How to Update an ARK Survival Ascended Server and Mods

To update an ARK: Survival Ascended server, back up ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ and the two ini files, stop it with DoExit (or SaveWorld first), run SteamCMD with app 2430930, and start it. CurseForge mods in the -mods= list update on that same start, because the server fetches every mod ID's current version when it boots. A running server never picks up a new game or mod version, so a restart after every patch is what keeps players joining.

What you can change on an existing world vs what needs a new world

Change	Existing world?
A game patch, including the Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade	Yes. Engine updates replace program files, not your save
A CurseForge mod update	Yes, picked up on the next start
Adding a mod	Yes, add its project ID and restart
Removing a mod	Possible, but everything it added (dinos, structures, items) is deleted
Holding an old game version	Only briefly. Players on the new build cannot join
Moving tames between maps	Not on a single server. Each map has its own save

What is coming for ARK Survival Ascended?

The big one is the Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade, planned for 28 October 2026 on all platforms, with a Public Test Realm beta on Steam from 5 October (Community Crunch 525). Between those dates, CurseForge recooks existing mods in batches and authors cannot publish new versions, then a list of mods needing author action is published at launch. Expect a busy mod day on the 28th. Details in our ARK UE 5.8 update guide.

What goes where

File or folder	What it holds
`ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/<map>/`	The world: tames, structures, tribes and player profiles for that map
`ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini`	Server settings, `[ServerSettings]` rates
`ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/Game.ini`	Breeding, engram and per level settings
`-mods=` on the start line	The CurseForge project IDs the server downloads on start
`ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/ShooterGame.log`	Where a failed mod download or crash shows up

Tamed creatures and a tribe base in ARK Survival Ascended

Step 1: Back up first

Run SaveWorld in the console or RCON, then stop the server. Copy the map's folder in SavedArks and both ini files. Before the 5.8 upgrade, take this backup the day before.

Step 2: Check your mods

Open each mod in your list on CurseForge and look at its latest file date and notes. After a big patch, and especially after 28 October, check the list of mods needing author action against your -mods= IDs.

Step 3: Update the game files

On a self hosted server, with it stopped:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit

Add +force_install_dir with your install path before +login.

Step 4: Start and watch the mod downloads

Start the server and watch the log. Each mod downloads and mounts before the world loads, and the first start after a big patch is slow while recooked mods come down. Do not stop it halfway.

Step 5: Join and check

Join from an updated client, check your tames and base, and have players restart their games so the client checks for mod updates too. Console players need every mod in the list to be cross platform.

The gotcha: pulling a broken mod deletes what it added

After a big patch, a mod that is not updated for the new build can stop the server loading. The quick fix everyone reaches for is removing its ID and restarting. That works, but ARK deletes everything that mod added as soon as the world loads without it: modded dinos, structures built from modded pieces, modded items in inventories. When the world next saves, they are gone for good. Adding the mod back a week later does not return them.

If the mod added things your tribe cares about, do it this way instead:

Take a backup with the mod still in the list.
Remove the mod and play on, knowing its content is gone in this copy.
When the author updates the mod, restore the backup and add the ID back.

You lose the days played in between but keep the tames. The other option is turning off updates to hold the old game version, but then everyone whose game updated cannot join, so it only works for a day or two.

Common problems

"Version mismatch" or the server vanishes from the list after a patch: the server is still on the old build. Restart it so it updates. See ARK server not showing up.
Server hangs or crashes right after mods mount: a mod is not updated for the current patch. Remove the newest suspect, back up first, and see the ARK crashing fix.
Players fail to join after a mod update: their game or the server has a different mod version. Restart both.
Modded dinos and buildings disappeared: the mod was removed or failed to load and the world saved. Restore the backup from before.
Settings reverted after the update: an ini was edited while the server ran, and ARK writes the file on shutdown.

Updating on GamezServers

An ARK: Survival Ascended server from GamezServers updates the game on every restart while Update on restart is on, which is the default, and downloads your CurseForge mod IDs on the same start. So after a patch: Backup, then Restart. To pull a mod temporarily, remove its ID from CurseForge mod IDs, with the gotcha above in mind. Turning Update on restart off holds the current game version for a mod, at the cost of players on the new build being unable to join. For how IDs are entered, see installing mods on an ARK Survival Ascended server.

FAQ

How do I update mods on an ARK Ascended server?

Restart the server. It downloads the current version of every CurseForge project ID in its mod list on start.

Will the UE 5.8 update wipe my ARK server?

No wipe has been announced. Engine updates replace program files, not your SavedArks save, but back up the day before.

Why can nobody join after an ARK patch?

Players updated and the server did not. Restart it so it installs the new build.

Can I keep my server on an older ARK version?

Only for a short time. Players' games update automatically, and they cannot join a server on an older build.