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Change one server-side value in GameUserSettings.ini: under [ServerSettings], use ServerPVE=False for PvP or ServerPVE=True for PvE (which disables player-versus-player combat). Stop the server before editing, save the file, restart it, and then reconnect to verify the mode. Managed hosts expose the same value through a control-panel toggle or an Expert Mode editor.
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The setting that controls ARK server PvP
ARK uses the Boolean ServerPVE server setting to choose between PvP and PvE rules. The value is read by the dedicated server, not by each individual player’s client, so a client cannot override the mode selected by the server.
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|---|---|---|
ServerPVE=False |
PvP | Player-versus-player combat is enabled. |
ServerPVE=True |
PvE | PvP is disabled and the server runs its PvE rules. |
The ARK Official Community Wiki lists False as the default for this setting. A 2022 Nitrado guide uses the same examples and states: “If you want a PVP server, it should look like this: ServerPVE=False.”
What you need before changing the mode
- Administrative access: You need permission to edit the dedicated server’s configuration directory or to change settings in your hosting panel.
- A stopped server: Take the server offline before editing. ARK can rewrite configuration while it is running, removing an unsaved change.
- The correct configuration file: The value belongs in
GameUserSettings.ini, under the[ServerSettings]section. Do not put it inGame.inior in a local player’s configuration. - A restart window: The new value is applied when the server starts again, so connected players will be disconnected during the restart.
- A backup for an established world: Copy the configuration and save data before making a mode or map change. A backup gives you a recovery point if a panel or an edit produces an unexpected result.
Locate GameUserSettings.ini on a self-hosted server
The exact directory depends on the operating system used by the dedicated server.
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| Operating system | Configuration path |
|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | ShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServerGameUserSettings.ini |
| Linux dedicated server | ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini |
The paths above are relative to the ARK server installation directory. If you run more than one instance, confirm that you are editing the instance that your service or launcher actually starts. The official configuration reference describes GameUserSettings.ini as containing server and client options; client-only options are ignored by the server. That is why editing a similarly named file in a player’s local ARK folder will not change a dedicated server’s PvP state.
Enable or disable PvP by editing the INI file
- Stop the server completely. Use the server console, service manager, startup script, or host panel to stop it. Wait until the process has exited before opening the file.
- Open the server’s file. Navigate to the Windows or Linux path above and open
GameUserSettings.iniin a plain-text editor. Avoid a word processor that can add formatting or change line endings. - Find the server settings section. Search for the exact header
[ServerSettings]. The PvP line must be below this header, not in another section. - Add or edit the value. Use exactly one of these lines:
ServerPVE=Falsefor PvPServerPVE=Truefor PvE. - Check spelling and capitalization. The key is
ServerPVE; the values areTrueandFalse. Remove or correct an older contradictory line in the same section rather than leaving two competing entries. - Save the file. Keep the filename as
GameUserSettings.ini. Make sure your editor did not append an extra extension such as.txt. - Start or restart the server. Launch it through the same service or script normally used for that instance. A restart is required even when the file saved successfully.
- Verify from a fresh connection. Reconnect after the server has finished starting and check the server browser or in-game game-mode label. If the label still shows the previous mode, follow the troubleshooting checks below instead of assuming the value was accepted.
Example of a correctly placed setting
[ServerSettings]
ServerPVE=TrueThis example enables PvE. To run PvP, change only the value to False:
[ServerSettings]
ServerPVE=FalseOther settings may appear between the section header and this line; that does not matter as long as the key remains in the [ServerSettings] section and is written once with the intended value.
Change PvP on a managed server panel
A hosting panel may generate or overwrite the INI file. In that situation, use the panel’s setting rather than repeatedly editing a downloaded copy that the panel will replace.
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Nitrado general-settings workflow
- Stop the ARK server from the Nitrado web interface.
- Open Settings > General.
- Find the option labelled to disable PvP and enable PvE.
- Turn that option on for PvE, or turn it off for PvP.
- Save the setting and restart the server from the panel.
- Reconnect and check the displayed game mode.
The wording in the panel describes the PvE action, so read the label rather than inferring its meaning from a generic on/off switch: enabling the “disable PvP and enable PvE” option produces ServerPVE=True.
Nitrado Expert Mode workflow
- Stop the server.
- Enable Expert Mode if it is not already enabled.
- Open Settings > Expert Mode and load
GameUserSettings.ini. - Under
[ServerSettings], setServerPVE=Falsefor PvP orServerPVE=Truefor PvE. - Save the file in the panel and restart the server.
- Join again and confirm the mode in the browser or game interface.
Other managed hosts may use different menu names, but the underlying value is the same. Look for a PvE/PvP toggle, an advanced configuration editor, or a raw GameUserSettings.ini editor. If the panel offers both a friendly toggle and an Expert Mode file, make the change in the method your host documents and restart through that panel so it does not restore an older copy.
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Why the change takes effect only after a restart
ServerPVE is loaded as a server startup setting. Saving the file while the process is running does not reliably reload it, and the running game can write its in-memory configuration back to disk. Stopping first prevents that overwrite; restarting then makes the server read the new Boolean value.
Players do not need to edit their own configuration files. Once the dedicated server has started in the selected mode, every new connection receives that server’s rules. A player who remains connected through a configuration change may still be seeing the old session, so have everyone disconnect and rejoin after the restart when testing.
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Troubleshoot a server that still appears to be PvP
Confirm the line is in the right file
Open the file in the server’s WindowsServer or LinuxServer directory, not a client folder. The setting in Game.ini does not replace the ServerPVE value in GameUserSettings.ini.
Confirm the section and exact spelling
The line must be under [ServerSettings] and must read exactly ServerPVE=True or ServerPVE=False. Check for a misspelled key, an extra space inside the key, smart quotation marks, or a value such as true that your panel or parser may not accept. Keep one authoritative line in the section.
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If you edited while the game was running, stop it again, make the change, save, and perform a complete restart. The official configuration guidance warns that live-game changes can be removed. A panel may also require a separate save button before its restart button becomes effective.
Check whether the host rewrote the file
Open the file again after the restart. If the value has returned to its previous state, the control panel or startup process is regenerating the configuration. Set the value in the panel’s general PvE/PvP control or in its Expert Mode editor, save there, and restart from the same interface. Do not rely on a local copy that is uploaded only once.
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Verify the server you actually joined
When several ARK instances share one machine or account, it is easy to edit one instance and connect to another. Match the server’s name, port, installation directory, and service definition to the instance you changed. After restarting, use the browser’s game-mode label and a fresh connection as the verification point.
Allow for stale browser information
A server browser can display information from before the restart. Refresh the listing, wait for the server to report online, and reconnect rather than relying on a previously cached entry. The authoritative check is the mode reported by the newly started server, not an old favorite-list label.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Map changes and long respawn times
Nitrado documents a separate issue for PvP servers whose map is changed while existing player profiles are retained: players can experience very long respawn times after the switch. This is a map-change risk, not a reason to change ServerPVE repeatedly.
Before changing a map on an established PvP server, use one of the documented mitigations:
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- Upload player data through an obelisk before changing the map, then download it after the new map is running.
- Make a backup and perform a save-folder wipe after switching maps, accepting that the wipe changes what existing save data is retained.
Keep a backup before either approach. The map procedure and the PvP/PvE toggle are separate operations: changing ServerPVE does not substitute for preparing player data when moving between maps.
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Self-hosting versus managed hosting for this setting
Both arrangements ultimately use the same server Boolean, but the work required to edit, restart, and recover the instance differs.
| Decision point | Self-hosted Windows or Linux | Managed hosting panel |
|---|---|---|
| Access to the INI | Direct access to ShooterGame/Saved/Config/... on the server. |
Usually an on-screen toggle, an Expert Mode editor, or both. |
| Where to set PvP | GameUserSettings.ini, under [ServerSettings]. |
Panel PvE/PvP control or the panel’s copy of GameUserSettings.ini. |
| Restart control | Your service manager, console, or launch script. | The host panel’s stop, save, and restart controls. |
| Backups and recovery | You are responsible for copying configuration and save data and for restoring them. | The host may provide backup controls, but you still need to confirm what is backed up and when. |
| Updates and maintenance | You manage the operating system, ARK updates, permissions, and service startup. | The provider handles the platform layer; you remain responsible for selecting settings and checking that updates did not replace them. |
| Supported platform detail | The official paths distinguish WindowsServer and LinuxServer installations. | The panel hides the path, but its Expert Mode should write to the same server configuration. |
Choose the arrangement based on who should own restarts, backups, updates, and recovery. The PvP decision itself does not require a different setting on one type of host than the other.
A repeatable change checklist
- Identify the exact server instance and operating system.
- Stop the server and wait for the process to exit.
- Back up the configuration, and back up save data before a related map operation.
- Open the instance’s
GameUserSettings.ini. - Find
[ServerSettings]. - Set
ServerPVE=Falsefor PvP orServerPVE=Truefor PvE. - Save without changing the filename or adding a second extension.
- Restart through the same service or panel that normally launches the server.
- Reopen the file to ensure the intended value remained in place.
- Refresh the server listing and join a new session to verify the mode.
Key distinction to remember
The name can be counterintuitive: ServerPVE=True means PvE is enabled and PvP is disabled, while ServerPVE=False means the server is PvP. Put that single Boolean in the server’s [ServerSettings] section, restart cleanly, and verify the newly started instance.
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