A cluster links several ARK: Survival Ascended maps so players carry their character, tames and items between them — the full, official-style ARK experience. This guide explains what a cluster is, how transfers work, and what it takes to run one.
What a cluster is
A cluster is a group of ARK servers — one per map — that share a transfer system. Players move between, say, The Island, Scorched Earth and Aberration, bringing their character (with levels and engrams), tames and items with them. This is exactly how the official server network works, and it’s the only way to enjoy map-exclusive creatures (Wyverns, Rock Drakes) across your whole playthrough.
How transfers work
Servers in a cluster share a cluster ID and a transfer directory. To move, a player uses an Obelisk, Supply Crate terminal or Tek Transmitter to upload their character, dinos (in cryopods) and items on one map, then travels to another server in the cluster and downloads them. As the admin you control what’s allowed to transfer — you can restrict items or tames if you want.
What it takes to run one
Each map runs as its own server instance with the same cluster ID and matching transfer settings, plus a shared cluster directory so they can pass character and item data between them. That means a cluster needs the resources to run multiple ARK servers at once — and ASA servers are hardware-hungry, so plan accordingly.
The easy way
Wrangling multiple ASA servers and a shared cluster config by hand is fiddly. On XGamingServer you can run a multi-map ARK cluster without hand-editing the cluster setup — see our cluster setup docs and the maps guide to plan which maps to link.
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