ARK Server Gamma Settings: How to Enable and Use Them

Overview

Night in ARK: Survival Evolved can be atmospheric, but sometimes it is just dark enough to make everyone walk into rocks with confidence. Server owners can control whether players are allowed to change their in-game brightness through gamma settings.

To use gamma on a server, the setting must be enabled in GameUserSettings.ini. After that, players can run the gamma command in-game to choose a brightness value. This is useful for darker survival events, brighter showcases, or simply making nighttime easier to read.

Enable Gamma in the Server Config

1. Open the HolyHosting server panel and stop your ARK server.
2. Go to the server configuration files.
3. Open GameUserSettings.ini.
4. Find the [ServerSettings] section.
5. Add or update these lines under [ServerSettings]:

• EnablePvPGamma=True
• DisablePvEGamma=False

1. Save the file, then restart the server.

These values allow gamma changes for PvP and prevent gamma from being disabled in PvE. If the lines already exist, edit the existing entries instead of adding duplicates.

Use the Gamma Command In-Game

Once the server has restarted, join it from ARK and set your preferred brightness with the console command.

1. Launch ARK: Survival Evolved and connect to the server.
2. Press TAB to open the console.
3. Enter the command as gamma [value].

For example, gamma 5 sets the brightness around the middle of the available range.

The command supports values from 0 to 10, including decimals. Lower values make the game darker, while higher values make it brighter. To return to the usual default, use gamma 2.2.

Final Notes

Gamma is not always enabled by default, so server owners often need to adjust the config before the command works. After it is enabled, players can quickly change brightness from the console whenever the server rules allow it.

Use lower gamma for horror-style nights or event atmosphere. Use higher gamma when visibility matters more than mood, such as building, exploring, or showing off scenery. Either way, the setting gives you more control over how your ARK server looks and feels.