ARK Maps & Custom Maps – Guide

ARK Maps – Introduction

During your epic travels in ARK: Survival Evolved there are many different worlds to be explored with vibrant deep caves and blisteringly hot magma dormant for you and your friends to discover. The exploration with other ARK adventurers becomes larger when you add and take on new maps with unforgettable journeys packed inside of them sure to bring enjoyment to your ARK server players!

From the danger-filled areas in the Aberration DLC map to custom maps ripe with opportunities to find and uncover mysterious secrets as you play together, changing the adventure on your server can be done with ease through our custom ARK web interface. Below we will enter the dens of each unique ARK world and how you can add those maps to your very own ARK server!

What ARK Maps Can I Use?

On your ARK: SE server, you can take advantage of default ARK maps, DLC maps, and custom maps that can be added through server mods! Each of the maps you can add will be unique, often with new creatures and areas for you to find. Let’s begin by delving into the maps you can utilize to customize your server!

ARK: Survival Evolved Official “Canon” Maps & DLC

• • The Island – With dense forests, traverse the land and around large mountains and volcanoes, uncovering secrets at the three different Obelisks that create a triangle on this mysterious island.

• • Scored Earth (paid DLC) – Enter the desert, one of the most challenging environments with very little water and harsh “superheat” that will drain your water meter faster, as you fight to survive!

• • Aberration (paid DLC) – Go underground in a damaged ARK, where you will find new resources and biomes as you travel deep below the surface.

• • Extinction (paid DLC) – Corruption has occurred and technology is taking over! Set on a destroyed Earth, explore cities and proto-ARKs to uncover the secrets of this corrupted land.

• • Genesis: Part 1 (paid DLC) – Enter a simulation, where you can teleport between five different biomes with ice, lava, water, and more to find “Glitches” that you can fix to unfold the stories in this world.

• Genesis: Part 2 (paid DLC) – Set on a massive colonial ship split with two very unique biomes, on the right side of the ship you’ll find normal creatures but on the left side of the ship… run or fight as terrifying monsters lie in wait.

ARK: SE Official “Non-Canon” Maps and DLC

• • The Center (free DLC) – Beginning as a custom ARK map, you’ll experience floating lush islands with new biomes, a massive underground world below, and features a dangerous boss arena built into the map!

• • Ragnarok (free DLC) – Including an extremely diverse set of biomes, this world has unique environmental features with an active volcano that can erupt, massive beaver dams throughout the map, and a gorgeous hot spring to take a break in!

• • Valguero (free DLC) – One of the largest official maps in ARK with vast environments, beauty is literally in the air with colorful rainbows displaying in the day and lovely auroras peaking in the night over the bright forests, blistering cold tundras, and beneath it all, a strange underground ocean. There is so much to be explored!

• • Crystal Isles (free DLC) – Introducing an exploding dinosaur, true to its name this island features large crystals throughout with unique creatures and massive cluster island areas to venture into.

• • Lost Island (free DLC) – Walk through a huge ruined city, with ships scattered throughout the waters around the island, as you find wyvern trenches, dangerous caves, and a lake filled with nothing but black pearls!

• Fjordur (free DLC) – Journey into Asgard, Vanaheim, and Jotunheim, realms you can teleport to, and explore the ancient lands with dangerous foes including the all-powerful Fenrir!

You can explore our guide for the most popular maps in ARK to dive deeper into the top ARK maps to try on your server!

ARK:SE Custom Maps found via the ARK Steam Workshop

With so many unique maps created by fellow ARK community players, there is more content than ever to explore with your friends. Lower in this article, we will show you how to install ARK custom maps found in the Steam Workshop!

How to Change the ARK Map on Your Server

With so many different maps to try, through your custom ARK control panel you can easily and quickly change between any of these maps!

1. On your ARK: Survival Evolved server panel, stop your server.
2. Then on the left side, select “General” under “SETTINGS”.
   
3. In your settings under “Base settings”, locate the “Mapname” option and click on the dropdown next to that.
   

   You will see a list of each of the official ARK:SE maps.

4. Select the map you would like to use on your server.
5. Once you have selected that map, at the bottom press “Save changes” and then restart your ARK server to load that map!

Once your server is online, that official ARK map you had selected will now load and you can begin playing with your friends in that new experience!

Adding Custom ARK Maps to Your Server

Instead of adding an official ARK: Survival Evolved map, you can also try entirely new custom maps on your server found within the ARK: SE Steam Workshop.

1. Start by finding the ARK custom map you’d like to use on the ARK Steam Workshop. In our example, we will be adding the custom map Roraima.
2. Find the URL or check the description of that custom map on Steam and you’ll see an ID.
   

   This is the map mod ID needed to load that custom map. Copy that ID.

3. It’s now time to go on your ARK control panel.
4. Under your “SETTINGS” area, click the “Mods + Workshop” option.
   
5. In your mod settings, locate the “Active Mods (IDs)” option and field.
6. Add the ID you gathered from step 2 into this option’s field.
   
7. Once that ID has been added, press “Save changes” and then restart the ARK server to load that custom Steam Workshop ARK map!

After the ARK server is back online, you can now invite your friends and begin a unique adventure created by modders of the amazing ARK: SE community!

ARK Maps & Custom Maps FAQ

The ARK custom map will not load.

The only time an ARK: Survival Evolved custom map will not load would be due to either a conflict between a mod and the custom map or if the custom map itself is heavily outdated and simply will not work on the latest update of ARK.

When evaluating your server, we recommend disabling all server mods prior to adding a custom map. This will ensure there are not any conflicts and then afterward you can re-add your mods one-by-one to ensure they are compatible.

You can also review the Steam page of that particular ARK server custom map to see when that map was released as well as when the map was last updated.

Can I switch between maps? Will my data be saved?

Yes, with your ARK server you can switch between any of the official maps, DLC maps, and custom maps at any time using the above steps. The save data for each map is saved in its own respective folder for that map.

This ensures that when you change between different ARK: SE maps, you will never lose your save data if you switch maps or go back to a map you played before. Nitrado also takes backups of your server that you can restore too!

Am I able to use mods with custom maps?

For the most part, a majority of custom maps will support ARK: Survival Evolved mods. You can check the page of an ARK Steam Workshop map too, as the authors often test and can inform you if a particular mod or group of mods will not work.

You will also be able to test this too, as you can disable and add mods easily on your server to see if they will be compatible with that custom map you’re playing on directly through that same “Mods + Workshop” area on your ARK server panel.

Experience New ARK Worlds on Your Server Today

As you play, it can be so rewarding to complete an adventure and you never want to see such fun come to an end. That’s why utilizing ARK official maps, DLC, and custom maps is such a great way to bring variety with new explorations and creatures to discover for your server players. Take advantage of the enjoyment today by adding new diverse maps to your own ARK: Survival Evolved game server!