ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting for your tribe
Keep the original ARK running for your tribe. Studio Wildcard ended its official servers for ARK: Survival Evolved in 2023, and your own server keeps every map, Workshop mod and tame exactly the way you like it.
- Official ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server
- Steam Workshop mods, updated by the server
- Crossplay between Steam and Epic Games players
- Clusters to move between The Island, Ragnarok and more
- PlayersEach connected player adds about 50–150 MiB of memory, according to the official wiki.
- Slots set in the launch command
- Ports7777 is the game port and 7778 the peer port (game port + 1). 27015 is only for Steam’s server browser; RCON is optional.
- 7777–7778 UDP · 27015 UDP · RCON 27020 TCP
- Mods
- Steam Workshop (ActiveMods)
- Crossplay-crossplay also needs -PublicIPForEpic; -epiconly lets only Epic Games Store players join.
- Steam and Epic (-crossplay)
- Server
- Steam app 376030, Windows and Linux
- Anti-cheat
- BattlEye (switch off with -NoBattlEye)
Maps
- The Island
- The Center
- Scorched Earth
- Ragnarok
- Aberration
- Extinction
- Valguero
- Genesis
- Crystal Isles
- Fjordur
Game facts from the official ARK wiki and the ARK: Survival Evolved Steam store page, checked in October 2026.
- DDoS protection
- 20 game server locations
ARK: Survival Evolved plans are being prepared
Tell us your maps, tribe size and Workshop mods, and our team will reply with the options. Or open a ticket and we will let you know when the plans are online.
How much RAM does an ARK: Survival Evolved server need?
Every map runs as its own server, and the map decides the base memory: The Center needs 3–4 GiB empty, Genesis: Part 2 up to 12.5 GiB.
Find your size
| Feature |
Small tribe
One map, up to 10 players
|
Recommended Community
One map, up to 30 players
|
Busy map
One large map, up to 70 players
|
Cluster
Two or more maps
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. | 6 GB | 8 GB | 12–16 GB | 6–16 GB per map |
| CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores. | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3–4 per map |
| Disk spaceThe server install is about 23 GB; saves, backups and Workshop mods come on top. | 40 GB | 50 GB | 60 GB | 40 GB per map |
| Empty-map memoryMeasured by the official wiki: The Island 3.5–4.5 GiB, Ragnarok 4–5 GiB, Lost Island 5.5–7 GiB, Genesis: Part 2 10–12.5 GiB. | 3–5 GiB | 3–5 GiB | 5–12.5 GiB | Per map |
| Typical use | Friends on The Island | A modded community map | Large maps such as Genesis or Lost Island | Several maps with transfers |
-
Small tribe
One map, up to 10 players
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 6 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 2
- Disk spaceThe server install is about 23 GB; saves, backups and Workshop mods come on top.
- 40 GB
- Empty-map memoryMeasured by the official wiki: The Island 3.5–4.5 GiB, Ragnarok 4–5 GiB, Lost Island 5.5–7 GiB, Genesis: Part 2 10–12.5 GiB.
- 3–5 GiB
- Typical use
- Friends on The Island
-
Recommended
Community
One map, up to 30 players
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 8 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 3
- Disk spaceThe server install is about 23 GB; saves, backups and Workshop mods come on top.
- 50 GB
- Empty-map memoryMeasured by the official wiki: The Island 3.5–4.5 GiB, Ragnarok 4–5 GiB, Lost Island 5.5–7 GiB, Genesis: Part 2 10–12.5 GiB.
- 3–5 GiB
- Typical use
- A modded community map
-
Busy map
One large map, up to 70 players
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 12–16 GB
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 4
- Disk spaceThe server install is about 23 GB; saves, backups and Workshop mods come on top.
- 60 GB
- Empty-map memoryMeasured by the official wiki: The Island 3.5–4.5 GiB, Ragnarok 4–5 GiB, Lost Island 5.5–7 GiB, Genesis: Part 2 10–12.5 GiB.
- 5–12.5 GiB
- Typical use
- Large maps such as Genesis or Lost Island
-
Cluster
Two or more maps
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 6–16 GB per map
- CPU coresThe game simulates the world mostly on one thread, so fast cores matter more than many cores.
- 3–4 per map
- Disk spaceThe server install is about 23 GB; saves, backups and Workshop mods come on top.
- 40 GB per map
- Empty-map memoryMeasured by the official wiki: The Island 3.5–4.5 GiB, Ragnarok 4–5 GiB, Lost Island 5.5–7 GiB, Genesis: Part 2 10–12.5 GiB.
- Per map
- Typical use
- Several maps with transfers
Based on the official ARK wiki’s empty-map figures plus about 50–150 MiB per player. Memory grows as the world ages; tames, bases and mods add to it.
Workshop mods, clusters and crossplay
What you can change on an ARK: Survival Evolved server, and what your tribe should know.
Steam Workshop mods
List mod IDs in ActiveMods; the left-most mod has the highest priority. With -automanagedmods the server downloads and updates them itself.
Clusters
Start several maps with the same -clusterid and a shared -ClusterDirOverride folder so survivors, tames and items can move between them.
Steam and Epic crossplay
-crossplay with -PublicIPForEpic lets Steam and Epic Games Store players share the server; -epiconly limits it to Epic.
Rates and rules
Set taming, harvesting and XP rates, PvE or PvP and much more in GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini.
Every official map
From The Island to Fjordur: each map runs as its own server, started with its name such as TheIsland, Ragnarok or Valguero_P.
Back up ShooterGame/Saved
That folder holds the world, tribes, players, configs, logs and cluster data, so it is the one to back up.
Set up your ARK: Survival Evolved server
Four steps from the first map to your first tame.
-
Pick maps and size
One map or a cluster: plan the memory for each map with the table above.
-
Pick a location
Choose the one closest to your tribe from our 20 game server locations.
-
Add mods and rates
List your Workshop mods in ActiveMods, choose Steam only or crossplay with Epic and set your rates in GameUserSettings.ini.
-
Join your server
Find the server in the unofficial server list, or add it to your Steam favourites with the address and query port.
Other game servers you might like
ARK: Survival Ascended
Crossplay worlds with CurseForge mods, clusters and your own rates.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Can I still host ARK: Survival Evolved?
Yes. Studio Wildcard stopped the official servers after the final update in September 2023, but the dedicated server (Steam app 376030) is still available for Windows and Linux, and players join unofficial servers as before.
Is this the same as ARK: Survival Ascended?
No. ARK: Survival Evolved is the original Unreal Engine 4 game with Steam Workshop mods. ARK: Survival Ascended is the Unreal Engine 5 remake with CurseForge mods, and the two cannot join each other’s servers.
Which ports does an ARK: Survival Evolved server use?
UDP 7777 for the game, UDP 7778 as the peer port (always the game port plus one), UDP 27015 as the query port for Steam’s server browser and, if you enable it, TCP 27020 for RCON.
How much RAM does an ARK: Survival Evolved server need?
It depends on the map. The official wiki measured 3–4 GiB for The Center or Scorched Earth, 3.5–4.5 GiB for The Island, 5.5–7 GiB for Lost Island and 10–12.5 GiB for Genesis: Part 2 on an empty map. Each player adds about 50–150 MiB, and use grows as the world ages.
How do Steam Workshop mods work?
List the mod IDs in ActiveMods under [ServerSettings]; the left-most mod has the highest priority. With -automanagedmods the server downloads, installs and updates Workshop mods itself.
Can Epic Games players join?
Yes. Start the server with -crossplay and -PublicIPForEpic set to its public address, and Steam and Epic Games Store players can play together. -epiconly lets only Epic players join.
Can I link several maps?
Yes, as a cluster. Give every server the same -clusterid and a shared -ClusterDirOverride folder. -NoTransferFromFiltering stops data coming in from single-player and servers without a cluster ID.
Where are the config files?
GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini are in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer on Windows and ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer on Linux. Restart the server after a change.
What should I back up?
The ShooterGame/Saved folder. It holds the world, tribe and player data, the configuration files, logs and cluster data.
Ready to keep the original ARK alive?
Tell us your maps, players and mods, and we will help you plan the right ARK: Survival Evolved server.