ARK: Survival Ascendedcomes with multiple server types, each suited to different playstyles. You can play solo in Single-Player mode, or host aNon-Dedicatedserver to play with up to eight friends. Of course, you canplayARK: Survival Ascendedsolo, but it’s more fun when you team up with others. For larger groups, Official and Unofficial/Dedicated servers stay active 24/7 and can support more players, but come with different rule sets. As such, your best bet for playing with friends is to set up a Non-Dedicated server.

How To Set Up A Non-Dedicated Server in ARK: Survival Ascended

Setting up a non-dedicated server is perfect if you want to play with a small group of friends (up to eight players) without the commitment of renting a dedicated server.

To set up a non-dedicated server inARK: Survival Ascended, go to theCreate or Resume Gamemenu. From there, you can launch either a single-player game or a non-dedicated server. Click onNon-Dedicatedand enter your server info. You can alsocreate a passwordfor your private server to prevent random strangers from joining in.

Ark: Survival Ascended Tag Page Cover Art

While it’s easy to jump right in, it’s a good idea toreview the settings first, especially if you’re playing with friends. The default settings work well for solo play, but for multiplayer, you’ll want to explore the’Rules’and’World’tabs in theGame Rulesmenu. These let you adjust options like PvP and PvE and set up notifications. Turning on PvE mode makes the server more peaceful, while turning it off lets players fight each other.

Once your game loads and you’ve spawned into the world, your non-dedicated server will be live. you may invite friends and start playing.

Inside a Player Constructed Building in Ark: Survival Ascended

How To Join A Non-Dedicated Server in ARK: Survival Ascended

If you’re looking to join a friend’s non-dedicated server inARK: Survival Ascended, here’s what you need to do.

Make sure both you and the host have theexact same version ofARK: Survival Ascendedand anymodsinstalled.

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Ark Survival Ascended DLC delay xbox

The Ark: Survival Ascended character is attempting to mutate their raptors to get a specific color.

The Ark: Survival Ascended character found a low level T-rex to help with the mutations of the undesirable stats.