If you’ve ever tried to join a public ARK: Survival Evolved server only to get spawn-camped by a level 100 tribesman with a rocket launcher 10 seconds after spawning, you know how frustrating public lobbies can be. Playing with just one friend lets you take the game at your own pace, build bases without random raids, and explore the map without interruptions. That’s why so many casual players are looking for clear, simple instructions on how to host a 2 player ARK server that’s reliable, low-lag, and easy to maintain. I’ve set up more than a dozen small ARK servers for friends over the years, and I’ve narrowed down the process to eliminate all the unnecessary tech hurdles most guides throw at you.
How to Host a 2 Player ARK Server: 3 Setup Options to Pick From
Before you dive into setup, you first need to pick the right hosting type for your needs. I’ve tested all three options repeatedly, and each has clear pros and cons depending on your budget, technical comfort, and play schedule. There’s no one-size-fits-all choice, so start by listing out your priorities before you make a call.
- Your average home internet upload speed (you’ll need at least 3 Mbps upload for a 2 player server)
- Whether you want the server to run even when you’re not online playing
- How many mods you plan to add to your playthrough
- Your budget for hosting, if any
Local non-dedicated servers are free but require the host to be online and playing any time your friend wants to join. This is the best option if you only play at the same time as your friend, have a solid internet connection, and don’t want to spend any money. The main downside is that you’ll have slightly lower performance as the host, since your PC is running both the game and the server at the same time. Third-party hosting costs as little as $5 a month and eliminates almost all setup work, and the server stays online 24/7 even if neither of you are playing. This is a great pick if you want to let your friend log on to farm resources while you’re at work, or if you don’t want to mess with port forwarding settings on your router. The third option is running a dedicated server on your own PC, which is free but requires more technical know-how, and your PC has to stay on 24/7 to keep the server running.
Step-by-Step Setup for a Free Local 2 Player ARK Server
If you go with the free local non-dedicated option, the whole setup process takes less than 10 minutes if you follow these steps. First, open ARK on your PC and select “Host/Local” from the main menu. Pick the map you want to play on, then adjust the session settings to match your playstyle. You can toggle things like PvP or PvE, taming speed, and resource respawn rates here to fit what you and your friend prefer. You’ll both need to own the same version of ARK and any mods you install to avoid connection errors, so make a list of mods you want to use and send it to your friend before you launch the server.
Next, set a server password so no random players can join your lobby, and make sure the “Friends Only” box is checked. Hit “Host Game” and wait for the world to load. Once you’re spawned in, your friend can find your server by going to the “Friends” tab in the server browser and joining your game directly through Steam. If you’re playing on the same local Wi-Fi network, you won’t need to do any extra steps to connect. But if your friend lives in a different city, you’ll need to forward port 27015 on your router to your PC’s local IP address. That sounds scarier than it is, and most router brands have step-by-step guides for port forwarding on their support sites if you get stuck. I always recommend turning on the “prevent download of mods” setting in the server options so you don't end up with mismatched mod versions halfway through a playthrough.
Critical Tweaks to Stop Lag and Improve 2 Player Server Performance
Even with a fast internet connection, you might run into lag or frame drops if you leave all the default server settings turned on. For a 2 player server, you don’t need most of the settings designed for large lobbies with 20+ players, so adjusting a few sliders will make the game run far smoother for both of you. I always make these tweaks before I even spawn into a new server, and I rarely run into lag issues even with 10+ mods installed.
Lowering the max wild dino count by 20% from default will cut lag drastically without making the map feel empty. You’ll still encounter plenty of dinos to tame and fight, but your server won’t waste resources rendering dozens of unused creatures on the other side of the map. Turn off dynamic weather effects if either of you has a lower-end PC, as they cause unexpected frame drops for both players. You can also lower the view distance slider to 70% of default, since you won’t be able to see that far anyway unless you’re flying a pteranodon high above the map. If you’re running the server on your own PC, close any background apps like streaming software or web browsers while you’re playing, as they take up RAM that the server could be using. For 2 players, 8GB of available RAM is more than enough to run the server smoothly, even with a small list of quality-of-life mods.
Common 2 Player ARK Server Issues and How to Fix Them Fast
Even with perfect setup, you’ll probably run into a few small issues during your playthrough. I’ve dealt with all of these dozens of times, and most have super simple fixes that take less than a minute to implement. The most common issue I see is the “connection timed out” error when your friend tries to join. 9 times out of 10, this is caused by either a mismatched mod version or a port forwarding setting that didn’t save correctly. Have your friend verify their ARK game files through Steam first, and if that doesn’t work, double check that you forwarded the right port to the correct local IP address on your router.
Another common issue is random save file corruption, which can make you lose hours of progress. I once lost 20 hours of progress because I didn't back up my save, so I now set a reminder to back up every Sunday, no exceptions. You can find your ARK save files in your Steam folder under “SteamApps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved”, and you just need to copy the folder to a separate location on your PC once a week to keep it safe. If you’re using a third-party host, most will automatically back up your save files for you, but it’s still a good idea to download a copy to your own PC every few weeks just in case. The last common issue is random players joining your server, which is easy to fix by adding both of your Steam IDs to the server whitelist and turning off public listing for the server entirely. That way, no one else can even see your server in the public browser, let alone join it.
At the end of the day, the best part of playing ARK is the goofy, chaotic moments you share with a friend, and you don’t need to be a tech expert to get your own private space to make those memories. Whether you go with a free local setup or pay a few dollars a month for hassle-free hosting, the process of how to host a 2 player ARK server is far simpler than most online guides make it sound. Test out the setup that fits your budget and playstyle first, and don’t be afraid to tweak settings as you go to make the server feel perfect for your playthrough. I’ve seen pairs go from struggling to take down a dodo to building floating sky bases on their own private servers, and the small amount of setup time is 100% worth the lack of random raids and interruptions.