ARK: Survival Ascended stores its save files at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK Survival Ascended\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal on Windows. Checkpoint64 already knows this folder — it backs it up automatically and keeps every version, so a corrupted or overwritten save is one click from restored.
Where ARK: Survival Ascended saves are stored
- Windows —
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK Survival Ascended\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal
Not sure where yours is? The Steam Save File Location guide explains how that path is built.
How to open the save folder
- Windows — press Win+R, paste
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK Survival Ascended\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksLocal, and press Enter.
Backing up ARK: Survival Ascended saves automatically
- Install Checkpoint64 (free) and pick ARK: Survival Ascended — the save path above is already preset.
- Auto-backup watches the folder and uploads a new version whenever it changes, keeping full history.
- Restore any version in one click if a save corrupts, gets overwritten, or a mod breaks it.
Sharing ARK: Survival Ascended saves with friends
ARK: Survival Ascended has co-op, so the folder above usually lives on one person's PC — whoever hosts. When they're offline nobody else can carry on, and if two people play separately, one session quietly overwrites the other.
Checkpoint64 lets a small group pass one ARK: Survival Ascended world around instead of renting a dedicated server. Whoever plays next takes a server-enforced lock, pulls the latest save, plays, and pushes it back; everyone else stays read-only until the lock frees up, so nobody saves over anybody. Every version is kept, so a bad session is one restore away. The dedicated server alternative guide walks through the full take-turns flow.