ARK: Survival Ascended completely changed how modding works compared to Survival Evolved. This guide explains the new CurseForge system, how to add mods to your server, why load order matters, and the kinds of mods worth running.
CurseForge, not the Steam Workshop
The biggest change: ASA mods are distributed through CurseForge via the game’s built-in mod system, rather than the Steam Workshop that Survival Evolved used. The huge upside is that this made mods cross-platform — for the first time in ARK, console players can use mods too, as long as the server runs them. You browse and enable mods from the in-game mod menu.
Installing mods on a server
- Find a mod on CurseForge (or the in-game browser) and note its mod ID.
- Add the mod IDs to your server’s mod list in the launch parameters, in the order you want them to apply.
- Restart the server — it downloads the mods, and players download them automatically when they connect (no manual subscribing).
Why load order matters
When two mods change the same thing, the one later in the load order wins. Put broad overhaul mods first and specific tweak mods after, so your small fixes aren’t overwritten. Getting the order wrong is a common cause of mods “not working.”
Mod types worth running
- Quality-of-life — stacking mods, better structures, improved tooltips and admin tools. The easiest wins.
- Building — extra pieces, snap points and decor for creative bases.
- Maps — community maps add whole new worlds to explore.
- Creatures & content — new dinos, gear and total-conversion overhauls.
Keep the list lean
Start with a handful of mods and add more only as needed. Too many overlapping mods cause instability, conflicts and longer load times — a lean, well-chosen list runs far better than a giant one.
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