How to Set Up an ARK Cluster (Cross-ARK Travel)

01Run one server instance per map

There is no “multi-map server” in ARK — a cluster is simply several complete server instances running side by side, one per map (say, The Island and Ragnarok). Each instance has its own world save, its own settings files, and its own slot count, and each needs its own RAM: budget roughly 8–12GB per map for ASE, more for ASA. They can live on one machine or on separate servers with the same host, as long as they can share a folder (step 4).

02Give every instance unique ports

Two instances cannot share ports. Give each its own game port, query port, and RCON port, e.g.:

Server 1 (The Island):  Port=7777  QueryPort=27015  RCONPort=32330
Server 2 (Ragnarok):    Port=7779  QueryPort=27016  RCONPort=32331

Note the game port gap: ARK uses the port above the game port for raw UDP too, so space game ports two apart (7777, 7779, 7781…). Clashing ports are why a second instance silently fails to appear in the server list.

03Set the same cluster ID on every server

The cluster ID is a name you invent, passed on the command line of every instance:

ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?listen?SessionName="MyCluster - Island" -clusterid=mycluster123
ShooterGameServer.exe Ragnarok?listen?SessionName="MyCluster - Ragnarok" -clusterid=mycluster123

It must be identical on every server — it is case-sensitive, and servers with different IDs cannot see each other's uploads. Treat it like a password: anyone who runs a server with your cluster ID and directory could receive transfers, so keep it non-obvious.

04Point all servers at one shared cluster directory

When a player uploads at an obelisk, their character, items, and dinos are written as files into a cluster folder. Every instance must use the same folder, set with:

-ClusterDirOverride=C:\arkcluster

(Any path works — /home/ark/cluster on Linux — as long as all instances can read and write it.) Without this override, each server writes to its own local clusters folder and uploads never appear on the other map. On managed hosting, the host provides the shared directory and you just tick “same cluster” on both servers.

05Allow transfers in GameUserSettings.ini

Transfers must be permitted on both sides. In each server's GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings], check:

PreventDownloadSurvivors=False
PreventDownloadItems=False
PreventDownloadDinos=False
PreventUploadSurvivors=False
PreventUploadItems=False
PreventUploadDinos=False
NoTransferFromFiltering=False
CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownloads=True

False here means “do not prevent” — i.e. transfers allowed. You can be selective (for example, block item downloads onto a fresh map by setting PreventDownloadItems=True there), and TributeItemExpirationSeconds / TributeDinoExpirationSeconds control how long uploads survive in the cluster folder — characters do not expire, but items and dinos default to 24 hours.

06Restart everything and transfer at an obelisk

Restart all instances so the launch arguments take effect. In game, go to any obelisk, supply drop, or tek transmitter, choose Transmit ARK Data, and upload your survivor, items, or dinos. Then disconnect, join the other server in the cluster, and download them at any obelisk there. Cryopodded dinos in your inventory transfer as items, which is the least error-prone way to move a large tame collection.

Run it on HostPanel: our ARK server hosting plans let you spin up extra maps and join them to a shared cluster directory with one toggle — no launch-argument editing required.

Troubleshooting

Uploads from one server never appear on the other

The servers are not actually sharing cluster state: the -clusterid values differ (check case), or each instance is writing to its own folder because -ClusterDirOverride is missing, misspelled, or points to different paths. Verify both arguments on both command lines, then restart both servers.

“No sessions found” when travelling via the obelisk

The in-obelisk server browser is notoriously unreliable. Upload your data, then quit to the menu and join the target server directly from the normal server browser or favourites — your uploaded character will be offered on join.

Items or dinos vanished from the upload

Cluster uploads expire: items and dinos default to 24-hour timers (see TributeItemExpirationSeconds), and anything left past the timer is deleted. Download promptly, and treat the upload space as a transfer mechanism, not storage. If a transfer is interrupted mid-download, restore the affected player from the server's automatic backups rather than re-uploading.