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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteOn a hosted ARK server, changing the map normally means editing one field in the control panel, entering the correct map ID, and restarting the server. The restart loads the selected map; it does not merge worlds or automatically carry your survivor, creatures, or inventory with you.
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Back up the server first. Each map has its own save, so a switch creates or opens a separate world on the destination map. To keep a survivor, creatures, or items, use an Obelisk upload/download workflow or a properly configured cluster. ARK: Survival Ascended and ARK: Survival Evolved use different map identifiers, and IDs are case-sensitive.
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At a glance
- Hosted panel: Open your server, go to Settings, enter the destination Server Map ID (or choose it in a Map field), then select Save & Restart or Reboot now.
- Progress: Worlds are saved per map. Switching maps does not copy bases, tames, or player data into the new map.
- Character transfer: Upload your survivor, creatures, and stored items at an Obelisk before the switch, then download them after joining the new map.
- Clusters: A cluster links separate map servers and allows transfers when the servers share the same host account and compatible PvE or PvP modes.
- Self-hosting: Put the map name immediately after the server executable, followed by optional question-mark settings and dash flags.
Before changing the map
Confirm which ARK edition you run
Identify whether the server is running ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) or ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE). The two editions do not use the same map IDs. In particular, many Ascended map identifiers use the _WP suffix, while several Evolved identifiers use _P or a different spelling altogether.
Do not paste an Evolved identifier into an Ascended server, or vice versa. A wrong or wrong-case ID can prevent the server from starting. Map labels and panel menus can change with game updates, so verify the spelling in the current map list supplied by your host or the current ARK wiki before saving.
Make a backup
Create a backup of the server files or use the host panel’s backup function before editing the map. A backup gives you a recovery point if the server fails to start, loads an unintended map, or you upload the wrong survivor data.
Warn players about the restart
Changing the map requires a restart or reboot. Tell players when the server will be unavailable and wait for the panel to report that the restart has finished before connecting. Do not repeatedly click reboot while a previous operation is still running.
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Change the map on a hosted ARK server
Use the Server Map ID field
- Sign in to your game-server control panel.
- Select the ARK server you want to change.
- Open Settings in the sidebar.
- Find Server Map ID. Some hosts label the same control simply Map.
- Enter the destination map ID exactly as listed for your edition. Preserve capitalization, underscores, and suffixes.
- Click Save & Restart. If your panel separates those actions, save the setting and choose Reboot now.
- Wait until the server process completes its restart, then join and confirm that the intended map loads.
The control-panel labels differ between providers, but the operation is the same: select the map, save the setting, and restart. If the panel offers a drop-down rather than a text field, choose the edition-specific entry instead of manually typing an ID.
Verify the result
Check the server’s status page or startup log after the reboot. The loaded map should match the ID you entered. If the server remains offline, stop making further changes, compare the ID with the current edition map list, and restore the backup if necessary.
ARK server map IDs to check
The following identifiers are examples documented for the two editions. Treat them as case-sensitive strings, not display names. Confirm every value in your live host panel or the current ARK wiki before deployment because map names can change.
| Edition | Map ID examples | Important naming detail |
|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Ascended | TheIsland_WPScorchedEarth_WPTheCenter_WP |
These maps use the _WP suffix. Ragnarok, Aberration, Extinction, Valguero, and Genesis Part 1 are also listed with the _WP naming pattern; verify each exact current ID before entering it. |
| ARK: Survival Evolved | TheIslandScorchedEarth_PAberration_PValguero_PCrystalIslesGen2LostIslandFjordur |
Evolved uses a mixture of names and suffixes. Do not add _WP to these values unless the current server documentation specifically requires it. |
Maps listed for Ascended availability
The Ascended map table used for this guidance lists The Island, Scorched Earth, and The Center, plus Ragnarok, Aberration, Extinction, Valguero, and Genesis Part 1 using the _WP pattern. Crystal Isles, Genesis Part 2, Lost Island, and Fjordur are listed as unavailable in Ascended in that table. Availability is version-dependent, so check the current game build and host catalog rather than assuming an Evolved map is available in Ascended.
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Modded maps do not always use the normal map-name field. Depending on the host and server build, the launch parameter may be written as ?ModMapID= or -MapModID=. The exact parameter and value vary, so use the syntax supplied by your host for that mod. If a mod-map option is missing from the panel, ask the provider which startup parameter its service supports.
What happens to your world and progress
Every map has a separate save
ARK keeps a separate world save for each map. When you change from one map to another, the destination map loads its own world state. Bases, structures, wild-creature spawns, and tames from the previous map are not copied into the destination save.
If you later switch back to the earlier map, its previous world, bases, and tames should return because that map’s save was retained. A map change is therefore closer to selecting another world than converting one world into another.
Player data resets by default
On a non-clustered server, joining the new map normally presents a fresh survivor state. The map switch alone does not transfer your character, inventory, or tames. Plan the transfer before restarting if preserving progression matters.
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Keep a character when no cluster is available
The practical no-cluster method is to use an Obelisk, also called a Tribute Terminal, before changing the map. This is a transfer workflow, not an automatic consequence of editing the map setting.
Upload before the map switch
- Join the current map and travel to an Obelisk or Tribute Terminal.
- Upload your character at the terminal.
- Upload the creatures you intend to move.
- Store or upload the items you want to carry across. Check the terminal’s transfer inventory carefully so nothing is left in a personal inventory or local container by mistake.
- Confirm that the uploads have completed, then leave the server and perform the map change in the host panel.
Keep the server backup made before the switch. Uploading the wrong survivor or closing the server during a transfer can leave you needing to restore the files or repeat the process.
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Download on the destination map
- Start the new map and join it after the reboot has completed.
- At the character screen, choose Create Character so the game presents the transfer workflow.
- Choose Download character and select the survivor you uploaded.
- After spawning, travel to an Obelisk or Tribute Terminal on the new map.
- Retrieve the uploaded creatures and items from the terminal.
The destination map remains its own world save; only the data you explicitly transferred is available there. If you do not upload first, there is no character for the download screen to restore.
Move between maps with a cluster
What a cluster provides
A cluster links multiple ARK map servers so a survivor, creatures, and eligible items can be transferred between them through the game’s transfer terminals. Each map still needs its own server. The servers must be attached to the same host account; simply renting unrelated servers from different accounts does not create a cluster.
Cluster requirements
- One server instance for each map you want online.
- All of those servers under the same hosting account or cluster arrangement.
- Cluster support enabled by the provider; the setup controls and labels differ by host.
- Compatible game mode. Host guidance limits transfers from PvE to PvE and from PvP to PvP; a PvE-to-PvP or PvP-to-PvE transfer should not be assumed to work.
Typical cluster workflow
- Ask the provider whether your plan supports clustering and how it identifies the cluster.
- Create or select a server for each map and place them in the same cluster under one host account.
- Assign an edition-correct map ID to each server and restart each instance.
- Confirm that every server is running the same intended game mode and that the provider reports the cluster as connected.
- Use an Obelisk on the source map to upload the survivor, creatures, or items, then join the destination server and download them.
Cluster configuration is host-specific. If the panel has no cluster field, transfer setting, or linked-server option, contact the provider before changing files manually.
Self-hosted and dedicated-server launch syntax
For a self-hosted or dedicated server, the map is selected at launch rather than in a hosting panel. The ARK wiki syntax places the mandatory map name immediately after the executable, followed by optional ?Setting=value pairs and then dash-prefixed flags.
ARK: Survival Evolved executable
ASE uses ShooterGameServer.exe. A schematic Windows launch line is:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?Setting=value -flagReplace TheIsland with the exact Evolved map ID and replace the example setting and flag with values supported by your server build. The important ordering rule is that the map follows the executable directly; it is not placed after the dash flags.
ARK: Survival Ascended executable
ASA uses ArkAscendedServer.exe. The equivalent structure is:
ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?Setting=value -flagUse the Ascended map ID, such as TheIsland_WP, and verify the current dedicated-server syntax for your platform and build. A 2024 Steam discussion reported that some Ascended dedicated-server settings panels did not expose a map selector and suggested naming the map in a batch file. That report may not describe current builds, but it explains why a launch script can be necessary when a graphical settings tool has no map field.
Linux and legacy syntax cautions
Older Evolved guides sometimes include ?listen in the command line. Treat that as a legacy pattern and verify whether the current wiki syntax for your server type still requires it. Do not copy separators, question marks, or equals signs from an old example without checking the current format; a small syntax error can stop startup.
Troubleshoot a failed or unexpected map change
The server will not start
- Wrong edition: Replace an Evolved ID with the Ascended form, or vice versa. The common difference is
_WPversus_P, but not every map follows that pattern. - Wrong capitalization: Re-enter the ID exactly. Map IDs are case-sensitive.
- Typo or misplaced syntax: For self-hosting, put the map immediately after the executable, then add question-mark settings and dash flags in the documented order.
- Unavailable map: Check whether the map exists for your edition and current game build. A map listed for Evolved may be unavailable in Ascended.
- Mod parameter mismatch: Use the host’s required
?ModMapID=or-MapModID=form instead of the standard map field.
The server starts but appears empty
You are probably viewing the destination map’s separate save. A map switch does not copy the old bases or tames. Switch back to the original map to confirm its save still exists, then use an Obelisk transfer or cluster if you need selected progression on the new map.
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Character data does not transfer merely because the map setting changed. Return to the transfer plan: upload the survivor at an Obelisk before switching, then use Create Character and Download character on the destination map. Without a prior upload, restore the backup or create a new survivor.
Transfers do not appear in a cluster
- Confirm that both servers belong to the same host account and cluster.
- Check that both servers are running the same mode. Transfers are intended for PvE-to-PvE or PvP-to-PvP, not an assumed cross-mode route.
- Verify that the destination server is online and fully restarted.
- If the provider’s panel does not expose cluster controls, request the provider’s setup instructions instead of guessing configuration keys.
The panel has no map option
Some dedicated-server tools do not expose a map selector. Ask the provider whether the map must be entered as a startup argument or batch-file value. For a self-hosted installation, edit the launch command using the executable-and-map ordering described above.
Quick Recap
Choose the right transfer method
| Method | What you change | What it preserves | Requirements | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted panel map change | One Map or Server Map ID field, followed by a restart | Nothing automatically; the destination has its own save | Panel access and a valid edition-specific ID | Fast map rotation or starting a separate world |
| Obelisk upload/download | Map setting plus manual uploads before and downloads after the switch | The survivor, creatures, and items you explicitly transfer | Access to an Obelisk on both maps and a backup | Moving selected progression without running multiple servers |
| Cluster transfer | Several linked map servers under one host account | Eligible survivor, creature, and item transfers between linked maps | Provider cluster support, one server per map, and compatible PvE/PvP modes | Regular travel between maps while keeping a shared survivor |
| Self-hosted launch parameter | Map name in the startup command or batch file | Depends on manual transfer; changing the argument alone does not merge saves | Correct executable, map ID, syntax, and server files | Administrators who need direct control over startup settings |
Final preflight checklist
- Identify ASA or ASE.
- Confirm the destination map is available for that edition and build.
- Copy the exact, case-sensitive map ID.
- Back up the server files.
- Upload the survivor, creatures, and items at an Obelisk if you need them on the new map.
- For a cluster, confirm one host account, one server per map, and matching PvE or PvP modes.
- Save the panel setting or update the launch command with the map immediately after the executable.
- Restart once and wait for completion.
- Verify the loaded map before allowing players to resume.
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