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ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting14 min

ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) Dedicated Server Setup and Steam Workshop Mods

Deploy a classic ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server: SteamCMD 376030, forwarding 7777/7778/27015, switching among twelve official maps, GameUserSettings.ini tuning, automatic mod updates with -automanagedmods, and open-source LGSM management.

Although ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) has launched, classic ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) remains a first choice for many veteran players and long-running communities. It offers lower hardware requirements, a vast and mature Steam Workshop mod ecosystem (including S+ and Primal Fear), and all 12 complete maps. This article covers deployment standards, port forwarding, map rotation, and automated mod loading for an ASE dedicated server.

1. Server hardware baseline (more accessible than ASA)

Specification 4~8-player survival group 20~30-player tribal server
CPU 4 cores / 3.0GHz+ 8 cores / 3.5GHz+
Memory (RAM) 12 GB physical RAM 24 GB ~ 32 GB physical RAM
Storage 60 GB SSD 150 GB SSD
Upload bandwidth 10 Mbps dedicated 30 Mbps ~ 50 Mbps dedicated

2. Install the dedicated server with SteamCMD

Download the dedicated server anonymously through SteamCMD (AppID 376030):

Shell
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit

After the download, the main executable is located at: ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ShooterGameServer.exe

3. Network port planning

Default port Protocol Purpose Router forwarding
7777 UDP Main direct client connection (GamePort) Required
7778 UDP Raw data/physics simulation port (PeerPort) Required
27015 UDP Steam queries and lobby listings (QueryPort) Required
27020 TCP Remote RCON administration (optional) Open as needed

4. Startup script and switching among 12 official maps

Create a start_server.bat script:

Batch
@echo off
set SERVER_DIR=C:\ASEServer\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64
cd /d "%SERVER_DIR%"

start ShooterGameServer.exe "Ragnarok?listen?SessionName=LanGame ASE Server?ServerPassword=pwd?ServerAdminPassword=adminpwd?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20" -nosteamclient -game -server -log -automanagedmods

Common official map identifiers:

  • The Island: TheIsland
  • Scorched Earth: ScorchedEarth_P
  • Aberration: Aberration_P
  • Extinction: Extinction
  • Ragnarok (classic large free map): Ragnarok
  • Valguero: Valguero_P
  • Crystal Isles: CrystalIsles
  • Fjordur (the misty world): Fjordur

5. Automatic Steam Workshop mod updates

Add -automanagedmods to the startup script and the mod ID list to ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini:

INI
[ServerSettings]
ActiveMods=731604991,895711211

Each time the server starts, it automatically connects to Steam Workshop, checks for mod updates, and downloads them silently, resolving join failures caused by mismatched client and server mods.

6. Choose an approach: manual configuration or LanGame Server Manager (LGSM)

Manual ASE maintenance requires checking map identifiers every time you change maps. GameUserSettings.ini contains thousands of settings, making manual upkeep error-prone.

We recommend the official open-source dedicated server management platform to automate routine administration:

LGSM provides the following for classic ASE:

  1. One-click dropdown switching across 12 maps: Select Ragnarok, Fjordur, Valguero, or another map in the interface and automatically convert the selection into the corresponding arguments.
  2. Automatic Workshop mod detection: Enter a Mod ID to inject the arguments and monitor download status automatically.
  3. Forms for taming and harvesting multipliers: Visually adjust frequently used multipliers such as TamingSpeedMultiplier and HarvestAmountMultiplier.
  4. Dinosaur and character save snapshots: Archives .ark world saves on a schedule, protecting against a party wipe in Extinction or Aberration boss fights.