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For ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA), install mods from the game itself or through your dedicated server’s launch settings—not through the CurseForge desktop app. CurseForge’s official support guidance says ASA is not supported in that app. In single-player and non-dedicated games, open ASA’s in-game mod browser, install the mods, create a new game, and activate them in the mod settings. When joining a modded server, ASA offers to install missing required mods. Server owners add each mod’s CurseForge Project ID to the server launch parameters or to the Mods section of a hosting panel, then restart.
The mod lists below are recommendations rather than an objective ranking. Published 2026 lists disagree about which overhaul or creature pack is best, so the useful choice depends on whether you want a fundamentally different progression system, building tools, storage, creatures, roleplay content, or a lighter quality-of-life setup.
What is different about ASA mod installation in 2026?
ASA’s supported installation path is integrated into the game. The CurseForge app can be used for other games, but CurseForge’s official support article says ASA is not supported there. Several third-party guides still describe an app-based workflow; that conflicts with the official guidance, so use ASA’s own mod menus instead.
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There are three separate installation situations:
- Single-player or non-dedicated: install and activate mods from the in-game browser, then start a new game.
- Joining someone else’s modded server: select the server and let ASA download the required mods from the prompt.
- Running a dedicated server: add CurseForge Project IDs to the server’s launch parameters, or enter them in the host panel’s Mods tab, and restart.
These routes are not interchangeable. Installing a mod in your local game does not install it on a server, and adding a Project ID to a server does not activate that mod in an existing local save.
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Install mods in single-player or a non-dedicated game
- Launch ARK: Survival Ascended.
- Open the game’s Mods list.
- Accept the displayed terms when prompted.
- Browse or search for a mod and choose Install.
- Install every mod you intend to use before creating the world. ASA mods cannot be added to an existing game in this workflow, so create a new game after installation.
- Open the mod settings. Select the mod under Available Mods and activate it so it appears in the Active Mods tab.
- Arrange active mods in the order you want them applied, then launch the new game.
Install one mod at a time when setting up a new collection. Starting with a single change makes it possible to identify the mod responsible if the game fails to load, a structure disappears, or progression behaves unexpectedly.
Join a server that already uses mods
- Choose Join Game from ASA’s main menu.
- Select the server you want to join.
- Read the required-mods pop-up. It identifies mods the client does not currently have.
- Choose Join to begin installing the missing mods and continue connecting.
If the connection fails after a download, leave the server browser, allow the installation to finish, and try the connection again. A server can also change its mod list; in that case, the next join attempt may show a different required-mods prompt.
Add mods to your own dedicated server
Find the Project ID
Open the mod’s page on CurseForge and look at the sidebar on the right side of the page. The numeric value shown as the Project ID is the identifier a dedicated server uses. Do not substitute the mod’s display name, a collection ID, or a workshop-style identifier.
Use a command-line or configuration-based server
- Collect the Project ID for every mod you want the server to load.
- Add those IDs to the server’s launch-parameter field in the format required by your server software or host.
- Save the configuration.
- Restart the server. ASA downloads the listed mods during startup.
- Wait for startup to complete before attempting to join. Clients then receive the required-mods prompt if they are missing any of the same mods.
The exact parameter syntax is host-specific, so use the parameter label and separator format shown by your server provider rather than copying a syntax intended for another panel.
Use a hosting panel
- Open the server’s Mods tab.
- Paste each mod’s CurseForge Project ID into the field provided by the panel.
- Save the list.
- Restart the server so it downloads the mods.
Hosting panels expose different labels and restart controls, but the underlying process is the same: the server needs Project IDs, and the download occurs on startup.
If you would rather not run the server yourself, Godlike.Host offers ARK: Survival Ascended servers with its own Pterodactyl-based game panel, a built-in mod installer and updater, SFTP/FTP access, and up to three free backups a day with restore, which is handy for the rollback steps below. See the current plans for details.
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Load order, testing, and rollback
Load order matters
ASA applies mods in list order. Put a mod in the active list before another when its content or changes need to be loaded first. There is no universal order that works for every combination, because compatibility depends on the mods you selected.
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Change one variable at a time
- Add one mod, launch, and verify that the game or server reaches the expected state.
- Test a representative action: load a save, craft a new item, place a structure, inspect a creature, or connect as a client.
- Only then add the next mod.
- Record the active list and its order so you can restore a known-good setup.
Remove a problem mod
If a mod breaks a dedicated server, remove its Project ID from the launch parameters or the panel’s Mods tab, save, and restart. For a local game, uninstall or deactivate the suspect mod and test with the remaining active list. Removing a mod can affect items, structures, creatures, or saved progression that depended on it, so keep a backup of important saves before making major changes.
Best ASA overhaul mods: choose one foundation
Overhauls alter the character of a playthrough more than a storage or interface mod. Treat them as alternatives at first; installing multiple major overhauls can create overlapping progression and balance changes.
| Mod | Why players choose it | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Primal Chaos | Listed as a PvE overhaul with boss variants and raised stats. | Players who want a stronger, boss-focused PvE progression. |
| Astraeos Ascended | Combines a new map with tuned dinosaur additions. | Players who want a map change as well as new creatures. |
| Ark Supreme | Named by 2026 lists as a major overhaul. | Players looking for a broad overhaul rather than isolated additions. |
| ARK Primal Nemesis | Included among the large-scale overhaul choices in current lists. | Players comparing several total-conversion-style options. |
| Jurassic Awakening | Included in 2026 overhaul roundups. | Players who want a different creature-and-progression foundation. |
| ARK Omega Ascended | Included among the current overhaul candidates. | Players evaluating an overhaul-oriented server setup. |
| ARK Descended | Included in 2026 lists as an overhaul option. | Players who prefer to start from a substantially changed ruleset. |
| Dino Overhaul X 2 | Ranked first by one of the lists, although other lists use different leaders. | Players willing to choose by playstyle rather than consensus. |
These names come from opinion-based lists, not a standardized performance or quality test. Check the individual mod page for current compatibility, supported platforms, dependencies, and update status before committing a long-running world.
Quality-of-life mods
Creature inspection and breeding information
Awesome SpyGlass! and Super Spyglass Plus are aimed at inspection. The lists describe features such as viewing wild levels, taming information, breeding statistics, and details about creatures or structures. Choose one spyglass-style mod rather than assuming that every similarly named option should be installed together.
Building and crafting
Structures Plus (S+) Remastered is listed with more than 500 building pieces, auto-crafting stations, and pickup-and-move functionality. It is the broadest building-focused choice in the lists, but its many replacements and additions make it a mod to test early in a new world.
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Automated Ark adds automation such as auto-pickup. The lists specifically warn that automation can add server load, so test it on your hardware before deploying it to a busy server.
Storage and cryopods
Super Cryo Storage focuses on creature storage. Dino Storage v2/v3 stores tamed creatures in soul-trap balls. These are useful when the problem is managing a large tame collection rather than changing the whole game.
Travel, recovery, and administration
- Awesome Teleporters! adds a teleportation-oriented convenience layer.
- Death Recovery Mod is intended to make recovering after death less punishing.
- Ascended Engrams Plus expands the engram experience.
- Auction House for Tribes provides a tribe-oriented trading feature.
Logs and maps
Better Logs is described as sending tribe logs, raids, and alpha-kill events through Discord webhooks. Web Map provides a browser-based live map with tribe filtering. Both are server-management choices: decide who should receive the information and whether exposing tribe or map data fits your community’s rules.
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Creature additions
Creature packs can be added without adopting a complete overhaul, but they still alter spawning, taming, and server balance. The current lists include:
- Paleo ARK Evolution Pack 3: Hard Hitting Herbivores
- Paleo ARK Evolution Pack 2: Dangerous Depths
- Additional Creatures 2: Wild ARK
- Ark Additions: The Collection!
- Primal NPCs
- Ferris Creatures Reforged: Wild Seas
- Twee’s Wyvern Tweaks
The descriptive names indicate the intended focus of several packs, but the lists do not establish a common ranking. Read each current mod page for the exact creatures, spawn behavior, dependencies, and platform support before adding it to an established server.
Building, castles, and roleplay
Castles, Keeps and Forts: Remastered
This is the primary large-scale medieval building choice named in the lists. It suits players who want fortress construction rather than only utility pieces.
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Medieval Guilds and Goblins
One source marks this mod as PC-only. Treat that limitation as a platform-specific warning and confirm current support before promising it to console players.
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Eco’s RP Decor is intended for roleplay-oriented decoration. It complements, rather than replaces, a structural building overhaul.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Project IDs currently reported for selected mods
The following IDs were reported in aggregated 2026 lists. Confirm every number on the mod’s current CurseForge page immediately before adding it to a server; IDs and mod versions can change or be reported incorrectly.
| Mod | Reported Project ID |
|---|---|
| Paleo ARK Evolution Pack 3: Hard Hitting Herbivores | 1382641 |
| Paleo ARK Evolution Pack 2: Dangerous Depths | 1105106 |
| Additional Creatures 2: Wild ARK | 933968 |
| Ark Additions: The Collection! | 927090 |
| Primal NPCs | 933205 |
| Castles, Keeps and Forts: Remastered | 927084 |
| Eco’s RP Decor | 928553 |
No Project IDs were established here for the other named mods. Use the value displayed on each individual CurseForge page instead of guessing from a similar title.
Console and PC compatibility
Platform support is mod-specific. One 2026 source describes Primal Chaos as only partially available on console, but that claim was not verified across sources. Do not treat it as a universal console restriction; check the current mod page and the in-game listing for your platform.
Medieval Guilds and Goblins is marked PC-only by one source. This is another case where a server owner should verify platform support before building a shared mod list.
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When ASA mod downloads stall or cancel
A 2024 Steam community thread reports downloads stopping or cancelling partway through. Posters said that retrying sometimes worked, but the thread did not establish a permanent fix.
- Retry the installation from ASA’s in-game mod browser or the server join prompt.
- If joining a server, exit to the menu and reconnect so ASA can request the missing mod again.
- For a dedicated server, confirm the Project ID, save the launch configuration, and restart so the server retries its startup download.
- Install and test one mod at a time. If the failure begins immediately after adding one ID, remove that ID and restart to isolate it.
Because no confirmed permanent fix was established for the reported stall, avoid presenting a single workaround as guaranteed.
A sensible first mod setup
For a mostly vanilla solo world
Start with one inspection mod such as Awesome SpyGlass! or Super Spyglass Plus, then add storage or building convenience only after the base world loads correctly. This keeps the first troubleshooting cycle small.
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Test Structures Plus (S+) Remastered first, then add Castles, Keeps and Forts: Remastered or Eco’s RP Decor according to whether you need fortress pieces or decorative roleplay content. Verify the active order after each addition.
For a creature-focused server
Select one creature pack, confirm its Project ID and platform support, and observe spawning before adding another. Mixing several packs at once makes spawn and balance problems harder to attribute.
For a heavily changed PvE experience
Choose one overhaul—such as Primal Chaos, Astraeos Ascended, or another option from the overhaul table—before layering on convenience mods. Test the overhaul alone first; its progression and stat changes are the foundation against which other mods must operate.
The practical verdict
Use ASA’s in-game browser for local play, the required-mods prompt when joining a server, and CurseForge Project IDs in launch parameters or a hosting panel for a dedicated server. Do not use the CurseForge app for ASA. For the safest 2026 setup, begin with one mod, verify its current page and platform support, activate it in the intended order, and expand the list only after a successful launch. Pick an overhaul only when you want to change the entire progression; otherwise, combine a focused building, storage, creature, or administration mod with a mostly vanilla world.
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