ARK Cluster Setup Guide 2026: Connect Multiple Maps

An ARK cluster lets players transfer characters, dinos, and items between different maps on your server network. Instead of being locked to one map, your community can travel between The Island, Ragnarok, Scorched Earth, and any other maps you're running — with everything they've tamed and built.

This guide covers cluster setup for both ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) and ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).

What Is an ARK Cluster?

A cluster is a group of ARK server instances that share a common cluster directory or cluster ID. This shared directory stores:

• Transfer data (characters, dinos, items waiting for upload/download)
• Player tribelog history
• Shared ban/whitelist data (optional)

Each map runs as a separate server process with its own ports, but all instances point to the same cluster storage.

Hardware Requirements for an ARK Cluster

Each map needs its own dedicated resources:

Maps in Cluster	Total RAM Needed (ASE)	Total RAM Needed (ASA)
2 maps	12–16 GB	24–32 GB
3 maps	18–24 GB	36–48 GB
4 maps	24–32 GB	48–64 GB

ASA clusters are expensive to run. A 3-map ASA cluster needs 36–48 GB RAM minimum — plan accordingly.

ARK: Survival Evolved Cluster Setup

Step 1: Choose Your Maps and Ports

Each server instance needs three unique ports. Example for a 2-map cluster:

Map	Game Port	Query Port	RCON Port
The Island	7777	27015	32330
Ragnarok	7779	27017	32332

Step 2: Create the Cluster Directory

Create a shared directory accessible by all server instances:

mkdir -p /home/steam/ark/cluster

Step 3: Configure Each Server Instance

In GameUserSettings.ini for both servers:

[ServerSettings]
ClusterDirOverride=/home/steam/ark/cluster
PreventDownloadSurvivors=False
PreventDownloadItems=False
PreventDownloadDinos=False
PreventUploadSurvivors=False
PreventUploadItems=False
PreventUploadDinos=False

Step 4: Launch Commands

The Island:

./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?listen?SessionName="Island"?ServerPassword=""?ServerAdminPassword="admin123"
-server -log -clusterid=mycluster -ClusterDirOverride=/home/steam/ark/cluster
-port=7777 -queryport=27015 -rconport=32330

Ragnarok:

./ShooterGameServer Ragnarok?listen?SessionName="Ragnarok"?ServerPassword=""?ServerAdminPassword="admin123"
-server -log -clusterid=mycluster -ClusterDirOverride=/home/steam/ark/cluster
-port=7779 -queryport=27017 -rconport=32332

The -clusterid must match on all instances. The -ClusterDirOverride path must be identical on all instances and accessible by all server processes.

Step 5: Add Travel Points

Players can transfer via the Obelisks, Transmitters, or the Supply Drops in the game. No extra server configuration is needed — once the cluster directory is shared, the in-game transfer UI works automatically.

ARK: Survival Ascended Cluster Setup

ASA cluster setup is similar but uses different config locations:

Config Location

ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini

Cluster Settings (GameUserSettings.ini)

[ServerSettings]
ClusterDirOverride=C:\ark\cluster
PreventDownloadSurvivors=False
PreventDownloadItems=False
PreventDownloadDinos=False

Launch Command (ASA)

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="Island"?ServerPassword=""
-clusterid=mycluster -ClusterDirOverride="C:\ark\cluster"
-port=7777 -queryport=27015

Preventing Overpowered Transfers

A fresh cluster can be unbalanced if players transfer end-game dinos and gear to early-game maps. Options to control this:

[ServerSettings]
PreventDownloadItems=True        ; Block item transfers into this map
PreventDownloadDinos=True        ; Block dino transfers into this map
PreventTransferFromFiltering=True ; Require item whitelist for transfers
TributeItemExpirationSeconds=86400 ; Items in tribute expire after 24h

Common Cluster Issues

Characters can't transfer: Check that ClusterDirOverride paths are identical on all instances and the directory exists with correct write permissions for the server process.

Dinos appear missing after transfer: The 15-minute download cooldown is normal. Wait and try downloading again. Also check MaxTributeItems isn't set too low.

Players can't see the second server in the transfer UI: The second server must be running and reachable. Confirm it's online and accessible on its query port.

Transfer data lost after server restart: Tribute items stored at obelisks expire. The default TributeItemExpirationSeconds is 86400 (24 hours). If a player uploads dinos or items and the server restarts before they download, the data may be gone. Set this higher (604800 = 7 days) for safety on low-population servers.

Cluster directory permission errors on Linux: The server process must have read/write access to the cluster directory. If you're running multiple instances under different users, use a shared group and chmod g+rw on the cluster directory.

Shared Ban and Whitelist Across Cluster Maps

One underused cluster feature: synchronized ban lists and player whitelists. To ban a player from all maps at once, add their Steam ID to a shared banlist file and point each server instance at it:

[ServerSettings]
BanListURL=http://yourserver/banlist.txt

Alternatively, use RCON commands on each instance. Some server management tools (ARK Server Manager, Ark-Cluster-Control) can push RCON commands to all instances simultaneously.

For whitelisted clusters (private play), add the whitelist file path to each instance's launch parameters:

-exclusivejoin -AllowAnyoneJoinAsPlayer=false

Then manage the whitelist via RCON: AllowPlayerToJoinNoCheck <SteamID> and DisallowPlayerToJoinNoCheck <SteamID>.

Automating Server Restarts and Updates

ARK clusters require periodic restarts for performance and to apply patches. A simple cron approach on Linux:

# /etc/cron.d/ark-cluster-restart
# Restart all ARK instances daily at 6:00 AM
0 6 * * * steam ./stop_cluster.sh && sleep 30 && ./update_cluster.sh && ./start_cluster.sh

Where stop_cluster.sh sends RCON saveworld + doexit to each instance, and start_cluster.sh launches them in order. Starting maps in sequence (not simultaneously) avoids RAM spikes on servers with tight memory headroom.

Renzom ARK Cluster Hosting

Renzom supports multi-instance ARK clusters. We can configure shared cluster directories across instances on the same node.

• ASE cluster from €10.60/month per map
• ASA cluster from €31.80/month per map

Cluster instances on Renzom run on the same physical node, so the shared cluster directory is a local path — no NFS or network storage needed, which eliminates a common source of transfer corruption.

Configure your ARK cluster →

FAQ

What is the difference between a cluster ID and a cluster directory? Both achieve the same result. ClusterDirOverride uses a shared filesystem path — reliable when all instances are on the same machine or share NFS storage. -clusterid uses a hash of the ID string to create a virtual namespace. For single-machine clusters, ClusterDirOverride is simpler and more predictable.

Can ASE and ASA servers share a cluster? No. ASE and ASA use different data formats and are incompatible at the cluster level. You need separate clusters for each game version.

How many maps can one cluster handle? There is no hard limit — clusters of 5–10 maps are common in large communities. The practical limit is RAM and the number of players who will actually populate the maps. Empty maps still consume RAM.

Do players lose items if a cluster server crashes mid-transfer? If a player uploads items and the server crashes before they download, the tribute items may be lost depending on whether the cluster directory was written before the crash. For critical data, avoid uploading during maintenance windows and keep TributeItemExpirationSeconds high.

Can I move a cluster from one hosting provider to another? Yes — copy the cluster directory and all map save directories, then configure the new server instances to point to the same relative paths. Make sure file permissions are set correctly on Linux.

Summary

An ARK cluster requires a shared directory or matching cluster ID across all server instances, unique ports per instance, and the PreventDownload/Upload settings configured per your preference. ASE clusters are affordable; ASA clusters require substantial RAM per map. Once running, the in-game transfer system handles the rest. Add a shared ban list, automated restart schedule, and daily backups to run a cluster that stays healthy long-term.

Start your ARK cluster on Renzom →