ARK server settings: GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini

Most ARK server settings live in two files you edit on the Server properties page: GameUserSettings.ini for common options like XP, taming and harvest rates, and Game.ini for deeper tuning like breeding and per-level stats.

2 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team

Most ARK server settings live in two files you edit on your server's Server properties page: GameUserSettings.ini for common options like XP, taming and harvest rates, and Game.ini for deeper tuning like breeding and per-level stats.

Where the files live

Both files are in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/, inside a platform folder. The easiest way to edit them is Server properties under Game tools in your server menu at customer.guavahost.com. It opens GameUserSettings.ini as Game user settings and Game.ini as Advanced game settings, one tab each, grouped by section, with a search box. Change a value, click Save changes, then restart.

Game.ini may not exist yet, and a file only shows on Server properties once it is on the server. The Files page has no new file button, so make a text file called Game.ini on your computer, open the same folder as GameUserSettings.ini on the Files tab and use Upload files, or create it over SFTP.

Always stop the server before editing these files. ARK rewrites them when it shuts down, so edits made while it is running can be wiped. Stop, edit, then start.

GameUserSettings.ini: the common settings

These go under the [ServerSettings] header. Higher multipliers mean faster or more, and 1.0 is vanilla.

• XPMultiplier=2.0 for how fast players and creatures level.
• TamingSpeedMultiplier=5.0 for quicker tames.
• HarvestAmountMultiplier=3.0 for more resources per hit.
• ResourcesRespawnPeriodMultiplier=0.5 for faster resource regrowth (lower is faster).
• DifficultyOffset=1.0 with OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 to push wild creatures up to level 150.
• ServerPassword= and ServerAdminPassword= to lock the server and enable cheats.

Game.ini: advanced tuning

These go under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]. This is where breeding and detailed balance live.

• MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.5 so creatures can breed again sooner (lower is sooner).
• BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=10.0 so babies grow up faster.
• EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=10.0 for quicker hatching.
• BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier=0.1 to reduce how often babies need imprinting care.
• PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player_... lines to tune how much each stat gains per level.

A safe way to edit

1. Take a backup on the Backups page.
2. Stop the server.
3. Edit the file on Server properties, on the Files tab or over SFTP.
4. Keep one setting per line and make sure it sits under the correct section header.
5. Start the server and watch the Console tab for any config errors.

Startup settings shortcuts

Some of these options are also exposed as fields in Startup settings on the Settings tab, such as the map, session name, max players and core rates. Values passed as launch options from Startup settings take priority over the same setting in the INI files, so pick one place for each setting to avoid confusion.

ASA and ASE use the same files

Both games read GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini with the same section names, so the settings above apply to each. A few options are specific to one version, so change one thing at a time and confirm it took effect.

Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.

• ark
• settings
• gameusersettings
• game.ini
• rates
• taming

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