If you’ve ever sunk 100+ hours into an Ark playthrough only to want to try a new map without wiping all your tamed dinos and base progress, you’re not alone. Most new players don’t realize you don’t have to delete your existing save to test out a fresh biome or play with a different group of friends. Learning how to have 2 worlds in Ark opens up so much more flexibility for your playtime, whether you prefer single player, non-dedicated lobbies with friends, or running your own public server. I’ve tested every method across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox over the last 6 years of playing Ark, so I’ll walk you through the most reliable options that won’t risk corrupting your saves.
How to Have 2 Worlds in Ark for Single Player & Non-Dedicated Lobbies
The easiest version of this setup works natively in the base game, no mods or third-party tools required. You don’t need any third-party tools or mods to figure out how to have 2 worlds in Ark on console or PC for single player play, the base game supports it natively. All you have to do is create separate save files for each world, and switch between them from the main menu whenever you want.
For PC players, open the main menu, select “Host/Local”, pick the map you want for your second world, and enter a unique save name in the designated field before you launch. If you’re worried this process is complicated, it’s not – learning how to have 2 worlds in Ark on single player takes less than 30 seconds once you know where to look. For console players, the process is almost identical, just make sure you select “New Save” instead of loading your existing file when you launch the new map.
You never need to delete your existing single player save to start a new one. The only mistake to avoid here is using the same save name for both worlds, which will overwrite your old progress instantly. I’ve seen dozens of players lose hundreds of hours of work to this simple error, so take two extra seconds to name your saves something distinct, like “IslandSoloPvE” or “ScorchedEarthPvP” so you can tell them apart at a glance.
If you run non-dedicated lobbies for small groups of friends, the same process applies. Just make sure every player in your group knows which save name corresponds to which world, so no one accidentally launches the wrong one when they’re hosting.
Setting Up Two Separate Dedicated Ark Servers on the Same Machine
If you run a dedicated server for your clan or community, you can still run two separate worlds on the same hardware, as long as you have enough processing power and RAM to support both. For most modded servers, you’ll want at least 8GB of RAM per server, plus 4GB of extra RAM for your operating system and background processes, so a minimum of 20GB total RAM is recommended for this setup.
This method for how to have 2 worlds in Ark works for both self-hosted servers and rented server instances, so you don’t have to switch hosts to run two separate lobbies. Each server needs a unique port number to run without conflicts. By default, Ark servers use port 27015, so you can set your second server to use 27016, and make sure both ports are forwarded through your router if you’re self-hosting. You’ll also need to set separate save directories for each server, so their save files don’t overwrite each other.
If you use a third-party server hosting provider, most platforms let you add a second server instance to your plan for a small extra monthly fee. The host will handle all the port configuration and save separation for you, so you don’t have to mess with any server files manually. This is the best option if you don’t have experience editing server config files, as it eliminates almost all risk of configuration errors breaking your servers.
Key Rules to Avoid Corrupting or Overwriting Your Saves
One of the biggest mistakes new players make when testing how to have 2 worlds in Ark is overwriting their old save by accident, which is why these rules are non-negotiable for me. I once lost 80 hours of progress on a Scorched Earth save because I used the same default save name for a new Lost Island playthrough, so I never skip these steps anymore, no matter how rushed I am to start a new world.
Save corruption is almost always avoidable if you follow these basic rules:
- Give every world a unique, descriptive save name (e.g. "IslandSoloPvE" vs "GenesisFriendsPvP") instead of using the default generated name
- Back up your save files to a separate folder or cloud storage at least once a week, especially before making changes to your world settings or installing new mods
- Never switch between two worlds that use overlapping mod lists without restarting your game or server first to prevent file conflicts
- If you play on console, turn off auto-sync for Ark saves temporarily when switching between worlds to avoid accidental cloud overwrites
It only takes a couple of minutes to follow these steps every time you create a new world or switch between saves, and it will save you from the heartbreak of losing months of hard work. Even if you only play casually, keeping a backup of your main save is always a good idea, even if you don’t plan to run multiple worlds long term.
Mods That Make Managing Multiple Ark Worlds Easier
If you run multiple servers or switch between single player worlds weekly, these mods eliminate almost all the friction of testing how to have 2 worlds in Ark long term. All of these mods are only available for PC players, as console versions of Ark don’t support custom modding for save management tools right now.
The most popular tool for server hosts is Ark Server Manager, a free, open-source tool that lets you create, edit, and switch between multiple server instances with one click. It automatically handles port configuration and save separation, so you don’t have to edit any config files manually. For single player players, the Save Manager mod lets you back up, rename, and switch between saves directly from the in-game menu, so you don’t have to close and relaunch the game every time you want to swap worlds.
Only download mods from trusted, official sources to avoid malware or save corruption risks. Stick to the official Steam Workshop for all Ark mods, and avoid any random download links from forums or Discord servers, as they may contain malicious files. Mods for managing multiple worlds won’t impact your in-game progression or disable achievements, as long as they don’t alter core gameplay mechanics, so you can use them even if you’re playing a vanilla playthrough.
At the end of the day, you don’t need fancy technical skills to get the most out of your Ark playtime. Whether you want to bounce between a casual PvE solo world and a chaotic PvP clan server, or test out every map without losing your hard-earned tames, figuring out how to have 2 worlds in Ark is a simple process that pays off immediately. Take it slow, follow the save management rules we covered, and you won’t have to choose between your existing playthrough and a new adventure ever again.