Articles on: ARK: Survival Evolved

How To Change ARK: Survival Evolved Server To PVE Mode

Switching your ARK: Survival Evolved server to PvE mode helps players focus on exploration and building rather than combat. Learning how to change ARK: Survival Evolved server to PvE mode is perfect for those who want a calmer survival experience without worrying about player damage or raids. By adjusting your server configuration file through the control panel, you can disable PvP and enable PvE easily. This change ensures your ARK server runs in cooperative mode, allowing players to gather resources, build bases, and explore the map safely. Whether you’re hosting a dedicated server or playing in single-player mode, turning off PvP and enabling PvE creates a more peaceful, community-driven survival environment.


Changing Your Server To PVE Mode


To enable PVE mode on your server:



  • Head over to the Files tab.


  • Search for the following directory: /ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini


  • In the GameUserSettings.ini file, add a new line: ServerPVE=TRUE under the \[Server Settings\] section, as shown in the example below.



  • Click on Save Content


  • Restart the server to save the changes.


  • You can now join the server with PVE mode activated.


Changing Your Server Back To PVP Mode


To switch your server back to a PVP server, you need to remove the line you've added:


  • Head over to the Files tab


  • Navigate to the following directory: /ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini


  • In the GameUserSettings.ini file, remove the ServerPVE=TRUE line.


  • Click on Save Content


  • Restart the server


How To Schedule PVE For Certain Parts Of The Day


NOTE: Setting a schedule depends on your current server's timezone. Please set the desired timezone through our Settings tab. The server's default timezone is UTC.



  • Head over to the Files tab.


  • Locate the following directory: /ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/Game.ini


  • Add the following lines bAutoPvETimer=true and bAutoPvEUseSystemTime=true


If you want to use in-game time instead of server time. Set bAutoPvEUseSystemTime to false.


  • Now, add AutoPvEStartTimeSeconds=<seconds>. This value is set in seconds. To calculate it, take the number of hours you want, for example, 10 hours, and multiply by the number of seconds in an hour (3600). So, 10 × 3600 equals 36,000 seconds.


  • To stop PVE, add the following line AutoPvEStopTimeSeconds=<seconds>. To calculate it, take the number of hours, for example, 12 hours, and multiply by the number of seconds in an hour (3600). So, 12 × 3600 equals 43,200 seconds.



  • Click on Save Content


  • Start or restart the server to apply the changes.


Still have some questions about changing your ARK server to PVE mode?


If you need any further instructions, you can log a ticket here.


By: Ali A.

Updated on: 27/10/2025

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