How to Set Up an ARK Server: Single Map and Cluster

How to Set Up an ARK Server

Building an ARK server is not technically hard. The hard part is keeping it running smoothly months later. This guide covers the Linux VDS install, the launch parameters that matter, mod management and cluster setup.

Requirements

⚠️ ARK’s memory footprint grows over time. 8 GB is fine on an empty map, but a few months of structures and tamed dinos will push past 16 GB. Size the package for month six, not for day one.

1. Preparing the System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 curl tar
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash ark
sudo su - ark

ARK also opens a large number of file descriptors. Without raising the limits you will see crashes on a busy server:

sudo nano /etc/security/limits.conf

ark soft nofile 100000
ark hard nofile 100000

2. SteamCMD and the Server Files

The App ID for the ARK: Survival Evolved server is 376030:

mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -
./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/ark-server +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit

The download is around 20-25 GB.

3. Starting the Server

cd ~/ark-server/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
./ShooterGameServer "TheIsland?listen?SessionName=Your Server Name?ServerPassword=?ServerAdminPassword=STRONG_PASSWORD?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=30" -server -log

Critical Ports

sudo ufw allow 7777:7778/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp

4. Configuration Files

Two files come into play after the install:

• ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini: multipliers and rate settings
• ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini: level and progression curves

Commonly adjusted multipliers:

[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=2.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=0.8
StructureResistanceMultiplier=1.0

💡 Edit these files while the server is stopped. Changes made on a running server get overwritten on shutdown.

5. systemd Service

[Unit]
Description=ARK Survival Server
After=network.target
 
[Service]
Type=simple
User=ark
LimitNOFILE=100000
WorkingDirectory=/home/ark/ark-server/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
ExecStart=/home/ark/ark-server/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer "TheIsland?listen?SessionName=Server?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=30"
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=15
 
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

6. Installing Mods

Mods are pulled from the Steam Workshop and added to the launch line as a list of IDs:

?GameModIds=123456789,987654321

Every mod adds to both the download size and the memory footprint. If you run heavy mod packs, move your hardware plan one tier above what a vanilla install would need.

7. Cluster Setup: Multiple Maps

A cluster lets players move between maps with their characters and dinos. Each map runs as a separate process on separate ports:

All processes have to share the same cluster directory:

-clusterid=my-cluster -ClusterDirOverride=/home/ark/cluster

🚀 A three map cluster is, in practice, three separate ARK servers: memory and core requirements triple. Running it on one VDS is perfectly possible as long as the package is sized for it.

8. Automatic Backups

The world save is the most valuable data ARK holds:

tar czf /backup/ark_$(date +%F_%H%M).tar.gz ~/ark-server/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks

Run this hourly with cron and keep the backups on a different server.

Common Problems

Server does not show in the list

• Check that UDP port 27015 is open
• Wait for the server to fully boot (the first start takes several minutes)

Random crashes

• Make sure you raised the nofile limit
• Watch memory usage and move up a tier if you are hitting the ceiling

Server will not start after a mod update

• Check that the mod IDs are still valid
• Verify the files with the validate parameter

Conclusion

Setting up an ARK server goes smoothly when file limits and memory planning are handled up front. For a server meant to last, the deciding factor is accounting for month six memory usage from day one.

👉 See our ARK server hosting page to match a package, or browse game server hosting for other titles.