With the early access launch of Ark Survival Ascended, players are occasionally encountering the frustrating “failed to join” error. So let’s see how to fix joining failed error in Ark Survival Ascended.
This issue largely arises from trying to join a full server, but it might indicate a problem if it persists. That said, official and unofficial server connections are always a bit unreliable at launch, especially in early access.
How to Fix Joining Failed Error in Ark Survival Ascended
I’ll show you some common ways to troubleshoot the error but at the end of the day, this issue might be due to the game being new. Online-based early access releases often have unresolved errors at launch that are solved over time. Still, let’s try a few things to analyze the cause of the error and perhaps solve it:
- Check Server Capacity: In some cases, the number of players on a server isn’t updated in real-time so you might be trying to join a full server. Refresh the server list, check the capacity, and try to join again if there is room.
- Check Server Status and Internet Connection: Make sure that there isn’t any server maintenance or downtime on Ark’s official News page. Furthermore, check whether your internet connection is the problem by doing a speed-test and restarting your router if there are any issues.
- VPN: If you have a VPN active, try turning it off as it can cause connection problems in rare cases. On the other hand, perhaps your location is causing some issues so enable a VPN and try joining the server again.
- Firewall Access: Make sure to use the “Allow an app through Firewall” option in the “Firewall and network protection” tab of your Windows Security menu. You can search for it in the lower right.
- Verify Files: Try verifying your game files by right-clicking on ASA in your Steam library, selecting “Properties”, then clicking “Verify integrity of game files” in the “Local” tab.
- Change Date/Time: Open your “Date & Time settings” and turn on “Set time automatically”.
Depending on the nature of your error, one of these methods might work for you as they have for some Steam users.

Ark Survival Ascended: Joined Failed Error
If neither of the above methods worked for you, there might not be a reliable and official way to solve the issue. As of yet, Studio Wildcard hasn’t addressed the issue but an official fix might be coming in a future update. Unofficially, some Steam users reported that trying to alternate between joining official and unofficial servers brute-forced their way in.
At the end of the day, this issue might be a simple matter of time as Studio Wildcard fixes it at a later date. We hope this article on how to fix joining failed error in Ark Survival Ascended has been at least of some use to you. You can find more ASA guides and fixes here like how to fix the character creation crash.