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# ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server on Linux — Wine, 16 GB RAM, and Patience
- URL: https://blog.sudowl.com/ark-survival-ascended-dedicated-server-linux/
- Published: 2026-05-03T10:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-11T08:47:37.000Z
- Description: How to run an ARK Survival Ascended dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD and Wine. Real RAM requirements, ports, mods via CurseForge, weekly restart strategy.
- Author: Lukas
- Tags: Gameserver, Ubuntu, Linux

ARK Survival Ascended doesn't ship a Linux server. Like [Enshrouded](/enshrouded-dedicated-server-linux/), you run the Windows server EXE through Wine. Unlike Enshrouded, ASA is a memory hog of historic proportions — **24 GB minimum** for a tame 10-player server. Studio Wildcard's "16 GB" recommendation is for a fresh map with no structures.

**TL;DR:**

```bash
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt install steamcmd wine64
sudo adduser --system --group --home /opt/asa asa
sudo -u asa -H steamcmd +force_install_dir /opt/asa \
  +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit
sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp

```

Then a systemd unit through Wine, then a daily restart, then mod handling. Same SteamCMD-plus-Wine pattern as Enshrouded, scaled up for ASA's resource appetite.

## Why this hurts more than other game servers

ASA runs Unreal Engine 5 server-side. The server actually loads world chunks, dinosaur AI, and physics — there's no thin "headless" mode. A populated server with a few hundred tames and decent base-building easily eats 20+ GB RSS. After 4-6 hours of uptime, memory creeps up another 4-8 GB just from cached actors.

Plan for it. Don't try to squeeze ASA into 16 GB and expect a stable week. Don't co-locate it with two other Wine game servers and expect anyone to be happy.

## Install

Server app ID: `2430930`. Game app ID: `2399830` — you don't need it.

```bash
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamcmd wine64
sudo adduser --system --group --home /opt/asa asa
sudo -u asa -H steamcmd \
  +force_install_dir /opt/asa \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 2430930 validate \
  +quit

```

Initial download is around 30 GB and takes 20-40 minutes depending on your link. After that, set up the Wine prefix:

```bash
sudo -u asa -H WINEPREFIX=/opt/asa/wineprefix WINEARCH=win64 wineboot --init

```

Decline both Mono and Gecko prompts. Server doesn't need them.

ASA also needs a few VC++ runtime DLLs. The lazy way:

```bash
sudo -u asa -H WINEPREFIX=/opt/asa/wineprefix winetricks vcrun2019 --unattended

```

Skipping this works on some Wine versions and silently breaks on others. Just run it.

## Config — GameUserSettings.ini

First start creates `/opt/asa/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini`. Stop the server, then edit:

```ini
[ServerSettings]
ServerPVE=False
ServerCrosshair=True
ServerHardcore=False
ServerForceNoHUD=False
GlobalVoiceChat=False
ProximityChat=False
NoTributeDownloads=False
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
AlwaysNotifyPlayerLeft=False
DontAlwaysNotifyPlayerJoined=False
ServerAdminPassword=changeme-strong
SpectatorPassword=
DifficultyOffset=1.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
XPMultiplier=2.0

[SessionSettings]
SessionName=My ASA Server
Port=7777
QueryPort=27015
MaxPlayers=20

[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=20

```

`ServerAdminPassword` is what `enablecheats <password>` uses in-game. Set something strong — anyone with admin can wipe the map.

`TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0` and `HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0` are my taste, ARK's vanilla rates are slow. Adjust to match the group's preference.

## Systemd unit

`/etc/systemd/system/asa.service`:

```ini
[Unit]
Description=ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=asa
Group=asa
WorkingDirectory=/opt/asa/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64
Environment=WINEPREFIX=/opt/asa/wineprefix
Environment=WINEARCH=win64
Environment=WINEDEBUG=-all
ExecStart=/usr/bin/wine64 ArkAscendedServer.exe \
  TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="MyServer"?ServerPassword=?ServerAdminPassword=changeme-strong \
  -port=7777 -QueryPort=27015 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=20 -mods=
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=20
RuntimeMaxSec=86400
MemoryMax=28G

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

```

The startup arg format is unusual — query-string style `?key=value` for game options, then traditional `-flag` for engine options, all in one command. Wildcard hasn't fixed this in 12 years and probably never will.

`RuntimeMaxSec=86400` — daily restart, non-negotiable. ASA's memory leaks past 24h are deterministic.

`MemoryMax=28G` — hard ceiling. If the process exceeds, systemd kills cleanly and restart picks up. Better than the OOM killer doing it.

`WinLiveMaxPlayers=20` — the cmd-line flag overrides the INI's MaxPlayers. Match them.

`-mods=` is empty here. With mods, list CurseForge IDs comma-separated (see below).

[systemd unit reference](/systemd-service-unit-file/) for the basics.

```bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now asa
sudo journalctl -u asa -f

```

First start takes **5-10 minutes**. ASA loads the entire map into memory before it accepts connections. Look for `Game Server Initialized` — that's when ports open.

## Ports

```bash
sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp

```

7777: game traffic. 27015: Steam server-query (browser listing). UDP only — opening TCP achieves nothing.

If the server should not appear in the public Steam browser, skip 27015 and players connect by direct IP. [UFW rules reference](/ufw-firewall-rules-ubuntu/).

## Mods

ASA mods come from CurseForge, not Steam Workshop. The server downloads them automatically when listed in the `-mods=` arg:

```
-mods=928180,927084,956120

```

(Those are example IDs — replace with the actual CurseForge mod IDs.)

First boot with mods takes another 5-10 minutes per \~500 MB of mod content. Mods cache under `/opt/asa/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ShooterGame/Mods/`. They re-download when CurseForge ships an update.

Mod load order matters when two mods touch the same engram. Put the "primary" mod first — its definitions win on conflict.

## Backups

Saves live in `/opt/asa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/<MapName>/`. The .ark file is the world. Nightly:

```bash
systemctl stop asa
rsync -a --delete /opt/asa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/ /backup/asa/$(date +%F)/
systemctl start asa

```

Stop-rsync-start beats rsync-while-live. ASA writes to the .ark every few minutes; an rsync mid-write gives you a corrupt backup roughly 1 in 50 attempts. The 30-second downtime is invisible to players who aren't actively connecting.

Keep 14 days. Restoring a corrupt save is `cp /backup/asa/2026-05-03/TheIsland_WP.ark /opt/asa/ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/`. [rsync rotation pattern](/rsync-backup-linux/).

## Updates

ASA patches break protocol every 1-2 weeks. Workflow:

```bash
sudo systemctl stop asa
sudo -u asa -H steamcmd \
  +force_install_dir /opt/asa \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 2430930 validate \
  +quit
sudo systemctl start asa

```

`validate` re-checks file hashes — slower but safer. Every patch I've skipped validate on, something subtle has been off. Run it.

After a Wine version bump, run `wineboot --update` before starting ASA, or expect "missing DLL" log spam.

## The two failure modes you'll hit

**"Game Server Initialized" never appears.** Wine prefix is missing VC++ DLLs. Re-run `winetricks vcrun2019 --unattended`.

**Server loads but players time out connecting.** UDP ports closed somewhere. Test from outside:

```bash
nc -uvz <publicip> 7777

```

If it fails, the gap is firewall (UFW rule) or NAT (router port-forward). The server itself is fine.

## Why this and not a managed host

A Hetzner CPX41 (8 vCPU, 32 GB) at €25/month runs a comfortable ASA server with headroom for one or two smaller game servers alongside. A managed ASA host charges €30-40/month for a single 20-slot instance with mod limits and patch delays. For a friends group, owning the box is cheaper, more flexible, and you control the update cadence.

The downsides are honest: setup is a few hours, you maintain the patches, and you eat the 30-minute outage when an update misbehaves. If that's worth €15/month to you, run your own. If not, pay for managed.

Same calculus as [Valheim](/valheim-dedicated-server-linux/), [Palworld](/palworld-dedicated-server-linux/), and [Enshrouded](/enshrouded-dedicated-server-linux/) — once you've done one, the second one is an evening.

---

### Related posts

- [Valheim Dedicated Server on Linux — the One Thing People Get Wrong](https://blog.diengdoh.com/valheim-dedicated-server-linux/?ref=blog.sudowl.com)
- [Palworld Dedicated Server on Linux with SteamCMD](https://blog.diengdoh.com/palworld-dedicated-server-linux/?ref=blog.sudowl.com)
- [Enshrouded Dedicated Server on Linux — SteamCMD, Wine, and the RAM Reality](https://blog.diengdoh.com/enshrouded-dedicated-server-linux/?ref=blog.sudowl.com)