Connectivity Problem with ARK: Survival Ascended - PS5 players cannot connect

digitist · January 6, 2026, 6:14pm

System Information

Field	Value
Operating System	Linux - Debian GNU/Linux 12 on x86_64
Product	AMP ‘Phobos’ v2.6.4.2 (Mainline)
Virtualization	None
Application	ARK: Survival Ascended
Module	GenericModule
Running in Container	No
Current State	Ready

Problem Description

Issue

PS5 players are receiving time out messages when attempting to connect. Ports are open and listening on host, confirmed via external test. Logs show no incoming connection attempts at all.

Reproduction Steps

Setup Instance
Confirm Running Instance
Monitor Logs while players connect

[log]
[2026.01.06-17.47.01:868][ 4]Server Initializing with BattlEye Anti-Cheat Protection. If you do not wish to use BattlEye, please launch with -NoBattlEye
[2026.01.06-17.47.01:874][ 4]BattlEye successfully started.
[2026.01.06-17.48.06:014][ 4]Attempted GC & Defrag: Start: 8.12 GB End: 8.10 GB 0.02 GB Free’d, Duration: 0.125354 seconds
[2026.01.06-17.48.06:014][ 4]Server: “The Burg” has successfully started!
[2026.01.06-17.48.06:074][ 4]Initializing Steam Subsystem for server validation.
[2026.01.06-17.48.06:078][ 4]Steam Subsystem initialized: Success
[2026.01.06-17.48.09:895][ 4]Attempted GC & Defrag: Start: 8.57 GB End: 8.50 GB 0.07 GB Free’d, Duration: 0.135919 seconds
[2026.01.06-17.48.09:895][ 4]Commandline: TheIsland_WP?listen?Port=7777?RCONEnabled=True?RCONServerGameLogBuffer=600?RCONPort=27020?DayCycleSpeedScale=1.000000?DayTimeSpeedScale=1.000000?NightTimeSpeedScale=1.000000?XPMultiplier=1.000000?PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=1.000000?PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=1.000000?PlayerCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier=1.000000?PlayerCharacterStaminaDrainMultiplier=1.000000?PlayerDamageMultiplier=1.000000?PlayerResistanceMultiplier=1.000000?DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=1.000000?DinoCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier=1.000000?DinoCharacterStaminaDrainMultiplier=1.000000?DinoDamageMultiplier=1.000000?DinoResistanceMultiplier=1.000000?StructureResistanceMultiplier=1.000000?HarvestAmountMultiplier=1.000000?HarvestHealthMultiplier=1.000000?ResourcesRespawnPeriodMultiplier=1.000000?TamingSpeedMultiplier=1.000000?ServerAdminPassword=ebba2026 -WinLiveMaxPlayers=70 -ServerPlatform=PC+PS5 -culture=en -servergamelog
[2026.01.06-17.48.09:895][ 4]Full Startup: 71.97 seconds
[2026.01.06-17.48.09:895][ 4]Number of cores 8
[2026.01.06-17.48.10:747][ 4]2026.01.06_17.48.10: Saving world…
[2026.01.06-17.48.10:761][ 4]2026.01.06_17.48.10: World Save Complete. Took: 0.774043
[2026.01.06-17.48.28:106][235]Attempted GC & Defrag: Start: 9.97 GB End: 9.95 GB 0.03 GB Free’d, Duration: 0.152133 seconds
[2026.01.06-17.48.28:106][235]Server has completed startup and is now advertising for join. (10.03GB Mem)
[2026.01.06-18.03.10:902][993]2026.01.06_18.03.10: Saving world…
[2026.01.06-18.03.10:916][993]2026.01.06_18.03.10: World Save Complete. Took: 0.928538
[log end]

IceOfWraith · January 8, 2026, 11:05pm

What do you have Client Platform/Crossplay Support set to?

digitist · January 9, 2026, 6:08pm

Currently pc+ps5, previously ALL and just PS5, conditions remain the same despite changing them.

IceOfWraith · January 9, 2026, 8:37pm

Go ahead and leave it as ALL for sanity sake while we figure out the issue. The others on PS5 are able to see it in the browser but it times out when connecting? If so, I’d say we need to double check the port forwarding. Can you show the Status tab inside that AMP instance and where you forwarded the ports in your router?

digitist · January 9, 2026, 8:45pm

Status:

I don’t use a router, but I can confirm open ports:

Though my UFW comment does still report ASKA, we used to be a running instance (removed).

IceOfWraith · January 9, 2026, 9:05pm

So this is running on a public IP directly in a datacenter or something similar? Is there anything else between your server and the users that we should know about?

Greelan · January 9, 2026, 9:15pm

If the firewall rules are not being updated, ampinstmgr may be out of date

digitist · January 9, 2026, 9:31pm

ICE:
Correct. There are no secret intermediaries involved in the network. It’s a production server that runs many public facing things, including other instances within AMP that are confirmed working.

Greelan:
I can kill it all and make sure its updated, reinstall the instance and the like. The only thing I can think of is amp internally still trying to pass connections to the old 7777 route (ASKA) which no longer exists.

IceOfWraith · January 9, 2026, 9:39pm

It’s possible, but also I think AMP looks at the port number so if the old was removed within a few minutes of the new being made it might not have bothered replacing the rule since it “already existed”.