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Disable BattlEye by adding the launch argument -NoBattlEye to the ARK dedicated server’s startup command. Put the flag at the end of the command, outside any quoted map string, restart the server, and confirm in the startup console or log that BattlEye no longer initializes. This is a command-line setting, not a Game.ini or GameUserSettings.ini setting.
What the -NoBattlEye option does
BattlEye is the anti-cheat component used by ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated servers. The server launcher reads -NoBattlEye when it starts and skips BattlEye initialization for that process. The option applies at launch time, so changing an ini file will not substitute for it.
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Before you disable BattlEye
Understand the security trade-off
A server without BattlEye has less anti-cheat enforcement. That may be useful for a private test server, a mod-development environment, or a group whose players cannot run BattlEye, but it can make abuse easier on a public server. Decide whether the compatibility benefit outweighs the moderation and security work you will need to do yourself.
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Record the existing startup command
Copy the complete command or panel configuration before editing it. Preserve the map, query-string options, ports, mods, cluster settings, and any other arguments. If the server fails to start, restoring the previous line is the fastest recovery.
Stop the server first
Do not edit a commandline field while the server is running and assume the current process will change. Stop the instance cleanly, make the change, and then start it again. A restart is required because the flag is read only when the executable launches.
Self-hosted Windows server: add the flag to the launch command
Find the command that starts the server
Locate the batch file, shortcut, scheduled task, service definition, or management script that runs ShooterGameServer.exe. If you normally start the server from a shortcut, open its Properties and inspect the Target field. If a batch file starts it, edit that file instead of creating a second, conflicting shortcut.
Append -NoBattlEye outside the map string
Add the argument after the existing command-line content. A simplified example is:
ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?listen -NoBattlEyeKeep your real map and options; the example is only showing placement. If the map portion is quoted, close the quote before adding the flag:
"C:ARKServerShooterGameBinariesWin64ShooterGameServer.exe" "TheIsland?listen?SessionName=Example" -NoBattlEyeThe important detail is that -NoBattlEye is a separate, dash-prefixed argument after the quoted map string. Do not put it inside the map’s question-mark option string unless your particular launcher explicitly documents that syntax.
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Save, then restart
- Save the batch file, shortcut, or service configuration.
- Stop any existing
ShooterGameServer.exeprocess. - Start the server using the edited launcher.
- Wait for the normal startup sequence to finish before testing a connection.
Self-hosted Linux server: append the argument to the server command
Direct startup scripts
Edit the script or service that invokes ShooterGameServer. A minimal form is:
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./ShooterGameServer TheIsland?listen -NoBattlEyeUse the exact executable path, map, and arguments already used by your server. Add one space followed by -NoBattlEye at the end. Do not replace existing options with the simplified example.
LinuxGSM-managed servers
LinuxGSM exposes server parameters through its configuration and startup command. Add -NoBattlEye to the additional command-line parameters used by your ARK instance, then restart the service through LinuxGSM. Because LinuxGSM passes command-line parameters to the game server, the parameter takes precedence over conflicting configuration-file values.
After editing, inspect the generated command or startup output if LinuxGSM provides it. This catches cases where a parameter was entered in a descriptive field that is not actually passed to the executable.
Systemd or another service manager
If a service unit starts the server, add the argument to the unit’s ExecStart command or to the environment variable from which that command is assembled. Reload the service definition before restarting:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart ark-serverReplace ark-server with your actual unit name. The commands above reload and restart a service; they do not create a unit or identify its name.
Hosting-panel servers: use the commandline manager
Typical panel workflow
Panel labels differ, but the documented workflow is consistent:
- Stop the ARK server.
- Open the panel’s Commandline Manager or equivalent startup-parameter editor.
- Enable the checkbox labelled Disable Battleye (some panels spell the product name “BattlEye”).
- Save the commandline configuration.
- Start the server and review its console output.
A checkbox normally inserts the same -NoBattlEye argument for you. If the panel also exposes a raw commandline view, verify that the saved command ends with the flag and that it is not embedded inside a quoted map value.
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When a panel keeps restoring the old command
Some panels generate the startup command from a template each time the server starts. In that case, editing a local script may be overwritten. Make the change in the panel’s persistent commandline or launch-parameter section, not in a generated file. If the panel has separate profiles for normal, crossplay, and modded launches, apply the setting to the profile actually assigned to the server.
Correct syntax and placement
Use a standalone dash-prefixed argument
The reliable form is exactly:
-NoBattlEyeUse the capitalization and spelling shown. Do not turn it into an ini assignment such as NoBattlEye=True, and do not add an equals sign.
Keep it after the quoted map string
ARK startup lines often contain a map followed by question-mark options, for example TheIsland?listen?SessionName=Example. A space followed by a hyphen separates a command-line argument from that map string:
"TheIsland?listen?SessionName=Example" -NoBattlEyeAn old 2016 Steam discussion reported that placing a dash-prefixed option inside the quoted map string failed for one setup, while placing -crossplay -NoBattlEye after the closing quote worked. That report is dated and launcher-specific, but it reinforces the safer placement: outside the quote and at the end of the command.
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The community wiki explains that ARK options may be separated by a question mark or by a space plus hyphen-minus depending on the syntax. Its Windows example contains a known typo in which =AllowThirdPersonPlayer appears where ?AllowThirdPersonPlayer is intended. Preserve the syntax already used by your working command and add -NoBattlEye as a separate argument rather than rewriting unrelated options.
Verify that BattlEye is actually disabled
Check the first console output
Watch the server console from the moment it starts. The startup command or parsed arguments may be printed near the top. Some third-party ARK server guidance for Ascended servers notes that flags appear at the top of the console; that observation is from Ascended, not Evolved, so treat it as a useful diagnostic pattern rather than a guaranteed Evolved display.
Search the server log
Look for BattlEye initialization or a line stating that BattlEye protection is active. If the familiar BattlEye warning or initialization message still appears after the restart, the running process did not receive -NoBattlEye. Recheck the launcher that actually started the process, rather than only the file you intended to edit.
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Confirm the process and profile
- Make sure an old server process was not left running while a new one failed.
- Check that the panel or service started the expected instance and map.
- Verify that the saved command contains the flag exactly once and outside the quoted map string.
- If several servers share a script, confirm that the flag was added to the correct instance’s command.
Troubleshoot a server that still initializes BattlEye
The flag was added to an ini file
No BattlEye ini key was identified in the available ARK server references. The usual configuration files, GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini, hold many gameplay and server settings, but the documented BattlEye switch is the launch argument. Remove any invented ini line and put -NoBattlEye in the startup command instead.
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The argument is inside quotes
Move the flag outside the closing quote around the map and its question-mark options. This is one of the most common parsing errors:
"TheIsland?listen -NoBattlEye"Use this structure instead:
"TheIsland?listen" -NoBattlEyeA launcher overwrote your edit
Panels and service managers can regenerate commands. Stop the server, change the persistent commandline field, save it, and inspect the command after starting. If the generated line omits the flag, the panel setting was not saved in the profile used by the instance.
You restarted the wrong process
Close the old process completely and check the process list or service status before launching again. A console window left open from the previous start can make it appear that the new argument had no effect.
The result conflicts with an old forum report
A 2016 Steam thread described a server that still displayed “BattlEye Anti-Cheat Protection” after using -NoBattlEye. That report may reflect an older patch, an incorrectly constructed command, or a launcher-specific problem. Treat it as historical troubleshooting evidence, not proof that the option is invalid on every current server build. Current-patch behavior has not been established by an official Studio Wildcard document in the references available here.
Crossplay or another flag changes parsing
If you use -crossplay or other launch switches, keep each switch as its own space-separated argument after the map string, for example:
"TheIsland?listen" -crossplay -NoBattlEyeDo not merge switches into one token. If the panel provides a structured checkbox for crossplay, use its raw-command preview to ensure -NoBattlEye remains present.
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Choosing between a panel and self-hosting
| Setup | How you apply the option | What to verify | Typical failure point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting panel | Stop the server, open Commandline Manager, enable “Disable Battleye,” save, and restart. | Saved raw command and startup console. | Panel profile regenerates the command without the flag. |
| Windows self-host | Edit the batch file, shortcut, scheduled task, or service command that runs ShooterGameServer.exe. |
Target or script used by the process. | Flag placed inside the quoted map string or an old process remains active. |
| Linux self-host | Append -NoBattlEye to the script, LinuxGSM parameters, or service ExecStart line. |
Generated command, service status, and log. | Editing a generated file instead of the persistent service configuration. |
What disabling BattlEye changes for players
The server can still load its map, mods, and ordinary launch options; the change concerns anti-cheat startup. Players may need to connect using the same server address, password, mods, and version as before. Disabling BattlEye does not repair version mismatches, incorrect ports, missing mods, or map syntax errors.
For a private server, tell players that the server intentionally runs without BattlEye so they can distinguish an expected configuration from a failed initialization. For a public server, publish moderation rules, monitor suspicious behavior, and consider whether the loss of automated anti-cheat protection is acceptable for the community you operate.
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Recheck after updates
Game updates, server-manager updates, and panel template changes can alter startup commands. After an update, inspect the effective command and the first lines of the log again. Do not assume that a checkbox or custom script survived an upgrade.
Keep a reversible configuration
Store the original command in a private administrator note or version-controlled script. To re-enable BattlEye, remove -NoBattlEye, restart the server, and confirm that BattlEye initialization returns. Do not leave two competing launch definitions in place; administrators should know which one is authoritative.
Separate diagnosis from permanent policy
If you are disabling BattlEye only to diagnose a connection or compatibility problem, test the smallest possible change and record the result. Once the cause is understood, decide whether to restore protection rather than leaving the server in a less-protected state indefinitely.
Quick checklist
- Stop the ARK server.
- Find the command that actually launches
ShooterGameServer. - Add the standalone argument
-NoBattlEye. - Place it after the quoted map string, not inside it.
- Save the persistent script, service, LinuxGSM setting, or panel commandline profile.
- Restart the server completely.
- Check the startup console and log for BattlEye initialization.
- If BattlEye still appears, verify the active process, profile, generated command, and argument spelling.
- Review the security and moderation implications before using the configuration on a public server.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable BattlEye by editing Game.ini or GameUserSettings.ini?
No documented ini key was identified for this purpose. Use the startup argument -NoBattlEye instead.
Where exactly should the argument go?
Append -NoBattlEye as a separate argument after the quoted map string and its question-mark options.
How do I know the change worked?
Restart the server and inspect the first console output and server log. A continuing BattlEye initialization message means the running process did not receive the flag.
Does the option work the same way on ARK: Survival Ascended?
The documented method here concerns ARK: Survival Evolved. Guidance observed for Ascended is not proof of identical behavior, so check the launcher and logs for the specific game and server build you run.
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