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ARK: Survival Ascended News

Community Crunch 396: Gigantoraptor Spotlight, Love Ascended, and More!


We are thrilled to see the excitement around the new Custom Cosmetic System and Simple Framework. If you missed it, you can read about it in our first Community Bite. Remember Love Evolved - our Valentine's Day event starting on February 13th! Also, if you missed Garuga's Let's Build Stream, you can catch up on Session 1 now!


Download in full resolution

Behold the queen of helicopter parenting, Gigantoraptor, soon to grace the prehistoric landscape of The Center! With a love larger than life, this majestic creature fiercely guards its brood while exuding elegance and danger with its colorful plumage and razor-sharp claws. Get ready to witness the awe-inspiring presence of Gigantoraptor with the release of The Center later this month.

Here is the dossier again, in case you missed it.





[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser 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:


Download in full resolution

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 Tuesday, February 13, 2024, and will continue to spread joy and affection until Tuesday, February 20, 2024, on Official Servers.

  • Starts on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 10:00am PST
  • Ends on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, 10:00am PST
  • Love Bugs *new*
  • Vday Coel
  • Valentine’s Fishing Rod *new*
  • Love Bug Hearts *new*
  • Festive Dino Candy
  • Box o' Chocolates (Now also reduce mating cooldown by 20% of current time remaining)
  • Bear Hug Swimsuit
  • Odd Couple Swimsuit
  • Sauropod Heart Swimsuit
  • Cupid Couture Bottom Skin
  • Cupid Couture Top Skin
  • Halo Headband Skin
  • Heart-shaped Sunglasses Skin
  • Heart Spring Hat
  • Cuddle Rex Sweater
  • Bow & Eros Skin
  • Heart-shaped Shield Skin
  • Teddy Bear Grenade Skin
  • Love Shackles Skin
  • Heart Spring Hat *new*
  • Cuddle Rex Sweater *new*
  • Love-Bed *new*
  • Flirty Emote
  • Heart Emote
  • Self Hug Emote
  • Jade
  • PineGreen
  • SpruceGreen
  • LeafGreen
  • Dino Light Blue
  • WyvernBlue0
  • PowderBlue
  • Glacial
  • DarkViolet
  • DarkLavender
  • MediumLavender
  • Lavender
  • Dino Light Red
  • Dino Light Purple
  • LightPink
  • Magenta
  • DeepPink
  • Red
  • Dark Red
  • DragonFire
  • Dark Magenta
  • Dino Albino
  • NearWhite
  • Cream





[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Thanks to everyone who participated in Garuga123's Let's Build Stream. If you missed it, you can watch the recorded video posted above to learn more about the visual aspects of modding.

Be sure to check the schedule below so you don't miss the next live stream!

Session 2
  • February 17th, 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
  • Blueprinting - setting up the actual character BPs
Session 3
  • March 2nd, 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
  • Going Live - getting the mod prepped, testing issues, uploading, etc.
Watch on Garuga or on SurvivetheArk's Twitch channels!



This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, February 12th.
  • PVP/PVE: 3x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
  • Small Tribes: 5.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 5x Breeding
  • ARKpocalypse: 6x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding


Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

Help us discover your talent by tagging your art with #ARKPhotoMode or #ARKFanart on social media!



Creator: Game_Changer
Game Changer have gone full on Medieval Roleplay in their first ever modded base on Svartalfheim!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Creator: Sanyxs
Sanyxs plays ARK's newest mod: Super Steamboat Willie!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Ark Wyvern-Gray Art by GrayshadowArt


Slow and steady: aberrant by BettleKettle


Fantasy Spinosaurus by Rebecca "DarkEdgeTV"


Dodo Dave by Cadan R. Dale


Allosaurus by Brón Ilves


Model painting and Custom base Commission! by dar-k-stuff


Welcome to ASA by @falco_luna




Got inspiration from Skyrim's Solitude to build this, I've called it Frosthold by u/JackKerwood


Magna Gecko is probably one of if not the cutest mod creature by u/-Swank-


Argy mutations by flamekeeper2224


Photo Mode by @J0K3R_GaNg


Love Photomode by viirella


Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard

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

Community Bite: Super Steamboat Willie, Custom Cosmetics, Transfers and More!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The modding community has always been a large part of the beating heart of ARK. We've celebrated your creativity through contests, official mods, and even abducting some of you onto our little team. We’ve always dreamt of an ARK where players and modders could unleash their creativity, not just on their own servers, but on the official stage. Where dino-riding adventures could be dynamically splashed with unlimited customization reshaped by fantastical mods.  

That dream is finally a reality. Player-created cosmetics have finally landed on both Official and Unofficial Servers and the Simple Game Framework is live!




We know you're itching to get started, and we want to make onboarding as smooth as possible. The Custom Cosmetic Mods approved for use on Official Servers will be “Featured” on the Mods List UI. That way, everyone can more easily discover what’s allowed on the Official Network. While we're cooking up a longer-term solution to indicate which Custom Cosmetics are approved for use on Official Servers – and more will be dynamically added daily as they are submitted by creators. 

Currently you will need to manually install Custom Cosmetic Mods in order to see and use them (they don’t need to be manually activated – just installed), but in Phase 2 by April 1 they will automatically download them in the background whenever you encounter them during gameplay. Note: automatic downloading will be an option which servers and clients can respectively disable, and clients will also be able to selectively block individual cosmetics.

Of course, we're not just going to throw tools your way and say "good luck”! We’ve included the Steamboat Willie Cosmetics, Clean Glass Wall, Party Lamp Post, Tic Tac Toe Table, and Gun Rack examples that you can download and use now on Official Servers and we’ll be releasing the source content for this so creators can see precisely how we’ve set things up! We will be releasing a ‘Custom Cosmetic Weapon Skin’ example shortly as well.

Find out more by looking at the featured mods or reading more about the custom cosmetic system in our previous crunch! If you’re interested in using the Custom Cosmetics system on your own server, check out our patch notes for some helpful settings.  As this system continues to advance (still to come: the ability for authors to add new hairstyles, emotes, etc), we’re looking forward to the infinite variety of visual and functional customizations that the creative authors will be adding for use on all Servers 🙂






We put some resources into building a powerful, flexible framework – the Simple Game Framework – that enables creators to build entire new games from scratch inside of ARK, using the Unreal Engine Blueprint foundational classes (without being limited to our own classes). Custom maps, game modes, even entirely new experiences within, or outside, the ARK universe! To get those gears turning, we're including a fully playable platformer built with the framework, along with the source for that in the ARK Dev Kit, and it’s just a tiny glimpse of what's possible. The resources we dedicated to this system? Worth every byte. Now, those resources are back on ARK: Survival Ascended, and we're laser-focused on getting Scorched Earth to you in April!

Get started by downloading the dev kit or check out the platformer example for inspiration!




The day has finally arrived! You can now move items, creatures, and characters onto the map without restriction!
Transfers are only for Official Servers at the moment, but we’re working to expand the functionality to Unofficial Servers as well.  We’ve also launched some new non-transfer Official PvP servers that will permanently have transfers disabled.  You can find a list of those servers below:
  • NA-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland500
  • NA-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland501
  • NA-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland502
  • NA-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland503
  • NA-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland504
  • EU-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland505
  • EU-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland506
  • EU-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland507
  • EU-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland508
  • EU-PVP-Isolated-TheIsland509
  • NA-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland510
  • NA-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland511
  • NA-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland512
  • NA-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland513
  • NA-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland514
  • EU-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland515
  • EU-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland516
  • EU-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland517
  • EU-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland518
  • EU-PVP-IsolatedSmallTribes-TheIsland519

So, what are you waiting for!? Unleash your creativity, explore the boundless potential of custom cosmetics and the Simple Game Framework. The ARK universe is bigger and more vibrant than ever, and it's now yours to shape. We hope you dive in, experiment, and let your imagination run wild!
 

Studio Wildcard

Twitter: twitter.com/survivetheark

Discord: discord.com/invite/playark

Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark

Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark

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Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110

Youtube: youtube.com/survivetheark

Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark

Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark

Official Wiki: ark.wiki.gg

Community Crunch 395: Love Ascended, Mod Spotlight, Bonus Rates, and More!


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In this video, a Survivor encounters a surprise User-Created Cosmetic Costume dynamically added onto any server, including official servers.... and then, journey into the brave new world of Total Conversions using the new Mod game framework, which enables nearly anything that Unreal Engine can do to be released as a cross-platform Mod. We've created a quick example to show one way to use it.

And then next up, the Mod Spotlight features basic examples of player-created Custom Structures which as of next week can be dynamically added onto any server, including Official Servers, allowing infinite functionality and visual variety. Finally, onto the Cross-Platform Mods released this week!

This video features:


Download in full resolution

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 Tuesday, February 13, 2024, and will continue to spread joy and affection until Tuesday, February 20, 2024, on Official Servers. We'll have the full event details in the Community Crunch next week!


Are you interested in modding for ARK? Here's your chance to dive in! Our seasoned modding expert, Garuga123, will guide you through the creative process of making a new character - from animations to physics. This three part series will start on Saturday, February 3rd, at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Pacific and continue every other week at the same time.

Bring your questions, enthusiasm, and a thirst for knowledge as we embark on this modding journey together. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from one of our most popular modding members.

Session 1
  • February 3rd, 10 AM - 12PM Pacific
  • Visual elements - starting a new character, setting up the animations, mesh, physics, etc.
Session 2
  • February 17th, 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
  • Blueprinting - setting up the actual character BPs
Session 3
  • March 2nd, 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
  • Going Live - getting the mod prepped, testing issues, uploading, etc.
Watch on Garuga or on SurvivetheArk's Twitch channels!


This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, February 02nd.
  • PVP/PVE: 1.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 1.5x Breeding
  • Small Tribes: 4x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 3.5x Breeding
  • ARKpocalypse: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience + 4.5x Breeding


Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

Help us discover your talent by tagging your art with #ARKPhotoMode or #ARKFanart on social media!



Creator: I BARDEN I
Visit The Island's own Minas Tirith. This build by Barden Builds is an absolute must-see!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Creator: TekARK_01
Check out the stunning evolution of TekARK_01's artwork over the years!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Pair of Drakes by Rackiera


A curious visitor by Umbra-Daiwrfol


Fan Art by bluntscissors147


In the tree tops by EchidnaQuills


Ark 2, desmodus encounter! by @StudiosGoji


Hey, everyone, you're still using me, right? by @falco_luna


A little parasaur by @Hinna_Otter




Sunset by soittoday


Something is out there! by scotty73


Pego in the wild by nemesisstar


Good night with a little fantastic photo by @enjoy_toubyou


Level up Argentavis! by @hamubarg


Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard

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


Community Crunch 394: Custom Cosmetic System, Bonus Rates, and More!


Remember the upcoming Simple Game Framework and Custom Cosmetic system we unveiled last week for the Development Kit? Well, this week we're diving deep into how you will be able to unleash your inner architect and fashionista to transform your ARK experience!

The new "Custom Cosmetic" system allows players to dynamically apply player-generated costumes to players and dinos, end-user-created skins to armors and weapons, and end-user-created skins to all the game's structures. These can have endless client-side functionality, including network messaging and limited persistent replicated data storage. For structures, this effectively enables infinite visual variety and functional enhancement through player-created cosmetics, which do not require any server-updating or loading onto the server.
  • Phase 1, launching Feb 1, will require clients to manually install such Custom Cosmetic Mods in order to see and use them on Official Servers.
  • Phase 2, launching April 1, will automatically download them in the background when encountered during gameplay. Note: Clients can disable usage of these globally or per-Mod-ID. Servers can disable globally or use a whitelist (we suggest servers use our official whitelist, which will be the default). The cosmetics allowed on official servers will be dynamically-white-listed on a daily basis by Overwolf and Studio Wildcard to avoid any exploity or issue-causing cosmetics.

Here are some initial functional Structure Custom Cosmetics that we'll be launching next week, as simple examples to show Modders some things that can easily be done in addition to visual swaps:

  • Can be placed over any normal wall & turns it into an adjustable glass panel (can hide borders to create larger or different-sized panes & can make it opaque, transparent, or one-way)
  • Can be placed over the normal or the omnidirectional lamppost. Adds the ability to set a primary & secondary color (White, Red, Green, Blue, or the paint color of the light), a primary & secondary intensity (off, low, medium, high) & a blink speed (fast, slow). Fast blinking creates a strobe effect & slow blinking blinks every second. The slow blinking is synchronized to the network time so that turning on multiple lamps will keep them all blinking in sync. (network time is overkill for this, but we wanted to give modders an example that’s useful for longer periods as well)


  • Two players can play a game of tic tac toe on the wooden table. Keeps a running total game wins & identifies players by their unique ID string, so should be able to keep playing across sessions (no time out, so can each make a move when back at base... the game can be reset at any time, though).





[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser 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:




Are you interested in modding for ARK? Here's your chance to dive in! Our seasoned modding expert, Garuga123, will guide you through the creative process of making a new character - from animations to physics. This three part series will start on Saturday, February 3rd, at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Pacific and continue every other week at the same time.

Bring your questions, enthusiasm, and a thirst for knowledge as we embark on this modding journey together. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from one of our most popular modding members.

Session 1
  • February 3rd, 10 AM - 12PM Pacific
  • Visual elements - starting a new character, setting up the animations, mesh, physics, etc.
Session 2
  • February 17th, 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
  • Blueprinting - setting up the actual character BPs
Session 3
  • March 2nd, 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
  • Going Live - getting the mod prepped, testing issues, uploading, etc.
Watch on Garuga or on SurvivetheArk's Twitch channels!




This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, January 29h.
  • PVP/PVE: 1.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 1.5x Breeding
  • Small Tribes: 4x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 3.5x Breeding
  • ARKpocalypse: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience + 4.5x Breeding



Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

Help us discover your talent by tagging your art with #ARKPhotoMode or #ARKFanart on social media!



Creator: Veno feat. Raasclark
Veno and Raasclark's editors have a minute to draw Ark Creatures from memory. Then Veno and Raasclark have to guess (by taming) what creature it is!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Creator: MissVadams
A beginners guide to ARK: Survival Ascended; how to tame your very first dino!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Fan art by rainichor


Light Pets by @ewo_zaur


ARK Mosasaurus by @DW_ARK


Sky by @WolfTek7


An ill-tempered stegosaur by @Fern_paleo1


Mía vs giga by @StudiosGoji


Lava Lizard by BumpySlays22




Minas Tirith, capital of Gondor (no mods) by I BARDEN I


One King To Rule Them All by ar0y2810


The sea is so wide, so big, so scary by @sulumee55


The Challenger by @SwordswiperYt


Photo Mode by cosmicman5455


Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard

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


Community Crunch 393: Simple Game Framework, Oasisaur Concept, and More!


Hey survivors, we’re back with a few updates and a few new surprises too 😉! Let’s Raptor pounce right into our plans for Jan 31st that will ignite your creativity and fuel your adventures:


We’re excited to announce a date for the upgraded ARK Development Kit with an eye-catching side-scroller mod example. On Jan 31st, we’ll be releasing an update to the development kit that provides more ways to bend ARK to your imagination, with features that were previously locked away now at your fingertips!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Here's a work-in-progress sneak peek of our upcoming two-player side-scroller example mod. The simple game framework uses no gameplay code from ARK: Survival Ascended, and has been stripped down to the foundational Unreal classes, so anything you could do in Unreal Engine 5. You'll have the ability to create your own unique games, and they could be released on ARK, changing as much or as little as you'd like!


We're introducing an upgraded cosmetics system, letting players forge their own visual masterpieces for structures, costumes, and more. Best of all, they can be used on any server without the need for the servers to download a mod. It can all happen under the hood of your client, including on Official Servers! So decorate your bases and suit up how you'd like! In a later update, these custom visuals will automatically download in the background while you explore, so get ready to discover fresh surprises on structures, items, and characters every time you venture around the ARK!


Spice things up with our brand-new premium mod initiative, launching on January 31st! These high-quality mods, moderated by CurseForge and Wildcard, look to add a whole new layer of excitement to your ARK experience.


We had to iron out a few kinks in the server transfer system and move the date back to Jan 31st. Once enabled, players will be able to download items and creatures onto the map without restriction.

We will also launch some fresh non-transfer Official PvP servers at this time and we’ll share more info on those prior.


Download in full resolution

The Oasisaur, a gentle giant, stands as a living sanctuary, offering protection and sustenance to all creatures in its vicinity. With its unique ability to create a safe haven, it shields players from environmental threats and hostile creatures, though it offers little defense against other players. This majestic creature offers a beacon of tranquility on this scorching earth.





[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser 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:




Are you interested in modding for ARK? Here's your chance to dive in! Our seasoned modding expert, Garuga123, will be going live with Overwolf on Twitch to guide you through the creative process.

Bring your questions, enthusiasm, and a thirst for knowledge as we embark on this modding journey together. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from one of our most popular modding members.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 27, at 10:00 AM Pacific, and let's build something amazing!

Watch on Overwolf or on SurvivetheArk!



ARK is now on wiki.gg Redirect! Install wiki.gg redirector to find the best resources curated by the community!

What is wiki.gg Redirect?
wiki.gg Redirect is a browser extension that automatically redirects you from wikis that are abandoned from Fandom to wiki.gg. It will also adjust Google's search results to try and populate the wiki instead of Fandom's SEO.


Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

Help us discover your talent by tagging your art with #ARKPhotoMode or #ARKFanart on social media!



Creator: LolsAtLance
Discover an aquatic marvel in ARK: Survival Ascended with LolsAtLance's Ocean Base Resort, elegantly perched on stilts amid a vibrant coral reef. 
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Creator: Jimbob
Jimbob has taken his first steps toward conquering the Abyss!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Another Ravager variant by @N4STYR4BBiT


Slow and Steady by BettleKettle


Fan Art by runawaymac


Sugar Kitty by Mushirra


Wolf King and Penguin Buddy by Wheatart


Megalania by 20CMills02


Nezuyu's Zayeli by Vahilor




Finished building my lighthouse by .isibeal


Even the little critters are looking sharp by nemesisstar


Photo Mode by shadowqauntlet


Photo Mode by @LeeCoxall


Welcome to the world, little one by @nezulosaurus


Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard

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