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Godlike.Host offers hosted ARK: Survival Evolved servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
To reset an ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server, stop it, copy the entire ShooterGame/Saved/ folder, then remove only the save files that match the reset you want. Delete the map’s .ark file for a new world while keeping player and tribe data; delete the map, .arkprofile, and .arktribe files for a complete gameplay wipe. Start the server afterward and it will generate a new world. Do not delete anything until the server is stopped and the backup is verified.
The procedure below is based on third-party hosting guides and Steam Community forum reports rather than a published Studio Wildcard procedure. Menu labels and paths can differ by server manager or game version, so confirm the folder layout shown by your host before removing files.
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Choose the reset before deleting anything
“Reset the server” can mean several different operations. The files you remove determine whether the map, buildings, characters, tribes, and settings survive.
| Goal | Files normally removed | What remains | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| New map, existing community | The relevant map .ark file |
.arkprofile player files and .arktribe tribe files |
A regenerated world; players and tribes can retain their characters and tribe data. |
| Complete dedicated-server wipe | All live save files in ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks, including .ark, .arkprofile, and .arktribe |
Only files you deliberately leave outside the save set, such as configuration | A new world with no saved player or tribe progress. |
| One single-player character reset | That character’s single .arkprofile, after a backup |
The world and tribe files | That player profile is regenerated while the map and tribe data stay in place. |
| Configuration reset | Configuration files such as GameUserSettings.ini |
Save data, if it is not also deleted | Potentially default settings, but the regeneration behavior is not corroborated and should be treated as unverified. |
A full reset is irreversible without a usable backup. If you only want a fresh map, do not delete profiles, tribe files, or the entire Saved directory.
#1 Best Overall
- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
What the ARK save files contain
Dedicated-server data is generally under ShooterGame/Saved/. Within it, the principal dedicated-server save location is ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks, which you can reach through a host’s file manager or FTP client.
.ark: the map state, including structures, tamed and wild creatures, dropped resources, and other world objects..arkprofile: one player profile per file. Files are commonly named with the player’s SteamID64 and contain inventory, learned engrams, and player position..arktribe: tribe data stored separately from individual player profiles..bak,.tribebak, and.profilebak: ARK backup files that may sit beside the live files. They are not a substitute for copying the completeSavedfolder before a wipe.
Map placement varies. SavedArksLocal is used for The Island and Workshop mod maps in the layouts described by community guides; other official maps may use folders named for the map. If your host shows several map directories, identify the one attached to the server’s current map rather than deleting every directory by default.
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These steps create a new map while preserving player and tribe files when the map-only option is selected.
Rank #2
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- 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 server cleanly. Use the host control panel’s Stop or Shut Down action and wait until the panel reports that the process has exited. Never remove an active save file: the running process can rewrite it or leave a partial save.
- Back up the complete save directory. Download or copy
ShooterGame/Saved/, not just one map file. Keep the backup outside the live server directory and record the date, map name, and server settings. A full-folder backup gives you a recovery path if you remove the wrong file. - Open the live save location. In the host file manager or FTP client, browse to
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks. If the host uses a map-specific subfolder, open the folder associated with the map that is currently configured. - Identify the map save. The map’s
.arkfilename is usually the file that represents the world. Do not assume every.arkfile belongs to the active map when several maps or mod maps are installed; use the folder and filename displayed by your server manager. - Delete or rename only that
.arkfile. Renaming it with an extension such as.oldis a safer first pass if your file manager supports renaming and you have enough disk space. If you delete it, retain your offline backup. - Start the server. ARK should generate a fresh map save in the same location. The existing profile and tribe files can be read by the new world, so players may retain their characters and tribe membership even though the landscape and structures are gone.
- Check the result before inviting players back. Join as an administrator or test account. Confirm that the spawn map is new, old structures are absent, and the expected player and tribe data is present. Stop the server and restore the backup if the wrong map was removed.
If the old world appears again
A Steam Community report describes a server-manager setup in which deleting the apparent save files did not refresh every area until the server was started and each area’s saved data was removed. That report is specific to one setup and is not a universal ARK rule. If a wipe appears ineffective, stop the server again, inspect every map-specific save directory shown by your host, and compare its contents with the backup before deleting additional files.
Perform a complete world, player, and tribe wipe
Use this option when the server should start as if no one has played on it. It removes the map state as well as character and tribe progress.
- Stop the server and wait for a confirmed shutdown.
- Copy the entire
ShooterGame/Saved/folder to a separate location. - Open
ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArksand the map-specific save folders used by the server. - Remove the active map’s
.arkfile, all player.arkprofilefiles, and all.arktribefiles that belong to that map or server. Remove associated live save files only after confirming they are not from another map you intend to preserve. - Leave configuration files in place if you want the current rates, difficulty, mods, and other server settings to continue.
- Start the server and test a fresh connection. The first join should create a new player profile, and no previous tribe should be available.
Deleting the entire ShooterGame/Saved folder is broader than deleting save files. Forum users report that this also removes the .ini configuration files, so rates and other settings can return to defaults or require re-creation. Use a whole-folder deletion only when you intentionally want to discard configuration and have copied it separately.
Rank #3
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- 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!)
- Gather Resources, 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 style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
Reset the map while keeping settings
The least destructive dedicated-server wipe is to preserve the Saved directory and its configuration while removing only the active map’s .ark file. This keeps the server’s existing settings file in place, including settings commonly stored in GameUserSettings.ini, while allowing ARK to build a new world.
- Keep
GameUserSettings.iniand any other configuration files in their current location. - Do not delete the whole
Saveddirectory merely because you want a new map. - Preserve player and tribe files only if the returning community should keep its characters and affiliations.
- After startup, verify rates and difficulty in-game; a newly generated world does not prove that every configuration value loaded as expected.
One hosting guide claims that clearing GameUserSettings.ini makes ARK regenerate default settings. That claim was not corroborated by another source, so treat it as an unverified troubleshooting experiment, never as the normal configuration-reset procedure. Back up the file before testing it and be prepared to restore the known-good copy.
Reset a single-player character
Single-player saves use a different goal: you may want to discard one character while keeping the world and tribe. Back up the relevant profile first, then delete or rename only that player’s .arkprofile file. The profile is commonly identified by the player’s SteamID64. Leaving the map’s .ark and tribe files in place preserves the world and tribe data described by community guidance.
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- 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
- Exit the single-player game completely.
- Back up the single-player save directory and the profile file you plan to change.
- Locate the profile in the local save structure and confirm its SteamID64-based filename.
- Rename the file for a reversible test or remove it if the backup is secure.
- Launch the game and create or load the character. Check that the map and tribe state are still present.
For local games, a forum reply says that deleting SavedArksLocal alone may not refresh the map and that a separate LocalProfiles folder can also hold local profile data. That is a report from a particular local setup, not a guaranteed path for every installation. Inspect the folders your installation actually uses and avoid deleting both world and profile directories unless you want a full local reset.
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The server will not start
Stop it again and compare the live directory with the backup. Restore the deleted map, profile, tribe, or configuration files as a group rather than mixing files from different backup dates. If the host has a recycle bin or snapshot feature, use it only after confirming which save date you need.
Players lost more than intended
Restore the original .arkprofile and .arktribe files while the server is stopped. Do not restore an old .ark map unless you also intend to roll the world back; an old map combined with newer profiles can produce an inconsistent state.
Settings reverted
Check whether the .ini files were removed when the entire Saved folder was cleared. Restore the backed-up configuration, then start the server and verify the settings in the control panel and in-game. Because configuration regeneration behavior is not firmly established by the available guidance, avoid assuming that ARK will recreate custom values.
The old map keeps loading
Confirm that the server’s startup map name points to the directory you edited. Inspect other map-specific folders, including SavedArksLocal where applicable, and look for a second save location created by the server manager. Make another backup before removing anything else.
Pre-wipe checklist
- Write down the current map, server name, player-count limit, rates, mods, and other settings you must preserve.
- Tell players whether characters and tribes will survive; a map-only reset and a complete wipe have different consequences.
- Stop the server and verify that its process has exited.
- Copy the whole
ShooterGame/Saved/folder and confirm that the copy can be opened. - Identify the active map folder and distinguish live files from backups.
- Delete only the file types required by your chosen reset.
- Start the server, join privately, and test the world before reopening it.
- Keep the backup until every player confirms that the intended data survived.
What is known about ARK: Survival Ascended
Do not assume that the Survival Evolved paths above apply to ARK: Survival Ascended. A search summary suggested a save location under /home/container/ShooterGame/Saved/SaveGames/, but the available material did not include a fetched page confirming that path. Check the current server-manager documentation or file tree for Ascended before changing anything; the procedure in this article is for Survival Evolved layouts described by the cited community guides.
Evidence and version caveat
No official Studio Wildcard reset procedure was found in the material available for this guide. The practical steps are consistent across several third-party hosting-provider guides, while edge cases come from Steam Community forum posts. Those pages do not expose publication dates, and some search summaries appear years old. File names, control-panel labels, and save locations can therefore differ in a current game build or on a particular host. When your server manager uses a different layout, use its documented active-save path and preserve the same safety principles: stop first, back up everything, and remove the narrowest set of files that achieves your goal.
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