PixARK combines voxel-based building with ARK's dinosaur survival gameplay. This guide walks you through setting up and configuring your PixARK dedicated server hosted on Legion Hosting, from your first startup through advanced configuration and connecting players.

First Start in GPanel

When your PixARK server is first provisioned, you should perform an initial startup to generate all default configuration files before making any changes.

1. Log in to GPanel with the credentials provided in your welcome email.
2. Select your PixARK server from the server list.
3. Click the Start button to boot the server for the first time.
4. Wait for the console to show that the server has fully started. This initial boot may take 2-5 minutes as the world generates for the first time.
5. Once the server is running and you see connection-ready messages in the console, click Stop to shut the server down gracefully.
6. You can now proceed to configure your server settings before starting it again.

Startup Variables

GPanel provides startup variables that control core server parameters. These are found under the Startup tab in your server panel. Common startup variables for PixARK include:

These startup variables are applied each time the server boots and take priority over certain config file values. If a setting is available as both a startup variable and a config entry, use the startup variable for consistency.

GameUserSettings.ini Configuration

The primary configuration file for PixARK is GameUserSettings.ini, located in the ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ directory. You can edit this file via SFTP or through GPanel's file manager.

ServerSettings Section

The [ServerSettings] section controls gameplay mechanics. Add or modify these values under that header:

[ServerSettings]
ServerAdminPassword=YourAdminPassword
ServerPassword=YourJoinPassword
MaxPlayers=20
DifficultyOffset=0.5
TamingSpeedMultiplier=2.0
XPMultiplier=2.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=1.0
PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=1.0
DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=1.0
DayCycleSpeedScale=1.0
NightTimeSpeedScale=1.0
DayTimeSpeedScale=1.0
PlayerDamageMultiplier=1.0
DinoDamageMultiplier=1.0
PlayerResistanceMultiplier=1.0
DinoResistanceMultiplier=1.0
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
ShowMapPlayerLocation=True
EnablePvPGamma=True
ServerCrosshair=True
AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True

Key Settings Explained

SessionSettings Section

The [SessionSettings] section controls the server name and session parameters:

[SessionSettings]
SessionName=My PixARK Server
Port=7777
QueryPort=27015
MultiHome=0.0.0.0

Map and World Type Settings

PixARK features procedurally generated voxel worlds. You can control world generation through startup parameters and configuration. The world type and seed determine the layout of biomes, dungeons, and terrain.

World Seed

The world seed determines the procedural generation of your map. To set a specific seed, check your startup variables for a SEED parameter or add it to your command line. Using the same seed will always generate the same world layout, which is useful for recreating a known world.

Biomes and Regions

PixARK worlds contain multiple biomes including Grasslands, Swamp, Desert, Frozen Land, Dark Forest, Doom Lands, and the Golden Realm. Each biome has unique creatures, resources, and difficulty levels. The world generates all biomes automatically based on the seed.

Server Name and Password

To set your server name and password:

1. Open the Startup tab in GPanel and set the SRV_NAME and ARK_PASSWORD variables, or
2. Edit GameUserSettings.ini and set SessionName under [SessionSettings] and ServerPassword under [ServerSettings].

Leave the server password blank if you want your server to be publicly accessible. Private servers with a password will still appear in the server browser but will prompt players for the password when they attempt to join.

Max Players

The maximum player count can be configured via the MAX_PLAYERS startup variable (default: 10) or the MaxPlayers setting in GameUserSettings.ini. The recommended range is 10-40 players depending on your server's resource allocation. Higher player counts require more RAM and CPU.

How to Connect to Your Server

Method 1: Steam Server Browser

1. Open Steam and go to View > Game Servers (or View > Servers in older Steam versions).
2. Click the Favorites tab, then Add a Server.
3. Enter your server's IP address and query port (e.g., 123.45.67.89:27015).
4. Click Add this address to favorites, then Find games at this address.
5. Once the server appears, select it and click Connect.

Method 2: In-Game Server Browser

1. Launch PixARK and select Join Server from the main menu.
2. Use the search bar to find your server by name.
3. Alternatively, switch to the Favorites tab if you have previously added the server.
4. Select your server and click Join.

Method 3: Direct Connect via Steam

1. Open Steam and go to View > Game Servers.
2. Click the Favorites tab, then Add a Server.
3. Enter your server's IP and game port (e.g., 123.45.67.89:7777).
4. Click Find games at this address and connect.

Save Management and Backups

PixARK automatically saves the world at regular intervals. Your world data is stored in the ShooterGame/Saved/ directory. Key save-related information:

• Auto-saves occur at regular intervals (configurable in server settings). The default is typically every 15-30 minutes.
• Manual saves can be triggered via the admin command cheat saveworld in the in-game console.
• Backups should be made by downloading the ShooterGame/Saved/ directory via SFTP before making major changes.
• World wipe can be performed by stopping the server and deleting the save files in the Saved/ directory, then restarting.

Recommended Backup Procedure

1. Stop the server from GPanel to ensure a clean save state.
2. Connect via SFTP and navigate to ShooterGame/Saved/.
3. Download the entire Saved/ directory to your local machine.
4. Store backups with dates (e.g., PixARK-Backup-2026-02-26) so you can identify them later.
5. Restart the server when finished.

Recommended Server Configurations

Casual PvE Server

[ServerSettings]
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0
XPMultiplier=3.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=3.0
DifficultyOffset=0.3
PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=0.5
PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=0.5
ShowMapPlayerLocation=True
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
ServerCrosshair=True

Competitive PvP Server

[ServerSettings]
TamingSpeedMultiplier=2.0
XPMultiplier=1.5
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
DifficultyOffset=0.8
PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=1.0
PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=1.0
ShowMapPlayerLocation=False
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
EnablePvPGamma=True

Troubleshooting First Start Issues

Related Articles

• PixARK Admin Commands -- Learn about in-game administration, RCON, and common commands.
• How to Find Your Server IP and Port
• How to Upload Files via SFTP
• Getting Started with Your New Server