Installing Mods on ARK: Survival Evolved

Before you start

• Epic Games players cannot join a modded server. The Epic version of ARK has no access to the Steam Workshop, so adding even one mod locks Epic players out, even with -crossplay enabled. If your group mixes Steam and Epic players, stay vanilla.
• Back up first. Removing a mod that added creatures, items or structures can break your save. Take a backup from the Backups tab before you change your mod list.
• Stop the server before changing settings. Changes on the Startup tab take effect the next time the server starts.

Step 1: Find the mod IDs

Every Workshop mod has a numeric ID. It's the number at the end of the mod's Workshop page address:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=731604991
                                                       ^^^^^^^^^
                                                       this is the mod ID

Write down the ID of every mod you want, in the order you want them loaded. The first ID in your list has the highest priority. If a mod's Workshop page says it must load before or after another mod, follow that.

Step 2: Add the mods to your server

1. Stop your server.

2. Open the Startup tab.

3. In Workshop Mods, enter your mod IDs separated by commas, with no spaces, in load order:

   731604991,1404697612,889745138
   

4. Start the server from the Console tab.

That's it. You don't need to edit any config files or add any launch arguments.

What happens when the server starts

Before ARK itself starts, your server:

1. downloads any mods it doesn't have yet,
2. checks the mods it already has and updates any that have changed on the Workshop,
3. installs them so ARK can load them, in the order you listed.

You'll see this happen in the Console, on lines starting with [mods]. The first start after adding mods takes noticeably longer while they download; large mods can take several minutes. Later starts are much quicker because only changed mods are downloaded again.

Players don't need to install anything in advance. When a Steam player joins, ARK downloads and subscribes them to every mod the server runs, then loads them in.

If a mod can't be downloaded, the server won't start. The Console tells you which mod ID failed. Usually the ID is wrong, the mod has been removed from the Workshop, or it's an ARK: Survival Ascended mod. Fix or remove it in Workshop Mods and start again.

If Steam is having problems and a mod you already have can't be updated, the server starts anyway with the copy it has, and the Console shows a warning.

Updating mods

Restart the server. Every start checks every mod against the Workshop and downloads any updates.

If players get a mod version mismatch error, a mod has been updated since your server last started. Restart the server, then have players reconnect.

Removing a mod

1. Take a backup from the Backups tab.
2. Stop the server.
3. On the Startup tab, delete the mod's ID from Workshop Mods. Make sure the list doesn't end up with a stray comma.
4. Start the server.

The mod's files are removed from your server automatically. Any creatures, items or structures that came from that mod will be gone from your world.

To remove all mods, clear the Workshop Mods box completely.

Custom (modded) maps

Map mods aren't added to Workshop Mods. They're set up like this instead:

1. On the map's Workshop page, note two things: the mod ID and the map name the author tells you to use for dedicated servers (for example Ebenus_Astrum).

2. Stop the server and open the Startup tab.

3. Set Server Map to the map name from the Workshop page.

4. In Additional Arguments, add -MapModID= followed by the map's mod ID, for example:

   -MapModID=1311238110
   

   If something is already in that box, add it after the existing text with a space in between.

5. Start the server. The map is downloaded and kept up to date just like your other mods.

Some map authors give extra or different setup instructions on their Workshop page. If they do, follow them.

Switching back to an official map: set Server Map back to an official map name and remove -MapModID=... from Additional Arguments. If you leave it in, players won't be able to join.

Total conversion mods

A total conversion replaces large parts of the base game. Like maps, it isn't added to Workshop Mods:

1. Stop the server and open the Startup tab.

2. In Additional Arguments, add -TotalConversionMod= followed by its mod ID, for example:

   -TotalConversionMod=1234567890
   

3. Start the server. The total conversion is downloaded and kept up to date automatically.

Things to know:

• Total conversions keep their own save. Turning one on can look like your world has been reset, because the server is using a separate save for it. Your original world is still there and comes back when you remove the total conversion.
• Primitive Plus (ID 111111111) is built into ARK and doesn't need downloading. It has been discontinued and no longer receives updates.

Reinstalling a mod (fixing a broken mod)

Every start already checks your mods and repairs any downloaded files that are damaged. If a mod still seems broken, force it to be installed fresh:

1. Stop the server.
2. In the Files tab, open ShooterGame/Content/Mods/.
3. For the mod you want to reinstall, delete both:
   • the folder named after its mod ID, for example 731604991
   • the file with the same name ending in .mod, for example 731604991.mod
4. Start the server. The mod is installed again from scratch.

Only delete numbered folders and files that match your own mod IDs. Leave everything else in that folder alone, including 111111111.

Troubleshooting