Which ports should I open?

UDP 7777 and 7778, UDP 27015 (query) and, if RCON is enabled, TCP 27020. With several servers, increment each port.

Do I need quotes around the string?

Yes: on Linux the shell interprets “?”, and on Windows “start” needs quotes. The tool adds them for you.

Documentation: Launch command generator

ARK: Survival Evolved launch command generator (ShooterGameServer): map, SessionName, Port, QueryPort, MaxPlayers, RCON, -clusterid, -ClusterDirOverride and options. ServerAdminPassword is placed last, as the wiki recommends.

Last updated: 10/9/2026

Open the tool

games-tools.game-rank.com/tools/ark-survival-evolved/launch-command

The ARK: Survival Evolved server starts with a “Map?Option=value” string followed by dash options (-log, -clusterid…). This tool assembles it without syntax slips, using the default ports 7777 (game), 7778 (peer), 27015 (query) and 27020 (RCON, TCP).

How to use the tool

Pick the platform and the map.
Enter the session name, passwords, player count and ports.
For a cluster, set -clusterid and -ClusterDirOverride (identical on every server).
Copy or download the command, put it in the server root and run it.

Parameter order

Always put ServerAdminPassword last in the “?” string: otherwise ARK reads the following arguments as part of the password. To accept Epic Games players, add -crossplay and -PublicIPForEpic=<IP>.

Frequently asked questions

Which ports should I open?: UDP 7777 and 7778, UDP 27015 (query) and, if RCON is enabled, TCP 27020. With several servers, increment each port.
Do I need quotes around the string?: Yes: on Linux the shell interprets “?”, and on Windows “start” needs quotes. The tool adds them for you.