How to connect to your ARK Survival Ascended server

Most players join an ARK: Survival Ascended server from the in-game list: pick Join Game, set the filter to Unofficial and search for your server’s name. PC players can also join by address with the open command. PC, PlayStation and Xbox players can all play on the same server.

Before you start

• The server should be running. Overview shows its state. ARK servers stay awake by default, so this is usually true.
• Know your server’s name. The list shows the server name you set in Settings, not your address.
• PC players who join by address need the address and port from the address card on Overview. It looks like dinoshore.play.wilderack.com:33777.
• Give a new server a few minutes. After it starts, it can take a little while to show up in the list.

Join from the server list

This works the same on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

1. Start ARK and pick Join Game on the main menu.
2. Set the server filter to Unofficial. Your server is never under Official.
3. Type your server’s name in the search box.
4. Wait for the list to fill. It can be slow.
5. Pick your server and choose Join.
6. If the server has a password, type it when the game asks.

On your first join, the game downloads the server’s mods. That can take a few minutes with a big mod list.

Join by address on PC

1. Copy your address and port from the address card on Overview.

2. On the game’s main menu, press the ~ key to open the console.

3. Type open, a space, and then your address and port:

   open dinoshore.play.wilderack.com:33777

4. Press Enter.

Use the port from your address card, not ARK’s usual 7777. If your server has a password, join from the list instead, where the game asks for it.

Joining by address also wakes the server if it’s asleep.

Join from PlayStation or Xbox

Console players join your server the same way they join any unofficial PC server: through the list. They can’t type an address. A few things matter for them:

• The server must be awake and in the list. If you turned sleep on, see sleep and the wake link.
• Every platform can join by default. ARK has a start option called -ServerPlatform that limits who can join. If someone added it under Settings > Startup, like -ServerPlatform=PC, console players can’t join. Remove it to let everyone in.
• Mods work on consoles too. Console players get the server’s CurseForge mods when they join. Premium mods must be bought on each platform. See mods.

Server passwords

Set or change the server password in Settings. It’s stored as ServerPassword in GameUserSettings.ini. Restart the server after you change it.

Players type it when they join from the list. Leave it empty for no password.

The server password is not the admin password. The admin password gives cheat commands, so keep it to yourself. See admin commands.

Sleep and the wake link

ARK servers stay awake by default, so friends can always find yours in the list. If you turned sleep on under Settings > Sleep:

• A sleeping server drops out of the in-game list.
• PC players who join by address wake it.
• Everyone else opens your wake link first, play.wilderack.com/w/dinoshore, then finds the server in the list once it’s back. That can take a few minutes.

Why ARK servers stay awake explains the trade-off.

Can’t connect?

• Your server isn’t in the server list
• Joining fails or times out
• The password isn’t accepted
• Console players can’t find the server
• A mod error stops players joining