How To Play Lan Ark Survival Evolved Exclusive Access

LAN Ark Survival Evolved Exclusive: A Step-by-Step Guide

Tethering (players cannot explore independently).

Host performance may degrade with 3+ players.

No persistent world when host quits.

Look at the menu options on the left (usually under the map selection). You will see tabs for Game User Settings, Advanced Settings, and Admin Password.

Crucial Step: Go to Game User Settings. Here you can adjust Taming Speed, Harvesting Amount, and XP Multipliers. For a casual LAN party, increasing Taming Speed and Harvesting is highly recommended.

Download and run the ARK server (SteamCMD or Steam Tools).

Configure GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini in the ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer folder.

Common args:

ShootersGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=MyLAN?ServerPassword=pass?ServerAdminPassword=admin -NoBattlEye -log

Make sure Windows Firewall allows the server executable and ports: 7777 UDP (game), 27015 UDP (Query), 7778 UDP (Raw UDP), 27020 TCP/UDP (RCON if used).

Disable port forwarding on your router (or leave closed) to keep server LAN-only; do not enable UPnP or public ports.

If you want, tell me whether you're on PC (Steam) or console and whether you want non-dedicated or dedicated — I'll give exact command lines and firewall rules.

The Ultimate Guide to Playing LAN in ARK: Survival Evolved

Host Server Setup:

LAN Ark Survival Evolved Exclusive: A Step-by-Step Guide

Tethering (players cannot explore independently).
Host performance may degrade with 3+ players.
No persistent world when host quits.

Look at the menu options on the left (usually under the map selection). You will see tabs for Game User Settings, Advanced Settings, and Admin Password.
Crucial Step: Go to Game User Settings. Here you can adjust Taming Speed, Harvesting Amount, and XP Multipliers. For a casual LAN party, increasing Taming Speed and Harvesting is highly recommended.

Download and run the ARK server (SteamCMD or Steam Tools).
Configure GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini in the ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer folder.

Common args:

ShootersGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=MyLAN?ServerPassword=pass?ServerAdminPassword=admin -NoBattlEye -log

Make sure Windows Firewall allows the server executable and ports: 7777 UDP (game), 27015 UDP (Query), 7778 UDP (Raw UDP), 27020 TCP/UDP (RCON if used).
Disable port forwarding on your router (or leave closed) to keep server LAN-only; do not enable UPnP or public ports.

If you want, tell me whether you're on PC (Steam) or console and whether you want non-dedicated or dedicated — I'll give exact command lines and firewall rules.

Good news: LAN bypasses the Epic/Steam feud.

The Ultimate Guide to Playing LAN in ARK: Survival Evolved

Host Server Setup: