Getting started with your ARK: Survival Evolved server
Getting Started With Your ARK: Survival Evolved Server
ARK: Survival Evolved is a dinosaur survival game where players tame creatures, build bases, and progress through a tech tree from stone tools to tek armor. It is one of the most configurable survival games available, and also one of the most demanding to host. This guide gets your GSK server running and connected; the deeper settings live in their own guides.
Before You Start
- An active GSK ARK: Survival Evolved server (purchase through gameserverkings.com)
- Your panel credentials (sent to your billing email)
- ARK: Survival Evolved installed on your client through Steam
First Boot
- Open your server in the panel and press Start on the Console tab.
- The first boot downloads the ARK server files (this is a large game, allow time) and generates the map. Watch the Console for the ready line.
- Pick your map in the Startup tab if you want something other than the default. The Island is the safe first choice; Ragnarok, Aberration, Extinction, and the others each change the experience considerably.
How to Connect
ARK's in-game server browser does not reliably show unofficial servers, so the most dependable ways to join are direct:
- Steam favorites (recommended):in the Steam client, open View > Game Servers > Favorites and add your server as
IP:QueryPort, for example203.0.113.10:27015. Then in ARK, set the session filter to Favorites and join from there. Note that this uses the query port, not the game port. - In-game console:launch ARK, press Tab to open the console, and connect with the game port:
open 203.0.113.10:7777
Your server's IP, game port, and query port are shown at the top of the panel page. The two-port split trips people up constantly: Steam favorites wants the query port, the open command wants the game port.
Wiping and Map Changes
To start fresh or switch maps, stop the server, then in the File Manager remove the save files for the current map (named after the map, for example TheIsland.ark) inside ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/. Take a backup first; this is permanent. Switching the map in the Startup tab loads a different save automatically, so your old map is preserved if you switch back.
Backups
ARK saves are valuable and corruption is not unheard of, so use the Backups tab regularly and set a schedule. See Managing Backups. The cheat SaveWorld console command forces an immediate save before any risky change.
Common Issues
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Server not in the browser | Set the filter to unofficial sessions, or join by IP via Steam Favorites |
| Config changes ignored | Breeding, imprinting, and XP settings go in Game.ini, not GameUserSettings.ini. See Configuration Overview |
| Server crashes on a busy base | ARK is memory-heavy. Large bases and many tames push hardware hard; size your plan accordingly |
| GameUserSettings.ini resets on restart | You edited it while the server was running. Always stop the server before editing config |