How to Upgrade Your ARK: Survival Ascended Server to a New Version

When Studio Wildcard releases a new update for ARK: Survival Ascended, your game client updates automatically. If your server is running an older version, players will see a version mismatch error and will not be able to join until the server is updated too. Keeping your server up to date is straightforward from the RiverHosting panel and only takes a few minutes.

Before you start

• Make sure you have access to your server at panel.riverhosting.com.
• Let your players know the server will be offline briefly during the update.
• Consider creating a backup before updating so you can restore your world if anything goes wrong.

1. Stop your server before updating

Before triggering an update, you need to stop your server so that no files are in use during the process.

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel at panel.riverhosting.com.
2. Click on your ARK: Survival Ascended server from the server list.
3. On the Console page, click the Stop button and wait for the server to fully stop.

2. Reinstall or restart to apply the update

The RiverHosting panel will automatically download and install the latest version of ARK: Survival Ascended when you start your server, as long as the update is available from the game's official distribution. Here is how to trigger that process.

1. With your server stopped, click the Start button on the Console page.
2. Watch the console output as the server starts up. You will see messages indicating that the server is checking for and downloading the latest version.
3. The server will continue to start once the update has finished downloading and installing.
4. Once the console shows that the server is running and accepting connections, the update is complete.

3. Confirm the server is on the correct version

After the server has started, it is a good idea to verify that it is now running the version that matches your game client.

1. Open the Console tab in the RiverHosting panel.
2. Look at the startup messages in the console. The server version is usually printed near the top of the log output when the server initialises.
3. Compare the version shown in the console to the version shown in your ARK: Survival Ascended game client.
4. If the versions match, you and your players can connect normally.

4. Check your server config and mods after updating

Major game updates can sometimes reset or conflict with existing settings or installed mods. It is worth checking a few things after a large update.

1. Open the Server Config page from the left-hand menu and review your key settings to make sure nothing was reset.
2. Open the Mods page and check whether your installed mods are still active and compatible with the new server version. Mod authors sometimes release updates alongside game patches.
3. If you notice any mod conflicts or missing settings, update or remove the affected mods and re-enter any settings that were changed.

Troubleshooting

• Players still see a version mismatch error: Make sure both the server and the game client have fully updated. Restart your game client and try again after the server has finished starting up.
• Server fails to start after the update: Check the console output for any error messages. A mod conflict is one of the most common causes. Try disabling mods and starting the server again to narrow down the issue.
• Console shows the server is stuck downloading: Wait a few minutes, as large updates can take time. If the server appears stuck for a long time, try stopping and starting it again from the Console tab.
• Server config settings were reset: Open the Server Config page and re-enter your preferred settings, then restart the server for the changes to take effect.
• World data appears missing after the update: Restore your server from the backup you created before updating. You can do this from the Backups tab.

Need help?

If you run into any issues updating your ARK: Survival Ascended server that you cannot resolve on your own, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.