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Change the map and build a cluster

Switching from The Island to another map without losing characters, and linking several servers so players can travel between them.

1 min readUpdated 2026-09-14Diese Anleitung auf Deutsch lesen →

Change the map

Startup → SERVER_MAP (Evolved: TheIsland, ScorchedEarth_P, Aberration_P, Extinction, Ragnarok, Valguero_P, CrystalIsles, Genesis, Gen2, LostIsland, Fjordur; Ascended: TheIsland_WP, ScorchedEarth_WP, TheCenter_WP, Aberration_WP, Extinction_WP, Ragnarok_WP and DLC maps). Restart. Each map has its own save file (ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks/<Map>.ark); switching maps does not delete the old one. Characters, however, are per map unless you cluster.

Cluster

A cluster is several ARK servers (one per map) that share a cluster ID and a shared save folder, so players upload their character and dinos at an obelisk on one server and download them on another.

  1. Order one server per map.
  2. On every server: Startup → ARGS (Evolved) or ARGS_PARAMS (Ascended) → add -clusterid=pengucluster -ClusterDirOverride=/home/container/cluster with the same cluster word on each.
  3. Shared folder: clustering needs all servers to see the same cluster folder. On PenguHost that works when the servers are on the same machine. Open a ticket with the server names and we link the folder for you.
  4. Restart all servers. Travel via obelisks/transmitters → Transfer.

Without a shared folder

You can still let players move: character download is in the SavedArks folder as <SteamID>.arkprofile. Copying that file to another server keeps the character (not the dinos). Fine for a one-time move, not for daily travel.