The GameUserSettings.ini explainedThe most important configuration file of your ARK server

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

Structure of the file

The file is divided into sections written in square brackets. You will run into three of them regularly:

• ServerSettings - the largest block: passwords, rates, rules, mod list.
• SessionSettings - the name under which your server appears in the list.
• GameSession - the maximum number of players.

Each entry sits on its own line in the format Name=Value. An entry in the wrong section is ignored - that is the most common reason a setting seems to have no effect.

Passwords and access

Three values control who gets onto your server and who is allowed to do what there:

• Server password. Once set, the server is private - only those who know it can get in.
• Admin password. Used to unlock yourself as an administrator in the game, see Admin commands.
• Spectator password. Allows watching without interfering - handy for streams or referees at PvP events.

The admin password should be clearly different from the server password and should not be floating around on Discord. Whoever has it can do anything - including spawning items and destroying structures.

The values that shape how the game feels

This is where the three big multipliers for experience, taming speed and harvest amount live - covered in detail in Adjust rates. On top of that come values that are often underestimated in everyday play:

• Day and night length - adjustable separately. A shorter night is the most requested change of all.
• Difficulty - determines the maximum level of wild creatures.
• Structure damage and collision - important for how closely people are allowed to build.
• Decay of abandoned structures - structures of inactive tribes disappear after an adjustable time. The most effective measure against a server that keeps filling up, see RAM requirements.
• Tribe size and alliances - especially on PvP servers, one of the most important rules of all.

PvE or PvP

Whether players can attack each other is a single switch - but it changes everything. On PvE servers, bases are safe and the focus is on building and breeding. On PvP servers, you build in order to defend.

Around this switch, there are finer settings: protected times during which bases may not be attacked, damage to structures, rules for raiding. If you are planning a PvP server, set these values before opening - changing the raiding rules midway reliably causes arguments.

Mods and map

The list of active mods is also kept here - as a list of Workshop IDs, separated by commas and without spaces. Details on the load order are in Install mods.

The map itself does not belong in this file but in the server settings - see Change the map. This is one of the places where guides from the internet often confuse people, because they assume a self-run installation.

Editing without trouble

With us, you edit the file in the config editor of the web interface or via WebFTP and SFTP. Three rules spare you the most common mishaps:

1. Stop the server first. A running instance rewrites the file when saving and overwrites your changes.
2. Keep a copy. Download the file once before larger changes.
3. Mind the sections. An entry under the wrong heading is silently ignored.

For everything beyond the basic values - breeding times, engram points, experience curves - the second file is responsible: Game.ini explained.

Frequently asked questions