Survival gamer & server nerd
Updated Expert-reviewed
GAMEUSERSETTINGS.INI

ARK: Survival Evolved Server Settings Guide

The config layout, the rates people actually tune, and the one bug that resets everything if you’re not careful.

⚠ Never edit while the server is running

A well-known Survival Evolved quirk: GameUserSettings.ini can reset or revert if edited while the server process is still active, since the running server periodically writes its own in-memory config back to disk. Always stop the server fully, make your changes, then start it again — editing on a live server is the single most common cause of “my settings keep getting undone.” If you would rather tune these files on a managed server, our best ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting comparison covers the providers worth considering.

The basics

A minimal working config

[ServerSettings]
ServerPassword=
ServerAdminPassword=adminpass123
MaxPlayers=20
XPMultiplier=2.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
ActiveMods=731604991,843072750

Unlike Ascended, MaxPlayers here works exactly as written — no separate launch parameter needed for player count in Evolved.

The settings people actually tune

Rates and multipliers

XPMultiplierserverconfig · default 1.0

Controls how fast players level up. Most PvE community servers run somewhere between 2x and 5x to keep progression feeling rewarding without trivialising it entirely.

TamingSpeedMultiplierserverconfig · default 1.0

Reduces how long taming takes. Higher values matter more on unofficial servers with limited player time than on 24/7 official-rate servers.

HarvestAmountMultiplierserverconfig · default 1.0

Scales resource gathering per hit. A common pairing with a higher XP rate, since resource grinding is one of the most time-consuming parts of the base game.

ServerPortserverconfig · default 7777

Unlike Ascended, this setting works reliably in Evolved when set directly in the INI file — no launch-parameter-only quirk to work around here.

FAQ

ARK: Survival Evolved server settings — common questions

You’re almost certainly editing it while the server is still running. The live server periodically writes its own config back to disk, overwriting manual edits made in the meantime — always stop the server first.
Many overlap conceptually, but some behave differently — MaxPlayers works directly here but not in Ascended, and ServerPort is reliable here where it isn’t in Ascended. See our Ascended settings guide if that’s the version you’re running.
2-3x XP and harvest is a common starting point for a small group with limited playtime, keeping progression noticeably faster than official rates without feeling trivial. Adjust from there based on how your group actually plays.
Most rate multipliers apply immediately to an existing world after a restart — no fresh world needed. Structural settings like map size are the exception, applying only at initial world generation.
Confirm the new port is forwarded on your router or updated in your host’s panel, and that the query port is set consistently alongside it — a mismatch between the two is the most common cause of a server being unreachable after a port change.
Keep reading

More ARK: Survival Evolved guides

Mods ExplainedActiveMods & Steam Workshop Reset or Wipe Your WorldCovers both Evolved & Ascended Free ARK HostingTest your config before committing Best ARK: Survival Evolved Hosting UKCompare all providers
About the author
Linus Pierre – founder of Game Server Hosting
GSH Founder

Lifelong survival gamer · Server nerd · Sweden/UK

I'm an avid gamer from Sweden with a lot of time spent in England in the last 5 years who loves survival games — ARK, Palworld, Valheim, Sons of the Forest, V Rising and plenty of WoW and Dota 2 on the side. I created this site to help other gamers find the best server hosting without wasting money on laggy providers.

I've been hosting my own game servers since Minecraft first came out, from Hamachi LAN nights with friends to modded survival worlds and dedicated servers for ARK, Valheim and Palworld. Years of running, breaking and fixing servers taught me what actually makes a host worth paying for, and that's what I share here.

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