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5 Critical Steps To Transfer Servers On ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) - 2025 Guide

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Transferring your entire life—your high-level survivor, prized imprinted creatures, and valuable loot—between servers in ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) is an essential mechanic, but it is fraught with potential pitfalls and complex restrictions. As of December 21, 2025, the core method of using in-game terminals remains the same, but the rules governing *what* you can move and *where* have been continuously updated by Studio Wildcard to maintain server balance, especially with the release of new maps like Scorched Earth, Aberration, and more.

This comprehensive guide provides the latest, most up-to-date steps for a successful transfer, detailing the crucial restrictions on Official Servers, the necessary setup for Unofficial Servers, and a vital troubleshooting section to prevent you from losing your character to the dreaded "transfer void."

The Essential Transfer Process: Uploading Your Survivor and Assets

The entire cross-server transfer system in ARK: Survival Ascended relies on the in-game 'ARK-Data' cloud. To access this system, you must interact with one of three key structures on your current map: an Obelisk, a Supply Drop (which functions as a temporary terminal), or a crafted Tek Transmitter. The following steps detail the standard procedure for moving your character, creatures, and items.

Step 1: Prepare Your Character and Inventory

  • Before approaching the terminal, ensure you are not mounted on a creature.
  • Move all the items you wish to transfer into your character's inventory. You will upload your character *with* their inventory.
  • Crucial Warning: Certain items may be blocked from transfer, especially on Official PvP servers, which can prevent the entire process from completing. Common blocked items include Element, Element Shards, and some resource stacks. Empty your inventory of any highly restricted or custom-blocked items if you encounter issues.

Step 2: Access the Terminal and Upload Your Data

Interact with the terminal (Obelisk, Supply Drop, or Tek Transmitter) to open the ARK Data interface. You will see several tabs:

  • Upload Survivor: Select this tab first. You will see a button to "Upload Survivor Data." Clicking this will log you out of the server and store your character, along with their equipped gear and inventory, in the ARK cloud.
  • Upload Creatures: Before uploading your character, ensure all the creatures you want to transfer are near the terminal. Access the 'Upload Creatures' tab, select the creature from the list, and click "Upload."
  • Upload Items: Use the 'Upload Items' tab to move non-equipped items from your inventory into the cloud storage. This is a separate step from the character upload.

Note on Time Limit: Any character, creature, or item uploaded to the ARK-Data cloud has a strict 24-hour time limit in multiplayer before it expires and is permanently lost. You must download your assets onto the destination server before this timer runs out.

Step 3: Join the Destination Server

Once your survivor is uploaded, you will be taken to the main menu. Select "Join ARK" and choose the new server you wish to transfer to. Ensure this server is part of the same Server Cluster or is the same type (Official PvP to Official PvP, etc.).

Step 4: Download Your Survivor and Assets

On the destination server's character creation screen, look for the option to "Download Survivor." Select this, choose your uploaded character's name, and confirm. Your character will spawn into the new map.

Immediately head to the nearest terminal (Obelisk, Supply Drop, or Tek Transmitter) on the new map. Access the ARK Data interface again:

  • Download Creatures: Go to the 'Download Creatures' tab, select your uploaded dinos, and download them one by one.
  • Download Items: Go to the 'Download Items' tab and retrieve your stored inventory.

Critical ASA Server Transfer Restrictions and Limitations

Understanding the rules is paramount to avoiding a lost character. The limitations in ASA are designed to prevent players from exploiting server types or new map releases.

Official Server Transfer Rules

On Official Servers, transfers are strictly compartmentalized:

  • Official to Official: You can only transfer between Official Servers of the same type. For example, a character from an Official PvP server can only transfer to another Official PvP server. The same applies to PvE, Small Tribes, and Hardcore servers.
  • No Inter-Type Transfer: You cannot move a survivor from an Official PvP server to an Official PvE server, or vice versa.
  • New Map Restrictions: When a new expansion map is released (e.g., Aberration, Extinction), Studio Wildcard typically enforces a 60-day restriction on transferring high-level creatures and items *onto* that new map to ensure a fair, fresh start for all players. Character transfer is usually allowed, but you will arrive naked.

Unofficial and Server Cluster Transfers

For players on Unofficial Servers, the restriction is different. You can only transfer to other servers that are part of the same Server Cluster.

  • Cluster Setup: Unofficial server owners (e.g., using a hosting service like Nitrado or a dedicated machine) must manually configure their maps to share a cluster ID and a shared directory for transfer files.
  • No Official/Unofficial Mix: You cannot transfer a character from an Official Server to an Unofficial Server, or from an Unofficial Server to an Official Server.

Cross-Play Transfer Compatibility

ARK: Survival Ascended fully supports Cross-Play between PC (Steam/Epic Games) and Xbox Series X|S. The transfer process outlined above is identical across these platforms. However, the server itself must be configured for cross-play. Most rented servers offer this feature, but be aware that platform-specific servers may not allow transfers from other platforms.

Troubleshooting: Why Your ARK: Survival Ascended Transfer Failed

Server transfer is one of the most common points of failure in ASA. If your transfer is not working, consider these common issues and their solutions.

1. Character Blocked by Inventory (The Invisible Item)

This is the most frequent issue. Your character upload fails or freezes, but you don't receive an error message.

  • Solution: The game is likely blocking a specific item in your inventory. Completely empty your inventory, including all armor and tools, and try the character upload again. Put all your items into the 'Upload Items' section of the ARK Data terminal instead of relying on the character upload to carry them.

2. Server Freeze or Disconnection

Sometimes, interacting with the terminal causes the game to freeze or disconnect, especially on high-population Official Servers.

  • Solution: Wait for a less busy time of day to attempt the transfer. If the freeze occurs after hitting 'Upload Survivor,' immediately restart the game and check the destination server for your character. If the character is not there, check the ARK Data tab on the original server to see if the upload was successful.

3. The 30-Day Cooldown Message

Some players have reported a potential bug or unannounced restriction that triggers a 30-day cooldown when downloading a character, preventing immediate transfer back to the original server.

  • Solution: While this is often a bug, treat it as a potential risk. Ensure you are absolutely ready to leave your current server before uploading your character. If you encounter this, your only options are to wait or start a new survivor on a different map.

4. Missing Dino or Item in the Cloud

If your asset is missing after a successful upload, the 24-hour timer may have expired.

  • Solution: Always download your assets immediately upon reaching the new server. If the timer has expired, the assets are permanently lost. In rare cases, a server crash may roll back the data; contact the server administrator (for Unofficial) or submit a support ticket (for Official) if you believe this is the case.

Advanced Server Management: Manual Save Transfers

For administrators of dedicated or rented Unofficial Servers, the in-game transfer system may be disabled or bypassed entirely by moving the server save files (the .ark file) directly. This process is complex and should only be performed by server owners or experienced administrators.

  • Server Stop: Stop the game server entirely.
  • File Location: Access the server's file system via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or a hosting panel. The save files are typically located within the Saved folder in the ShooterGame directory.
  • Transfer: Copy the necessary save files (e.g., the map file and player/dino data) from the old server's Saved folder to the new server's corresponding Saved folder.
  • Restart: Restart the new ARK server. The entire world, including all structures, survivors, and creatures, will be loaded onto the new host. This is a common method for server migration, not a player-initiated transfer.
5 Critical Steps to Transfer Servers on ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) - 2025 Guide
how to transfer servers on ark ascended
how to transfer servers on ark ascended

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