To play Ark Survival Ascended with your friends, you’ll need a server. Preferably, a dedicated server.
In this guide, I’m going to tell you how to create a server in Ark Survival Ascended and let you know which server type you need based on what you want to do.
Related: Does Ark Survival Ascended have cross-play and cross-progression?
Ark Survival Ascended: How to create a dedicated server
I’ll explain all the servers, their differences, and how to make them later in this article, but if you want the quick answer, you make a dedicated server by buying one from Nitrado, the official place for Ark Survival Ascended hosting.
There are several different options when it comes to buying a dedicated Ark Survival Ascended server. You can pay a subscription or buy a prepaid package that only lasts for a number of days.
This part’s important: the only reason to buy a dedicated server in Ark Survival Ascended is to host 26 to 200 players. The more player slots, the more it’ll cost you. However, this is the only way for big communities of Ark Survival Ascended players to game together and, essentially, make their own game within the game.
How servers work in Ark Survival Ascended
There are three types of servers in Ark Survival Ascended: official, unofficial, and non-dedicated.
Official servers are made and run by Studio Wildcard. They always exist, don’t support mods, and can hold up to 70 players. Different regions around the world have official servers, they can be PvP or PvE, and they can be very hard to join as they are almost always full. Official servers are open to the public.
Unofficial servers are dedicated servers as described above. These servers are bought, created, and run by players. Usually, you need to be a member of an external Ark Survival Ascended club to join an unofficial server because they cost the host money to run.
Non-dedicated servers are free and made by players. These servers have a maximum of eight-player slots, can support mods, and have as much functionality as the official and unofficial servers. If you just want to play Ark Survival Ascended with your friends, I recommend the non-dedicated server.
How to create a server in Ark Survival Ascended
You can’t create an official server in Ark Survival Ascended — only the developers can do that. You create an unofficial server, or a dedicated server, by buying it through Nitrado which can easily be done by clicking the “Want your own ARK server?” button in the Join Game section.
Non-dedicated servers are made by selecting “Create Game” and, once you have the settings you want figured out, pressing “Non-Dedicated” on the bottom right of the “Arks” tab.
If you want to play Ark Survival Ascended not in a server at all, you can also do that. Follow the exact same steps you would for making a non-dedicated server but select “Single Player” instead. By doing this, you’ll create a single-player game that nobody else can join.
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