To host an ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated server on Windows, install Valve’s SteamCMD, download dedicated-server app ID 2430930 into a server folder, launch ArkAscendedServer.exe with your map and settings, then allow and forward the same ports through Windows Firewall and your router. ASA uses -port=<port> for the game port; the older ?port=<port> form makes the server fall back to port 7777.
Godlike.Host offers hosted ARK: Survival Evolved servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
This guide covers a single Windows instance, persistent configuration, port forwarding, updates, backups, multiple-instance planning, and the fastest way to diagnose a server that starts locally but cannot be found by remote players.
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Prepare the Windows host before downloading the server files. Use a computer that can remain online while people play and give the server account permission to create and modify files in its installation directory.
| Requirement | What to prepare | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | A supported Windows 10 22H2-or-later release or a supported Windows Server edition | The official setup guidance targets supported, current Windows builds rather than obsolete releases. |
| Runtime components | Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable x64 and the June 2010 DirectX End-User Runtimes | The dedicated server may fail to start or report missing components without these runtimes. |
| Storage | A dedicated folder such as C:arkserver, with room for the server build, saved data, logs, and future updates |
Keeping server files separate simplifies permissions, backups, and rollback. |
| Network | A stable local IP address for the Windows host and router access | Port-forwarding rules must always point to the same computer. |
| Administration | Permission to install software, create firewall rules, and edit router settings | SteamCMD, Windows Firewall, and the router each require separate administrative actions. |
There is no authoritative universal CPU, memory, bandwidth, or player-capacity minimum that guarantees a particular experience. Load changes with the map, player count, mods, and server settings, so treat any generic specification as a starting point rather than a promise.
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Install SteamCMD and download the ASA server
1. Install SteamCMD
- Download SteamCMD from Valve’s official distribution channel.
- Extract it to a short, permanent path such as
C:SteamCMD. - Run SteamCMD once so it can create its working files and update itself.
Do not install the server inside the Steam desktop client’s game-library folders. A separate directory makes it easier to grant access, back up saved data, and replace files during an update.
2. Create the server directory
Create C:arkserver (or another path without restrictive permissions). The final executable will be below ShooterGameBinariesWin64, while configuration and world data will be below ShooterGameSaved.
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3. Download app ID 2430930
You can enter the commands interactively in SteamCMD:
force_install_dir C:arkserver
login anonymous
app_update 2430930 validate
quitOr run the complete operation from a normal Windows Command Prompt opened in the SteamCMD directory:
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:arkserver +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quitapp_update 2430930 validate downloads the ARK: Survival Ascended dedicated-server files and checks them. The first installation can take a substantial amount of time and disk space. When it finishes, confirm that C:arkserverShooterGameBinariesWin64ArkAscendedServer.exe exists.
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Create a Windows launch batch file
Use the executable’s actual directory
Create a file such as StartASA.bat in C:arkserver. Starting from the binaries directory prevents relative paths from pointing at the wrong location.
@echo off
cd /d C:arkserverShooterGameBinariesWin64
ArkAscendedServer.exe <MapName>?SessionName=MyASA -port=7777 -QueryPort=27015 -MaxPlayers=20 -ServerAdminPassword=ChangeThisImmediately
pauseReplace <MapName> with the map identifier you intend to run, change the session name, choose an administrator password, and set the player limit appropriate for your hardware. Keep the batch file in a location that is backed up with the rest of the server configuration.
Understand the launch arguments
| Argument | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Map argument | Selects the map loaded by the instance. | <MapName> |
SessionName |
Sets the name players see in the server browser. | ?SessionName=MyASA |
-port |
Sets the game-traffic port. ASA requires the hyphenated form. | -port=7777 |
-QueryPort |
Sets the Steam query port used for browser information. | -QueryPort=27015 |
-MaxPlayers |
Sets the maximum number of simultaneous players for the instance. | -MaxPlayers=20 |
-ServerAdminPassword |
Sets the password used for administrator commands. | -ServerAdminPassword=ChangeThisImmediately |
The official ARK community documentation is explicit: “ARK: Survival Ascended requires -port=<port> instead of ?port=<port>. Otherwise it will always default to 7777.” Do not copy launch examples written for older ARK server versions without checking their port syntax.
Start once and let ASA create its folders
- Double-click the batch file from an account allowed to write to
C:arkserver. - Leave the console open while the process initializes. The first launch creates saved-data, configuration, and log directories.
- Wait for the server to finish startup instead of closing the window immediately. A clean shutdown is preferable to killing the process while it is writing world data.
- Close the server from its console when you are finished with the initial setup, then edit the generated files.
Configure GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini
Know where persistent settings live
ASA’s Windows server configuration directory is:
C:arkserverShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServerThe two files have different roles:
GameUserSettings.inistores server-level options, access controls, and many player-facing rules.Game.inistores advanced game-mode and gameplay-rule overrides.
If the files are missing, start the server once as described above. Edit them with a plain-text editor while the server is stopped, save as ordinary .ini files, and restart the process so the changes load.
Set identity, access, and capacity deliberately
Use the launch file for values you want to see at startup, such as the map, session name, game port, query port, administrator password, and player limit. Keep sensitive passwords out of screenshots and public repositories. If you add a password for ordinary players, distribute it privately and change it whenever it becomes widely known.
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Use GameUserSettings.ini for the persistent server settings exposed by ASA. Keep a backup copy before changing several options at once; if a new setting prevents startup, restoring the last known-good file is faster than guessing which line caused the failure.
Reserve Game.ini for advanced rules
Game.ini is appropriate for advanced gameplay changes documented for ASA, but a malformed section or unsupported key can be ignored or cause confusing behavior. Add one logical group of changes at a time, restart, and inspect the logs before adding more. Do not assume a setting from the older ARK server applies unchanged to Ascended.
Open Windows Firewall ports
A Windows rule allows traffic to reach the host; it does not make the server reachable from the public internet by itself. For a typical single instance, use these ports:
| Port | Protocol | Role | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Game traffic | Yes |
| 7778 | UDP | Peer traffic | Yes |
| 27015 | UDP | Steam query and server-browser information | Yes for browser visibility |
| 27020 | TCP | RCON administration | Only when RCON is enabled and configured |
Use the Windows Defender Firewall interface
- Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
- Select Inbound Rules, then choose New Rule….
- Select Port, choose UDP, and enter
7777-7778. - Select Allow the connection, apply the profiles appropriate to your network, and name the rule clearly, such as
ASA Game and Peer UDP. - Create a second UDP rule for
27015. - If you deliberately enable RCON, create a TCP rule for
27020and restrict its scope as tightly as your administration method permits.
Create equivalent rules in elevated PowerShell
Run PowerShell as Administrator if you prefer repeatable commands:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ASA Game and Peer UDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 7777-7778 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ASA Query UDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 27015 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "ASA RCON TCP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 27020 -Action AllowOnly create the RCON rule when RCON is actually in use. Exposing an unused administration port increases attack surface without helping players connect.
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Forward the same ports on your router
Log in to the router that provides internet access to the Windows host and find its Port Forwarding, NAT, or Virtual Server page. Labels differ by manufacturer, but each rule needs an external port, an internal port, a protocol, and the destination computer’s local IP address.
- Give the Windows machine a DHCP reservation or a manually assigned local address so it does not change after a reboot.
- Create a UDP rule forwarding external 7777 to the host’s UDP 7777.
- Create a UDP rule forwarding external 7778 to the host’s UDP 7778.
- Create a UDP rule forwarding external 27015 to the host’s UDP 27015.
- Add TCP 27020 only if RCON is enabled.
- Save the router configuration and restart its networking service only if the router requires it.
The router’s destination must match the local IP shown by Windows. A correct firewall rule aimed at the wrong address is indistinguishable from a blocked port to an outside player.
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Start, test, and publish the server
Verify the host before testing remotely
- Start the batch file and confirm that
ArkAscendedServer.exeremains running. - Check the
ShooterGameSavedtree for newly written configuration and log files. - From another computer on the same LAN, search for the session or test the host’s local address using the game’s available connection method.
- Ask a player on a different network to search for the exact session name. A phone hotspot is useful because it avoids testing through the same router.
- After each change, stop the server cleanly, edit one setting, restart, and test again.
Check browser filters before changing ports
A server can be running correctly yet absent from a browser because the player has filters enabled for map, password status, unofficial servers, region, or full servers. Have the tester clear restrictive filters and search the exact session name. Confirm that the query port in the launch file is the same UDP port opened in both Windows Firewall and the router.
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Run the SteamCMD update before planned starts and after an ASA update:
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steamcmd +force_install_dir C:arkserver +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit- Announce maintenance and stop the running server cleanly.
- Copy the entire
C:arkserverShooterGameSaveddirectory to a separate backup location. Include the configuration files, world saves, player data, and logs you may need for diagnosis. - Run the SteamCMD update command.
- Start the server and watch the console for errors before inviting players back.
- If a build or mod change causes trouble, stop the process and restore the last known-good saved data and configuration backup before trying another change.
Back up before changing builds or mods, not only after something breaks. A backup on the same physical disk protects against configuration mistakes but not disk failure, so copy important saves to another disk or machine as well.
Run multiple ASA instances
Each instance needs its own server data directory or a carefully separated configuration and save layout. Most importantly, instances cannot share the same listening ports. Assign a distinct game port, peer port, and query port to every instance, then mirror those assignments in the launch file, Windows Firewall, and router rules.
| Instance | Game UDP | Peer UDP | Query UDP | RCON TCP, if used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 7777 | 7778 | 27015 | 27020 |
| Additional instance | Choose an unused port | Choose a different unused port | Choose a different unused port | Choose a different unused port |
Do not simply duplicate the first batch file and change the map. A second process that tries to bind an already-used port will fail to start or will not be reachable on the intended address. Give every instance a clearly named batch file and a documented port map.
Troubleshoot by following the connection path
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The console closes immediately | Missing runtime, incorrect working directory, invalid launch argument, or insufficient file permissions | Run the batch file from an existing Command Prompt, install the Visual C++ 2013 x64 and June 2010 DirectX runtimes, confirm the executable path, and inspect the error text before changing settings. |
| The process runs but the server is not listed | Query UDP 27015 is blocked, the query-port value does not match the firewall/router, or browser filters hide the session | Open UDP 27015 in both network layers, verify -QueryPort=27015, clear filters, and search by the exact session name. |
| LAN players connect; internet players cannot | Router forwarding is missing, points to an old local IP, or the ISP connection is not publicly reachable | Reserve the host IP, recreate the UDP forwarding rules, verify the public address, and ask the ISP about carrier-grade NAT if no inbound path exists. |
| Players reach the wrong instance | Two instances share a port or a router rule targets the wrong host | Assign non-overlapping ports and map each external port to the correct Windows computer and instance. |
| The server always uses 7777 | The launch line uses the legacy ?port= syntax |
Replace it with -port=<port> and make the firewall/router values match. |
| Changes do not appear | The file was edited while the server was running, saved with the wrong extension, or placed outside the WindowsServer directory | Stop ASA, edit ShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServer, verify the file remains an .ini, and restart. |
| A new build or mod breaks startup | Incompatible files or a malformed configuration change | Stop the server, restore the last backup of ShooterGameSaved, validate the installation with SteamCMD, then reintroduce changes one at a time. |
Self-hosting versus managed Windows hosting
Running the server yourself provides direct control, but it also makes you responsible for every operational layer. A managed service can remove routine maintenance while reducing low-level control. Compare the options against the work you actually want to perform:
| Decision point | Self-hosted Windows server | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| INI and mod control | Direct access to every file and launch argument. | Usually exposed through a panel; access depends on the provider. |
| Multiple instances | You allocate hardware, storage, processes, and non-overlapping ports. | Capacity and instance limits depend on the selected plan. |
| Updates and backups | You schedule SteamCMD updates and copy ShooterGameSaved. |
The provider may automate them, but verify retention and restoration procedures. |
| Firewall and router work | You create Windows rules and forward ports yourself. | The host normally handles public networking, subject to its platform design. |
| Public-IP requirements | Your home or office connection must accept inbound traffic. | The provider supplies the public endpoint. |
| Cost and support | Uses your existing machine and connection; support is your responsibility. | Recurring cost buys infrastructure and support, whose response time and uptime commitments vary. |
Choose self-hosting when you need unrestricted Windows access and are comfortable maintaining ports, updates, and backups. Choose managed hosting when avoiding SteamCMD maintenance, router administration, and recovery work is more important than controlling the underlying machine.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Windows is a supported 10 22H2-or-later release or supported Windows Server edition.
- Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable x64 and June 2010 DirectX End-User Runtimes are installed.
- SteamCMD installed app ID 2430930 into the intended server directory.
- The batch file launches from
ShooterGameBinariesWin64. - The game port uses
-port=<port>, not the legacy query-string form. GameUserSettings.iniandGame.iniare underShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServer.- UDP 7777-7778 and UDP 27015 are allowed in Windows Firewall and forwarded to the host; TCP 27020 is added only for RCON.
- The host has a stable local IP address.
- The server has been tested locally and from a separate network.
ShooterGameSavedis backed up before updates, build changes, or mod changes.
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