How to Download Mods for Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved is a game that challenges you to survive in a harsh environment populated by dinosaurs, mythical creatures, and other players. You can tame, breed, and ride animals, craft weapons and tools, build bases and structures, and explore a vast open world. But if you want to spice up your gameplay and experience new things, you might want to try out some mods.
how to download mods for ark survival evolved
Mods are modifications that add new features, content, or changes to the game. They can enhance the graphics, add new creatures or items, change the gameplay mechanics, or even transform the game into something completely different. Mods are created by the community and can be downloaded for free from various sources. They can make your game more fun, diverse, and challenging.
In this article, I will show you how to find, install, and use mods for Ark: Survival Evolved. I will also recommend some of the best mods that you can try out. Whether you are playing solo or online, on PC or console, there is a mod for everyone. Let's get started!
How to find mods
The easiest way to find mods for Ark: Survival Evolved is to use the Steam Workshop. The Steam Workshop is a platform where you can browse, subscribe, rate, and comment on thousands of mods created by other players. You can access the Steam Workshop from your Steam client or from your web browser.
To use the Steam Workshop, you need to have Ark: Survival Evolved installed on your PC and have a Steam account. Then, follow these steps:
Launch Steam and go to your library.
Right-click on Ark: Survival Evolved and select Properties.
Go to the Local Files tab and click on Browse Local Files.
This will open the folder where Ark: Survival Evolved is installed on your PC.
Open the ShooterGame folder and then the Binaries folder.
Right-click on ShooterGame.exe and select Create Shortcut.
Rename the shortcut as "Ark Modded" or something similar.
Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.
In the Target field, add "-automanagedmods" at the end of the line (without quotation marks).
Click OK and close the Properties window.
Double-click on the shortcut to launch Ark: Survival Evolved with mod support.
From the main menu, click on Host/Local Play.
Click on Browse Workshop at the bottom right corner of the screen.
This will open the Steam Workshop page for Ark: Survival Evolved in your web browser.
Here you can browse through various categories of mods such as Total Conversions, Maps, Structures, Weapons, Creatures, etc.
You can also use the search bar or the filters to find specific mods that interest you.
When you find a mod that you want to try out, click on it to open its page.
Read the description carefully and check if there are any requirements or compatibility issues with other mods.
If everything looks good, click on Subscribe at the top right corner of the page.
This will add the mod to your Steam library and start downloading it in the background.
You can subscribe to as many mods as you want, but keep in mind that some mods may conflict with each other or affect the performance of the game.
Once the mod is downloaded, you can close the web browser and return to the game.
Click on Refresh Mods at the bottom right corner of the screen to update the list of available mods.
You can also click on Sort Mods to arrange them by name, date, size, or popularity.
To activate a mod, select it from the list and click on the arrow button to move it to the Active Mods section.
You can also drag and drop the mods to change their order or priority.
Some mods may require a specific load order to work properly, so make sure to follow the instructions provided by the mod author.
When you are done selecting and ordering your mods, click on Save and Exit at the bottom right corner of the screen.
This will apply the changes and restart the game with the mods enabled.
Congratulations, you have successfully subscribed and activated mods for Ark: Survival Evolved using the Steam Workshop. You can now enjoy your modded game and explore new possibilities.
If you want to find more mods for Ark: Survival Evolved, you can also use other websites such as Nexus Mods, Ark Mods, or Mod DB. These websites offer a wider variety of mods that are not available on Steam, but they may require a different installation method. I will explain how to install mods manually in the next section.
How to install mods manually
If you want to install mods that are not available on Steam or prefer to have more control over your mod installation, you can also use the manual method. This method involves downloading and extracting the mod files into your game folder. It is not as convenient as using the Steam Workshop, but it is not too difficult either. Here are the steps:
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Find a mod that you want to install from a website such as Nexus Mods, Ark Mods, or Mod DB.
Read the description carefully and check if there are any requirements or compatibility issues with other mods.
If everything looks good, click on Download or Download Manually to download the mod file to your PC.
The mod file will usually be in a ZIP or RAR format, so you will need a program such as WinRAR or 7-Zip to extract it.
Right-click on the mod file and select Extract Here or Extract To to extract its contents into a folder.
Open the folder where you extracted the mod file and look for a folder named "Mods" or something similar.
This folder will contain one or more subfolders with numbers as their names. These are the mod IDs that identify each mod.
Copy or cut these subfolders and paste them into your Ark: Survival Evolved Mods folder. The default location of this folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Content\Mods. If you have installed Ark: Survival Evolved in a different location, you will need to find this folder there.
Once you have copied or moved the mod subfolders into your game Mods folder, you can delete or archive the original mod file and folder that you downloaded.
Launch Ark: Survival Evolved using the shortcut that you created earlier with "-automanagedmods" in its target field.
From the main menu, click on Host/Local Play.
Click on Refresh Mods at the bottom right corner of the screen to update the list of available mods.
Select and activate the mods that you installed manually using the same method as before.
Click on Save and Exit at the bottom right corner of the screen to apply the changes and restart the game with the mods enabled.
Congratulations, you have successfully installed and activated mods for Ark: Survival Evolved manually. You can now enjoy your modded game and explore new possibilities.
If you want to install more mods manually, you can repeat the same steps for each mod. However, be careful not to overwrite or delete any existing mod files or folders, as this may cause errors or conflicts. You can also rename or backup your game Mods folder before installing new mods, in case you want to revert to a previous state.
How to troubleshoot mods
Mods are great for enhancing your game experience, but they are not perfect. Sometimes, mods may cause problems such as crashes, errors, glitches, or compatibility issues with other mods or the game itself. This can be frustrating and ruin your fun, but don't worry. There are some ways to troubleshoot and fix common mod issues. Here are some tips:
Always read the mod description and instructions carefully before installing or activating a mod. Some mods may have specific requirements or instructions that you need to follow to make them work properly.
Check if the mod is compatible with your game version and other mods that you have installed. Some mods may not work with older or newer versions of the game, or may conflict with other mods that modify the same aspects of the game. You can check the mod page or comments for compatibility information, or use tools such as Ark Mod Manager or Ark Mod Downloader to compare and manage your mods.
Check if the mod is updated and maintained by the mod author. Some mods may be outdated or abandoned by their creators, and may not work with the latest updates or patches of the game. You can check the mod page or comments for update information, or use tools such as Ark Mod Updater or Ark Mod Checker to check and update your mods.
Check if the mod is corrupted or incomplete. Sometimes, the mod file may be damaged or missing some components during the download or extraction process. This can cause errors or crashes when loading or running the mod. You can check the mod file size and integrity using tools such as WinRAR or 7-Zip, or redownload and reinstall the mod from a reliable source.
Check if the mod is activated and loaded correctly. Sometimes, the mod may not be activated or loaded properly due to a mistake or a bug in the game or the mod manager. This can cause the mod to not work at all or only partially. You can check the mod status and order using the in-game menu or tools such as Ark Mod Manager or Ark Mod Downloader, and make sure that the mod is enabled and placed in the correct position.
Check if the mod settings are configured correctly. Sometimes, the mod may have settings that you can adjust to customize its features or performance. These settings may be accessed from the in-game menu, a separate configuration file, or a console command. You can check the mod description and instructions for setting information, and make sure that the settings are suitable for your preferences and system.
Check if there are any errors or warnings in the game log. Sometimes, the game may generate a log file that records any errors or warnings that occur during the game session. This log file may contain useful information about what caused the mod issue or how to fix it. You can find the log file in your game folder under ShooterGame\Saved\Logs\ShooterGame.log. You can open the log file with a text editor such as Notepad and look for any lines that start with [Error] or [Warning]. You can also use tools such as Ark Log Analyzer or Ark Log Viewer to analyze and view the log file more easily.
Check if there are any solutions or suggestions from the mod author or the community. Sometimes, the mod issue may be known and reported by other users, and the mod author or the community may have provided some solutions or suggestions on how to fix it. You can check the mod page or comments, the mod forum or discord, or the game forum or reddit for any relevant information or feedback.
Try disabling or uninstalling the mod and see if the issue persists. Sometimes, the mod issue may be caused by a specific mod or a combination of mods, and disabling or uninstalling the mod may resolve it. You can disable or uninstall the mod using the in-game menu or tools such as Ark Mod Manager or Ark Mod Downloader, and see if the game runs normally without the mod. If the issue is gone, then you can try to reinstall or reactivate the mod and see if it works. If the issue comes back, then you may need to contact the mod author or look for an alternative mod.
These are some of the common ways to troubleshoot and fix mod issues for Ark: Survival Evolved. However, keep in mind that not all mod issues can be fixed easily or at all, and some mods may be incompatible or unstable by nature. In that case, you may need to accept the risk of using them or avoid them altogether.
How to uninstall mods
If you want to uninstall mods from Ark: Survival Evolved, you can do so using either the Steam Workshop method or the manual method, depending on how you installed them. Here are the steps:
Steam Workshop method
Launch Steam and go to your library.
Right-click on Ark: Survival Evolved and select Properties.
Go to the Local Files tab and click on Browse Local Files.
This will open the folder where Ark: Survival Evolved is installed on your PC.
Open the ShooterGame folder and then the Binaries folder.
Double-click on the shortcut that you created earlier with "-automanagedmods" in its target field to launch Ark: Survival Evolved with mod support.
From the main menu, click on Host/Local Play.
Click on Refresh Mods at the bottom right corner of the screen to update the list of available mods.
Select and deactivate the mods that you want to uninstall using the same method as before.
Click on Save and Exit at the bottom right corner of the screen to apply the changes and restart the game without the mods.
Close the game and return to the folder where Ark: Survival Evolved is installed on your PC.
Open the Steam folder and then the steamapps folder.
Open the workshop folder and then the content folder.
Here you will find a subfolder named "346110". This is the folder where all the mods that you subscribed to on Steam are stored.
Open this folder and look for the subfolders with numbers as their names. These are the mod IDs that identify each mod.
Delete or move the subfolders that correspond to the mods that you want to uninstall from your PC.
You can also unsubscribe from the mods on Steam to prevent them from being downloaded again in the future.
To do this, go to your Steam client or web browser and open the Steam Workshop page for Ark: Survival Evolved.
Click on Browse and then on Subscribed Items at the top of the page.
This will show you a list of all the mods that you subscribed to on Steam.
Find the mods that you want to unsubscribe from and click on Unsubscribe at the top right corner of each mod page.
Congratulations, you have successfully uninstalled mods from Ark: Survival Evolved using the Steam Workshop method. You can now play your game without the mods or install new ones.
Manual method
Find the mod that you want to uninstall from a website such as Nexus Mods, Ark Mods, or Mod DB.
Note down the mod ID or name of the mod that you want to uninstall. You will need this information to locate the mod files on your PC.
Go to your game folder where Ark: Survival Evolved is installed on your PC. The default location of this folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Content\Mods. If you have installed Ark: Survival Evolved in a different location, you will need to find this folder there.
Here you will find one or more subfolders with numbers as their names. These are the mod IDs that identify each mod.
Delete or move the subfolder that corresponds to the mod that you want to uninstall from your PC.
Congratulations, you have successfully uninstalled mods from Ark: Survival Evolved using the manual method. You can now play your game without the mods or install new ones.
Mod recommendations
Now that you know how to find, install, and use mods for Ark: Survival Evolved, you might be wondering which mods are worth trying out. There are thousands of mods available for Ark: Survival Evolved, and each one offers something different and unique. However, some mods stand out from the rest and are widely praised by the community for their quality, creativity, and fun factor. Here are some of the best mods for Ark: Survival Evolved by category and a brief description of each:
Total Conversions
Total conversions are mods that change the game completely, adding new maps, creatures, items, mechanics, and more. They offer a whole new experience and challenge for Ark: Survival Evolved players. Some of the best total conversions are:
PixARK: This mod transforms Ark: Survival Evolved into a voxel-based sandbox game similar to Minecraft. You can explore, build, craft, tame, and fight in a colorful and pixelated world full of surprises and secrets. You can also create your own custom maps and share them with other players.
Primal Fear: This mod adds over 300 new creatures to Ark: Survival Evolved, ranging from prehistoric beasts to mythical monsters. Each creature has its own abilities, stats, and behaviors, and some of them can be tamed or evolved into more powerful forms. You can also craft new weapons, armors, potions, and more to survive in this dangerous world.
Ark Eternal: This mod adds over 600 new creatures to Ark: Survival Evolved, including dinosaurs, dragons, aliens, robots, and more. Each creature has its own level system, evolution tree, abilities, and loot. You can also craft new items, structures, saddles, and more to enhance your gameplay.
Maps
Maps are mods that add new locations or environments to Ark: Survival Evolved. They offer new places to explore, build, and survive in. Some of the best maps are:
Valguero: This map is an official DLC for Ark: Survival Evolved that adds a massive new landmass with diverse biomes, such as snowy mountains, lush forests, barren deserts, and underground caves. You can encounter new creatures, such as the Deinonychus, the Chalk Golem, and the Ice Wyvern, as well as old favorites from other maps. You can also discover hidden secrets and mysteries in this vast and beautiful world.
Ragnarok: This map is another official DLC for Ark: Survival Evolved that adds a huge new continent with varied landscapes, such as volcanic islands, tropical jungles, ancient ruins, and glacial valleys. You can encounter new creatures, such as the Griffin, the Iceworm Queen, and the Lava Elemental, as well as old favorites from other maps. You can also explore dungeons and caves full of dangers and rewards in this epic and challenging world.
The Center: This map is yet another official DLC for Ark: Survival Evolved that adds a massive new island with stunning scenery, such as floating islands, waterfalls, lava rivers, and underwater bubbles. You can encounter new creatures, such as the Megapithecus, the Broodmother, and the Dragon, as well as old favorites from other maps. You can also discover hidden secrets and surprises in this gorgeous and mysterious world.
Structures
Structures are mods that add new buildings or items to Ark: Survival Evolved. They offer new ways to construct, decorate, and defend your base. Some of the best structures are:
Structures Plus (S+): This mod adds over 100 new structures and items to Ark: Survival Evolved, such as foundations, walls, ceilings, doors, windows, ramps, pillars, fences, gates, bridges, ladders, stairs, elevators, storage boxes, crafting stations, generators, turrets, traps, and more. These structures and items have improved functionality and customization options compared to the vanilla ones. You can also use tools such as the S+ Transfer Tool, the S+ Converter, and the S+ Nanny to manage your resources and creatures more easily.
Castles, Keeps, and Forts (CKF): This mod adds over 200 new structures and items to Ark: Survival Evolved that allow you to build medieval-themed castles and forts. You can use stone, wood, metal, or glass materials to create walls, towers, battlements, gates, doors, windows, roofs, floors, stairs, fireplaces, banners, flags, and more. You can also use furniture and decorations to furnish your interior and exterior spaces. You can also use siege weapons and defenses to attack or protect your base.
Eco's Mods: This is a collection of mods created by a modder named Eco that add various structures and items to Ark: Survival Evolved that are themed around different cultures, civilizations, or environments. You can use these mods to build and decorate your base with elements such as gardens, terrariums, trees, plants, flowers, rocks, crystals, statues, fountains, lanterns, rugs, paintings, pottery, and more. You can also use these mods to create immersive and realistic scenes and scenarios for your gameplay.
Weapons
Weapons are mods that add new weapons or items to Ark: Survival Evolved. They offer new ways to fight, hunt, or defend yourself. Some of the best weapons are:
Advanced Sniper Bullet: This mod adds a new type of ammunition for the longneck rifle that has increased damage, range, and accuracy. You can craft this bullet using metal ingots, gunpowder, and polymer. You can also use a scope attachment to zoom in and aim better. This bullet is ideal for sniping enemies from a distance or taking down large creatures with a single shot.
Tranq Rifle: This mod adds a new weapon that fires tranquilizer darts that can knock out creatures or players. You can craft this weapon using metal ingots, electronics, polymer, and cementing paste. You can also craft different types of darts that have different effects, such as poison, fire, ice, or electric. This weapon is ideal for taming or capturing creatures or players without killing them.
Awesome Spyglass: This mod adds a new item that acts as a spyglass and a binoculars. You can use this item to zoom in and out and see detailed information about any creature or player that you look at. You can see their name, level, health, torpor, stats, inventory, taming effectiveness, and more. You can also customize the appearance and functionality of this item using the in-game menu. This item is ideal for scouting or spying on creatures or players.
Creatures
Creatures are mods that add new creatures or items to Ark: Survival Evolved. They offer new companions or enemies to encounter and interact with. Some of the best creatures are:
Ark Additions: This mod adds several new creatures that are inspired by the Jurassic Park franchise. You can encounter creatures such as the Brachiosaurus, the Compsognathus, the Dilophosaurus, the Spinosaurus, and more. You can tame, breed, and ride these creatures, or fight them as enemies. You can also craft new items and saddles to enhance your gameplay with these creatures.
Additional Creatures: This mod adds several new creatures that are based on real or mythical animals. You can encounter creatures such as the Aurochs, the Dire Wolf, the Griffin, the Phoenix, and more. You can tame, breed, and ride these creatures, or fight them as enemies. You can also craft new items and saddles to enhance your gameplay with these creatures.
Mythical Creatures: This mod adds several new creatures that are based on legends and folklore. You can encounter creatures such as the Dragon, the Hydra, the Kraken, the Minotaur, and more. You can tame, breed, and ride these creatures, or fight them as enemies. You can also craft new items and saddles to enhance your gameplay with these creatures.
Conclusion
Mods are a great way to customize and improve your game experience in Ark: Survival Evolved. They can add new features, content, or changes to the game that make it more fun and diverse. You can find, install, and use mods for Ark: Survival Evolved using either the Steam Workshop method or the manual method. You can also troubleshoot and fix common mod issues using some tips and tools. You can also uninstall mods from Ark: Survival Evolved using either the Steam Workshop method or the manual method.
There are thousands of mods available for Ark: Survival Evolved, and each one offers something different and unique. However, some mods stand out from the rest and are widely praised by the community for their quality, creativity, and fun factor. I have recommended some of the best mods for Ark: Survival Evolved by category and provided a brief description of each. You can try out these mods or look for more mods that suit your preferences and playstyle.
Modding Ark: Survival Evolved can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience, but it also comes with some risks and challenges. You should always be careful and responsible when using mods, as they may affect the performance or stability of the game or cause conflicts or errors with other mods or the game itself. You should always backup your game files and save data before installing or activating any mods, and follow the instructions and guidelines provided by the mod authors and the community.
I hope this article has helped you learn how to download mods for Ark: Survival Evolved and inspired you to try out some of the best mods for this game. Have fun and happy modding!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about modding Ark: Survival Evolved:
Can I use mods on console?
Yes, you can use mods on console versions of Ark: Survival Evolved, but only on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, you cannot use any mods that are not available on Steam Workshop or that require external tools or programs to install or run. You can only use mods that are officially supported by the game developers and that are compatible with your game version.
How do I update my mods?
If you use Steam Workshop to install your mods, they will be automatically updated whenever there is a new version available from the mod author. However, you may need to restart your game or refresh your mod list to apply the updates. If you use the manual method to install your mods, you will need to check the mod page or website for any updates and download and install them manually. You can also use tools such as Ark Mod Updater or Ark Mod Checker to check and update your mods automatically.
How do I backup my game files and save data?
If you want to backup your game files and save data before installing or activating any mods, you can do so by copying or moving them to a different location on your PC. You can find your game files in your game folder where Ark: Survival Evolved is installed on your PC. The default location of this folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK. If you have installed Ark: Survival Evolved in a different location, you will need to find this folder there. You can copy or move the whole folder or only the subfolders that contain the files that you want to backup, such as ShooterGame, Content, Mods, etc.
You can find your save data in your game folder under ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal. This folder contains the files that store your single-player or local game progress and settings. You can copy or move this folder or only the files that you want to backup, such as TheIsland.ark, TheIsland_Annunaki.ark, LocalPlayer.arkprofile, etc.
If you want to restore your game files or save data from a backup, you can do so by copying or moving them back to their original location on your PC. You may need to overwrite or delete any existing files or folders that conflict with your backup.
How do I report a mod issue or provide feedback?
If you encounter a mod issue or want to provide feedback to the mod author or the community, you can do so by using the mod page or comments, the mod forum or discord, or the game forum or reddit. You can also use tools such as Ark Mod Analyzer or Ark Mod Reporter to report mod issues or provide feedback more easily. However, you should always be respectful and constructive when reporting a mod issue or providing feedback, and follow the rules and guidelines of the mod author and the community.
How do I create my own mods for Ark: Survival Evolved?
If you want to create your own mods for Ark: Survival Evolved, you will need to use the Ark Dev Kit, which is a modified version of the Unreal Engine 4 Editor that allows you to create and edit content for the game. You can download the Ark Dev Kit from Steam under Tools in your library. You will also need to have Ark: Survival Evolved installed on your PC and have a Steam account.
The Ark Dev Kit is a powerful and complex tool that requires some knowledge and skills in programming, scripting, modeling, texturing, animating, sound design, and more. You will also need to follow the rules and guidelines of the game developers and the community when creating and publishing your mods. You can find tutorials, guides, documentation, and support for using the Ark Dev Kit on the official website, wiki, forum, discord, youtube, and other sources. 44f88ac181
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