ARK Server Settings: A Guide to GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini

Where are the ARK server config files?

Almost every ARK server setting lives in one of two text files: GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini. On ARK: Survival Ascended both are in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer. ASA's official dedicated server is only released for Windows, so even on Linux machines it runs through Proton or Wine and the folder is still called WindowsServer.

ARK: Survival Evolved uses the same layout, except that on Linux servers the folder is named LinuxServer. GameUserSettings.ini is created automatically the first time the server starts. Game.ini is often empty or missing; if it is not there, create it in the same folder and put the [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode] header on its first line.

The golden rule: edit these files while the server is stopped. ARK writes its in-memory values back to GameUserSettings.ini when it shuts down, so a change you make while the server is running can quietly disappear at the next shutdown. Game panels usually offer a config editor or settings screen for these files, but behind the scenes it writes to the same ini files.

Which settings go in which file?

The rough split is this: general server rules and the core multipliers go in GameUserSettings.ini, while detailed gameplay mechanics go in Game.ini. If you put a setting in the wrong file or under the wrong section header, ARK does not complain; it simply ignores it. So when a setting seems to have no effect, check the header first.

In GameUserSettings.ini, the section you will use most is [ServerSettings]. Passwords, PvE or PvP mode, XP, taming and harvest rates, difficulty, stack size and the autosave interval all live there. The server name is set with SessionName under [SessionSettings]. Game.ini uses a single header, [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode], and holds breeding, baby maturation, per-level stat multipliers, separate XP types and per-item stack overrides.

How do the XP, taming and harvest multipliers work?

Every core multiplier defaults to 1.0, which matches official server rates. A value of 2.0 means twice as fast and 0.5 means half speed. XPMultiplier scales all experience earned by players and creatures. If you want finer control, Game.ini settings such as KillXPMultiplier, HarvestXPMultiplier and CraftXPMultiplier adjust specific XP sources on their own.

TamingSpeedMultiplier controls how quickly a knocked-out creature becomes tame. Both the time spent and the food consumed drop as you raise it, and a high value turns the longest part of the game into a few minutes. HarvestAmountMultiplier scales what drops when you hit a tree, a rock or a carcass. To tune individual resources, use HarvestResourceItemAmountClassMultipliers lines in Game.ini.

Think about these three together. If you set XP to 10x but leave harvesting at 1x, players level quickly but cannot gather enough material to build what they unlock. The reverse leaves resources plentiful while progress crawls. For a balanced server, keep the three at the same or similar ratios.

How do you set breeding, maturation and stack sizes?

All breeding settings live in Game.ini, and they do not all point the same way. MatingIntervalMultiplier scales the cooldown between matings, so lowering it shortens the wait. EggHatchSpeedMultiplier and BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier are speed multipliers, so raising them makes eggs hatch and babies grow faster.

When you speed up maturation, revisit baby care as well. BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier sets the interval between imprint care prompts; if growth gets faster but this interval stays the same, players struggle to reach a 100 percent imprint. BabyImprintAmountMultiplier scales how much imprint each care action gives. Adjusting these alongside growth speed heads off the most common complaint on boosted servers.

For stack sizes, use ItemStackSizeMultiplier in GameUserSettings.ini; a value of 3.0 triples the stack limit for stone, wood, metal and similar items. It does not change items that do not stack, such as weapons and armour. To set the limit for one specific item, add a ConfigOverrideItemMaxQuantity line for it in Game.ini.

Command line or ini file?

ARK also accepts some settings on the launch line. Options added after the map name with a question mark, such as TheIsland_WP?SessionName=MyServer?ServerAdminPassword=..., take precedence over the same settings in GameUserSettings.ini. Options that start with a dash only work on the command line: -mods, -clusterid, -ClusterDirOverride, -NoTransferFromFiltering and, on ASA, -WinLiveMaxPlayers for the player limit are all examples.

The practical rule is to keep each setting in one place. If the same value is defined both on the command line and in an ini file, working out why your file edit has no effect can take hours. Flags on the command line and gameplay settings in the ini files is the most readable arrangement. Game panels usually build the launch line from separate fields, so check which values your panel adds there before you change anything.

What settings suit small, PvE and boosted servers?

The values below are not rules. They are starting points you will often see on community servers. Pick one, then adjust in small steps based on a few weeks of feedback from your players. For difficulty, a common choice is OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0, which lets wild creatures spawn up to level 150.

On boosted servers, hardware matters more. Fast taming and growth fill the map with creatures quickly, which raises RAM and CPU load. If you launch with very high multipliers, plan creature and structure limits and regular maintenance such as DestroyWildDinos from the start.

How do you install mods on ASA with CurseForge?

ARK: Survival Ascended uses CurseForge instead of the Steam Workshop that ASE relies on. Every mod has a numeric project ID on its CurseForge page. On the server you add mods to the launch line as a comma-separated list, for example -mods=111111,222222. The server downloads them on startup, and players download any missing mods when they connect.

Load order matters. If two mods change the same thing, the one listed first usually wins, which is a frequent cause of odd behaviour with building and creature mods. Removing a mod also removes its items and creatures from the world, so always back up your save before changing the mod list on a live server.

On ASE, mod IDs come from the Steam Workshop and go in the ActiveMods line of GameUserSettings.ini. The two games have separate mod ecosystems: an ASE mod will not work on ASA, so look for the ASA version of the same mod on CurseForge.

How do clusters and character transfers work?

A cluster is a group of servers between which players can move their characters, items and creatures. Each map runs as its own server process, and all of them share the same -clusterid value and the same -ClusterDirOverride folder. Transfer data is stored in that shared folder, so the servers need to run on the same machine or have access to the same storage.

The -NoTransferFromFiltering flag is used to stop characters from outside your cluster, or from single-player saves, being uploaded to your servers. What may be transferred is controlled in GameUserSettings.ini with settings such as PreventDownloadSurvivors, PreventDownloadItems and PreventDownloadDinos. Because every map is a separate process, each server in a cluster needs its own RAM; a three-map cluster costs roughly three servers' worth of resources.

How do admin commands, saving and backups work?

To become an admin, set a ServerAdminPassword in GameUserSettings.ini, open the console in game and type EnableCheats followed by the password. After that, run commands with the cheat prefix: cheat SaveWorld saves immediately, cheat ListPlayers shows connected players and their IDs, cheat Broadcast sends a message to everyone, and cheat DestroyWildDinos wipes wild creatures so they respawn. Over RCON you use the same commands without the prefix.

ARK saves the world at the interval set by AutoSavePeriodMinutes, which defaults to 15 minutes. Saves live under SavedArks in a folder named after the map, with the .ark world file alongside .arkprofile player files and .arktribe tribe files. The server keeps some older copies on its own, but do not rely on them as your backup.

A real backup is a copy of the SavedArks folder and both ini files stored somewhere other than the server. Run SaveWorld or shut the server down cleanly before copying, and always back up before major updates and mod changes. On TheCrewHost's ARK servers you can download the SavedArks folder and both ini files straight from the Pterodactyl-based game panel's file manager.

• EnableCheats <password>: grants admin rights in game
• cheat SaveWorld: saves the world immediately
• cheat ListPlayers: lists players and their IDs
• cheat KickPlayer <ID> / cheat BanPlayer <ID>: removes or bans a player
• cheat Broadcast <message>: sends a server-wide announcement
• cheat DestroyWildDinos: refreshes wild creatures

Change ARK server settings in 7 steps

1. 1

   Stop the server and back up

   Shut the server down cleanly, then copy GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini and the SavedArks folder somewhere safe.

2. 2

   Find the files

   Open ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer, or LinuxServer on an ASE Linux server. Create Game.ini if it does not exist.

3. 3

   Set the core multipliers

   Under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini, add XPMultiplier, TamingSpeedMultiplier, HarvestAmountMultiplier and ItemStackSizeMultiplier.

4. 4

   Add breeding settings

   In Game.ini, under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode], add MatingIntervalMultiplier, EggHatchSpeedMultiplier and BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier.

5. 5

   Adjust the launch line

   Add -mods for mods and -clusterid with -ClusterDirOverride for a cluster, and make sure no setting is defined in two places.

6. 6

   Start and verify

   Start the server, join, and confirm the settings applied by checking taming speed on a creature or the wood you get from a tree.

7. 7

   Schedule regular backups

   Set AutoSavePeriodMinutes and copy the SavedArks folder off the server on a regular schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions