If you’ve ever tried to join a public ARK server only to get ganked by a level 120 tribe 10 minutes after spawning, you know how frustrating public lobbies can be. That’s why so many pairs of friends look up how to start a ARK server with 2 people, so they can build, tame, and explore at their own pace without random interference. I’ve set up over a dozen private ARK servers for me and my friends over the last 6 years, so I’ve figured out all the kinks that waste time for new users. This guide will walk you through every step, from choosing a hosting option to adjusting settings that work perfectly for a 2-player group, no technical degree required.
How to Start a ARK Server with 2 People: Choose Your Hosting Option First
The first decision you’ll make is whether to host the server on your own PC or pay for a cheap shared hosting plan, and both work perfectly for a 2-player group. Self-hosting is free, and you don’t need a fancy gaming rig to pull it off — any PC with 8GB of RAM and a stable internet upload speed of at least 10Mbps can run a 2-player ARK server smoothly in the background. The only catch is you’ll have to leave the host PC turned on whenever either of you wants to play, and you’ll need to set up port forwarding on your router to let your friend connect.
If you don’t want to leave your PC running 24/7, or you don’t want to mess with port forwarding, a paid hosting plan costs between $5 and $12 a month for a 2-slot ARK server, which is way more affordable than most people think. You don’t need a high-tier plan for just two players, and most hosts offer one-click ARK installation so you don’t have to manually install server files. You only need 2 player slots, so don't pay for 10+ slots that you'll never use — extra slots just add unnecessary cost for a 2-person group.
If you go the paid hosting route, look for these key features to avoid headaches later:
- Minimum 4GB of RAM allocated specifically for your ARK server instance
- Automatic backup features so you don't lose your base if the server crashes
- One-click ARK server installation to skip manual file setup
- Low ping data centers near both you and your play partner
Adjust Core Server Settings for a Smooth 2-Player Experience
Default ARK server settings are built for 10+ player tribes, so you’ll need to tweak a handful of settings to make the game feel balanced for just two people. The first setting to adjust is taming speed — set it to 2x to 3x the default value, so you don’t spend 3 real hours taming a single T-Rex with only two people collecting narcoberries. You should also bump harvest amount to 1.5x to 2x, so you don’t have to spend entire play sessions chopping wood just to build a small wooden base.
Turn off friendly fire if you're playing PvE, to avoid accidentally killing each other or your tames during fights. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally shot my play partner with a tranq dart mid-raptor fight because we forgot to turn this setting off. You should also lower structure decay rate by 50% — if you can’t log on every day, you don’t want to come back from a week-long vacation to find your entire base has decayed into nothing.
For newer players, bumping the XP multiplier to 1.5x will help you unlock engrams faster, so you don’t get stuck using stone tools for your first 5 play sessions. If you’re both experienced players, you can leave XP and harvest rates at default for a more challenging grind. Don’t forget to set the max player count to 2, so even if your server accidentally shows up on public lists, no random players can join your world. My first 2-player server had this setting wrong, and we had a random troll join and destroy our thatch hut 2 hours after we started, so don’t make that mistake.
Set Up Permissions and Tribe Settings for Your 2-Person Group
Once your server is up and running, you’ll want to set up your tribe and permissions before you start building or taming. Most 2-player pairs opt for a single shared tribe, which lets you both access all structures, tames, and inventories without extra steps. If you prefer a bit of friendly competition, you can create two separate tribes and set a non-aggression alliance, so you can’t damage each other but you get to keep your bases and tames separate.
Make sure both of you are added as admin users before you start building, so you can adjust settings or fix glitches without waiting for the host to log on. I once forgot to add my friend as admin on our self-hosted server, and I had to drive 20 minutes to his house to restart the server when it glitched while I was out of town. Adding admin rights only takes 30 seconds, and it saves you a ton of hassle later.
If you’re sharing a tribe, set dino and structure ownership to “tribe” so both of you can ride all tames and edit all structures without needing to ask for permission. You can also customize your tribe name, flag, and motto to make your server feel more personal — small touches like this make the world feel way more yours than any public lobby ever could. If you ever want to invite more friends later, you can adjust tribe size limits and player counts in 2 minutes, no full reset required.
Troubleshoot Common 2-Player ARK Server Issues
Even with perfect setup, you’ll probably run into a couple of small issues when you first launch your server, and most of them are easy to fix with a few quick checks. The most common issue is your friend being unable to connect — if you’re self-hosting, double check that you set up port forwarding correctly for ARK’s default ports, and that your firewall isn’t blocking ARK server traffic. If you’re using paid hosting, make sure you sent them the correct IP address, port, and server password.
Always set a strong password for your server, even if you limited the player count to 2, to stop random trolls from accessing your world. It only takes one troll with admin commands to destroy weeks of progress, so a 8-character password is a tiny step that saves you a ton of grief. If you’re experiencing lag, it’s almost always caused by too many tamed dinos in one area, or not enough RAM allocated to the server. For 2 players, 4GB of RAM is enough for vanilla play, but you’ll need 6GB or more if you’re running 5+ mods.
The other common issue is mod mismatches — if you’re using mods, make sure both you and your partner have the exact same mods installed and enabled, otherwise they won’t be able to join. I once spent 2 hours troubleshooting a connection error before I realized my friend had an extra outdated map mod enabled that I didn’t have on the server. If your server keeps crashing, disable mods one by one to find the conflicting one — most crashes come from mixing outdated gameplay mods with new map mods.
At the end of the day, setting up a private world doesn't have to be complicated when you know how to start a ARK server with 2 people. You don't need expensive gear or technical experience, just a few small tweaks to settings and a hosting option that fits your schedule. My partner and I have been playing on our own 2-person server for over 2 years now, and we've had way more fun than we ever did on public lobbies, because we get to set our own rules and play at our own pace. You can always adjust settings later if you decide you want to add more friends or change up your playstyle, so don't stress about getting every setting perfect on your first try. Take these tips, adjust the settings to fit your playstyle, and you'll be spawning in your own private ARK world in less than 30 minutes. Oh, and don't forget to stock up on extra narcoberries before you go after your first T-Rex. You'll need them.