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How to Host an ARK: Survival Evolved Server on a VPS (2026)

Published May 4, 2026 · 7 min read · Galaxy Cloud Solutions

ARK is a resource-hungry game and running a dedicated server for your tribe makes a real difference — consistent performance, always-on access, and nobody has to keep their PC running to host. The catch is that ARK needs more RAM than most game servers. Plan for at least 8GB, ideally 12GB or more for a populated server.

⚡ Host an ARK server from $35/mo — Use code LAUNCH2026 for 50% off

What You Need

• VPS with at least 8GB RAM and 100GB+ disk (ARK server files are around 60GB)
• Ubuntu 24.04
• A Steam account (for SteamCMD)

The Galaxy 2 plan (4 vCPU / 8GB / 160GB) at $35/mo is the minimum comfortable spec. The Supernova plan (8 vCPU / 16GB) handles a fuller server better.

Step 1: Install Dependencies

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 lib32stdc++6 curl screen
mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxf -

Step 2: Download ARK Server Files

This takes a while — ARK server files are around 60GB:

mkdir -p ~/ark
~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/ark +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit

Step 3: Create a Start Script

cat > ~/ark/start.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
cd ~/ark
screen -dmS ark ./ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer   TheIsland?listen   ?SessionName="My ARK Server"   ?ServerPassword=""   ?ServerAdminPassword="yourAdminPassword"   ?MaxPlayers=20   -server   -log   -NoBattlEye
EOF
chmod +x ~/ark/start.sh

Replace yourAdminPassword with something strong. The map TheIsland can be changed to ScorchedEarth_P, Aberration_P, or other maps.

Step 4: Open Firewall Ports

sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 7778/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp

Step 5: Start the Server

~/ark/start.sh
screen -r ark

ARK takes several minutes to fully start. Watch the screen output for "Server is now listening" before trying to connect. Press Ctrl+A then D to detach.

Connect From the Game

In ARK, go to Join ARK, then filter by Session Name or use direct connect with your server IP and port 7777.

Keeping the Server Updated

screen -S ark -X quit
~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/ark +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit
~/ark/start.sh

Admin Commands

To use admin commands in game, press Tab to open the console and type enablecheats yourAdminPassword. After that you can use commands like admincheat GiveExpToPlayer, admincheat DestroyWildDinos, and so on.