ARK Ascended "Connection Timeout" After a Mod Update? Fix It

When ARK: Survival Ascended players get "Connection Timeout" or "Joining failed" right after a mod updated, the server and the players are almost always on different versions of that mod, or the server is still downloading and loading the new version when people try to join. ASA servers pull mods from CurseForge on startup, and a big mod update can add minutes to the load. Restart the server once so it fetches the latest mod files, wait until it has fully loaded, and make sure each player's game has updated the mod too.

Why mod updates cause timeouts

ASA handles mods differently from the old ARK. The server lists CurseForge project IDs on its start line (-mods=928708,929420) and downloads them itself each time it starts. Players download the same mods automatically through the in game mod browser when they join.

A mod update breaks that in four ways:

1. The server started before the update. It still runs the old mod version. Players who updated their game have the new one and cannot join.
2. The server is still loading. After restarting, the server downloads every updated mod and rebuilds the map. Players who click join in that window time out.
3. The player's game has not finished updating the mod. Their download stalled or the cached copy is damaged.
4. The update itself is broken. The mod author pushed a version that crashes or hangs the server on load. This happens most around big ASA patches.

The error players see is the same for all four, which is why it feels random.

Step 1: Restart the server and watch it load

Restart the server once, after the mod update is live on CurseForge. Then watch the console or the log at ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/ShooterGame.log.

You want to see each mod download or confirm, then the map load, then the server report it is ready and advertising the session. Only then let players join. On a heavily modded server this takes several minutes, longer than the vanilla server's start.

If you have a restart scheduled, put it after the time your main mods usually publish updates, so the server picks them up on its own.

Step 2: Check the log for the failing mod

Search the latest log for lines about mods. Things to look for:

• A mod that fails to download or install.
• The server stopping or crashing right after loading a specific mod.
• A mod that the server reports as missing or no longer available.

If one mod fails, that is your answer. Remove its ID from the mod list, start the server, confirm players can join, then wait for the author's fix before adding it back.

Be careful with mods that add structures, dinos or items. Removing them deletes what they added from the world. Read the update guide's warning about pulling mods and take a backup of ShooterGame/Saved first.

Step 3: Fix the player's mod files

When the server is up and most players can join but one cannot, the problem is in that player's mods.

1. Close ARK.
2. In Steam, open ARK: Survival Ascended > Manage > Browse local files.
3. Go to ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ShooterGame\Mods. Inside is a numbered folder with one folder per installed mod.
4. Delete the folder of the mod that just updated, or the whole mods folder if you are not sure which one.
5. Start ARK and join. The game downloads the mods the server needs again.

On console (Xbox and PlayStation), mods are managed by the game. Remove and re add the mod from the in game mod menu, or reinstall it, then join again.

Step 4: Rule out the game version

A mod update often lands on the same day as an ASA patch. If the server is on an older game build than the players, joins time out too, and players only see the same timeout message.

Keep "update on restart" on for the server, so every restart fetches the latest ASA build together with the latest mods. If you hold a version on purpose to keep a mod working, everyone has to stay on that build, which on Steam is not possible for long. The crashing fix guide covers what to do when the newest game build breaks a mod.

Step 5: Check the mod ID list format

A typo in the mod list can stop a mod loading after you edit the list during the update:

-mods=928708,929420,931874

• Commas only, no spaces.
• Project IDs from the CurseForge page, not file IDs or names.
• No trailing comma.

On a GamezServers ARK server this is the CurseForge mod IDs setting in the panel, in the same format.

When it is not the mods

If the timeouts started at the same time as the mod update but removing every mod does not fix them, look at the usual suspects:

• The server ran out of memory while loading the updated mods and is restarting in a loop. Watch for repeated starts in the console. ASA with a long mod list needs considerably more RAM than vanilla, as covered in the requirements guide.
• The password or whitelist changed. A wrong password shows as a password prompt, not a timeout, but whitelist only servers give a join failure to players not on the list.
• The server is not in the list and players are joining an old favorite. See ARK server not showing up.

Making mod updates painless

A routine that avoids most timeouts:

1. Take a backup of ShooterGame/Saved.
2. Restart the server once after big mod updates are out.
3. Wait for the log to show the server is ready.
4. Tell players to restart their game before joining, so it checks for mod updates.
5. If something breaks, roll back the backup and remove the mod that changed.

On a GamezServers ARK server, the mod list is one setting, restarts pull the latest ASA build and mod versions, the live console shows the load as it happens, and one click backups cover step 1. If your group is fighting this on a home PC every patch day, see the modded ARK server page.

FAQ

Why does ARK say connection timeout only on my modded server?

The server and your game disagree on a mod version, or the server is still downloading mods after a restart. Wait for it to finish, then restart your game so it updates the mods.

Do players need to download ASA mods manually?

No. The game downloads the server's mods when you join. Deleting a damaged mod folder forces a fresh download.

Will removing a mod fix the timeout?

If that mod is broken, yes. Back up first, because removing a mod deletes the dinos, items and structures it added.

How long does an ARK Ascended server take to start with mods?

Several minutes is normal for a modded server, longer after a mod update. Let it finish before joining.