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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted ARK: Survival Evolved servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
You can start a completely new ARK map without deleting your existing world. The safe method is to preserve the old map’s save data, create or activate a separate map save, and switch back only after selecting the original map again. On single-player and non-dedicated games, maps normally use separate save folders. On a dedicated server, back up the entire ShooterGame/Saved directory before changing maps; if two maps must run at the same time, use a shared cluster ID and cluster directory for transfers.
What happens when you start another ARK map?
ARK stores world progress by map. Starting a different map does not inherently erase the map you were playing; it creates or opens that map’s own save data. Your old world remains available as long as its save files are left in place and you do not overwrite them with a wipe or restore.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - PlayStation 4 | $12.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Ark: Survival Evolved Plush - Poop | Buy on Amazon | |
| 3 |
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The unofficial ARK Survival Evolved Guide incl. Add-ons up to Genesis Part1 | $16.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved Pins - Dodo | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved Pins - Rex | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The exact filenames, menu labels and storage locations differ between ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended, and between PC, console and hosted-server products. The preservation principle is the same: identify the current map’s save, make an independent backup, then create the new map without deleting the old data.
Choose the procedure for your game mode
| Mode | How the old world is preserved | How you access the new world | Can both maps run at once? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-player | Keep the original map folder and make a separate backup before changing anything. | Select another map in the local game setup and start it as a new world. | No; you normally switch the active map. |
| Non-dedicated session | The host’s local map save remains in its map-specific folder. | The host selects the desired map when creating or loading the session. | No; one hosted session is active at a time. |
| Dedicated server | Stop the server and copy the complete ShooterGame/Saved directory. |
Change the server’s active map in the host control panel or server configuration. | Yes, by running separate server instances with separate ports and storage. |
| Unofficial multi-map cluster | Each server keeps its map data; cluster storage is also retained. | Players join the server running the map they want. | Yes. Dynamic cross-map travel requires at least two servers using the same cluster ID and cluster directory. |
Back up the old world before creating anything
A map switch, game update, configuration change or accidental wipe can damage more than the terrain. Save data can include player characters, tribes, structures, inventories, configuration and cluster information. Make a rollback copy before you launch the new map.
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Single-player and non-dedicated backup
- Exit ARK completely. Do not copy files while the game is saving or still running.
- Locate the local ARK save directory for your edition and platform. Keep the entire existing map-specific save folder, not just a single player file.
- Copy that folder to a different location, such as another drive or an external backup directory. Do not leave the only backup inside the live save directory.
- Name the copy with the map and date, for example
OldMap-backup-2026-10-15, so you can identify it if several backups exist.
Map save names in ARK: Survival Evolved commonly include SavedArksLocal for The Island, TheCenterSavedArksLocal for The Center and ScorchedEarth_PSavedArksLocal for Scorched Earth. Other maps have their own names. Do not rename a save folder merely to make it match another map; the game expects the map-specific naming used by that edition.
Dedicated-server backup
- Stop the server cleanly and wait until its process has exited. A running server may still have files open or may save over your copy.
- Copy the complete
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory to storage outside the live server installation. - Keep the copy intact. That directory holds world, tribe, player, configuration, log and cluster data used to recover the server.
- Record which map, game edition, server version and configuration produced the backup.
Dedicated servers normally save world data every 15 minutes. That interval is useful for routine protection, but it is not a substitute for a manual copy immediately before a map change. Server configurations may retain up to 20 automatic save backups by default, but those files are still on the server and can be lost during a wipe, failed update or storage problem.
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Start a new world in single-player or non-dedicated mode
1. Preserve the original map
Finish the backup first and leave the original map folder untouched. Do not use a “delete world,” “reset,” or equivalent option while trying to create the new map. If you use mods, note the active mod list as well; changing mods can make an otherwise valid save appear broken.
2. Open the local map-selection screen
From ARK’s local or host setup screen, choose the map you want to play next. The wording varies by edition, but the control is the map selector used before starting a single-player game or hosting a non-dedicated session.
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3. Launch the selected map
Start the game with the new map selected. Because its map-specific save is absent, ARK creates a new world for that map. Character progression is not automatically the same as the old map; treat the new map as a separate save unless you deliberately use supported transfer features.
4. Confirm that the new save was created
Exit normally after the world loads, then verify that a new map-specific save folder or file has appeared. This check confirms that ARK created a separate world rather than opening the old map through an incorrect selection.
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Open the same local setup screen, select the original map by its exact name and load it. ARK should read the original map-specific save and restore its previous terrain, structures, tribes and players. Do not move the old folder into the new map’s folder; each map must retain its own save location.
Switch the active map on a dedicated server
Back up and stop before changing the map
Use the complete ShooterGame/Saved copy described above, then stop the server. A control-panel “stop” action is preferable to killing the process because it allows a final save. Wait for the panel or process list to show that the server is offline.
Change only the active map setting
In your hosting panel or server launch configuration, change the active map to the new map’s name. The exact field and accepted map name depend on the edition and host. Do not delete the existing ShooterGame/Saved directory to force a clean start; deleting it removes the rollback data for every map and player on that server.
Start and verify the new map
Start the server and join it as an administrator or test player. Confirm the terrain, map name and expected settings. If the server loads an unexpected map, stop it before making further changes and check the active-map value and map-specific save names.
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Switch back later
Stop the server, select the original map in the same configuration field and start it again. The original map’s save remains available if it was not wiped or overwritten. Keep a dated backup before every later update or migration, not only the first switch.
Run two maps at the same time
Switching one server between maps is different from operating a multi-map cluster. To keep two maps online simultaneously, run a separate server instance for each map. Each instance needs its own working files, ports and active-map setting so that the processes do not compete for the same resources.
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Use a shared cluster configuration for transfers
Unofficial cross-map travel requires at least two servers with the same cluster ID and the same cluster directory. Point both instances at the shared cluster storage while keeping each world’s map save separate. A mismatched ID or directory makes the servers behave as unrelated worlds, so characters and items will not be available for dynamic cross-map travel.
Keep cluster storage in the backup plan
Back up each server’s complete ShooterGame/Saved directory and the cluster directory used by the instances. Label which backup belongs to which map and which cluster configuration. Restoring only one side can leave the cluster state inconsistent with the world or player data.
Restore the old world safely
Restore only when the original map is missing, corrupted or accidentally replaced. Never overwrite your only good copy while attempting a repair.
- Stop the game or dedicated server completely.
- Move the damaged or incorrect live save to a temporary quarantine folder instead of deleting it. This preserves evidence in case the first restore is not the right one.
- From the dated backup, copy the required map save back into the correct map-specific location. For a dedicated server, restore the needed contents of
ShooterGame/Savedas a complete set when possible. - Verify that the map selected in the configuration matches the restored save. A valid save placed under the wrong map name may not appear in the load screen.
- Start the matching map or server configuration and check the world, tribe and player state.
- Once the restore is confirmed, make a fresh backup before allowing players to resume normal activity.
Do not extract an archive into an arbitrary parent directory. Official save guidance expects an archive to be extracted into the proper folder for the selected map and mode; an extra nested directory can make the files invisible to ARK.
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Diagnose common problems
The new map opens the old world
- Stop the game or server and confirm that the map selector or active-map setting contains the intended map.
- Check that the new map has its own map-specific save location rather than a copied or renamed old folder.
- Remove only an accidental duplicate after preserving it as a backup; do not delete the known-good original.
The old map looks wiped
- Do not continue playing, because new saves can overwrite recoverable state.
- Stop the process, compare the active map with the original map name and inspect the dated backup.
- Restore the backup into the correct map directory, then launch the matching map.
The character or tribe is missing
- Confirm that the backup included the complete save set rather than only a terrain file.
- For a dedicated server, restore the whole
ShooterGame/Saveddirectory when practical; player and tribe data are stored alongside world data. - Check that you are using the same edition and compatible server configuration that created the backup.
Cross-map travel does not work
- Verify that at least two unofficial server instances are running.
- Compare the cluster ID character for character on both instances.
- Verify that both instances use the same cluster directory and that the service account can read and write it.
- Confirm that each instance still has its own active map and ports; sharing the wrong world directory can corrupt or merge saves.
The backup cannot be copied
- Exit ARK or stop the server and wait for the process to close.
- Retry the copy to a location with sufficient free space and write permission.
- Compare the copied folder size and file count with the source before making any map change.
Edition, platform and hosting differences
ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended do not always use identical menus, map names or save layouts. Console storage is often managed by the platform, while PC installations and hosted servers expose more of the file system. A hosting provider may also rename the map field or provide its own backup and restore buttons.
Use the map-specific folders and labels supplied by your edition and host rather than copying a path from a different product. If you are unsure whether you are running single-player, non-dedicated or dedicated mode, identify where the save is written: the local game’s map folders indicate the first two; a server installation containing ShooterGame/Saved indicates the latter.
A safe operating checklist
- Identify the edition, platform, mode and map before touching files.
- Exit the game or stop the server before copying or replacing saves.
- Keep the old map’s save in its original location.
- Store a dated backup outside the live save directory.
- For a dedicated server, copy all of
ShooterGame/Saved. - Start the new map without deleting the old map’s files.
- Test the new map before inviting players or applying a wipe.
- For simultaneous unofficial maps, configure the same cluster ID and cluster directory on at least two server instances.
- Before every update, migration or restore, create another rollback copy.
Bottom line
Creating a new ARK world is safe when the old map’s save remains separate and recoverable. Single-player and non-dedicated maps normally coexist in map-specific save folders; dedicated servers should be backed up by copying the entire ShooterGame/Saved directory before changing the active map. Run separate instances with a shared cluster ID and cluster directory only when you need simultaneous maps and cross-map travel.
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