If your ARK dedicated server keeps loading as PvE, stop the server, edit the active GameUserSettings.ini, and set serverPVE=False under [ServerSettings]. Save the file while the server is stopped, start it again, and reconnect. In ARK’s configuration, serverPVE=True disables player-versus-player combat; False is the PvP value.
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The setting that changes ARK’s game mode
ARK reads the game-mode switch from GameUserSettings.ini. The relevant entry is:
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[ServerSettings]
serverPVE=FalseThe spelling, capitalization, section name, and value all matter. The setting belongs in the [ServerSettings] section, not in Game.ini, a launch command, or a client-side configuration file. If the section already exists, add the line beneath it. If it does not exist, create the section exactly as shown.
Do not leave both serverPVE=True and serverPVE=False in the same active section. Remove the old line or change its value so there is one authoritative entry. A duplicate can make it unclear which value the server loads, especially when a hosting panel regenerates the file.
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Before editing: identify which configuration you actually control
The correct fix depends on four things: the ARK edition, the operating system, whether the server is self-hosted or rented, and which file your server starts with. Use this decision table before changing anything.
| Question | What to use | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Which edition is installed? | ARK: Survival Evolved or ARK: Survival Ascended | Configuration names, file layouts, and host-panel labels can differ. An INI example for one edition may not map directly to the other. |
| Where is the server running? | Windows or Linux | Each dedicated-server build has a different GameUserSettings.ini path. |
| Who manages the machine? | You, on a self-hosted server, or a rental provider | A provider’s panel may overwrite manual edits or expose a different active file. |
| What is the server state? | Stopped before editing, then restarted afterward | Running servers can rewrite configuration, and the mode is not applied until the server restarts. |
| Which file is active? | The file in the server’s live ShooterGame/Saved/Config tree |
Editing a downloaded copy, an old installation, or a client file has no effect on the instance players join. |
Self-hosted Windows server: exact procedure
On a Windows dedicated server, the usual active file is:
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11ShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServerGameUserSettings.iniThe path is relative to the ARK server installation directory. If you have several server instances, each instance has its own saved configuration; use the directory belonging to the instance whose address your players use.
- Announce a shutdown if other players are online. Changing the mode is an administrative operation, and a stop interrupts connected players.
- Stop the dedicated server completely. Close it through the service, management script, or console you use to launch it. Wait until the process has exited rather than editing while log output is still being written.
- Open the live file. Navigate to
ShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServerGameUserSettings.iniin the server installation. Do not open a similarly named file in the client installation or an archive copy. - Find or create the section. Locate
[ServerSettings]. Under that heading, change an existingserverPVEline toserverPVE=False, or add the line if it is absent. - Save as the same file. Keep the filename and INI format. Check that your editor did not append
.txtto the filename. - Start the same server instance again. A restart is required before the game-mode parameter takes effect.
- Reconnect and test. Join the server after it has finished starting and confirm that the expected PvP rules are active. Test with consenting players in a safe area rather than assuming a successful boot means the setting loaded.
Self-hosted Linux server: exact procedure
Linux installations use the corresponding LinuxServer directory:
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.iniThe sequence is the same, but the service, shell script, container, or process manager you use must be stopped before the file is changed.
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- Stop the ARK service or process that launches the instance.
- Open the instance’s active
GameUserSettings.iniunderShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. - Under
[ServerSettings], set exactlyserverPVE=False. - Save the file with its original name and permissions.
- Start the same service or launch script again and wait for startup to complete.
- Reconnect to the server and verify the mode in an actual session.
If a Linux service starts ARK from a different working directory than you expect, the relative path can lead you to the wrong installation. Follow the service’s configured server directory and confirm that the file’s modification time changes when you save it. A changed timestamp alone is not proof that the running process uses that file, but an unchanged timestamp is a strong sign that you edited the wrong copy or lacked permission to write it.
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Rented server: use the provider’s active configuration interface
On a rented server, the web panel is often the authority. Host Havoc’s documented workflow places game-mode changes in its active Configuration Files or Expert Settings interface rather than asking customers to edit an unrelated local copy. Other providers may use different labels, but the principle is the same: change the setting in the panel that writes the instance’s live GameUserSettings.ini.
- Stop the server from the provider panel.
- Open the panel’s Configuration Files, Expert Settings, or equivalent editor for the correct ARK instance.
- Select
GameUserSettings.iniif the panel offers individual files, or locate the server-settings field if it presents a form. - Set
serverPVEtoFalse. If the panel uses a PvE/PvP selector, choose PvP and inspect the generated configuration when possible. - Save or apply the configuration while the server remains stopped.
- Start the server from the panel, not from an old local shortcut or a second control system.
- Reconnect after startup and verify the mode.
If the panel restores True after every restart, treat that as an authority problem rather than repeatedly editing the file. Look for a startup template, an Expert Settings override, a scheduled configuration reset, or a second configuration profile. Contact the provider only after confirming that you changed the active instance and saved the panel form; support can then identify which template is rewriting the value.
Why an ARK server still appears to be PvE
You edited the wrong operating-system path
Windows uses WindowsServer; Linux uses LinuxServer. Editing one while the instance runs from the other has no effect. This is especially easy to do when a server has been migrated between operating systems or when a host keeps old files from a previous installation.
You changed the wrong file
The setting is in GameUserSettings.ini, not Game.ini. It must be the file under the active server’s ShooterGame/Saved/Config directory. A client installation, backup, staging instance, or downloaded copy is not authoritative.
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- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
The section is wrong or missing
serverPVE belongs under [ServerSettings]. If you place it above the heading, under another section, or in a panel field that writes a different file, ARK will not use it. Create the heading if necessary and keep the setting directly in that section.
The server was running during the edit
ARK can rewrite configuration while the game is running. Your editor may show the new value immediately, only for the server’s shutdown routine to write the previous value back. Stop the process first, save, and start it afterward.
You did not restart the server
Saving the INI does not change the mode of a running session. The game-mode parameter is read when the server starts, so a full stop-and-start cycle is required.
A host panel overwrote your manual change
Rented servers may rebuild configuration from a panel profile each time they start. If the file returns to True, make the change in the provider’s active editor or PvP/PvE selector. If both a panel and a startup script manage the server, determine which one runs last and remove the conflicting value there.
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Confirm whether the instance is ARK: Survival Evolved or ARK: Survival Ascended before copying an INI snippet. Their configuration layouts and host controls are not guaranteed to be identical. Do not infer the edition solely from a server name; check the product selected in the host panel or the dedicated-server installation you launched.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
You joined a different server
A successful edit cannot affect another instance. Recheck the address, query port, cluster entry, and host-panel instance name you use to connect. If several servers share a machine, verify that the edited directory belongs to the endpoint players actually select.
How to confirm that the value persisted
Use a controlled verification rather than relying on the fact that the server started.
- Stop the server and open the active file again.
- Confirm that the only relevant entry is
serverPVE=Falseunder[ServerSettings]. - Record which file or panel profile you changed, including the edition and instance name.
- Start the server and wait for it to finish loading.
- Reconnect using the known address for that instance.
- Check the in-game behavior with players who understand that PvP rules now apply. Do not use an unconsenting player as a test target.
- If the setting has reverted, stop again and inspect the file immediately. A reverted value points to a writer—such as a host template, startup script, or alternate instance—rather than a game-mode interpretation issue.
The official configuration reference defines True as the PvE state and False as the PvP state. Therefore, seeing False in the active file after a restart is the meaningful configuration check; a server browser label by itself is not enough to diagnose which file was loaded.
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Permissions, formatting, and file-authority checks
- Filename: Make sure the file is named
GameUserSettings.ini, notGameUserSettings.ini.txtor a renamed backup. - Section spelling: Use
[ServerSettings]exactly. Avoid adding spaces inside the brackets. - Value spelling: Use the Boolean value
False; do not substitute a game-mode word such asPvPfor the documented parameter value. - Duplicate entries: Remove stale copies of
serverPVEin the same active section so one value is unambiguous. - Write permission: On Linux, preserve the service user’s ability to read the file. On Windows, save with an account that can write to the server directory.
- Save location: Verify the editor’s title bar or path before saving. A file opened from a search result can belong to an old server installation.
- Panel synchronization: If the host panel has a Save, Apply, or Restart action, complete it. Closing the editor without applying the form may discard the change.
- Shutdown completion: Do not edit while a graceful shutdown is still writing files. Wait until the process or service has stopped.
What the server administrator can and cannot change
Only the server administrator can change the current ARK game mode. A player connecting through the game client cannot convert a PvE server to PvP, and client-side settings do not override the dedicated server’s value. If you are not the administrator, send the administrator the exact instance, edition, operating system, and the serverPVE=False requirement rather than changing local files on your own computer.
The administrator also controls the restart window and the configuration authority. On a self-hosted server that authority is normally the live INI file. On a rented server it may be the provider panel or a template that generates the file. Identifying that authority is the difference between a persistent change and a value that disappears at the next launch.
Changing back to PvE
To return the same server to PvE, use the identical procedure while the server is stopped and change the value to:
[ServerSettings]
serverPVE=TrueSave the active file or provider-panel setting, restart the server, and reconnect. The value True is the documented PvE setting. Do not change the value during a running session and expect the current session to change without a restart.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsImportant edition and world-state cautions
Changing the game-mode parameter controls how the dedicated server loads its PvE/PvP mode; it is not a documented promise that every world object, protection rule, tribe state, or other gameplay condition will be preserved identically across every ARK edition and hosting environment. Before making a mode change on an established world, the administrator should make the normal server backup used for that installation and tell players when the rule change will take effect.
Do not assume that a configuration snippet from ARK: Survival Evolved applies unchanged to ARK: Survival Ascended, or that a local-file workflow applies to a managed host. Confirm the edition and the host’s supported configuration method first. If the provider exposes only a mode selector, use that selector instead of forcing an INI line the panel may remove.
Quick diagnostic checklist
- Is this the correct ARK edition?
- Are you editing the active server instance rather than a client, backup, or staging copy?
- For Windows, is the file under
ShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServer? - For Linux, is it under
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/? - Is
serverPVE=Falseinside[ServerSettings]? - Did you stop the server before saving?
- Did you start the same instance again after saving?
- Did a provider panel or startup template overwrite the value?
- Are you connecting to the endpoint you edited?
- Are you, or the person making the change, the server administrator?
If every answer is yes and the server still behaves as PvE, stop it once more and compare the file you edited with the configuration path shown by the service or host panel. The remaining likely cause is that another configuration source is authoritative or that the connection is reaching a different instance.
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