Change the ARK mapStart a new world, keep the old one

Published on September 2, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

Each map has its own world

ARK saves progress per map. If you switch from The Island to Ragnarok, a fresh world starts there - bases, dinos and progress on The Island stay untouched and are back as soon as you switch back.

What does not come along are characters, creatures and items: they belong to the respective world. If you want to keep playing on the new map, you start over there - that is not a bug but how it is meant to be.

How to switch

1. Stop the server. Changing the map while the server is running leads to unclean saves.
2. Change the map. You select the map you want in your server settings or in the configuration.
3. For mod maps: also add the mod ID to the mod list, see Install mods.
4. Start and wait. On the first start of a new map, the server generates the world - that takes longer than an ordinary restart.

Which maps are available and what they are suited for is described in Maps compared.

Back up first

Even though the old save stays in place: make a backup before switching. It takes a few minutes and protects you against the one case nobody plans for - an error while saving shortly before the stop.

Automatic backups are deliberately not part of our plans. Instead, you can access all files yourself at any time via WebFTP in the browser or via SFTP, see Back up and move your save.

What happens to the configuration

Your settings stay in effect - rates, breeding values, admin password and rules are stored in the configuration files and are not tied to a map. After the switch, you play with the same rates as before.

Two things are still worth checking: some maps are considerably more demanding, so a slight adjustment of the values can make sense. And sprawling maps need more memory than compact ones - see How much RAM does an ARK server need?

Bringing the group along

A map change is a bigger deal for your fellow players than for you: they start from zero. What has proven itself:

• Announce it and vote. Switching against the will of half the group costs you players.
• Set a date. Starting over together is much more fun than alone.
• Explain the way back. Knowing that the old base is not gone takes away a lot of skepticism.
• Check the rates. A fresh start with default rates feels sluggish if the group was used to increased values.

Switch or run a second server?

When the group is divided - some want to see something new, others want to keep their grown base - the question regularly comes up whether you can run both in parallel. Technically, an ARK server serves exactly one map at a time; for two worlds running simultaneously, you need a second server.

For many groups, switching is still the better answer, precisely because the way back stays open: you try a new map for a few weeks and return when the appeal wears off. The old world waits unchanged.

If you really want to play two worlds in parallel for good, book a second server - the plan overview shows what that costs. Keep in mind that a community split across two servers quickly looks like two empty servers: twenty people on one map feel more alive than ten on each of two.

When something is stuck after the switch

• The server does not start. With mod maps, the mod ID is usually missing from the list, or the map name and the mod do not match.
• The old world seems to have disappeared. It is still in the save directory - when you switch back, it is there again.
• The server cannot be found. After a switch, it takes a moment until the server is listed again; connecting directly works immediately, see Fix connection problems.
• The server runs heavier than before. Large maps demand more - this is where it pays to look at your plan.

Frequently asked questions