s tuning is famously deep. Almost every rate in the game is a float multiplier, and the defaults (1.0) are balanced around a hardcore 12–24h taming loop that burns most players out. Here’s what each main setting actually does, and a calculator to generate a config block you can paste straight in.

Interactive rate calculator

Pick your multipliers and copy the generated [ServerSettings] block straight into GameUserSettings.ini.

08 // Game.ini — advanced tuning

Game.ini holds the deeper knobs: per-stat XP requirements, engram unlock rules, per-species spawn rates, and the stat-point-per-level overrides that turn ARK into a different game. If GameUserSettings.ini is “how fast”, Game.ini is “how much”.

Per-stat multipliers

Under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode], these lines override how much Health, Stamina, Oxygen, Food, Weight, Melee, and Movement each point gives you on tames. The index order is 0=Health, 1=Stamina, 2=Torpidity, 3=Oxygen, 4=Food, 5=Water, 6=Temperature, 7=Weight, 8=Melee, 9=Speed.

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoTamed<add>[0]=2.0    ; +2x post-tame HP gain per level
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoTamed<add>[7]=2.0    ; +2x weight gain per level
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoTamed<add>[8]=1.5    ; +1.5x melee per level
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[0]=1.5                 ; +1.5x HP per player level
PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[7]=3.0                 ; +3x player weight per level

Engrams & level cap

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
LevelExperienceRampOverrides=(ExperiencePointsForLevel[0]=10,ExperiencePointsForLevel[1]=25,...) ; full array for player levels
OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=5     ; engram points awarded per level (repeat line per level)
AutoUnlockAllEngrams=True              ; skip the engram puzzle entirely

Hand-crafting the full LevelExperienceRampOverrides array is painful — use the ArkForum level generator or our upcoming tool to produce it.

09 // Installing mods

Mods are where ARK goes from “fine” to “thousand-hour community”. The install flow is completely different between ASA and ASE — and there’s one specific gotcha in ASA that silently bricks mod loading for thousands of new admins.

ASA mods — CurseForge

ASA mods are distributed through CurseForge. You reference them by the numeric project ID (the number in the mod’s CurseForge URL), and the server auto-downloads them on first boot.

Add the mod IDs to your launch line as -mods=ID1,ID2,ID3:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName=MyArk?Port=7777?MaxPlayers=20 \
  -mods=928548,930404,935587 \
  -NoBattlEye

-mods=928548,930404,935587,1000101 \
-passivemods=1000101

ASE mods — Steam Workshop

ASE uses Steam Workshop. You put the Workshop numeric IDs into GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]:

[ServerSettings]
ActiveMods=731604991,729352919,793605978
; first mod in the list is the "priority" mod (total-conversion loads first)

SteamCMD downloads Workshop items automatically when the server starts. To force an immediate update without restarting:

./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous \
  +force_install_dir /home/steam/servers/ark \
  +workshop_download_item 346110 731604991 \
  +quit

Mods live in ShooterGame/Content/Mods/. If a mod breaks after a Wildcard patch, delete its folder and let SteamCMD re-download.

10 // Clustering — linking multiple maps

A cluster lets players hop between maps with their character, tames, and items intact — the feature that turns ARK from a single-map server into a proper persistent world. All servers in the cluster share a ClusterID and a shared storage directory.

Launch flags

Add these to every server in the cluster, using the same ID and directory on all of them:

-clusterid=my-cluster-2026 \
-ClusterDirOverride="/home/steam/cluster-data" \
-NoTransferFromFiltering

• -clusterid — any string, must match on all servers in the cluster
• -ClusterDirOverride — shared directory for uploaded characters/tames/items. All ARK processes on the host need read/write access.
• -NoTransferFromFiltering — allow any tame/item to transfer (disable for stricter PvP rules)

Per-map port allocation

Each map needs its own set of ports. Common layout for a 4-map cluster:

11 // RCON admin

RCON lets you issue admin commands to a running server without being logged in as a player. Enable it with these launch flags:

-RCONEnabled=True -RCONPort=27020 -ServerAdminPassword=STRONG_UNIQUE_PASSWORD

Connect with any source-engine-compatible RCON client — gorcon/rcon-cli is a clean single-binary option:

rcon-cli --address 127.0.0.1:27020 --password STRONG_UNIQUE_PASSWORD

> ListPlayers
> Broadcast Server restart in 5 minutes
> SaveWorld
> DoExit

12 // Backups — save your tribe

Ark saves are notoriously fragile — mod updates, crashes mid-save, and occasional Wildcard patches can corrupt SavedArks/. Never trust a single copy.

What to back up

• ASE: ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ (map save + .arkprofile + .arktribe)
• ASE: ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ (your INIs)
• ASA: ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/<MapName>/
• ASA: ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/
• Cluster data: whatever directory you set in -ClusterDirOverride

Automated hourly backup script

Drop this at /home/steam/bin/ark-backup.sh, chmod +x, and schedule via cron:

#!/bin/bash
set -e
SERVER_ROOT="/home/steam/servers/ark"
BACKUP_ROOT="/home/steam/backups"
STAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M)
DEST="$BACKUP_ROOT/ark-$STAMP"

mkdir -p "$DEST"
rsync -a "$SERVER_ROOT/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/"    "$DEST/SavedArks/"
rsync -a "$SERVER_ROOT/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/"       "$DEST/Config/"
tar -czf "$DEST.tar.gz" -C "$BACKUP_ROOT" "ark-$STAMP"
rm -rf "$DEST"

# Keep last 72 hourly + last 30 daily archives
find "$BACKUP_ROOT" -maxdepth 1 -name 'ark-*.tar.gz' -type f -mmin +4320 -delete

# crontab -e (as steam user)
0 * * * * /home/steam/bin/ark-backup.sh >> /home/steam/backups/backup.log 2>&1

13 // Troubleshooting

The exact errors you’ll hit, in the order you’ll hit them:

14 // Hardware recommendations

ARK is the most expensive game on this site to host properly, and the one where penny-pinching hurts you fastest. Here’s what actually works — not the marketing minimums.

15 // Next steps

• Choose a panel — Pterodactyl or AMP can manage ARK with a web UI instead of raw systemd.
• Harden the VPS — Windows hardening or equivalent Debian hardening (fail2ban, SSH keys only, unattended-upgrades) before you expose RCON.
• Plan your wipe cadence — see our Rust Server Wipe Guide for the generic principles that apply equally to ARK cluster refreshes.
• Find related content — all of our game server guides use the same hardware tiers, so your cost math stays consistent across games.