---
title: "ARK: Survival Evolved Configuration"
description: "Master GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini differences, tune multipliers for taming or XP, and use the essential DestroyWildDinos command."
url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/ark-survival-evolved/configuration-overview/"
category: "ARK: Survival Evolved"
category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/ark-survival-evolved/"
published: "2026-07-02T02:56:06.345Z"
updated: "2026-08-19T04:28:47.678Z"
source_format: "markdown"
site: "GameServerKings"
---

# ARK: Survival Evolved Configuration

ARK: Survival Evolved has a reputation for being endlessly tweakable, and it is earned. Between taming rates, breeding intervals, stat curves, and hundreds of toggles, the same base game can be a brutal vanilla grind or a weekend-friendly boosted server. This guide covers the settings owners change most and, critically, which file each one belongs in.

For first boot and connecting, see [Getting started with your ARK: Survival Evolved server](/knowledge-base/ark-survival-evolved/getting-started-with-your-server/).

> [!NOTE] This guide covers ARK: Survival Evolved
> ARK: Survival Ascended is a separate game whose dedicated server does not run on Linux natively, so the `LinuxServer` config paths below are specific to ARK: Survival Evolved.

## The Two-File Split (Read This First)

ARK splits its configuration across two files, and putting a setting in the wrong one is the single most common mistake:

- **`GameUserSettings.ini`** holds most server settings under a `[ServerSettings]` section: rates, server name, password, PvP/PvE, and so on.
- **`Game.ini`** holds the advanced multipliers under `[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]`: anything to do with breeding, imprinting, per-level stats, and XP caps.

> [!WARNING] Multipliers in the wrong file are silently ignored
> If you paste breeding or stat multipliers into `GameUserSettings.ini`, they are silently ignored and your rates stay on official values no matter how many zeros you add.

Both files live in `ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/`. Edit them in the File Manager on your [hosted ARK: Survival Evolved server](/games/ark-survival-evolved/), and always stop the server first, or it overwrites your changes on shutdown.

## Key Settings in GameUserSettings.ini

These go under the `[ServerSettings]` header:

| Setting | What it controls |
|---------|------------------|
| `SessionName` | The server name shown in the browser |
| `ServerPassword` | Join password (leave blank for public) |
| `ServerAdminPassword` | The admin password used by `enablecheats` |
| `XPMultiplier` | How fast players and tames earn XP |
| `TamingSpeedMultiplier` | How fast taming completes (higher is faster) |
| `HarvestAmountMultiplier` | Resources gained per harvest |
| `HarvestHealthMultiplier` | How much total yield each tree or node contains before breaking |
| `DifficultyOffset` and `OverrideOfficialDifficulty` | Wild creature levels. `OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0` makes wild dinos spawn up to level 150 |
| `ServerPVE` | `True` for PvE, `False` for PvP |
| `AllowThirdPersonPlayer` | Enable third-person camera |
| `AdminLogging` | If `True`, admin commands broadcast to all players. Set `False` to keep admin activity private |

A common boosted-but-balanced starting point is 2x to 5x on XP, taming, and harvesting. Pure vanilla is 1x across the board.

## Key Settings in Game.ini

These go under `[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]` and are the ones that do **not** work in GameUserSettings.ini:

```ini title="Game.ini"
[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.1
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=25.0
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=25.0
BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier=0.1
BabyImprintAmountMultiplier=3.0
OverrideMaxExperiencePointsPlayer=545000
OverrideMaxExperiencePointsDino=545000
```

Lower `MatingIntervalMultiplier` means dinos can breed again sooner. Higher `EggHatchSpeedMultiplier` and `BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier` shorten the long raising process, which is the single biggest quality-of-life change for breeding servers. Lowering `BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier` makes imprinting achievable without sitting on the server all day.

## After Changing Creature Settings

Any time you change difficulty, spawn rates, or creature mods, run `cheat DestroyWildDinos` from the admin console. It wipes all wild creatures so they respawn under the new settings. It only affects wild dinos, never tames. Without it, your existing wild population keeps the old levels until they naturally despawn.

## Recommended Approach

ARK's two ini files are large, and editing by hand is error-prone. Many owners build their config with an online ARK ini generator, then paste the output into the matching file.

> [!TIP] Work in small increments
> Change a few settings at a time and test, rather than rewriting everything at once.

## What to Read Next

- [How to Add Admins and Commands](/knowledge-base/ark-survival-evolved/how-to-add-admins-and-commands/)
- [How to Install Mods](/knowledge-base/ark-survival-evolved/how-to-install-mods/)
- [Getting started with your ARK: Survival Evolved server](/knowledge-base/ark-survival-evolved/getting-started-with-your-server/)

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