How to Connect to an ARK: Survival Ascended Server
Your ARK: Survival Ascended server has its own address (an IP and port) shown in your Supercraft panel. ARK: Survival Ascended uses the Epic Online Services network for its in-game session browser, so the session list works without any Steam configuration — but it’s slow and hides unofficial servers by default. The fastest, most reliable paths are a Direct Connect via the console, or adding the server to Steam favorites. Both are below.
Two ports to know about
ARK: Survival Ascended servers use two separate ports, and most “can’t find my server” cases come from typing the wrong one:
- Game port — the port shown in your Supercraft panel (for example,
36000). Players use this port to actually join the server. - Steam query port — always the game port + 1 (for the example above,
36001). Steam uses this when you add the server to favorites. Steam will not find your server if you give it the game port. (You don’t need the query port at all for the in-game session browser or for Direct Connect — only for Steam favorites.)
Method 1: Direct Connect via Console (recommended)
- Launch ARK: Survival Ascended and stay on the main menu.
- Press the backtick / tilde key (
`/~, the key just under Esc) to open the console. - Type
open YOUR.ADDRESS:GAME_PORTusing the game port from your panel (NOT the +1 query port). Example:open e1.supercraft.host:36000. - If your server has a password, append it:
open e1.supercraft.host:36000?Password=YOURPASSWORD. - Press Enter. ARK will connect you within ~30 seconds.
Method 2: Add to Steam Favorites
- Open Steam › View › Game Servers.
- Switch to the Favorites tab.
- Click the + (Add Server) button at the bottom-right.
- Enter
YOUR.ADDRESS:QUERY_PORT. Remember: the Steam query port is your game port + 1. If your panel showse1.supercraft.host:36000, typee1.supercraft.host:36001. - Launch ARK: Survival Ascended, choose Join ARK, then filter on the Favorites tab. Your server appears as soon as it finishes booting.
Method 3: In-Game Session Browser (slowest)
- Launch ARK: Survival Ascended and choose Join ARK.
- Open the Filters panel. Set Session Filter to Unofficial and turn off Hide Private Sessions.
- Use the search box to find your server by name. The session list can take several minutes to populate, so retry if it’s empty.
Troubleshooting
- “Server not found” right after purchase: An ARK: Survival Ascended server takes 4-8 minutes on its first boot to finish loading the world and register with the Epic / Steam backend. Wait, then retry.
- Server is in Steam favorites but won’t connect: You likely used the game port in Method 2 instead of the +1 query port. Remove the favorite and re-add it with the correct port.
- Server appears for you but not your friends: Ask them to add it via Method 2 (Steam favorites with the query port) or use Method 1 (Direct Connect with the game port). The in-game session browser updates much more slowly than favorites.
- Wrong password: ARK has separate server, admin, and RCON passwords. Use the one shown as Server password in your Supercraft panel for joining. Admin and RCON passwords are for in-game admin commands and remote console, not for joining.
- Modded server won’t connect: Your client downloads mods from CurseForge automatically on first connect. If it stalls, restart ARK and reconnect; the download resumes.
- Still can’t connect: Check the Logs tab in your panel for errors. If the server is restart-looping, the AI Server Doctor under the panel’s diagnostics names the cause (typically a mod that’s incompatible with the current ARK build).