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For ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE), set MaxPlayers=<number> in GameUserSettings.ini under [/Script/Engine.GameSession], restart the server, and confirm the listing in the server browser. If the value is ignored, add ?MaxPlayers=<number> to the server launch command instead. ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) uses the launch option -WinLiveMaxPlayers=<number> rather than the ASE ini setting.
Which ARK version and server type are you changing?
The correct setting depends first on whether the server runs ASE or ASA. The procedures are not interchangeable: ASE supports the documented ini key and a query-string launch parameter, while ASA replaces that ini route with a Windows Live command-line option.
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| Game | Primary setting | Fallback or alternative | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) | MaxPlayers=<number> in GameUserSettings.ini, section [/Script/Engine.GameSession] |
?MaxPlayers=<number> in the server start command |
The ARK Official Community Wiki documents a default of 70 and an integer value. Community reports say some builds ignore the ini value. |
| ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) | -WinLiveMaxPlayers=<number> on the command line |
Use the command line supplied by your server host or launcher | A dedicated-server guide states that ASA replaces the ASE ini setting and otherwise returns to its default. |
If you rent a server, the control panel may hide the command line behind a field labelled Max Players. Treat that field as a launcher setting, not proof that the ini file is authoritative; panel behavior varies and has not been consistently verified.
What the ARK server player-slots setting does
MaxPlayers is an integer cap on the number of players who can be connected simultaneously. The ARK Official Community Wiki lists 70 as the default. It is a concurrency limit, not a reservation system: changing it does not create reserved slots, grant permissions, or increase the capacity of a particular tribe.
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The number must be written as a plain integer, such as 20, 70, or 100. Do not add quotation marks, a label, or a percent sign. The server must be restarted after a configuration change; otherwise the running process can continue using its previous value.
A higher cap is only a configuration target. It does not guarantee that the machine, network connection, mods, or game build will perform well at that population. The supplied documentation does not publish a universal performance limit, so choose a number appropriate to your own testing and hardware rather than treating 70 or any other value as a performance recommendation.
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- Identify the edition. Confirm whether the executable and host panel are for ASE or ASA. ASA requires a different option.
- Record the current value. Copy the existing startup arguments and the relevant ini section before changing anything.
- Stop the server first. A host guide advises stopping the process before editing because a running server may write its in-memory configuration back over the file. This behavior is host-dependent, but stopping first avoids that failure mode.
- Use the file for the active instance. Multi-server machines can contain several
GameUserSettings.inifiles. Edit the one associated with the map and service you actually start. - Plan a restart window. The new limit is not active until the server has been restarted and has finished starting.
Method 1: change MaxPlayers in GameUserSettings.ini (ASE)
This is the documented configuration-file route for ASE.
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- Stop the ASE dedicated server or use the host panel’s stop control.
- Open the active
GameUserSettings.inifile in a plain-text editor. - Find the section header
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]. Section headers must be on their own line, including the square brackets. - Under that header, add or edit the line
MaxPlayers=<number>. For example, a cap of 30 is written asMaxPlayers=30. - Remove duplicate
MaxPlayerslines in that section. Leaving conflicting copies makes it unclear which value the parser or host tooling will retain. - Save the file as plain text without changing its filename or extension.
- Start the server again and wait for it to appear online.
- Open the ARK server browser and inspect the listing to confirm that the new player count is advertised.
The placement matters. A community talk-page discussion reports that putting the key under [ServerSettings] did not work for some users; a reply identifies [/Script/Engine.GameSession] as the correct section. Use the latter for the documented ASE route.
Do not assume that a successful save proves the server accepted the value. The browser listing after a full restart is the practical confirmation. If it still advertises 70, proceed to the command-line method rather than repeatedly editing the same line.
Method 2: add ?MaxPlayers to the ASE launch command
The launch parameter is the fallback when an ASE build, wrapper, or host ignores the ini value. A dedicated-server setup guide gives this pattern:
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ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?SessionName=<server_name>?ServerPassword=<join_password>?Port=<port>?QueryPort=<query_port>?MaxPlayers=<max_players>?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password>- Stop the server.
- Open the service’s startup command, launch script, scheduled task, or host-panel command field.
- Keep the existing map and other arguments intact.
- Add
?MaxPlayers=<number>in the query-string portion. Replace the placeholder with the integer you want, for example?MaxPlayers=30. - Save the command and start the server.
- Check the browser listing after startup.
The question marks in this syntax separate parameters after the map name. Do not replace them with spaces or put the option in a second, unrelated command. If your wrapper displays arguments as separate fields, enter the equivalent parameter in the field used for server options rather than literally copying the entire example.
For ASA, the same setup guide notes that ?ServerAdminPassword=<admin_password> must be the last argument. Follow that guide’s ordering when working with an ASA command, but use ASA’s -WinLiveMaxPlayers option for the slot count; do not assume the ASE ?MaxPlayers key will be honored.
ASA: set slots with -WinLiveMaxPlayers
ASA changes the mechanism. The documented guidance for ASA dedicated servers uses -WinLiveMaxPlayers on the command line and says the ASE ini setting is replaced, otherwise being forced back to the default.
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- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
- Stop the ASA server.
- Open the command line used by the service, script, launcher, or host panel.
- Add
-WinLiveMaxPlayers=<number>, replacing the placeholder with an integer such as-WinLiveMaxPlayers=50. - Save the startup configuration and launch the server.
- Verify the advertised capacity in the server browser.
If a panel offers only an ini editor and no command-line field, ask the host how it exposes ASA startup arguments. Editing an ASE-style GameUserSettings.ini entry on an ASA server is not a reliable substitute for the ASA option.
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Hosted panels and rented ARK servers
Many rented-server panels present a form field called Max Players. A host guide says that such a field may be translated into the launch line and may override the ini value at startup, but this behavior is not verified across providers. Use the panel’s own save and restart workflow, then inspect the server browser.
Panel workflow
- Stop the instance from the panel.
- Open the server configuration or startup-parameters page.
- Set Max Players to the desired integer, or add the appropriate command-line option if the panel exposes raw arguments.
- Save or apply the change.
- Start or restart the instance.
- Confirm the advertised capacity in the browser. If it reverts, compare the generated startup command with your intended value and contact the host with that evidence.
Do not edit a file through FTP while the panel is simultaneously managing the service unless the host documents that workflow. A panel can regenerate configuration at launch, which would make a manual edit appear to disappear.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting ARK MaxPlayers ini not working
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The server still shows 70 slots. | The process was not restarted, the wrong file was edited, or the build ignored the ini key. | Stop the server, verify the active file and section, restart, then use ?MaxPlayers=<number> for ASE or -WinLiveMaxPlayers=<number> for ASA. |
The value is under [ServerSettings] and has no effect. |
The key is in a section reported by community users as ineffective. | Move it under [/Script/Engine.GameSession] for ASE, or use the command line. |
| The file changes back after startup. | The host or running process rewrote the file. | Stop before editing, save the value, and check whether a panel’s Max Players field or generated command overrides it. |
| An ASE command works but an ASA ini edit does not. | ASA uses a different setting. | Remove reliance on the ASE ini key and add -WinLiveMaxPlayers=<number> to the ASA launch command. |
| The browser shows an old capacity immediately after a change. | The server has not fully restarted or the listing has not refreshed. | Wait for the instance to finish starting, refresh the browser, and check again rather than changing several settings at once. |
| A command-line value appears ignored. | The option was placed outside the map’s query string, a wrapper discarded it, or another startup field overwrote it. | Compare the final command that the service actually runs, keep the parameter in the documented position, and remove duplicate slot settings. |
A Steam community report claimed that, in an older 256.4x-era build, MaxPlayers could only be changed on the command line. That report is old and may not describe current ASE builds, but it explains why the launch parameter remains the practical fallback when the ini route has no effect.
How to confirm the new capacity
Use the server browser listing as the first check after every restart. Confirm that the displayed maximum matches the integer you entered and that the listing belongs to the correct map, session name, and server instance. If the number is unchanged, return to the troubleshooting table and check the final startup command.
For a controlled verification, have a small number of players join and observe that the server accepts connections up to the configured cap. A browser value is the documented confirmation step; it is not a guarantee that every client will connect successfully under load.
Why an ARK server can be stuck at 70 slots
Seventy is the documented default, so a server that repeatedly returns to 70 is usually starting without an effective override. On ASE, the most common configuration errors are using the wrong section, editing an inactive file, failing to restart, or having a launcher or host panel replace the ini value. On ASA, an ASE-style ini entry can be ignored because the edition expects -WinLiveMaxPlayers.
Change one layer at a time: first establish the edition, then set the correct option, restart, and read the browser listing. If the browser still reports 70, inspect the command actually executed by the host rather than adding more copies of MaxPlayers to different files.
Choosing and documenting a slot value
- Use an integer that matches the community size you intend to support.
- Write the value consistently in one authoritative place: the ASE ini section, the ASE launch command, or the ASA launch command.
- Keep a copy of the working command and configuration so an update or host migration can be compared against it.
- After changing the value, record the restart time and the number shown in the browser.
- If a host panel and a manual file disagree, treat the generated startup command or the panel’s documented field as the effective source until the host confirms otherwise.
No source in the available documentation establishes a universal maximum beyond the default or supplies a performance benchmark for particular slot counts. Avoid presenting a chosen number as guaranteed for every machine or game build.
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Quick Recap
Quick decision guide
- Running ASA? Add
-WinLiveMaxPlayers=<number>to the startup command and restart. - Running ASE and the ini is accepted? Set
MaxPlayers=<number>under[/Script/Engine.GameSession], restart, and check the browser. - Running ASE and the ini is ignored? Add
?MaxPlayers=<number>to the launch command, restart, and verify. - Using a rental panel? Set its Max Players field or raw startup argument, apply the change, restart, and confirm what the browser advertises.
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