ARK: Survival Ascended News

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Something feels different out in the wild. Creatures are pairing up, breeding lines are getting attention, and Survivors may want to clear some space in their bases. With Valentine’s Day approaching, Love Ascended is right around the corner!

[/p][p][/p][p]Download in full resolution [/p][p]Can you feel the love in the air? Love Ascended is set to sweep ARK survivors off their feet with an array of enchanting new treats and delights. This love-filled event, celebrating Valentine's Day, kicks off on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, and will continue to spread joy and affection until Wednesday, February 18, 2026, on Official Servers. [/p][p][/p][p] [/p]

• [p] Starts on Wednesday, February 11, 2026
  [/p]
• [p] Ends on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]PVP/PVE: 2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
  [/p]
• [p]Small Tribes: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding
  [/p]
• [p]ARKpocalypse: 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding
  [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p] Lovebirds
  [/p]
• [p] Love Bugs
  [/p]
• [p] Vday Coel
  [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p] Chibi-Lovebird
  [/p]
• [p] Chibi Pair-o-Saurs
  [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p] Valentine’s Fishing Rod
  [/p]
• [p] Love Bug Hearts
  [/p]
• [p] Festive Dino Candy
  [/p]
• [p] Box o' Chocolates (Now also reduce mating cooldown by 20% of current time remaining)
  [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p] Succubus Whip *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Bouquet Club (Club) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Devil Horns (Helm) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Devil Tail (Accessory) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Dashing Rogue Shirt (Chestpiece) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Heart-Balloon (Parachute) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Lamp (Omnilamp) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Footrest (SmallStorageBox) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Armoire (LargeStorageBox) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Table (Table) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Rug (Rug) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Lounger (Bench) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Mirror (Mirror) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Rosebush (PlantSpeciesX) *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Pillow *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Balloon *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Petals *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Bouquet *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Lovely Chandelier *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Pillow-Club Skin 
  [/p]
• [p] Loveseat
  [/p]
• [p] Ottoman 
  [/p]
• [p] Love-Chair
  [/p]
• [p] Pajama Top 
  [/p]
• [p] Pajama Bottoms
  [/p]
• [p] SleepingHat
  [/p]
• [p] PomPom Slippers 
  [/p]
• [p] Friendship Bracelets 
  [/p]
• [p] Bear Hug Swimsuit
  [/p]
• [p] Odd Couple Swimsuit
  [/p]
• [p] Sauropod Heart Swimsuit
  [/p]
• [p] Cupid Couture Bottom Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Cupid Couture Top Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Halo Headband Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Heart-shaped Sunglasses Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Heart Spring Hat
  [/p]
• [p] Cuddle Rex Sweater
  [/p]
• [p] Bow & Eros Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Heart-shaped Shield Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Teddy Bear Grenade Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Love Shackles Skin
  [/p]
• [p] Heart Spring Hat
  [/p]
• [p] Cuddle Rex Sweater
  [/p]
• [p] Love-Bed
  [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p] Check Yourself *new*[/p][p][/p]
• [p] Proposal Emote
  [/p]
• [p] Lasso Emote
  [/p]
• [p] Flirty Emote
  [/p]
• [p] Heart Emote
  [/p]
• [p] Self Hug Emote
  [/p]

[p] [/p]

• [p]Dino Light Blue[/p]
• [p]WyvernBlue0[/p]
• [p]PowderBlue[/p]
• [p]Glacial[/p]
• [p]DarkLavender[/p]
• [p]MediumLavender[/p]
• [p]Lavender[/p]
• [p]DarkViolet[/p]
• [p]Dino Light Purple[/p]
• [p]LightPink[/p]
• [p]Magenta[/p]
• [p]DeepPink[/p]
• [p]Red[/p]
• [p]DarkMagenta[/p]
• [p]Dino Albino[/p]
• [p]Cream[/p]
• [p]Jade[/p]
• [p]LeafGreen[/p]

[p]

[/p]

• [p] From the Main Menu, select the mod tab.
  [/p]
• [p] Search for Love Ascended in the ARK Mod list and Install it. [/p][p][/p][p]Mod ID: 927084[/p][p][/p]

1. [p] After it's installed, go back to your game setup screen and select 'Mod Settings'
   [/p]
2. [p] You will see Love Ascended and any other mods you've downloaded in 'Available Mods'
   [/p]
3. [p] Select Love Ascended and activate it.
   [/p]

[p][/p]

• [p] If you would like to enable Love Ascended on your private servers, please add the mod ID to your server command-line launch arguments -mods=927084. No other changes should be necessary to activate the event.[/p]

[p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]Official Network Tribe Wipes
[/p][p]Earlier this week, our enforcement team identified a significant exploit affecting the Official Network. This exploit has now been fixed.[/p][p]Following our investigation, action is being taken today against approximately 100 tribes that were found to be abusing this method at scale. These tribes are being wiped from the Official Network.
The Official Network is intended to be a fair and competitive environment for everyone. Exploit abuse that creates a severe and unfair advantage undermines that experience, and we will continue to act decisively when identified.[/p][p]As a reminder, all players on Official Servers are expected to adhere to our Code of Conduct, including rules around exploit abuse and fair play.[/p][p]Thank you to the players who continue to report issues and play within the rules.[/p][p][/p][p]Know a method for a hack or exploit? [/p][p][/p][p]We provide bounties for anyone who can report hacks or exploits of any kind (which are NOT aimbots/esp/speed hacks) that can have a serious impact on gameplay or server stability on our official, online servers. Feel free to reach out to the following email with details:
[/p][p][email protected][/p][p]We'll evaluate EVERY submission that comes our way, and if we determine that the issue falls outside the scope of "hacks", but still qualifies as an extremely critical bug (such as wide-scale easy duping, or methods of crashing the server, etc.), we are happy to still pay out bounties. Please mention in your email subject you are contacting us regarding an exploit. [/p][p][/p][p]Thank you to the players who continue to report issues and play within the rules.[/p][p][/p][p]Server Adjustments[/p][p][/p][p]Next week, Valguero servers will be returning to their standard 70-player population cap. During the Valguero launch window, these servers were temporarily set to 100 players, and we are now reverting them to their normal limits.[/p][p]In addition, over the next couple of weeks we will be moving a small number of Official servers as part of ongoing backend preparations for the upcoming Astraeos expansion. These moves are expected to primarily affect Astraeos servers, with most of the activity focused on PvE.[/p][p]These changes are part of our regular infrastructure work to improve server stability and to prepare for future updates.[/p][p][/p][p]Level Design Fixes[/p][p][/p][p]These coordinates correspond to several unintended building spots (ratholes) that will be patched out on February 25th with the launch of Astraeos. Heads up to call your removalists if you're built in one of these locations: [/p][p][/p][p][c]Ragnarok[/c][/p][p][/p][p][c]cheat spi -241484 -152783 -11350 -31.40 5.31[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -151183 -126133 31033 -64.83 -59.87[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi 10186 -134667 12335 4.31 -39.08[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi 253682 290662 -7150 -171.09 -48.87[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -197635 364301 -24784 113.71 -72.57[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi 100866 -580070 -41427 179.32 -45.76[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -4236 -182103 6528 80.33 -41.32[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -59702 -144957 -362 -176.19 -50.38[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi 126901 -579704 -40968 57.92 -66.46[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -400793 -88609 -5661 -130.45 -24.32[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -148298 -128216 10739 109.59 -11.42[/c][/p][p][/p][p][c]Aberration[/c][/p][p][/p][p][c]cheat spi -106544 276958 20596 31.46 22.95[/c][/p][p][c]cheat spi -29531 171922 290 90.05 17.28[/c][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]Check out the newest mods in the latest Cross-Platform Mod Spotlight! [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-browser directly within the game. Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time across gaming platforms and stay tuned as we spotlight more Cross-Platform Mods each week! [/p][p]This video features:[/p]

• [p]Elven Structure Skins by Kocielapki (Premium)[/p]
• [p]Gothic Citadel Tribe Tower (Evil Eye) by Sandi_00[/p]
• [p]Microwave Oven Skin by MotoKawauso[/p]
• [p]Starlit’s Roses are Dead by Ribbet[/p]
• [p]The Beast Within by Trixt3r (New)[/p]
• [p]Applez Island Map Extension by Applez (New)[/p]
• [p]Applez Extinction Map Extension by Applez (New)[/p]

[p]
[/p][p] [/p][p]ARKpocalypse servers have been wiped today! [/p][p]What is ARKpocalypse?[/p]

• [p] ARKpocalypse are monthly-wipe servers with higher than usual rates.
  [/p]
• [p] Next wipe: March 6th, 2026[/p]

[p]You can join them by typing "Arkpocalypse" in the server browser! Happy Surviving!
This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, February 9. [/p]

• [p]PVP/PVE: 2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding [/p]
• [p]Small Tribes: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding [/p]
• [p]ARKpocalypse: 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding
  [/p]

[p]Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

Creator: benitocheeto[/p][p]Benitocheeto challenges himself by restricting his progress until he masters each tier before advancing to the next.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Creator: DarkEdgeTV SURVIVAL DarkEdgeTV reviews this charming new creature from the Aussie Addition Mod by Australian Nick! [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Thyla art by sirbarksalot420
Seeker by darkhyde.
Where the king rests and shadows fight, will wings of might end a reign within the lasting night? by penguinlover583
For every survivor before us by @alkonavi
Roar by rybcioszka
Rock Drake by LeoIsFound2022
Made a custom tufted carpet of the Animated Series Dodo by hypernatrema
There she found the stuff of nightmares by specter0294
Photo Mode by eeylops
Photo Mode by darknesswithn666
Photo Mode by nvee_harbinger
Photo Mode by cedlirik
[/p][h3]Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard[/h3][p]
Twitter: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Discord: discord.com/invite/playark
Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark
Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark
Twitch: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110
Youtube: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark
Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark
Official Wiki: ark.wiki.gg
[/p]

This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the major challenges awaiting players with the next Astraeos update.

Buried in the ruins of Pyranthos, this ancient, multi-headed monstrosity awaits. Defeating all five hungry heads will demand teamwork, timing, and a whole lot of firepower. Cut the heads from the body and the fight shifts, but only if your team stays in sync.

Download in full resolution

This encounter is only one part of what’s arriving on [color]February 25th[/color]. Astraeos expands with Pyranthos, a massive desert landmass shaped by myth, ruin, and survival. Expect new threats above and below ground, long-abandoned arenas stirring back to life, and artifact caves that haven’t known footsteps in generations.

The desert doesn’t reward carelessness, and the Hydra exists to prove it.





[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-browser directly within the game. Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time across gaming platforms and stay tuned as we spotlight more Cross-Platform Mods each week!

This video features:

• ZUZ Map Extensions by Cezog
  
• Valky’s Rockwell Pajama by unlucky_nisis
  
• Origin Creations: Rubidgea by KatanaOC
  
• Aussie Additions: Minmi by Nickbs2
  
• Play as Dino! Beta by Finntastic
  
• Feras Fauna: Foxes by Fera_Spielt
  
• Dragon Gods by RyanLucas007
  
• BigAL’s: WAK Spino (Small Version) by BigAl_Swagbob
  

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until [color]Monday, February 2[/color].

• [color]PVP/PVE:[/color] 2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
  
• [color]Small Tribes: [/color]4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding
  
• [color]ARKpocalypse:[/color] 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding
  

Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form



[color]Creator[/color]: BEYPlaysGames
BEYPlaysGames reviews five new creature mods!
[previewyoutube]YOUTUBE URL[/previewyoutube]

[color]Creator[/color]: Etholdir
Etholdir recreated Rivendell using the newest Elven Structure Skins by kocielapki!
[previewyoutube]YOUTUBE URL[/previewyoutube]



Thank you all for participating in this contest! It was amazing to see the incredible effort put into your fan art.

[color]Winners, please have DM's open so we can reach out.[/color] Winners will be contacted from an Official account via their account used to post their entry on Discord.

Missed this contest? Keep an eye on our Community Crunch for future ones!

Prizes

• Best in Class
  
  • The best artist for each individual faction. All Best-in-Class winners and runners-ups will receive Lost Colony keys.
• The Grand Victor
  • The single artwork with the most [color]golden check marks[/color] overall decides which faction claims the Discord.
    
  • Grand Victor rewards include:
    • Server Banner: The winning artwork becomes the faction’s pinned banner for the week.
      
    • Exclusive Role: The Grand Victor receives a unique “Champion of the Lost Colony” role.
      
  • The Grand Prize:
    • TOTAL DISCORD SERVER TAKEOVER!
    • The winning faction will conquer this Discord for a full week.

The Grand Victor: TRESPASSERS by tekark_01


Best-in-Class [TRESPASSERS] by hotbananah


Runner-up [TRESPASSERS] by arrynhellfire


Runner-up [TRESPASSERS] by arwenndelta


Best-in-Class [CORRUPTED] by shockal


Runner-up [CORRUPTED] by fluffyfurry6663


Runner-up [CORRUPTED] by lohikaarne


Best-in-Class [DAMNED] by srdev


Runner-up [DAMNED] by golden_kivi


Runner-up [DAMNED] by raphi455


[h3]Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard[/h3]

Twitter: twitter.com/survivetheark
Discord: discord.com/invite/playark
Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark
Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark
Twitch: twitch.tv/survivetheark
Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110
Youtube: youtube.com/survivetheark
Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark
Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark
Official Wiki: ark.wiki.gg

Astraeos expands in a big way on [color]February 25th[/color] with the arrival of Pyranthos, a vast new desert landmass shaped by myth, ruin, and survival. Far from an empty wasteland, Pyranthos is a hostile, ancient region where shifting sands give way to forgotten structures, buried pathways, and environments designed to test preparation as much as curiosity. This is a place built for exploration, but it doesn’t reward carelessness.

Download in full resolution

Beyond the desert itself, this update pushes Astraeos forward with new challenges across the map. Powerful creatures roam both the surface and the depths below, ancient forces stir in long-abandoned arenas, previously unexplored artifact caves beckon the curious, and new boss encounters await those ready to face them.

This major Astraeos update launches February 25, introducing new explorable areas, boss fights, caves, and more. We’ll share more as we get closer, but for now, sharpen your blades and prepare for the heat. The desert is watching.



Since we last checked in, the Live Ops team has been focused on closing out several high-impact post-launch issues and stabilising crashes and edge cases.

We’ve resolved the issue affecting Outpost and resource cache spawning, and addressed possession-related problems, including cases where thralls could fall through the mesh when returning to players. We’ve also fixed an issue that could cause the Lost Queen encounter to fail with larger groups, and made it possible to participate in Outpost missions while possessing thralls.

Alongside this, we’ve addressed an issue where replicators could be used to block Quetzals equipped with a platform saddle, preventing an unintended “cheese” setup that allowed for unfair PvP advantages. We continue to work through other reported quirks as they’re confirmed and locked in.

Looking ahead, Gloon balance changes are coming next week. We’re also working through a character screen crash and additional map fixes, which are still in progress and will roll out with our next major version update..

As always, thanks for the detailed reports. They’ve been instrumental in helping us prioritise and validate fixes as we move forward.



[previewyoutube]MODSPOLIGHTLINK[/previewyoutube]
Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-browser directly within the game. Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time across gaming platforms and stay tuned as we spotlight more Cross-Platform Mods each week!

This video features:

• Modern House by Weiyi_UE
  
• Eternal Chaos by IcyDog7272
  
• Lost Knights Skin pack by Drunken Galleon Studio
  
• Fearsome Fashion by Jams_uWu
  

Survivor, the sun is setting on Arat Prime, and the war for the city is in full swing.

This is no longer just about survival. It is about dominion.
Three forces now clash for control of the Necrocene.
We want you to bring that conflict to life, through the lens of your chosen faction.
The Faction Art Contest begins.

Pick your side, draw your allegiance, and help your faction conquer the Lost Colony.

• Voting Start: Friday, January 23rd
  
• Winners Announced: Friday, January 30th
  

To vote

• Head over to the ⁠[color]#lostcolony-submissions[/color] on the [color]Official ARK Discord[/color].
  
• React with the [color]golden check mark[/color] on the artworks you like best.
  
• You can vote on as many art as you want, but only reactions with the special [color]golden check mark[/color] count!
  

• Best in Class
  
  • The best artist for each individual faction. All Best-in-Class winners and runners-up will receive Lost Colony keys.
• The Grand Victor
  • The single artwork with the most [color]golden check marks[/color] overall decides which faction claims the Discord.
    
  • Grand Victor rewards include:
    • Server Banner: The winning artwork becomes the faction’s pinned banner for the week.
      
    • Exclusive Role: The Grand Victor receives a unique “Champion of the Lost Colony” role.
      
  • The Grand Prize:
    • TOTAL DISCORD SERVER TAKEOVER!
    • The winning faction will conquer this Discord for a full week.

Not an artist? You can still fight for your side.

React to [color]this post[/color] with the emoji of your chosen faction in the ARK Discord to gain a special role.

The faction with the most pledges at the end of the contest will receive a special community reward.

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until [color]Monday, January 26[/color].

• [color]PVP/PVE:[/color] 2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
  
• [color]Small Tribes: [/color]4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding
  
• [color]ARKpocalypse:[/color] 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding
  

Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form



[color]Creator[/color]: Mystic on Ark
Mystic shows you to get yourself a majestic Aureliax!
[previewyoutube]YOUTUBE URL[/previewyoutube]

[color]Creator[/color]: ClickTockClock
ClickTockClock shows you the most effective ways to get raw meat and where to find plant species R seeds on Lost Colony!
[previewyoutube]YOUTUBE URL[/previewyoutube]



Soldier by BumpySlays22


The Portal by Alkonavi


Yi Ling by lizalfoes


Absolute Gloonema by TheCasualArts


Among gods and beasts, skies still remain ruled by them by @WolfTek7


Are you sure this is Safe? by Umbra-Daiwrfol


Fluffy Snow Owl, looking so warm! by @aoimao_222




Photo Mode by @chikuwa_ark


I'm givin' the Snow Owl some love with my boy, Aegyo! by frisk_lycanias


My Ultimate All-in-One Lost Colony Base! by lolsatlance


Photo Mode by savkyn


Snarl is a good dog by anhagath


[h3]Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard[/h3]

Twitter: twitter.com/survivetheark
Discord: discord.com/invite/playark
Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark
Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark
Twitch: twitch.tv/survivetheark
Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110
Youtube: youtube.com/survivetheark
Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark
Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark
Official Wiki: ark.wiki.gg

[p]We hope your year’s off to a good start, and that you’ve had a chance to spend some time recharging over the holidays, whether that meant catching up with loved ones, getting outside, or sneaking in a few extra gaming sessions. However you rang in the new year, it’s been great seeing players carving out their foothold in Lost Colony, sharing their stories, and pushing deeper into its frozen reaches.[/p][p][/p][p]As the team comes back together and this new year gets going, we’re turning our focus to what’s coming next. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Looking ahead, we want to share a high-level outline of what’s on the horizon for ARK: Survival Ascended.[/p][p]Below, you’ll find an updated product roadmap highlighting major upcoming expansions and releases planned across 2026 and into 2027, giving you an overview of what you can expect in the coming year.[/p][p]

Download in full resolution[/p][p][/p][p][color]Survival of the Fittest by Studio Sirens[/color]: A new vision for the free Mod within ASA, refreshed and improved with better mechanics, competitive matchmaking systems, and meta game reward loops. Being developed by the Studio Sirens team![/p][p][/p][p][color]Bob's True Tales: Tides of Fortune[/color]: Continue the journey of Bob and Meeka after the events of Lost Colony, as they seek out the Evercave where ancient secrets have been buried. Meanwhile, on a [color]revamped Genesis Part 1[/color], enjoy a rollicking maritime adventure over a map-wide Ocean biome with real water physics, customizable pirate ships, randomized semi-procedural islands & fortresses, and big naval battles across the high-seas![/p][p][/p][p][color]ASA World Creator[/color]: Want to make maps but don't want to learn the ARK Dev Kit, or don't have a high-powered PC? With the ASA World Creator, you'll be able to do basic editing of existing maps or even create whole new ones, entirely from within the game itself, on any ASA platform, and share them with other players via the Mod Browser, using a new “World Creator” mode. While you won't be able to generate new art assets in “World Creator”, or do the deep construction associated with the full Dev Kit, you will be able to place and modify actors (and create reusable templates), edit their properties, edit overall world settings, add & configure volumes & spawners, apply mods and skin packs, and add simple functional text scripting. In other words, the “World Creator” will be the easiest and fastest way for novice and beginning creators to build a custom environment for their server or their friends, or for builders to assemble their ultimate visual showcase that other players can download & play in![/p][p][/p][p][color]Dragontopia[/color]: A mythical world of fire, stone, and sky, this non-canonical expansion pack will revolutionize how taming and creature interactions can work within ARK. Answer the riddle of flame with us in December![/p][p][/p][p][color]Atlantis[/color]: From the dynamic rolling seas to the depths of the vast sunken city itself, the non-canonical map of Atlantis will build on the mechanics of Tides of Fortune, presenting Studio Wildcard’s ultimate vision for water-oriented ARK gameplay and world design.[/p][p][/p][p][color]Bob's True Tales: Galaxy Wars[/color]: On the world of Arat, old legends never die, with all being revealed as Bob and Meeka's journey reaches an end. While on a [color]revamped Genesis Part 2[/color], a new giant map-sized outerspace biome takes the battle outside the Seed Ship as starfighers, bombers, capital ships, and colonizable planetoids are up for grabs in a fight to control the fate of humanity.[/p][p][/p][p][color]Legacy of Santiag[/color]: Everything leads to this -- after an unyielding power is unleashed across Arat, heroes old and new join the veteran survivors on a quest unlike anything seen before. Completely redesigned gameplay mechanics and features, coupled with a totally new way to enjoy living on this new world of ARK, in this standalone expansion series comprising the future of ARK.[/p][p]
Also in 2026-2027, Survivors can expect many new creatures, TLC's, holiday events, QOL improvements, upgraded legacy maps, and other surprises for the game they know & love![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Performance remains a major focus for us this year, and a key part of that work is our upcoming Unreal Engine 5.7 upgrade, currently targeting April.[/p][p]Compared to its October 2023 launch, ARK: Survival Ascended currently runs roughly 40–50% better on the same hardware, the result of ongoing optimization and engine improvements. The move to Unreal Engine 5.7 is expected to push that further, with an additional ~30–40% performance gain across both CPU and GPU.[/p][p]Much of this comes from deeper engine-level changes Epic has made in recent Unreal Engine versions. Unreal Engine 5.6 introduced major improvements to how work is shared across the game thread, render thread, CPU, and GPU, allowing systems to run far more efficiently in parallel. Unreal Engine 5.7 builds on that with a new Nanite-based foliage rendering system that significantly improves performance in large, vegetation-heavy environments, which is especially relevant for ARK.[/p][p][/p][p]Internally, we’re already seeing meaningful gains on existing maps without sacrificing visuals or memory. This is about as close to a “magic bullet” as performance work gets, a rare case where it’s an unalloyed win.[/p][p]There’s still work to do before release, including engine prep, testing, and recooking mods to ensure everything continues to run smoothly. But this upgrade represents the most significant performance gain ASA will see this year, and something players should feel directly and dramatically once it’s in their hands. It also, ahem, unlocks the potential for a certain portable console port of the crossplatform game…[/p][p]
[/p][p]
We’re getting ready to roll out the first major update for ARK: Lost Colony this weekend, bringing balance and progression adjustments alongside a range of fixes and polish informed by early player feedback.[/p][p]This update addresses a lot of pain points from the Expansion’s launch last month, and it sets the foundation for what’s next as we continue refining the Lost Colony experience. You’ll find the full patch notes below. As always, thank you to everyone who’s been sharing valuable reports, feedback, and suggestions.[/p][p]We’ll continue polishing Lost Colony and iterating on improvements, and you can expect major updates with similar scope of improvement each week over the near-term.[/p][p][/p][p]Balance Changes[/p]

• [p]Resource Caches:[/p]
  • [p]Reduced wave count from 5 to 3[/p]
  • [p]Removed Neophytes[/p]
  • [p]Increase XP awarded from spawned enemies by 5x[/p]
  • [p]Restore 20% health to the Resource Cache after completing each wave[/p]
  • [p]Increased the chances of getting Artic Armor/Fabricated Weaponry
    [/p]
• [p] Ossidon:[/p]
  • [p]During Taming, Wild Ossidon heals back to 100% after dismounting the player[/p]
  • [p]Ossidon’s taming time limit and num icicles/dino’s required now scales with taming speed multiplier config
    [/p]
• [p]Fabricated Crossbow:[/p]
  • [p] Increased Fabricated Crossbow damage in Sniper mode by 33%[/p]
  • [p] Increased Fabricated Crossbow base durability by 50%
    [/p]
• [p]Holo-Decoy[/p]
  • [p]Reduced Holo-Decoy crafting requirements by approximately 30%[/p]
  • [p]Removed Gunpowder as a Holo-Decoy crafting requirement
    [/p]

[p]Bug fixes:[/p]

• [p]Fixed a case where a player inventory would visually disappear after teleporting away with a thrall[/p]
• [p]Speculative fix for players being unable to access terminals on LC map[/p]
• [p]Aureliax, Sky gate no longer blocks projectiles[/p]
• [p]Aureliax, Fixed a case were the entering render distance would change its head rotation[/p]
• [p]When Veilwyn transforms, it should now keep its spayed/neutered status [/p]
• [p]Fast traveling with beds, should no longer break Solwyn mini-game buff[/p]
• [p]Solwyn/Malwyn should now update Imprint bonus correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed a case where Malwyn would rarely become invincible during missions[/p]
• [p]Fixed another Feline form exploit.[/p]
• [p]Beaver dams can now spawn on LC map[/p]
• [p]Desmodus Mini boss will no longer stretch dinos and thralls when picked up[/p]
• [p]LC Ambient sounds should no longer be stacking. [/p]
• [p]Maeguana, can now enable nursing while underwater[/p]
• [p]Fixed a zero gravity bug with a bison attack[/p]
• [p]When controlling a thrall, it will now return back to the player character when teleporting into the boss arena.[/p]
• [p]Fixed up some LC explorer notes, not being translated properly[/p]
• [p]Improved Lost colony spawn points[/p]
• [p]LC “City” Spawn will no longer be the default spawn location in the list[/p]
• [p]Fixed a case were Thralls could spawn inside of each other[/p]
• [p]Updated "Ambushing Strike" description to match its effects[/p]
• [p]Fixed a couple of LC map holes[/p]
• [p]Fixed some LC assets not having proper collision[/p]
• [p]Updated LC ascension explorer note icon[/p]
• [p]Added some missing audio from waterfalls on LC map[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with TheCenter displaying the wrong textures, while on Epic graphic settings[/p]
• [p]Upsell for LC should no longer display incorrectly when set to chinese[/p]
• [p]Higher Quality Tek Armour should now cost the appropriate amount when repairing[/p]
• [p]Fixed a lighting issue with Character creator, on consoles[/p]
• [p]Client crash fix when users attempt to load into the game. While in proximity of a taxidermy equipped with a custom cosmetic[/p]
• [p]Fixed a Crash when attempting to ascend with a Thrall[/p]
• [p]Fixed a couple of Server Crashes[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Survivor, the sun is setting on Arat Prime, and the war for the city has begun. This is no longer just about survival. It is about dominion. Three forces now clash for control of the Necrocene. We want you to bring that conflict to life, through the lens of your chosen faction. The Faction Art Contest begins. Pick your side, draw your allegiance, and help your faction conquer the Lost Colony. [/p][p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]Entries Open: Friday, December 19th[/p]
• [p]Entries Close: Monday, January 19th[/p]
• [p]Finalist & Voting Announced: Friday, January 23rd[/p]
• [p]Winners Announced: Friday, January 30th[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Choose your muse carefully. Each faction carries its own visual identity. [/p][p][/p][p]The Vibe: Scrappy, defiant, warm. The Lore: You are the survivors. You do not belong here, but you refuse to die. You bring fire to the ice and technology to the ruins. You are the spark in the dark. [/p][p][/p][p]The Vibe: Cold, regal, gothic. The Lore: The Lost King’s eternal army. They are the statues that watch you, and the guards that hunt you. Woven into the architecture itself, silent and deadly. [/p][p][/p][p]The Vibe: Twisted, alien, neon. The Lore: Rockwell’s nightmare has leaked into the city. Spikes, tentacles, madness. They are the chaos devouring all remaining order. [/p][p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]Create an original piece of art representing one of the three factions[/p]
• [p]Submit your work in the #lostcolony-submissions thread on the ARK Discord[/p]
• [p]CRITICAL: Your post must begin with the faction tag[/p]

• [p][TRESPASSER][/p]
• [p][DAMNED][/p]
• [p][CORRUPTED][/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]We will select a shortlist for each faction, then open voting to the community to determine: [/p]

• [p]Best in Class[/p]

• [p]The best artist for each individual faction. All Best-in-Class winners and runners-up will receive Lost Colony keys.[/p]

1. [p]The Grand Victor[/p]

• [p]The single artwork with the most votes overall decides which faction claims the Discord.[/p]
• [p]Grand Victor rewards include:[/p]

• [p]Server Banner: The winning artwork becomes the faction’s pinned banner for the week.[/p]
• [p]Exclusive Role: The Grand Victor receives a unique “Champion of the Lost Colony” role.[/p]

1. [p]The Grand Prize:[/p]

• [p]TOTAL DISCORD SERVER TAKEOVER![/p]
• [p]The winning faction will conquer this Discord for a full week.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]Your submission must be on theme.[/p]
• [p]You need to have the rights to the image you submit. No copyrighted material or artwork made by others without consent.[/p]
• [p]One submission per user. No multiple submissions or submissions across multiple categories.[/p]
• [p]Content must follow server rules:[/p]

• [p]No NSFW, derogatory, discriminatory, or disrespectful content.[/p]
• [p]PG-13 only.[/p]
• [p]No AI-generated content.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Not an artist? You can still fight for your side. React to this post with the emoji of your chosen faction in the ARK Discord to gain a special role. The faction with the most pledges at the end of the contest will receive a special community reward. [/p][p][/p][p][color]ARKpocalypse servers have been wiped today![/color] [color]What is ARKpocalypse?[/color] [/p]

• [p] ARKpocalypse are monthly-wipe servers with higher than usual rates.
  [/p]
• [p] Next wipe: [color]February 6th, 2026[/color][/p]

[p]You can join them by typing "Arkpocalypse" in the server browser! Happy Surviving!
[/p][p]This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until [color]Monday, January 12[/color].
[/p]

• [p][color]PVP/PVE:[/color]2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
  [/p]
• [p][color]Small Tribes: [/color]4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding
  [/p]
• [p][color]ARKpocalypse:[/color] 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding[/p]

[p]Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

[/p][p] [color]Creator[/color]:Etholdir
A looming Gothic Vampire castle is slowly taking over the cliffs, casting shadows over the valley.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[color]Creator[/color]: Raasclark
Raasclark goes over all the creature locations you need to know in Lost Colony!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Banish the darkness by @falco_luna

[p]ARK Lost Colony, but it's Antonblast by gman2006
[/p][p]Malwyn by @SS38529630
[/p][p]Unite the past, and the future by @TekARK_01
[/p][p]ARK Cryolophosaurus wandering through the snow biome by @rainesaur
[/p][p][/p][p]Photo Mode by baha88
[/p][p]My new favorite dino by frozen_soap
[/p][p]Loving this city by nesvog
[/p][p]Photo Mode by catcatswaggin
[/p][p]Revenant Malwyn by anhagath
[/p][h3]Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard[/h3][p]
Twitter: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
Discord: discord.com/invite/playark
Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark
Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark
Twitch: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110
Youtube: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark
Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark
Official Wiki: ark.wiki.gg