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Custom Dino Levels changes the distribution of wild-creature levels in ARK: Survival Ascended. To make only a chosen range spawn, enable the mod, add a [CustomLevelDistrib] section to GameUserSettings.ini, select WantsEqualLevels=True, and calculate the mod’s base-level limits from your difficulty multiplier. For a 50–150 in-game range at difficulty 5, use MinLevel=10.000000 and MaxLevel=30.000000.
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The mod does not set the game’s maximum difficulty by itself, and changing the file does not retroactively alter creatures that already spawned. Set the difficulty separately, restart or reload, then perform a wild-dino wipe when you need the new distribution to replace the current population.
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What Custom Dino Levels changes
Custom Dino Levels is a CurseForge project (ID 928708) for ARK: Survival Ascended. Its stated purpose is to replace the usual wild-level distribution with an equalized range, a Ragnarok-like distribution, a high-level distribution, or a range you define. The project page listed 7,245,272 downloads and an update dated May 31, 2025.
The author says the mod works on any map and affects vanilla and modded creatures that enter the world through normal map spawning. That includes maps with custom spawners. A creature created by an item, a kill-trigger, or another mod-specific mechanism can use its own level logic instead, so those creatures may not follow the values in your configuration.
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The mod changes how newly generated wild creatures receive levels; it does not directly edit the creatures themselves. That distinction explains two common surprises: existing wild dinos keep their old levels until they are removed, and existing tames remain when the mod is removed.
Understand difficulty before editing levels
Two independent systems determine what you see in the world:
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- Distribution settings: the mod’s rules for which base levels are selected and how often each one appears.
Installing Custom Dino Levels does not automatically enable max official difficulty. For a single-player game that should use the official maximum multiplier, the author instructs you to add OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.00 under the [ServerSettings] section. On a hosted server, make the equivalent change in the provider’s server configuration. If you leave the multiplier unchanged, the mod can be working correctly while the highest displayed level remains lower than expected.
Always calculate the mod values from the multiplier actually used by your session. A setting that produces level 150 at difficulty 5 will not produce level 150 at difficulty 6.
Install the mod and locate the configuration file
- Install Custom Dino Levels through ARK: Survival Ascended’s mod browser or distribution flow.
- Enable the mod for the single-player session, non-dedicated session, or server where you want the altered distribution.
- Close the game or stop the server before editing the file. This prevents the game or host panel from overwriting unsaved changes.
- On Windows, open
ARK/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/Windows/GameUserSettings.ini. A hosted server uses the provider’s equivalentGameUserSettings.ini; the exact control-panel path varies by host. - Find an existing
[CustomLevelDistrib]section. If none exists, add it as a new section in the file. - Place the mod’s options beneath that header, save the file, and restart or reload the session.
Keep the section name and option spelling exactly as shown. INI keys are not ordinary notes: a typo, a misplaced key, or a setting saved in another configuration file can make the game ignore the change without displaying an obvious error.
Choose one distribution mode
The mod provides three boolean switches. Exactly one should be true at any time. The author’s warning is: “ONLY ONE BOOLEAN OPTION SHOULD BE TRUE AT ALL TIMES.” If two or more are true, the mod can go dormant; if all are false, no distribution mode is selected.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Mode | Configuration | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equalized levels | WantsEqualLevels=True |
The full configured base-level range can spawn with equal probability. | Use this for explicit MinLevel and MaxLevel limits. |
| Ragnarok-like levels | WantsRagLevels=True |
Higher levels receive more weight than the low-skewed distribution used by story maps, while some levels do not spawn. | Use it when you want a distribution resembling Ragnarok rather than a strict custom interval. |
| High levels | WantsHighLevels=True |
The distribution is inverted toward the upper end. | Use it when you want the upper part of the normal range to appear more often without defining one exact interval. |
A safe starting block for a custom range is:
[CustomLevelDistrib]
MinLevel=10.000000
MaxLevel=30.000000
WantsEqualLevels=True
WantsRagLevels=False
WantsHighLevels=FalseDo not leave an old mode enabled when switching modes. Change all three booleans so that one—and only one—is True.
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Set an exact minimum and maximum
Custom Dino Levels works with base levels from 1 through 30 before the difficulty multiplier is applied. Convert the displayed levels you want into base-level values with these formulas:
MinLevel = desired minimum in-game level ÷ difficulty valueMaxLevel = desired maximum in-game level ÷ difficulty value
Use decimal notation in the INI file. The equalized mode is the mode required for these custom MinLevel and MaxLevel values.
Example: levels 50 through 150 at difficulty 5
Divide each target by 5: 50 ÷ 5 = 10 and 150 ÷ 5 = 30. Configure:
[CustomLevelDistrib]
MinLevel=10.000000
MaxLevel=30.000000
WantsEqualLevels=True
WantsRagLevels=False
WantsHighLevels=FalseAfter a reload and a wild-dino wipe, newly spawned creatures can occupy the configured range, subject to the game’s level-generation behavior and any creature-specific exceptions.
Example: only level 78 at difficulty 6
Divide 78 by 6 to get 13. Set both limits to 13:
[CustomLevelDistrib]
MinLevel=13.000000
MaxLevel=13.000000
WantsEqualLevels=True
WantsRagLevels=False
WantsHighLevels=FalseThis requests a single base level, which converts to displayed level 78 at a multiplier of 6. It is a narrow test configuration; restore a range afterward if you want normal variety.
Check your arithmetic before blaming the mod
- Use the multiplier that is active in the world, not the one you intended to use.
- Keep the calculated values within the mod’s documented base-level range of 1–30.
- Do not put custom limits under
[ServerSettings]; keep them under[CustomLevelDistrib]. - When you change the difficulty multiplier, recalculate both limits.
Creature-specific level controls
The general range does not have to be the only range. The configuration guide documents separate controls for several special creatures:
| Creature group | Upper-limit key | Lower-limit key |
|---|---|---|
| Wyverns and rock drakes | MaxDrakeLevel |
MinDrakeLevel |
| Deinonychus | MaxDeinonLevel |
MinDeinonLevel |
| Bees | Optional bee maximum documented by the project | Optional bee minimum documented by the project |
| Titanosaurs | Optional titanosaur maximum documented by the project | Optional titanosaur minimum documented by the project |
| Magmasaurs | Optional Magmasaur maximum documented by the project | Optional Magmasaur minimum documented by the project |
The project page is the authority for the exact key names and defaults of the optional bee, titanosaur, and Magmasaur controls. Apply the same discipline as the general range: use the documented key names, calculate values for the active difficulty, and keep creature-specific settings in the [CustomLevelDistrib] section.
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Apply the change to the world
Saving the INI file changes the rule used for future spawns; it does not instantly regenerate every creature already loaded or living on the map.
- Save
GameUserSettings.iniwith one active distribution switch. - Restart the single-player session or restart the hosted server so the mod reads the file again.
- Travel to a safe location and confirm that the session loads without configuration errors.
- Perform a wild-dino wipe using the admin method appropriate to your platform and server setup if you want old spawns removed immediately.
- Allow the map to repopulate, then inspect several newly spawned creatures rather than judging the result from one survivor.
A wipe removes wild creatures, not your tames. Because the mod does not directly modify dinos, removing the mod later retains existing tames according to the author’s compatibility note.
Why you are not seeing level-150 dinos
When a world still appears to use the old distribution, diagnose the layers in this order.
1. Verify the difficulty multiplier
Check that OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.00 is under [ServerSettings] if you are targeting the official maximum multiplier in single-player. On a hosted server, verify the provider’s equivalent setting. A correct MaxLevel=30.000000 at a lower multiplier cannot display level 150.
2. Verify the section and keys
Confirm that the file is the active Windows or host-side GameUserSettings.ini, that the header is exactly [CustomLevelDistrib], and that the three boolean names are spelled correctly. Ensure only WantsEqualLevels, WantsRagLevels, or WantsHighLevels is true.
3. Confirm the mod is enabled in this session
Installing a mod in the distribution browser is not the same as enabling it for every save or server. Check the active mod list for the world you are testing, then restart after making configuration changes.
4. Remove old wild spawns
Without a wild-dino wipe, creatures that spawned before the change remain unchanged. The mod applies its behavior to new spawns, so an unchanged population can make a correct configuration look ineffective.
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5. Test normal map spawns
Use ordinary wild creatures generated by the map’s normal spawn system for your check. A creature produced by an item, kill-trigger, or another mod-specific mechanism may intentionally bypass Custom Dino Levels and retain its own level logic.
Compatibility and special-spawn caveats
The author describes support for vanilla and modded dinos that use normal map spawning, including maps with custom spawners. That is broad compatibility, not a guarantee that every creature-creation system will be intercepted.
- Normal map spawns: expected to use the configured distribution.
- Custom-spawner maps: supported according to the author’s statement, provided the creatures still enter through normal map spawning.
- Item-created creatures: may keep the item’s own level logic.
- Kill-trigger or event-created creatures: may bypass the mod.
- Other mod-specific systems: may define independent levels that Custom Dino Levels cannot replace.
If one species ignores your range while ordinary map spawns follow it, treat that as a spawning-path difference first. Check how that species is created before changing the global limits.
Switching modes, backing up, and removing the mod
Make a backup copy of GameUserSettings.ini before experimenting. Keep a short note of the multiplier and the three boolean values used for each test so that you can roll back without guessing.
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To remove the mod, disable it through the game’s mod management flow, restore your backed-up configuration if you no longer want the custom section, and restart the session. Existing tames are retained because the mod does not directly modify the dinos. Newly spawned wild creatures then follow the game and any remaining mod rules in the configuration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare this mod with another level-distribution mod
If you are deciding between tools, compare capabilities rather than assuming that similarly named settings behave identically. The following questions reveal practical differences:
| Comparison question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does it support ASA console and cross-platform delivery? | A configuration that works on a Windows installation may not be deliverable through every console or hosted-server distribution path. |
| Is configuration INI-only or available through an in-game UI? | INI-only tools provide direct control but require file access and careful syntax; a UI can reduce editing errors. |
| Can you define exact minimum and maximum levels? | Preset distributions cannot necessarily produce a narrow interval or a single requested level. |
| How are special-spawn creatures handled? | Normal map spawns and item-, event-, or mod-created creatures can follow different level systems. |
| Is a wild-dino wipe required? | Any system that affects only future spawns will appear inactive until old wild creatures are removed. |
| Does it coexist with creature and map mods? | Spawner architecture, load order, and custom creation systems can determine whether a creature is intercepted. |
For Custom Dino Levels specifically, the documented answers are: INI configuration through GameUserSettings.ini; exact ranges through the equalized mode; support for normal vanilla and modded map spawns; a wipe needed to replace old wild creatures; and a caveat for special spawn systems. Console or cross-platform delivery details are not established by the cited configuration documentation, so verify them for your platform and host before committing to a shared server setup.
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The available project documentation provides configuration instructions, compatibility statements, examples, and project metadata. It does not publish a controlled benchmark, an independent spawn-rate study, or a measured performance report. You can therefore use the documented behavior to configure and troubleshoot levels, but you should not treat an unverified claim about server performance or exact population percentages as an established result.
In practical testing, distinguish a distribution question from a population question. The mod can change which levels newly spawned creatures receive; it does not promise a particular number of creatures, a guaranteed level on every spawn, or identical behavior from special creation systems.
Ready-to-use configuration recipes
Balanced 50–150 range at difficulty 5
[CustomLevelDistrib]
MinLevel=10.000000
MaxLevel=30.000000
WantsEqualLevels=True
WantsRagLevels=False
WantsHighLevels=FalseUse this when you want every base level from 10 through 30 available with equal weighting before the multiplier is applied.
Single displayed level 78 at difficulty 6
[CustomLevelDistrib]
MinLevel=13.000000
MaxLevel=13.000000
WantsEqualLevels=True
WantsRagLevels=False
WantsHighLevels=FalseThis is the documented 78 ÷ 6 example. It is useful as a narrow verification test, then can be replaced with a wider interval.
Ragnarok-like weighting without a custom interval
[CustomLevelDistrib]
WantsEqualLevels=False
WantsRagLevels=True
WantsHighLevels=FalseUse the project’s Ragnarok-like preset when you prefer higher-level weighting and its documented missing levels over an exact minimum and maximum. Do not leave the equalized or high-level switch true alongside it.
Final configuration checklist
- Custom Dino Levels is installed and enabled for the world or server being tested.
- The active file is the correct Windows or host-side
GameUserSettings.ini. - The settings are under
[CustomLevelDistrib]. - The values were divided by the active difficulty multiplier.
- Exactly one of
WantsEqualLevels,WantsRagLevels, andWantsHighLevelsisTrue. OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.00is present under[ServerSettings]when that multiplier is intended.- The session or server was restarted after editing.
- A wild-dino wipe was performed if old spawns were masking the change.
- The test used normal map-spawned creatures, not a special creation system.
With those conditions met, Custom Dino Levels gives you predictable control over the level distribution that normal map spawns use, while leaving difficulty, existing creatures, and special spawn mechanics as separate concerns.
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