Choose another gameARK: Survival Evolved Server Hosting
Your own ARK dedicated server, any map, any mod
Tame, breed and build on any ARK: Survival Evolved map with your own Steam Workshop mods. Includes instant setup, automatic clustering, DDoS protection and 24/7 support.
Only compatible with the Steam & Epic versions of ARK. Genesis 2 and Lost Island maps require 16 GB RAM.
Why Host With Us?
Automatic ARK Clustering
If you have more than one ARK server with Host Havoc, you can instantly cluster your servers at no additional cost, even if they're hosted in different locations!
Workshop Mod Integration
Easily install and manage your ARK server's Steam Workshop mods (in one click!) with our easy-to-use management interface. We even support Workshop Collections!
Full FTP Access
For users that prefer to self-manage, we offer FTP access and a file manager to manually backup/restore saved data, manage their ARK API plugins (yes, we support that!), and more.
Support For All Mods and DLC
Our ARK server hosting supports all maps, mods and DLC, including Extinction, Genesis, Ragnarok, Fjordur, etc. You can easily swap between maps in seconds.
£11.02/mo
+ billing term & add-ons
High Performance Hardware
Unlike most hosting providers, we own & operate our own hardware.- Xeon and Ryzen CPUs
- DDR4 & DDR5 Memory
- Up to 10Gbps Uplinks
- NVMe SSD Drives
Easy-to-Use Game Management
We host all of our ARK: Survival Evolved servers on our modified TCAdmin v2 platform. This proven, powerful control suite offers the best in server management capability.
- Web Console
- File Manager
- Workshop Installer
- Log Viewer
- Offsite Backups
- Easy Data Restores
About ARK: Survival Evolved: the original ARK
This page is for ARK: Survival Evolved, the original ARK released in 2017 (Steam App ID 346110). ARK: Survival Ascended is a separate game with its own server files and mods, so check which version your group plays before you order. In Evolved you survive on an island full of dinosaurs, tame and breed creatures, build bases, and fight or team up with other tribes. A dedicated server keeps your world online 24/7, so your tribe can log in, breed, and build without anyone hosting the game on their own PC.
Why groups still run Evolved servers
Evolved has years of community content behind it. Its mod library lives on the Steam Workshop, with mods, maps, and total conversions built up over the years. Existing tribes, saves, and clusters keep running as they are, and the full map lineup is available: The Island, Ragnarok, Valguero, Fjordur, and Lost Island, plus the Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, and Genesis expansions for players who own them.
What your server includes
Pick 30 to 100 slots and your region. From the control panel you choose your map, install Workshop mods or whole collections with one click, and edit your server settings in the Config Editor. Servers on the same account link through our automatic cluster system, so tribes can travel between maps at the obelisk. Epic Games players can join through crossplay on unmodded servers. Automated backups, DDoS protection, and 24/7 support come with every plan.
How to Set Up an ARK: Survival Evolved Dedicated Server
With Host Havoc
The easy way: with Host Havoc
- Pick a plan from 30 to 100 slots and your region. Your server is live in minutes on the latest build.
- From the panel choose your map, such as The Island or Ragnarok, then set your server password and player count.
- Add Steam Workshop mods with one click, with no editing of .ini files.
Every plan includes automated world backups, DDoS protection, and 24/7 support.
Without Host Havoc
The manual way: self-hosting
ARK runs on the official dedicated server tool on Windows or a native Linux binary, with no GPU needed. The honest bottleneck is memory: ARK is very RAM-heavy, so plan for 16GB or more, a strong single-core CPU with at least two cores, and a box that stays on 24/7.
- On Linux, install the dependencies SteamCMD needs. On Windows, no extra runtime is required.
- Download the server with SteamCMD using dedicated server App ID 376030:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir ./ark-server +app_update 376030 validate +quit
- Start the server once to generate the configs, then edit GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini. Set SessionName, ServerPassword, and ServerAdminPassword under ServerSettings, MaxPlayers under /Script/Engine.GameSession, and choose your map such as The Island or Ragnarok.
- Set your launch options with the map name, for example TheIsland?listen, and forward the game port 7777 UDP, the raw socket port 7778 UDP, and the query port 27015 UDP. Use TCP 27020 if you enable RCON.
- Launch the server and keep it running as a service on Windows or under screen or tmux on Linux.
After that it is on you: patching on every update, world backups, crash restarts, and DDoS protection.
ARK: Survival Evolved Server Guides
Step-by-step guides for setting up, configuring, and managing your server.
Connect to your ARK: Survival Evolved server on Steam or the Epic Games Store by adding it to favourites or using the in-game console.
Read guide How to Add Admins on Your ARK ServerGive players admin access on your ARK: Survival Evolved server by adding their Steam64 IDs to AllowedCheaterSteamIDs.txt in the control panel.
Read guide How to Add Mods to Your ARK ServerAdd Steam Workshop mods to your ARK: Survival Evolved server using the panel's Workshop installer or by editing GameUserSettings.ini.
Read guide How to Enable Crossplay on Your ARK ServerLet Steam and Epic Games players share your ARK: Survival Evolved server by adding the -crossplay parameter to your command line.
Read guide How to Cluster Your ARK ServersLink multiple ARK: Survival Evolved maps into a cluster so players carry characters and items between them, all on one Host Havoc account.
Read guide WikiEvery guide for your ARK: Survival Evolved server, all in one place.
View all guides