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ARK: Survival Ascended

Dino Survival · Open World · Studio Wildcard

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ASA Server Settings: GameUserSettings.ini & Game.ini Explained

The most important ARK Survival Ascended server settings: GameUserSettings.ini, Game.ini, rate multipliers and why MaxPlayers only works via -WinLiveMaxPlayers.

Last updated July 20, 2026 · RespawnHost

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Where do I configure my ASA server?

You configure ARK: Survival Ascended through two INI files: GameUserSettings.ini (server basics and most rates) and Game.ini (deeper gameplay rules like breeding multipliers). Both live on the server under ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/. One exception is the maximum player count: in ASA you set it not in the INI, but via the -WinLiveMaxPlayers launch parameter.

Note

ASA servers can't be rented from regular hosts — official server rentals are licensed exclusively to a single partner. You can still self-host on your own Windows VPS: how to get the server onto it is covered in the install guide — this guide assumes a running installation.

The most important settings at a glance

All names match the official server configuration (ark.wiki.gg). Changes apply after a server restart.

SettingFileEffect
SessionNameGameUserSettings.iniServer name in the server list
ServerPasswordGameUserSettings.iniJoin password (empty = public)
ServerAdminPasswordGameUserSettings.iniPassword for EnableCheats / admin commands
DifficultyOffsetGameUserSettings.iniDifficulty (scales dino levels among other things)
OverrideOfficialDifficultyGameUserSettings.iniOverrides difficulty directly (e.g. 5.0 for official-style max levels)
HarvestAmountMultiplierGameUserSettings.iniHarvest yield
XPMultiplierGameUserSettings.iniXP rate
TamingSpeedMultiplierGameUserSettings.iniTaming speed
DayCycleSpeedScaleGameUserSettings.iniSpeed of the entire day/night cycle
NightTimeSpeedScaleGameUserSettings.iniSpeed of the night only
ServerPVEGameUserSettings.iniTrue = PvE, players can’t attack each other
AllowThirdPersonPlayerGameUserSettings.iniAllow third-person camera
MatingIntervalMultiplierGame.iniWait time between matings (lower = more often)
EggHatchSpeedMultiplierGame.iniEgg incubation speed
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplierGame.iniBaby maturation speed

Why doesn’t MaxPlayers work in the INI?

In ASA, the INI option MaxPlayers is ignored. You set the player count as a launch parameter in the server’s start line:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen -WinLiveMaxPlayers=20

Warning

This is the single most common ASA configuration mistake: setting MaxPlayers in GameUserSettings.ini and wondering why the limit stays at default. Only -WinLiveMaxPlayers counts.

Sensible starting values for private servers

For a small group playing around jobs and daily life, moderate rates have proven themselves: XPMultiplier, HarvestAmountMultiplier and TamingSpeedMultiplier at 2.0–3.0, and breeding multipliers (EggHatchSpeedMultiplier, BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier) considerably higher if you want to breed without pulling night shifts. Test changes step by step — each change only needs a restart.

Tip

Back up both INI files before making bigger changes — a broken entry otherwise only shows itself when the server boots with defaults.

Frequently asked questions

Where are GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini located? Under ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ in the server directory. Game.ini is often empty or missing at first — just create it.

Why isn’t my change applying? Save first, then restart the server — settings are only read at startup. For MaxPlayers: see above, only -WinLiveMaxPlayers works.

Which difficulty matches official servers? OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 — wild creatures then spawn up to the max levels you know from official servers.