How to Configure Your ARK: Survival Evolved Server (GameUserSettings.ini)

Complete ARK server configuration guide — GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini settings reference for taming, XP, harvesting, breeding, and more.

ARK uses two config files for server settings:

GameUserSettings.ini

Game.ini

Editing Config Files

Stop your server
In the XGamingServer Panel, click Files
Navigate to ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/
Edit the file, save, and start your server

GameUserSettings.ini — [ServerSettings]

Server Identity

Setting	Default	Description
`SessionName=`	`""`	Server name in browser
`ServerPassword=`	`""`	Join password (empty = public)
`ServerAdminPassword=`	`""`	Admin password for `EnableCheats`
`MaxPlayers=`	`70`	Max concurrent players
`RCONEnabled=`	`False`	Enable remote console
`RCONPort=`	`27020`	RCON port (TCP)

Gameplay Multipliers

All default to 1.0 — higher = more/faster.

Setting	Description
`XPMultiplier`	XP gain rate
`TamingSpeedMultiplier`	Taming speed
`HarvestAmountMultiplier`	Resource gathering yield
`HarvestHealthMultiplier`	Resource node health
`DinoDamageMultiplier`	Wild dino damage
`PlayerDamageMultiplier`	Player melee damage
`StructureDamageMultiplier`	Structure damage
`DinoCountMultiplier`	Wild dino spawn density
`ResourcesRespawnPeriodMultiplier`	Resource respawn time (lower = faster)

Day/Night

Setting	Default	Description
`DayCycleSpeedScale`	`1.0`	Overall time speed
`DayTimeSpeedScale`	`1.0`	Daytime speed
`NightTimeSpeedScale`	`1.0`	Nighttime speed

Survival Drains

Setting	Default	Description
`PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier`	`1.0`	Hunger drain
`PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier`	`1.0`	Thirst drain
`PlayerCharacterStaminaDrainMultiplier`	`1.0`	Stamina drain
`PlayerCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier`	`1.0`	HP regen

Toggles

Setting	Default	Description
`ServerCrosshair`	`False`	Show crosshair
`ShowMapPlayerLocation`	`True`	Show player position on map
`AllowThirdPersonPlayer`	`True`	Allow 3rd person view
`AllowFlyerCarryPvE`	`False`	Flyers can carry players in PvE

Mods

ActiveMods=ModID1,ModID2,ModID3

Comma-separated Workshop IDs, no spaces. Leftmost = highest priority.

Game.ini — Breeding Settings

Under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]:

Setting	Default	Description
`EggHatchSpeedMultiplier`	`1.0`	Egg hatching speed
`BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier`	`1.0`	Baby growth speed
`MatingIntervalMultiplier`	`1.0`	Mating cooldown (lower = shorter)
`BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier`	`1.0`	Imprint interval (lower = more frequent)
`BabyFoodConsumptionSpeedMultiplier`	`1.0`	Baby food consumption
`BabyImprintAmountMultiplier`	`1.0`	Imprint % per cuddle

Popular Server Presets

Boosted PvE

[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=3.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=5.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=3.0
DayCycleSpeedScale=0.5
NightTimeSpeedScale=2.0
PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=0.5
PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=0.5

Official-Like PvP

[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=1.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=1.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=1.0

How to Configure Your ARK: Survival Evolved Server (GameUserSettings.ini)

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