ARK Survival Evolved Server Not Showing Up? How to Fix It

If your ARK: Survival Evolved server is not in the server list, set the session filter to Unofficial, tick Show Password Protected Servers, and search by name. If it is still missing, the server may still be loading the map or downloading mods, the query port (27015 by default) may be unreachable, or the server may be on an older build than your game. To skip the list entirely, add the server to Steam favorites with its IP and query port, or press Tab in game and type open with the IP and game port.

ASE, not ASA

This guide is for ARK: Survival Evolved, the original 2017 game. ARK: Survival Ascended is a separate game with its own server list, and an ASE server never appears in ASA. If your group plays Ascended, our ASA server not showing up fix is the one you want.

ASE is no longer getting new content, and its official servers have changed over the years, but the game still has a big modded and private server scene. Your own server is the most reliable way to keep a world going.

Fix 1: Set the in game filters

ASE's join screen hides your server by default. On the Join ARK screen:

1. Set Session Filter to Unofficial.
2. Tick Show Password Protected Servers if your server has a password.
3. Clear the map filter, or set it to the map you run.
4. Type part of your server name in the search box and refresh.

The ASE list is slow and sometimes incomplete even with the right filters. If you see nothing, move on to Steam favorites before changing the server.

Fix 2: Add it to Steam favorites

Steam asks the server directly through its query port.

1. In Steam, open View, then Game Servers.
2. Choose Favorites, click + and enter the IP with the query port, for example 203.0.113.110:27015.
3. Refresh. If the server shows with a player count, it is online.
4. Back in ARK, the favorites filter on the join screen will show it, or join from Steam.

If Steam cannot see it either, the query port is the problem (Fix 4).

Fix 3: Join by IP with the console

Press Tab in the main menu to open the console and type:

open 203.0.113.110:7777

Use the game port here (7777 by default), not the query port. Add the password if there is one:

open 203.0.113.110:7777?Password=yourpassword

If this works, the server is fine and only the listing is affected.

Fix 4: Ports

An ASE server uses:

On a home server, forward 7777, 7778 and 27015 UDP to the server PC and allow them through the firewall. If you changed Port or QueryPort on the launch line, forward those numbers instead. The game port plus one matters too, which catches people who forward only 7777. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side.

Fix 5: Give it time to start

ASE takes a while to boot, longer on big DLC maps and longer again with mods, because the server downloads and installs each mod before loading the map. Until the map is loaded, the server is not listed. Watch the server log for the point where it finishes loading and starts advertising, then refresh. Large maps like Genesis Part 2 can also run out of memory while loading on a small machine, which looks exactly like a server that never appears.

Fix 6: Versions and mods

• Server out of date. After an ASE patch, players on the new build cannot see or join an old server. Update it with SteamCMD app 376030 and restart.
• Mods out of date. When a mod updates, players who already have the new version are refused by a server still running the old one. Restart the server so it pulls the latest mods, and have players restart the game.
• Mod load order. If the server crashes on start because of a mod, it never appears. Check the log, and test by removing the newest mod first. Our guide on installing mods on an ASE server covers the setup.

Fix 7: BattlEye

If the server runs BattlEye and a player launches ARK without it, they cannot join BattlEye servers, and some filters hide them. Either turn BattlEye off on the server (start it with -NoBattlEye) or have players launch with BattlEye enabled. Most private servers among friends run without it.

Fix 8: Epic Games players

ARK on the Epic Games Store can play with Steam on servers started with -crossplay. Without that flag, Epic players do not see the server at all. Add it to the launch line and restart. Steam Workshop mods are generally not available to Epic players, so a heavily modded server is effectively Steam only.

The short checklist

Hosted, without the port forwarding

A GamezServers ARK: Survival Evolved server runs on its own address with its ports assigned and open. The control panel has the map, server name, password, admin password, max players, BattlEye, Auto Update, a Mods field that takes Workshop IDs in load order, and an Additional Arguments field for -crossplay. Bigger maps and mod lists need more memory, so pick 12 GB or more for DLC maps with mods. Clans can split the bill so nobody pays for the whole tribe.

FAQ

Why can't I see my ARK server in the list?

The filter is set to Official, password protected servers are hidden, or the server is still loading. Switch to Unofficial, show password servers and search by name.

How do I join an ARK server by IP?

Press Tab to open the console and type open followed by the IP and game port, for example open 203.0.113.110:7777.

What is the ARK Survival Evolved query port?

27015 UDP by default, set with QueryPort. Steam and the in game list use it.

Can Epic players join my ASE server?

Only if the server is started with -crossplay, and a server built on Steam Workshop mods is effectively Steam only.