An ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server runs your own island, with your own rates, mods and rules. This guide follows the official ARK wiki's dedicated server page and a test server we ran with a password on 4 October 2026 (server version 94.15). It is for Survival Ascended; our ARK: Survival Evolved guide covers the original game, which differs in several places.
What You Need
- Windows. The ASA server runs on Windows only; the wiki recommends Windows 10 version 22H2 or newer, or Windows Server 2016 or newer, with the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64) and the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) installed.
- Memory: the wiki gives 8 to 10 GB for a new save on The Island, and 10.5 to 12 GB on The Center. Our test server on The Island reported using about 10.3 GB once it was ready.
- CPU: the wiki suggests four logical cores per server, favouring fast single cores.
- Disk space: around 11 GB, per the wiki; our test install was 11.4 GB.
Hosting licence
The wiki notes that unless you get a dedicated server licence from Nitrado, ASA dedicated servers may only be hosted for personal, non-commercial use: no money beyond donations or covering running costs.
Install The Server With SteamCMD
The ASA dedicated server is app 2430930 and downloads with an anonymous login:
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:\ASAServer +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit
The server program is ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkAscendedServer.exe inside that folder. Run the same command again to update.
Ports And Firewall
| Port | Protocol | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | The game port, set with -Port= |
| 27015 | UDP | The query port, for the server browser |
| 27020 | TCP | RCON, only if you turn it on |
Our test server listened on UDP 7777 and UDP 27015. The wiki also lists UDP 7778 (the game port plus one), which our test server did not open; forwarding it as well does no harm. Forward the UDP ports and allow them through Windows Firewall.
Configure The Server
The launch line
ASA takes the map and options on its command line, for example:
ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?SessionName="My ASA Server"?ServerPassword=joinpass?ServerAdminPassword=adminpass -Port=7777 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=20
What differs from Survival Evolved, per the wiki:
- Map names end in
_WP, such asTheIsland_WP. - The port is a dash option,
-Port=7777, not?Port=. - When you use the
?options,?ServerAdminPassword=must come last. - The player limit is
-WinLiveMaxPlayers=. - Mods are added with
-mods=and a cluster with-clusterID=.
The config files
On its first start, our test server created ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\GameUserSettings.ini. It did not create a Game.ini: if you want one, make it in the same folder. Stop the server before editing either file.
Start The Server
Run your launch line from a command prompt or a batch file in the Win64 folder. On our test machine the server logged "Full Startup" after about 27 seconds and "Server has completed startup and is now advertising for join" after about 80 seconds; players can join from that second line on.
Join Your Server
Players find it in ASA's server browser by name (with the password if you set one), once the query port is reachable from the internet.
Admins, Saves And Updates
Admin commands
Set ServerAdminPassword on the launch line, then in game open the console and type enablecheats followed by that password to use admin commands.
Saves
Everything the server keeps is under ShooterGame\Saved: the world, player and tribe data, config files and logs. On our test server the world save was ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArks\TheIsland_WP\TheIsland_WP.ark. Stop the server and copy ShooterGame\Saved to back it up.
Updates
Run the SteamCMD command again with the server stopped. The wiki lists tools such as PowerShellGSM and ASA Server Manager that can automate updates, backups and restarts.
Common Problems
The server will not start on Windows Server
The wiki notes that Windows Server editions need Epic's certificate revocation list installed by hand. Also check the Visual C++ 2013 and DirectX June 2010 runtimes are installed.
The settings on my launch line are ignored
Check that ?ServerAdminPassword= is the last ? option and that the port uses -Port=, not ?Port=.
Players cannot find the server
Check UDP 7777 and UDP 27015 are forwarded and allowed through Windows Firewall, and wait for "advertising for join" in the log before looking.
SteamCMD says "Missing configuration"
In our tests SteamCMD sometimes failed this way on the first run, then installed the server when we ran the same command again.
Or Rent A Server Instead
An ASA server needs about 10 GB of memory for The Island alone, a Windows machine left running, and its own update and backup routine. A rented server runs on the host's hardware, and you set the same launch options and ini files from its control panel. Compare memory, locations and what each host includes before you buy.
Compare ARK: Survival Ascended server hosts on price, locations, memory and support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run an ARK: Survival Ascended server on Linux?
Not natively: the ASA dedicated server is for Windows only.
How much RAM does an ASA server need?
The official ARK wiki gives 8 to 10 GB for a new save on The Island, more for The Center. Our test server on The Island used about 10 GB.
Which ports does an ASA server use?
UDP 7777 for the game and UDP 27015 for the query port; TCP 27020 if you turn on RCON. The wiki also lists UDP 7778.
How do I become an admin on my ASA server?
Set ServerAdminPassword on the launch line, then type enablecheats and the password in the game's console.
Can I make money from my ASA server?
The wiki says only with a dedicated server licence from Nitrado; otherwise hosting must be personal and non-commercial, with donations or running costs at most.
Do I need to own ASA to run a dedicated server?
No. The dedicated server downloads with an anonymous SteamCMD login. Players still need the game to join.
Sources
Checked on 4 October 2026 against:
- The official ARK Wiki, Dedicated server setup (ARK: Survival Ascended sections)
- Valve, SteamCMD
- Our own test install and password-protected test server (app 2430930, version 94.15) on Windows, 4 October 2026
Server Setup
Server Setup
Server Setup