Player count: MaxPlayers in GameUserSettings.ini only works for Survival Evolved. In Ascended, you need -WinLiveMaxPlayers= as a launch parameter instead — setting only the old MaxPlayers value silently resets your player cap to a default of 70, regardless of what you intended.
Port: the ServerPort key in the INI file is an ASE-era convention with unreliable behaviour in Ascended. The port is controlled exclusively by the -port= launch argument — setting ServerPort in the INI gives a false sense that it’s configured when it may not actually apply.
Two files, two purposes
Both live at ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/. Stop the server before editing either — changes made while it’s running get overwritten when it shuts down.
Your main config file — always exists by default. A minimal working example:
SessionName=My Ascended Server
QueryPort=27015
[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=
ServerAdminPassword=adminpass123
XPMultiplier=2.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
ActiveMods=930879,940871
If it’s not already listed in your file manager, you need to create it manually with the exact filename Game.ini — capital G and capital I. Naming it game.ini or GAME.INI won’t be recognised. Start the file with a section header before adding any settings underneath.
What actually belongs on the command line, not the INI
Port and player count both belong here, not in the INI file, for the reasons covered above. If you’re setting an admin password here too, avoid trailing ? characters after it — a stray one is a common cause of the password merging with the next value and silently failing. Setting ServerAdminPassword directly in GameUserSettings.ini instead avoids this entirely, and pairs with our admin commands guide once you’re ready to use it.
Where each setting actually goes
| Setting | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Player cap | Launch param: -WinLiveMaxPlayers= | MaxPlayers in the INI is ASE-only, silently resets to 70 |
| Port | Launch param: -port= | ServerPort in the INI is unreliable |
| Query port | GameUserSettings.ini: QueryPort= | Must match your host panel’s Network tab exactly |
| Admin password | GameUserSettings.ini: ServerAdminPassword= | More reliable than the launch string |
| Mods | Both: ActiveMods= and -mods= | Same ID list needed in both places |
| Rates & multipliers | GameUserSettings.ini | XPMultiplier, TamingSpeedMultiplier, etc. |
