How do I update my ARK: Survival Evolved server?

Stop the server, run SteamCMD again with the “app_update” command from the Updates section (with validate), then restart. Back up before big updates.

Do I need to own the game to host a ARK: Survival Evolved server?

No: the dedicated server downloads for free through SteamCMD with an anonymous login. Only players need the game.

What should I back up before an update?

The world save folder and the configuration folder (see the Backups section): copy them with the server stopped to get a consistent state.

How do I link several maps?

Run one instance per map with the same -clusterid and -ClusterDirOverride, and distinct ports. This site's “Cluster builder” tool generates the commands.

Install a ARK: Survival Evolved server: local, VPS, dedicated, ports

The ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server (SteamCMD AppID 376030) runs natively on 64-bit Windows and Linux. Allow 30 to 60 minutes, a machine with a public IP and enough RAM for your map.

Step-by-step installation

Check the OS and hardware (“Requirements” section).
Install SteamCMD, Steam's command-line tool.
Download the ARK: Survival Evolved server files with AppID 376030 (anonymous login).
Start the server once to create its configuration files, then stop it cleanly.
Set the name, passwords, slots and rules with this site's tools.
Test the connection locally (localhost / 127.0.0.1) before opening the server to the Internet.
Open the ports in the system firewall, the host's firewall and, at home, on the router (NAT).
Set up a service (systemd or a Windows scheduled task) for automatic start and restart after a crash.
Schedule updates and backups, then restart regularly.
Add your server to game-rank.com so players can find it.

Requirements

OS: 64-bit Windows or 64-bit Linux (glibc 2.17 or newer, per ark.wiki.gg), e.g. Ubuntu or Debian.
Hardware: the publisher does not give a fixed minimum in the sources consulted. Community rule of thumb (unofficial): at least 8 GB of RAM per map, an SSD with a few tens of GB, and more RAM for more players or mods.
Accounts: no account or key is needed, SteamCMD logs in anonymously. Only players need the game.
Network: a public IP (ideally static) and decent upload bandwidth; UPnP is not supported, so port forwarding is manual (ark.wiki.gg).

Local install (Windows)

Download SteamCMD (steamcmd.zip), unzip it to C:\steamcmd, then run the command below. Next, generate start.bat with this site's “Launch command” tool, put it in C:\ark-server and run it. To test, join 127.0.0.1 on the game port (7777) from the game; if the list does not show the server, use direct connect.

cd C:\steamcmd
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\ark-server +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit

REM Server executable:
REM C:\ark-server\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ShooterGameServer.exe

Install on a Linux VPS / dedicated server (Ubuntu/Debian)

Create a dedicated non-root user, enable the multiverse repository (Ubuntu) or non-free (Debian), install SteamCMD, then download the server. Next generate start.sh with the “Launch command” tool, make it executable and run it from the server folder.

# Ubuntu: sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steamcmd lib32gcc-s1
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" ark
sudo -iu ark
/usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/ark/server +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit
cd /home/ark/server && chmod +x start.sh && ./start.sh

Ports to open

Hosting provider (OVH, Hetzner, Scaleway…): open the same ports in the provider's firewall / security group on top of the system one. At home: forward (NAT) each port with the right UDP or TCP protocol to the machine's local IP, ideally a fixed one. Test from outside (a friend connecting, or a UDP port tester): a UDP port does not always answer a plain scan.

7777/UDP — game port (default)
7778/UDP — peer port (game port + 1)
27015/UDP — Steam query port (QueryPort), needed for the server list
27020/TCP — RCON (optional; only open it to your admin IP)
To change the ports: ?Port=… (game), ?QueryPort=… (query) in the launch line and RCONPort in GameUserSettings.ini. With several servers on one machine, increment every port.

Linux firewall (ufw)

On Ubuntu/Debian, allow the ports then enable ufw (allow SSH first).

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 7777:7778/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
sudo ufw allow from <ADMIN_IP> to any port 27020 proto tcp
sudo ufw enable

Windows firewall (netsh)

On Windows, run these commands in an administrator prompt (no outbound rule is needed with default settings).

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ARK UDP" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=7777,7778,27015
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ARK RCON" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=27020

Automatic start and supervision

On Linux, use a systemd service. WorkingDirectory is needed for automatic mod downloads to work (ark.wiki.gg) and LimitNOFILE avoids open-file limit errors. Enable it with “systemctl enable --now ark”.

# /etc/systemd/system/ark.service
[Unit]
Description=ARK: Survival Evolved server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
User=ark
LimitNOFILE=100000
WorkingDirectory=/home/ark/server/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
ExecStart=/home/ark/server/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=20

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Updates

Stop the server, run SteamCMD again with the same command as at install, then restart. With mods, update them on restart as well.

sudo systemctl stop ark
sudo -u ark /usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/ark/server +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit
sudo systemctl start ark

Backups and scheduled restarts

Back up ShooterGame/Saved (SavedArks and Config folders) with the server stopped. Schedule a daily restart to free memory.

# root crontab: backup at 05:00, restart at 05:10
0 5 * * * tar czf /root/ark-$(date +\%F).tar.gz -C /home/ark/server/ShooterGame Saved
10 5 * * * systemctl restart ark

List and find your server

Once the server is reachable from the Internet, add it at https://game-rank.com/jeux/ark-survival-evolved: players discover it, vote and follow its ranking. Keep the query port open, otherwise the server will not show up in server lists.

Troubleshooting

The server is not in the list: the query port (UDP) is closed or the list takes several minutes to refresh; try adding it directly by IP:query port.
Cannot connect from the Internet but fine locally: missing system firewall rule, provider security group or port forwarding (NAT); check each rule's protocol (UDP/TCP).
The client reports a different version: the game was updated; stop the server, run SteamCMD with “app_update … validate” again, then restart.
Mods do not download or “too many open files”: add WorkingDirectory and -automanagedmods to the systemd service, plus LimitNOFILE=100000.
Epic Games players cannot join: add -crossplay and -PublicIPForEpic=<public IP> to the launch line.

Frequently asked questions

How do I update my ARK: Survival Evolved server?: Stop the server, run SteamCMD again with the “app_update” command from the Updates section (with validate), then restart. Back up before big updates.
Do I need to own the game to host a ARK: Survival Evolved server?: No: the dedicated server downloads for free through SteamCMD with an anonymous login. Only players need the game.
What should I back up before an update?: The world save folder and the configuration folder (see the Backups section): copy them with the server stopped to get a consistent state.
How do I link several maps?: Run one instance per map with the same -clusterid and -ClusterDirOverride, and distinct ports. This site's “Cluster builder” tool generates the commands.