ARK DLC Maps and Ownership: Who Can Join Your Server
ARK ships with a long list of maps, and your gamever server can run almost any of them. But there's one rule that catches new hosts out again and again: some maps are paid DLC, and every player who wants to join a server running one of them must own that DLC too. Pick a paid map and your friends without it simply can't connect. This guide explains which ARK maps are free and which are paid, how that ownership rule works, and how to set your server's map in the gamever control panel so you can tell your players exactly what they need.
Free maps vs paid DLC maps
Not every ARK map costs money. A good chunk of the roster is free to everyone who owns the base game, while the expansion maps are separate purchases. The table below is drawn from ark.wiki.gg's DLC listing; prices are the store list prices and can vary by region and sale.
| Map | Game | Free or paid |
|---|---|---|
| The Island | Both | Free (base game) |
| The Center | Both | Free |
| Ragnarok | Both | Free |
| Valguero | Both | Free |
| Crystal Isles | Both | Free |
| Lost Island | Both | Free |
| Fjordur | Both | Free |
| Scorched Earth | Survival Evolved | Paid DLC |
| Aberration | Survival Evolved | Paid DLC |
| Extinction | Survival Evolved | Paid DLC |
| Genesis: Part 1 & Part 2 | Survival Evolved | Paid DLC |
| Astraeos | Survival Ascended | Paid DLC (about $14.99) |
| Lost Colony | Survival Ascended | Paid DLC |
| Dragontopia | Survival Ascended | Paid DLC |
The free maps — The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island and Fjordur — are the safe default for a public or mixed group, because nobody needs to buy anything to join.
The ownership rule, in one line
If your server runs a paid DLC map, every player must own that DLC to join — the host owning it is not enough. This is enforced by the game itself, not by gamever or any hosting setting, so there's nothing in the panel that can "unlock" a paid map for players who don't own it. A player without the DLC will either not see your server in the list or be unable to load into it.
A few practical consequences:
- The Season Pass counts. The classic Survival Evolved maps (Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction) are bundled into the ARK: Survival Evolved Season Pass — owning either the individual map or the Season Pass satisfies the requirement.
- Survival Ascended has its own paid maps. Astraeos, Lost Colony and Dragontopia are Survival Ascended expansions; a Survival Evolved copy doesn't grant them, and vice versa.
- Free maps have no such barrier — anyone with the base game can join.
Set the map in your gamever panel
Choosing the map is a panel setting, not a reinstall:
- Open your server and go to Settings → Server Settings.
- Find Server Map and pick the map from the dropdown. Each entry also shows its recommended RAM.
- Click Save, then Restart from the top bar.
The dropdown covers the official maps — free and paid alike. The paid ones appear there like any other; the DLC check happens on the players' side when they connect, not when you select the map. For the full map-switching walkthrough (including what happens to your old world and how saves are kept separate), see our how to change or switch the map guide.
Tell your players what to buy
Before you switch to a paid map, give your group a heads-up so nobody is locked out on launch day:
- Name the exact map and game (for example, "Astraeos on Survival Ascended"), because the DLC they need depends on which game your server runs.
- Confirm they own it — the cheapest way is often the relevant Season Pass or expansion on Steam, PlayStation or Xbox, matching the platform they play on.
- Mind the RAM. Big expansion maps are heavier; if the dropdown recommends more RAM than your plan has, upgrade first with Upgrade server on the Overview tab or your server will stutter or fail to finish loading.
Custom mod maps are a different thing
Paid DLC maps are official, store-bought content. Community mod maps from the Steam Workshop are free, but they install differently (through Mod Settings, not the Server Map dropdown) and players need the mod subscribed rather than a paid DLC. See our guide to installing custom mod maps for that path. And if you want a deeper look at a specific paid map, our Astraeos map guide breaks down its regions, creatures and getting around.
Additional Tips
- Default to a free map for public servers — The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island and Fjordur let anyone join with no extra purchase.
- Ownership is per player, not per server. You buying the DLC does not grant it to your friends; each person needs their own copy.
- Match the game. Survival Evolved DLC maps and Survival Ascended DLC maps are not interchangeable — buy the one for the game your server runs.
- Your other worlds are safe. Switching maps doesn't delete saves; ARK keeps each map's world separately, so you can rotate back to a free map any time.
- Still can't join after buying? Have the player fully restart the game so the store entitlement refreshes, then re-check that your server is online.
Conclusion
ARK's maps split cleanly into two groups: free maps anyone can join, and paid DLC maps where every single player must own the DLC. Picking the map is a two-click job in the gamever panel (Settings → Server Settings → Server Map, Save, restart) — the only real planning is making sure your group owns a paid map before you switch to it, and that your plan has the RAM for it.
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