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ARK: Survival Evolved Save File Location

Last verified: 2026-10-07

Save file location (Windows (Steam)): Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal

Quick answer: On PC, ARK: Survival Evolved stores single-player saves inside the install folder at ...\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal\ . On Steam that is usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal ; on Epic it is ...\Epic Games\ARKSurvivalEvolved\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal . Three file types matter: .ark (the saved world), .arkprofile (your character) and .arktribe (tribe data). Because saves live in the install folder, a verify-files or reinstall can delete them — copy SavedArksLocal out before doing either.
Windows (Steam)
Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal
Windows (Epic Games)
Epic Games\ARKSurvivalEvolved\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal

ARK is unusual: your single-player world is not in Documents or AppData — it lives inside the game's own install folder. Here is the exact PC path for Steam and Epic, which files matter, and how to back them up before an update wipes them.

Save file locations

Windows (Steam)
Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal

Full default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal\ . Quick route: in Steam right-click ARK > Manage > Browse local files, then open ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal.

Windows (Epic Games)
Epic Games\ARKSurvivalEvolved\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal

Full default: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\ARKSurvivalEvolved\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal\ . Same three file types as the Steam version.

Cloud saves

ARK single-player saves are not reliably cloud-synced because they sit in the install folder, so Steam Cloud is not a safety net here. Treat a manual copy of the SavedArksLocal folder as your only real backup — an update, a Verify Integrity, or a reinstall can delete it.

Cloud save conflict & platform recovery

Common loss: single-player world gone after a game update, a Verify Integrity of Game Files, or a reinstall — because the save sits inside the install folder that those operations rewrite.

  1. Before updating, verifying files, or reinstalling, copy the whole SavedArksLocal folder somewhere outside the Steam/Epic directory.
  2. If a save is already gone, check the Recycle Bin and any .bak copies in SavedArksLocal, then restore your manual copy.
  3. After reinstalling, paste SavedArksLocal back into ShooterGame\Saved and relaunch — keep .ark, .arkprofile and .arktribe together.
Back up first (Windows) — copy & run

How to open the save folder

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Save problems & fixes

FAQ

Where is the ARK: Survival Evolved single-player save on PC?

Inside the install folder at ...\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal\ — on Steam usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal.

Which ARK files are the actual save?

.ark is your saved world, .arkprofile is your character, and .arktribe is tribe data. Back up all three together.

Why did my ARK save disappear after an update?

Because single-player saves live in the install folder, a game update, Verify Integrity, or reinstall can delete them. Always copy SavedArksLocal out first.

How do I move an ARK single-player world to a new PC or server?

Copy the .ark, .arkprofile and .arktribe files from SavedArksLocal to the same folder on the new install, keeping the file names intact.

Other games

Need another game or a quick backup? Use the Save Location Finder — pick any game to get its exact save path plus a ready-to-run backup command.