ARK Server Rates: How to Set 2x, 5x or 10x Rates

ARK server rates are multipliers in two files. Experience, taming and harvesting go in GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]: XPMultiplier, TamingSpeedMultiplier and HarvestAmountMultiplier. Breeding and crop growth go in Game.ini under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]. 1.0 is official speed, so a 3x server sets the main rates to 3.0. Stop the server, edit, save and start it again.

This guide is for ARK: Survival Evolved. It focuses on rates: which multiplier does what, which ones run backwards, and ready blocks for 2x, 5x and 10x. Difficulty, max dino level, PvE rules and the rest are in our full ARK server settings guide.

Where ARK server rates are set

Both files are in the same folder of the dedicated server:

ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini

On a Windows build the folder is WindowsServer instead of LinuxServer. The official ARK Wiki explains that GameUserSettings.ini holds the server and basic gameplay settings, while Game.ini is used for more advanced changes. A rate placed under the wrong header is ignored without any warning, so the header matters as much as the value.

The main ARK server rates

These go in GameUserSettings.ini, under [ServerSettings]. All default to 1.0.

Breeding and growth rates

These go in Game.ini, under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]. If the file is empty, type the header on the first line.

The classic mistake: someone sets MatingIntervalMultiplier=5.0 for "5x breeding" and makes the wait five times longer. For 5x, use 0.2. The same goes for BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier: when you speed up maturation, lower the cuddle interval by the same factor so babies can still reach full imprint. The settings guide explains the imprinting math in detail.

Ready-made blocks: 2x, 5x and 10x

Copy the block you want under the right header. Values are a starting point; most servers tune them after a week of play.

A 5x server looks like this:

[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=5.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=5.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=5.0

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
MatingIntervalMultiplier=0.2
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=5.0
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=5.0
BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier=0.2

If [ServerSettings] already exists in your file, add the lines under it. Do not create a second copy of the header.

How to change ARK server rates

1. Create a backup in Backups, so you can return to the old rates and your tribe's progress.
2. Stop the server from Console and wait until it is fully off. ARK may rewrite GameUserSettings.ini when it shuts down, so edits made while it runs can be lost.
3. Open Files and go to ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/.
4. Edit GameUserSettings.ini for XP, taming and harvest rates.
5. Edit Game.ini for breeding and crop rates.
6. Save both files and start the server.
7. Test in game: tame a low-level creature or harvest a tree and compare with what you got before.

Rates that change nothing: quick fixes

Need to test rates as admin before your players join? Our list of ARK server admin commands covers spawning creatures and giving items.

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