ARK: Survival Evolved Server Hosting Guide
ARK: Survival Evolved drops you onto a mysterious island teeming with dinosaurs, where survival depends on your wits, your tribe, and your ability to tame the prehistoric beasts around you. Whether you want a fresh start with friends or a heavily modded survival experience, running your own dedicated ARK server puts you in full control.
Why Host Your Own ARK Server?
Public ARK servers are notoriously chaotic. Griefing, base wiping, and overcrowded maps make it hard to enjoy the full experience. A private dedicated server solves all of that:
- Full admin control - Set your own rules, manage players, and ban troublemakers instantly
- Custom settings - Adjust XP rates, taming speed, harvest multipliers, and more
- Mod support - Install any Steam Workshop mods you want, from new dinosaurs to total overhauls
- No wipes - Your progress stays exactly where you left it, on your schedule
- Private or whitelisted access - Play only with people you trust
Choosing the Right ARK Server Host
ARK is one of the most resource-intensive survival games on the market. A poorly specced server will lag, crash during raids, and frustrate every player on it. Here is what to look for:
RAM and CPU
ARK's server process is hungry. You need at minimum 6GB of RAM for a small server, with most active communities running on 8-12GB. A strong CPU matters just as much - ARK is single-threaded on server-side processes, so clock speed beats core count.
NVMe Storage
ARK generates large save files and frequent autosaves. Slow disk I/O causes noticeable hitching during saving events. NVMe SSD storage keeps everything running smoothly.
DDoS Protection
Gaming servers are regular targets for denial-of-service attacks. Make sure your host includes enterprise-grade DDoS mitigation as standard - not as a paid add-on.
Server Location
Pick a data center close to your player base. For European ARK players, a server in Northern Europe will always outperform one based in the US.
One-Click Mod Management
Steam Workshop mods make ARK dramatically more interesting. A good host lets you install, update, and manage mods directly from the control panel, without touching the command line.
Key ARK Server Settings to Know
When you set up your ARK server, these are the settings that matter most:
- TamingSpeedMultiplier - Default taming is painfully slow. Most servers run 3x to 10x for a more enjoyable experience
- HarvestAmountMultiplier - How much you gather per swing. 2x to 5x is common on private servers
- XPMultiplier - Leveling in ARK takes a long time by default. Adjust this to match your group's play style
- DayCycleSpeedScale - Controls how fast day and night cycle. Useful for servers where players hate long nights
- MaxPlayers - Set this to match your expected player count. Over-allocating wastes RAM
- ActiveMods - Comma-separated list of Steam Workshop mod IDs to load on startup
Available ARK Maps
ARK: Survival Evolved ships with several maps and has many free community maps available through the Steam Workshop:
- The Island - The original map. A good starting point with all biomes represented
- Scorched Earth - Desert survival with extreme heat mechanics and exclusive creatures
- Aberration - Underground biomes with unique radiation mechanics and specialized dinosaurs
- Extinction - Post-apocalyptic Earth with corrupted dinosaurs and element mechanics
- The Center - Free community map with floating islands and massive caves
- Ragnarok - Massive free map combining Island and Scorched Earth biomes
- Crystal Isles - Visually stunning free map with crystal wyverns
- Valguero - Free map with the Deinonychus, a fan-favorite raptor variant
Getting Started with Your ARK Server
Setting up an ARK server with a managed host takes minutes:
- Choose your plan based on expected player count
- Select your map and datacenter location
- Configure your basic settings (taming speed, harvest rate, XP)
- Add any mods from the Steam Workshop
- Boot your server and connect through ARK's in-game server browser
Most players are in-game within 15 minutes of signing up.
Ready to Build Your Own ARK?
Stop losing your base to random server wipes and griefers. Get a dedicated ARK server where you make the rules, keep your progress, and play with exactly the people you want.
