How to Create Your Own PixARK Server (Updated!)

So you are the do-it-yourselfer type, eh? Follow along below!

Hey there, I am making this fan created community forum post to explain how to create your own local, hosted private server on the same computer as your game. Would have posted this on the official Steam forum but it is overran by other posts. Also noticed a couple of the hosts had guides (Survival Servers, etc) but they were not fully fleshed out. So here we go.

Do I need SteamCMD?

Yes, it is advised to download SteamCMD and first setup a directory.

Download SteamCMD from https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd.zip and put it in your directory of choosing, for this example we'll use

c:\pixarkserver

Create a folder within that folder

c:\pixarkserver\steamcmd

And put the steamcmd.exe file inside

Run the steamcmd.exe, it will fetch some files and then type exit

Now you have a blank c:\pixarkserver and a c:\pixarkserver\steamcmd with some files in it

Fetch the files from the PixARK official server app id from SteamCMD

start "" steamcmd/steamcmd.exe +login username password +force_install_dir "C:\pixarkserver" +app_update 824360 validate +quit

Replace username with your Steam username
Replace password with your Steam password

Save as update.bat

Run update.bat and it will take about 20 minutes to fetch all files from Steam (on a fast connection) it's a few GB in size

Voila! Now you have PixARK server files ready for local hosting.

Creating the Server!

Where can i find my "PixARKServer.exe" file?

This file is located in this folder (assuming you have followed the guide above!)

c:/pixarkserver/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/PixARKServer.exe

Setting up the .bat file!

So, we want to create a bat file to Start the PixARKServer.exe and put in some commands.

Create launch.bat file in c:/pixarkserver using Notepad or some other editor

Open it up and copy the following:

start "" /NORMAL "C:\pixarkserver\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\PixARKServer.exe" "CubeWorld_Light?listen?MaxPlayers=YOURMAXPLAYERS?Port=27015?QueryPort=27016?RCONPort=27017?SessionName=YOURHOSTNAME?ServerAdminPassword=YOURADMINPASSWORD?CULTUREFORCOOKING=en" -NoBattlEye -NoHangDetection -CubePort=27018 -cubeworld=YOURWORLDNAME -Seed=YOURRANDOMSEED -nosteamclient -game -server -log

Make sure that you change the capslock texts:

YOURHOSTNAME: This is the name of your Server in all lists etc.
YOURADMINPASSWORD: This is the Password a Player needs to type into the console to use cheat/admin commands.
YOURMAXPLAYERS: This is the amount of Players that are allowed to connect to the Server. Max is 70.

Now the file should look something like this:

Setting up the config file

Your GameUserSettings.ini is the file that controls all of the settings. You can find that here:

c:\pixarkserver\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer

For example you can change to a Fury game mode (PVP)

ServerPVE=false

or you can keep a Pioneering game mode (PVE)

ServerPVE=true

Make any changes, save the file and you should be good to go on configuration changes.

Launching the Server

Check your Ports!

Make sure that you open the ports 27015 and 27016 and 27017 and 27018 on both your router and your Windows Firewall!

This is important, but i can't really help here, since this depends on the router you are using.

27015 is game port
27016 is Steam query port (what you use to look up in server list etc)
27017 is RCON port (what you use third party tools to connect with)
27018 is Cube port (your map uses this)

Starting the Server!

Move back to the .bat File folder and double click the .bat file. This should create a small CMD window after a few seconds. First load will generate the PixARK procedural world and take 10 minutes.

After it fully loads subsequent loads will be much faster.

Joining the Server!

The first (and most obvious) method is to find the server in the in-game server list.

**** The methods below are currently broken, waiting for devs to fix ****

Second method - Steam Server Browser

First of all, make sure that the Server is running by doing the following:

Open up your main Steam window and open the upper left tab called "View". There should be a point called "Server" which opens the good old server browser from Steam. Go to "LAN" and select ARK as a Game in the lower left filter. Refresh the List until you see your Server, this can take some time.

And yes, you are seeing your own Server as a LAN Server. We will get to this in a sec.

As soon as you see the Server, you know it is up and running!

After you see your own Server in the Lan List, you can find your server using one of the following third party resources:

Finding your IP

Search in Google "ip" and you will grab your IP. So if your up is 123.123.123.123 your join address (for method 2 and 3 above) is:

123.123.123.123:27016 (must use the query port in conjunction with your ip)

Admin Commands and Additional Server Settings!

You can find a list of admin commands (that you can type in through the console) and Server Settings here:

https://survivalservers.com/wiki/index.php?title=PixARK_Admin_Commands

I tested things like "cheat god" or "cheat fly" and they are working. Also the "MapPlayerLocation=True" in the bat file and the config file seems to work. Sadly not the Crosshair.

To add these commands to the bat file:

Behind the last "Password=YOURADMINPASSWORD" section, add something like this:

?ShowMapPlayerLocation=True

No space between this and the Password (the ? is important), but a space between the rest "-nosteamclient....".

Clean Save and Generate Map Seed

Navigate to

c:\pixarkserver\ShooterGame\Saved\CubeServers\

Delete the YOURWORLDNAME folder.

Run launch.bat with -Seed=12345 added

c:\pixarkserver\ShooterGame\Saved\CubeServers\YOURWORLDNAME\

Troubleshooting!

How to update my SteamCMD Server after ARK was updated?

Go ahead and launch the update.bat file again. It will first verify files and then update them immediately.

I can't find my own Server in the List?

First of all, which list?

If you can't find it in the LAN list, make sure that you at least waited 5 minutes.
Could even take more time. The Server needs time to register with the Master Server from ARK.
If it is still not visible, check the Settings and .bat file again. Maybe you misstyped something. 
Also make sure that your Ports are forwarded!

If you can't find it in the UNOFFICIAL list inside of the game, this is normal. You won't find it yourself.
You still need to search for it with the correct filter settings (Check Password Secured Servers if needed), although it
won't find the Server. This is a work around for Server Hosts, because they can't find their own Server without.

After you received the UNOFFICIAL Server list, switch the Filter from UNOFFICIAL to My Survivors. After a few seconds
the Server should show up. If not, please check the whole tutorial and make sure that everything is running to this point.
If everything seems correct, but the Server is not showing up, i guess you still have problems with your Ports.
Check if others can find and join your server (the normal way. They don't need the workaround).

There's also a known bug of some servers not even showing up on the unofficial server list.

Alternatively you can order a hosted server. There are a lot of hosts out there but I prefer https://www.survivalservers.com/services/game_servers/pixark/ as they offer a custom control panel experience built around ARK (and now PixARK) with the lowest prices I've found.

Main

How to create your own server

[PROGM]

how to solve the problem: the server was created but when you go to the server you are in the air

[Noob of the Century]

just want to know, i have created a server and it appear in my Steam LAN server, however the same server didnt appear on my friend server list... my friend is connected via WIFI not LAN. Does type of connection effect this? if so, what do i need to change so that it will appear in my friend list?

[PROGM]

How to change the days of pvp on the server ?

[NiceGuyNikita]

Hey guys I would like to share how I was able to join my dedicated server. So from Steam client go to View-Servers-LAN-Right Click and click Server Info- Copy ip address together with port(most likely 27015). Then go to Favorites- and click add new-copy paste your ip with port, but then change from 27015 to 27016(or whatever port you used). After you added server(you will see if it worked because iit will display server's name) go to the in-game and go to Favorites. Your server should be displayed.
For your friends: show them how to add favorites, but instead of giving them your internal ip(192.168.*.* or 10.0.*.*) go to https://www.whatismyip.com/ and copy your IPv4 and add :27016 This should allow them to join, if what they should be able to just search it in-game and find it.
This worked for me and my friend. It took them a little bit to join but after that everything went smooth.

[Loki]

i cant update my sever to 1.5 someone help me!

[Baunilha]

"Your GameUserSettings.ini is the file that controls all of the settings. You can find that here:

c:\pixarkserver\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer"
There is no "Saved" folder in this directory, please helpp

[Torkkar]

...ok anyone else say this is too complicated Just use Steam Multiplay and DONE

[💖⎛⎝Silver Knight⎠⎞]

Here's a more detailed guide i wrote here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1343773033

[upstart goblin]

i found my server in the list and i can join but it doesnt load

[ECUCOOLKILLER]

cant get the server to install