ARK: Genesis Part 2 introduces a vast contiguous world filled with strange new biomes, story missions, and exotic creatures! The final confrontation between the spritely HLN-A and the villainous Sir Edmund Rockwell occurs on a gigantic colony ship traveling through deep space. Players will need to draw on all their ARK experience to succeed.
ARK's largest Expansion Pack yet has game-changing additions for every kind of Survivor: whether it's taking possession of enemies via brain-controlling "Noglin" creatures, zooming around doing radical tricks on the skateboard-like Hoversail, or managing and viewing your base remotely with security cameras, among tons of other new items and creatures!
This expansion pack also introduces new voiceover talent to the ARK universe with David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens) playing the villainous Sir Edmund Rockwell, and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) taking on the in-game robotic AI companion HLN-A/Helena Walker.
But even with HLN-A's help, will your powerful skills, gear, and tames be sufficient to put a stop to Rockwell's demented plans once and for all? We're about to find out because The End is Near!
Extra Life 2020! Livestream Wrap up & Reveals
We at Studio Wildcard would like to give our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful ARK community for participating in our latest 24-hour ExtraLife charity event!
With the help of our community and ExtraLife team, we placed Top 3 globally and raised over $180,000 for sick children and beat all of our past records by a significant amount, including last year's jaw-dropping $112,206.35! We couldn't have done this without the help of our generous community, our amazing sponsors, and our dedicated community who signed up to join our team.
As with prior ExtraLife events, we take this as an opportunity to share sneak peeks at upcoming content. We revealed a bunch of what we have in store for our players in genesis Part 2 including Creatures, Items, Structures, and the Environment/Biome which we'll go through in this post!
We're excited to take you on a journey into the dark mind of the villainous Rockwell as he strives towards godhood and we very much look forward to sharing more unseen Genesis Part 2 content!
Special Thanks: Syntac (Raised over $22,800), RoyaleWithCheese (Raised over $7,300), MTSArk (Raised over $6000), RoycePlayers (Raised Over $5000), EliteARK (Raised over $2500), Lilmonsterr (Raised over $2,300), Telmo Sampaio (Raised over $2200), PaceyAU (Raised over $1500), Belle (Raised over $1200), Shockist (Raised over $1100), Project Tiamat (Raised over $1000), KoolKyleLive (Raised over $1000) and so many more (can't name em all!)
Thanks to our sponsors: Blue Microphones, Nvidia, Nitrado, Grove Street Games, Apex Gaming PCs
Special rates
As a further thank you to our community, we will be implementing 2x rates right through to Tuesday 12 PM Pacific/3 PM Eastern.
New Creatures
Noglin
The Noglin may look cute but don't be fooled! There's a mind-bending surprise in store when it wraps around the noggin of a target -- it enables you to temporarily take control of enemy creatures, tames, or even other humans!
Shadowmane
This chimerical prowler has powerful group-cloaking abilities for all your sneaking-needs, while also making use of a lightning-fast chain-teleport-strike that can decimate groups of targets. By the time its victims are aware of its presence, it's often already too late!
Stryder
Better brush up on your hacking skills to claim one of these giant mechanical Stryders! Patrolling the colony ship, they are outfitted with a variety of randomized individual components across their body, which gives each Stryder a different potential set of unique skills whether in defense, offense, or utility!
Astrodelphis
This curious extraterrestrial creature may look like the cetaceans that once swam in Earth's oceans, but they seem to be at home in the interstellar medium, far from any planet's surface. Place the versatile Tekwing saddle on them, and they're a veritable fighter spacecraft capable of blasting targets out of the sky with lasers or homing charges or bombing them into oblivion. And yes, they can do a shot-repelling barrel roll!
GEN-X Variants
Some old friends will be making a reappearance in Genesis Part 2 -- here's an early look at our GEN-X variants, which include new versions of many previous expansions' creatures!
New Items
Hoversail
You've never really traveled until you've tried hoversailing! There's no better way to get yourself across the ring than jumping on one of these hi-tek boards and surfing the air currents, and no better feeling than skimming the skies to find the perfect tailwind while nailing flashy tricks to boost your speed!
TEK Bow
Run into trouble aboard the ship? The Federation issue TEK bow materializes arrows of any type on the fly and uses electromagnetism to shoot them at blinding velocities.
TEK Federation Suit
Suit up, survivor! You'll find this to be an upgrade from what you experienced wearing inside the Genesis simulation. This sleek, hi-tek exo-armor should protect you in a variety of otherwise lethal situations -- and best of all, on Genesis Part 2, this suit has unlimited jetpack power without the need for Element -- and Flyers are also fully supported this time around!
Canoe
Not simply just for recreation, you can pick your canoe up and place it down again in any body of water. With multiple rowers working in tandem, the canoe can travel exceptionally fast. Fishing from a canoe is especially convenient, as is the built-in cooking pot!
Minigun
Need a massive barrage of bullets to keep your enemies under pressure? What this Minigun lacks in accuracy and tendency to overheat, it makes up for in sheer firepower. Place it in stationary mode to improve its accuracy and clear targets around corners!
TEK Pistol
Each crew member will be issued a Federation phase pistol, equipped with multiple lethality settings. Take care not to aim one of these in the vicinity of any crewmate or shipboard fauna, unless it is set to healing or stun mode
New Structures
Egg Incubator
Who needs to fuss with eggs when you can use the fantastical mechanical egg incubation device to cook them to perfection? This device lets you view all the statistics and mutations of eggs and incubate them at an optimal temperature while hatching them at your convenience!
Ammobox
This handy new structure will automatically fill all nearby turrets with all the varieties of ammunition, while its floating HUD shows you its total ammo stats without the need to open the inventory (and also reflected visually with the ammunition models displayed on it).
Remote Camera Security System
Secure your base in Genesis Part 2 with the Remote Camera Security System. Issue commands, view, and communicate all from a remote location. You can even use them to spy-on and communicate with your enemies!
Loadout Mannequin
No need to scream "who moved my kit from my vault?" at your tribe mates again while your turrets are soaked and you run in circles. Kit up quick and get to those griefers by storing your loadouts on trusty Loadout Mannequins, which also visualize your gear and hotbar items, for a single-press full equipment swap!
TEK Crop Plot
Want to take up gardening aboard ship? Crew members can make use of this hi-tek crop plot to efficiently raise harvestable plants just about anywhere!
New Environment
Genesis Ship
Welcome to your new home, survivor! You've been returned to life aboard this immense vessel representing the pinnacle of mankind's ingenuity... What could have motivated so desperate a measure, to cast all of nature itself adrift in this interstellar lifeboat?
Biome 01
The idyllic sunlit meadows and rolling hills of this tranquil biome show little to indicate what's in store under the influence of Rockwell's insanity.
Biome 02
Enjoying this view, survivor? Perhaps you'd fancy a stroll along this promenade? Don't be shy -- those bridges are spacious enough for any beast you've tamed, and its observation towers offer the best vantage of the sprawling artificial gardens you see before you.
Biome 03
Creation is an exhilarating undertaking, one of the incomparable perquisites of godhood. I'm afraid you won't find much in the way of creature comforts here. This garden isn't meant for you, after all...
Biome 04
"How foolish you are, to have scurried into my inner sanctum. Did you truly expect to evade my notice here? I am this place now. And you're merely a parasite."
And of course, this isn't everything there is to see about Genesis Part 2! We have so much more in store and can't for you to check it out in March 2021! Thank you once again for tuning in this weekend and for all your fundraising efforts to help sick kids! We couldn't be more proud of our community.
TLC Pass #3
TLC Pass 3 finds its way marching through the ARK with some tender loving care for some old friends; the Mammoth and Stegosaurus have received varied gameplay and visual upgrades! This update also includes a bunch of Quality of Life changes to make your time on the ARK more enjoyable!
Patch Notes
TLC: Woolly Mammoth
New Abilities
War Drum Saddle and Buff
1 additional passenger seat on a saddle that comes equipped with a war drum that must be played to maintain an AoE buff that improves stamina regen and makes them immune to fear.
New Attacks
Tusk Sweep
Sweeps tusks left or right to gather and harvest thatch
Trunk Trumpet
Emits a trunk roar that does an AOE debuff to all enemies within range which reduces damage dealt and increases damage taken
After stepping in water, the next Trunk Trumpet used by the Mammoth will spray the rider with water, hydrating them, removing fire debuffs, and reducing their temperature.
Foot Stomp
Mammoth rears up and then puts all of its weight into a forward “slam” with its front legs to directionally knock back enemies and gather wood
Trunk Grab
Similar to the Karkinos’s grab, it is able to grab, hold, aim and release smaller targets
Stegosaurus
New Abilities
Backplate Modes Backplate passive buff and can switch between three modes. Different modes will be indicated visually
Hardened Plated: Applies a damage reduction buff; Wood harvesting benefit
Heavy Plate Mode: Applies a slow when attacking with the basic tail whip; Thatch harvesting benefit
Sharpened Plate Mode: Applies an armor penetration effect when attacking with the tail whip. Also useful for harvesting berries
New Attacks
Impaling Tail Whip
Able to impale and immobilize players and smaller creatures
Additional notes
Impaling Tail Whip
The rider is prevented from dismounting effects and attacks
Has a berry weight reduction buff
New Breedable Creatures
The insects and creatures that can now be bred are: Spider, Onyc, Moth, Scorpion, Arthropluera, Mantis and the mighty Wyverns!
The new (Wyvern are unchanged) hatching/gestation and maturation times are as follows:
Spider
Egg Hatch Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes (Matches Pachy)
Total Maturation Time: 1 day, 1 hour, and 1 minute (Matches Dimorph)
Bat
Total Gestation Time: 3 hours and 58 minutes (Matches Procoptodon)
Total Maturation Time: 1day, 4 hours, and 3 minutes (Matches Kairuku)
Moth
Egg Hatch Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (Matches Kairuku)
Total Maturation Time: 1 day, 6 hours, and 51 minutes (Matches Pegomastax)
Scorpion
Egg Hatch Time: 1 hour and 59 minutes (Matches Raptor)
Total Maturation Time: 1 day, 13 hours, and 12 minutes (Matches Raptor)
Arthropluera
Egg Hatch Time: 2 hours and 29 minutes (Matches Sarco)
Total Maturation Time: 2 days, 3 hours, and 26 minutes (Matches Stego)
Mantis
Egg Hatch Time: 2 hours and 46 minutes (Matches Stego)
Total Maturation Time: 2 days, 6 hours, and 27 minutes (Matches Tapejara)
Creature Quality of Life Changes
In addition to insect breeding, we went back and showed some love to a few of ARK's well-known inhabitants.
Giganotosaurus
Reduced maturation time by approximately 15% (Total growth is around 10~ days)
Diplocaulus
Increased base health by 33% (from 190 to 250.3)
Increased movement speed when ridden by 25%
Thylacoleo
Added a (slow draining) bleed to its basic attack
Megachelon
Reduced depth requirement for breeding so that it can be bred on other maps
Wyvern
Wyverns are now breedable (Zombie Wyverns cannot be bred)
Slight stat rebalance now that they’re breedable and to bring them in line with Crystal Wyverns
Megalodon
Reduced gestation/aging times to match Megaloceros
Pack Bonus: Damage Reduction and Damage Increase per pack member within range
Added a bleed to its basic attack
Jerboa
Increase base weight capacity from 55 to 120 (Matches Bulbdog)
Ankylosaurus
Increase metal weight reduction by 10% (from total reduction of 75% to 85%)
Doedicurus
You can now turn when rolling with a Doed (similarly to the Genesis Race Mission)
Basilisk
Now has eyes
New Feature: Taming HUD
Use the interactive taming HUD to monitor your unconscious wild tamable creatures. Keep track of the following:
Creature's Gender and Level
Taming and Unconscious Progress
Taming Effectiveness
Current Health and Food status.
Distance from your location
An option to track specific creatures via in-world waypoints (which can be hovered for an over-screen overlay displaying additional information).
Boss Element Reward Increase
We’ve decided to increase the Boss Element reward on some maps to bring the Ele more into line with where we’re at with new expansions.
Element reward from The Island bosses has been increased by 100%
Element reward from The Center bosses has been increased by 100%
Element reward from Scorched Earth has been increased by 50%
New Feature: Turret Radius Settings
A quick and easy way to update the settings of your nearby turrets within a radius. It’s set to currently match the Official Server Turret Limit radius, but players can also toggle viewing the radius on/off. The current functionality it supports is as follows:
The ability to set a pin code to all turrets in range
The ability to copy settings to all turrets in range
The ability to copy settings to pin code-selected turrets in range
The settings which can be copied are: power state, range, targeting, warning
Miscellaneous Fixes & Changes
Fixed a bug where HLN-A would jitter a lot at low client fps
Fixed a bug which allowed you to blow up 2 pieces of C4 without consuming them
Fixed the Onyx having the wrong icon
Fixed a lot of typos
Fixed a shoulder pet offset issue with the Ferox on the Gigantopithecus
Fixed a bug on localized/translated Cryopods which prevented it from displaying the correct information
Fixed multiple level-design related bugs such as holes, floating foliage, incorrect volumes, etc.
Fixed a bug which prevented you from placing Cliff Platform structures in the Genesis Part 1 Ocean Biome
Fixed a bug which broke biome specific overrides
Fixed a bug which allowed players to fly across the map with certain creatures and grappling hooks
Completely disabled the option to set teleporters as Public on Official PvP (including using them).
New Dynamic Ini options: HexagonRewardMultiplier (multiplies hex rewards for missions), BabyImprintAmountMultiplier, and BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier
Hotkey for GCM demolished has changed to "G" when using keyboard and mouse
EVO Event: Extra Life
As we reach various donation goals, we will increase the Official Server Network rates. We'll also be extending the event past the regular 24 hours as a gesture towards those with slower connections who may be downloading for a portion of the livestream.
If you are interested in joining our team to help raise money, we'd love to have you! Check out this link for more information on how to get started. All donations go to the Extra Life organization and contribute to raising the Official Network rates!
For specialized game modes, we'll be using the rates below:
And of course, this isn't everything there is to see about Genesis Part 2! We have so much more in store and can't for you to check it out in March 2021! Thank you once again for tuning in this weekend and for all your fundraising efforts to help sick kids! We couldn't be more proud of our community.
Get ready, our 24-hour Extra Life stream is approaching on November 7th at 10AM PST. We're anxious to beat or prior year record of $112,206.35 and see what good we can do for the kids through gaming and giving.
We'll be coming to you live from our Seattle Studio to bring 24 hours of entertainment, giveaways, Collector’s Edition boxes, game keys, and much more! You don't want to miss out because at the top of the hour, every hour, we will be sharing juicy Genesis 2 details and teasers. If you want to know what's in store for Genesis II, be sure to tune in!
Extra Life Events and Activities
Genesis updates from the ARK team every hour!
IRL games and mischief
ARK developer interviews
Updates from the ARK Modding Community
Official server rates bonuses as we reach our donation goals
Extra Life Donation Rewards
Studio Wildcard Goodie Bags!
Sponsor Giveaways!
Collector's Editions periodically throughout the Extra Life stream!
Genesis Season Pass giveaway periodically throughout the Extra Life stream!
ARK:Mobile Giveaways!
Milestones for increased ARK rates until end of Extra Life
Every person that donates to our team will receive a special SurviveTheARK forum badge (redeemable by a code via email). Donators over $500 USD will receive a special gold version badge!
Donations over $2,500 USD will be added to the ARK permanently as "Extra Life Superfan"
As we reach various donation goals, we will increase the Official Server Network rates. If you're an ARK: Survival Evolved Mobile survivor, you're in luck! Our friends over at Grove Street Games will be matching our final rates for at least 24 hours at the close of our stream at 10am PST on Sunday, November 8th. We'll be extending the event past the regular 24 hours as a gesture towards those with slower connections who may be downloading for a portion of the livestream.
If you are interested in joining our team to help raise money, we'd love to have you! Check out this link for more information on how to get started. All donations go to the Extra Life organization and contribute to raising the Official Network rates!
For specialized game modes, we'll be using the rates below:
Tender Loving Care 3
November 7th also marks the date that the Tender Loving Care 3 update will be reaching PC, Xbox, and PS4. Aside from the dedicated reworks of the Stego and Mammoth you may have seen in prior Community Crunches, we’ve added a bunch of Quality of Life changes to make your time on the ARK more enjoyable. Check out this thread for more information!
We'll be keeping you up to date as we hit our donation goals and increase rates on the Official Network but we'd love for the entire community to come and hang out with us while we raise money for a great cause. Pop a squat in our Official Discord or hang out in our Twitch chat when the action starts.
Steam: Free-to-Play Weekend!
Looking to expand your tribe? Introduce your friends to the world of ARK for free from Thursday, November 5th until Monday, November 9th.
SOTF 2: Revival Mod is a community effort to pick up where SOTF left off. The team has made many QoL changes based on community efforts and even hosts tournaments! If you were a fan of the original SOTF, this community made revival may be just what you are looking for!
[HG]Hulk has created a lot of utility and other mods with very focused scopes. Now they have added a wonderful set of clean futuristic building pieces. prefabricated structures, domed rooms, and clean line architecture everywhere. A e s t h e t i c
ARK Chaos Creator is a unique addition to the sponsorship program; this isn't just a mod for ARK, the Chaos Creator mod will open a line from a twitch stream right to the game. Stream viewers can influence the game for the streamer either making things more difficult, giving them useful (Or sometimes ridiculously chaotic) gifts, or spawning a bunch of mayhem directly on top of them. There is also a version in the works to allow content creators to use channel points instead of bits if they choose.
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event on November 7th 10AM PST. See above for details on the Extra Life event and specifics on the rates.
Community Crunch 244: Halloween and Gen2 and Extra Life! Oh my!
Welcome to a spooky edition of the Community Crunch and Happy Halloween!
What better time to introduce you to a creepily cute new creature preparing to make its debut on the ARK for Genesis 2. Would that adorable face mean you any harm? Of course not!
Stay posted for more exciting Genesis 2 reveals and teasers during our Extra Life stream!
...speaking of...
We are gearing up for another year of Extra Life. The Extra Life charity stream is a 24-hour stream where all proceeds directly benefit children in need. This year's Extra Life event kicks off on November 7th at 10 AM PST! Expect prizes and giveaways like Collector's Edition's, boosted Official Network rates, and sneak peeks at upcoming content. We also have some very special guests lined up to make an appearance and it's something we don't think you'll want to miss! The rates for the Extra Life event are listed below. Can we hit a billion?
You can sign up to the Studio Wildcard Extra Life team here
November 7th also marks the date of the much-awaited Tender Loving Care 3 patch. We can't wait to get the turbo-boosted Wolly Mammoth and Stego into your hands along with some juicy Quality of Life additions! Read more about what's included below: https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/articles.html/community-crunch-243-tender-loving-care-3-details-official-server-maintenance-and-more-r1658/
LiveOps Update
This past week, we completed an Official Network upgrade that will have a positive effect on all platforms. The intent of the upgrade was to resolve problems relating to character loss, player timeout, latency, and failure to download or upload player data. We thank you for your understanding and patience as the upgrade came with a brief interruption in service on the Official Network. Ensuring a smooth playing experience on the Official Network remains a top priority.
EVO Event: Fear Evolved
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It will be active from Thursday the 22nd of Oct at 4 PM EST until Friday the 6th of Nov at 3 PM EST. All Official Servers across each platform will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
Community Crunch 243: Tender Loving Care 3 Details
Our Tender Loving Care 3 update approaches on November 7th and, aside from the dedicated reworks of the Stego and Mammoth, we’ve added a bunch of Quality of Life changes to make your time on the ARK more enjoyable.
We’re particularly excited about introducing insect and wyvern breeding to the game and look forward to players getting their new breedlines goin!. We’re aware these creatures may need some balance once breedlines get underway and we’ll monitor and adjust as necessary.
New Breedable Creatures
The insects and creatures that can now be bred are: Spider, Onyc, Moth, Scorpion, Arthropluera, Mantis and the mighty Wyverns!
The new (Wyvern are unchanged) hatching/gestation and maturation times are as follows:
Spider
Egg Hatch Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes (Matches Pachy)
Total Maturation Time: 1 day, 1 hour, and 1 minute (Matches Dimorph)
Bat
Total Gestation Time: 3 hours and 58 minutes (Matches Procoptodon)
Total Maturation Time: 1day, 4 hours, and 3 minutes (Matches Kairuku)
Moth
Egg Hatch Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (Matches Kairuku)
Total Maturation Time: 1 day, 6 hours, and 51 minutes (Matches Pegomastax)
Scorpion
Egg Hatch Time: 1 hour and 59 minutes (Matches Raptor)
Total Maturation Time: 1 day, 13 hours, and 12 minutes (Matches Raptor)
Arthropluera
Egg Hatch Time: 2 hours and 29 minutes (Matches Sarco)
Total Maturation Time: 2 days, 3 hours, and 26 minutes (Matches Stego)
Mantis
Egg Hatch Time: 2 hours and 46 minutes (Matches Stego)
Total Maturation Time: 2 days, 6 hours, and 27 minutes (Matches Tapejara)
Creature Quality of Life Changes
In addition to insect breeding, we went back and showed some love to a few of ARK's well-known inhabitants.
Giganotosaurus
Reduced maturation time by approximately 15% (Total growth is around 10~ days)
Diplocaulus
Increased base health by 33% (from 190 to 250.3)
Increased movement speed when ridden by 25%
Thylacoleo
Added a (slow draining) bleed to its basic attack
Megachelon
Reduced depth requirement for breeding so that it can be bred on other maps
Wyvern
Wyverns are now breedable (Zombie Wyverns cannot be bred)
Slight stat rebalance now that they’re breedable and to bring them in line with Crystal Wyverns
Megalodon
Reduced gestation/aging times to match Megaloceros
Pack Bonus: Damage Reduction and Damage Increase per pack member within range
Added a bleed to its basic attack
Jerboa
Increase base weight capacity from 55 to 120 (Matches Bulbdog)
Ankylosaurus
Increase metal weight reduction by 10% (from total reduction of 75% to 85%)
Doedicurus
You can now turn when rolling with a Doed (similarly to the Genesis Race Mission)
Basilisk
Now has eyes
New Feature: Taming HUD
Use the interactive taming HUD to monitor your unconscious wild tamable creatures. Keep track of the following:
Creature's Gender and Level
Taming and Unconscious Progress
Taming Effectiveness
Current Health and Food status.
Distance from your location
An option to track specific creatures via in-world waypoints (which can be hovered for an over-screen overlay displaying additional information).
Boss Element Reward Increase
We’ve decided to increase the Boss Element reward on some maps to bring the Ele more into line with where we’re at with new expansions.
Element reward from The Island bosses has been increased by 100%
Element reward from The Center bosses has been increased by 100%
Element reward from Scorched Earth has been increased by 50%
New Feature: Turret Radius Settings
A quick and easy way to update the settings of your nearby turrets within a radius. It’s set to currently match the Official Server Turret Limit radius, but players can also toggle viewing the radius on/off. The current functionality it supports is as follows:
The ability to set a pin code to all turrets in range
The ability to copy settings to all turrets in range
The ability to copy settings to pin code-selected turrets in range
The settings which can be copied are: power state, range, targeting, warning
We are anxious to get these community requests and quality of life improvements into your hands! The Tender Loving Care 3 update launches on November 7th on all platforms! We realize the TLC patch releasing at the same time as Extra Life is less than ideal for players. To compensate, we'll be extending the duration of the Extra Life boosted rates so everyone can enjoy the boost!
Official Server Maintenance and Infrastructure Upgrade
Next week on Tuesday/Wednesday the 27th/28th, we plan to upgrade our Server Transfer infrastructure. The intent behind these upgrades is to resolve problems with character loss, player timeout, latency, and failure to download or upload player data at times.
We've recently put a lot of time into refining the transfer logic, and combined with the hardware upgrades; we should see some significant improvements with our Official Servers. Our goal is to get these upgrades to you as soon as possible, particularly before our Extra Life weekend, where we expect a lot of player transfer footprint to take place so that our servers and transfers are running as smoothly as possible.
We anticipate that the TRANSFER downtime could last up to 24 hours, and this could be simultaneously on PC, Xbox, and PS4 or take place one after the other. We will provide a more specific timeline of when this update will take place per platform early next week.
EVO Event: Fear Evolved
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It will be active from Thursday the 22nd of Oct at 4 PM EST until Friday the 6th of Nov at 3 PM EST. All Official Servers across each platform will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
Check out your new ride! Twin ceramic rotor drives on each wheel! And these look like computer controlled anti-lock brakes! Wow, 200 horses at 12,000 RPM! Looks a bit...fishy...to us. Tune into our Extra Life event for some epic Genesis 2 reveals.
Tender Loving Care 3
TLC 3 is getting close, Saturday, 7th November at 10 AM PST to be exact!
We have much in store for our players: The Mammoth and Stego revamp including visual and functional upgrades, some creepy crawly evolutions, and various QoL additions. Stay posted for more details on what will be included in TLC 3 in next week's Community Crunch!
...Plus a quick spooky update on Fear Evolved 4!
We'll be adjusting our boosted rates for the event! From the 22nd of October through to November the 6th, the Official ARK network will be receiving a spectral treat with:
2X Breeding (mating interval, egg hatch speed, and maturation)
2X XP
2X Harvesting
2X Taming
ExtraLife Charity Event
Our 24 hour Extra Life stream is fast approaching and we invite everyone from the community to join us for a great cause. Let’s try to beat or prior year record of $112,206.35 and see what we can raise for the kids through gaming and giving. This year's ExtraLife event kicks off on November 7th at 10 AM PST!
We'll be coming to you live from our Seattle Studio to bring 24 hours of entertainment, giveaways, Collector’s Edition boxes, game keys, and much more! Whether you’re a streamer, a donor or just keen to be along for the ride, we’d love to have you!
Like prior events, we will be enabling boosted rates for all players on our Official Networks. These rates increase incrementally as each fundraising milestone is reached. Further details on milestones and rates will be shared closer to the start of the event.
If you’re feeling heroic, and want to support the event with your own stream and donation goals, sign up, and let’s raise some money for the kids! Gather your tribes, alliances, and stimberries, and feel free to hop into the official ARK discord for an epic 24hr adventure!
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It will be active from Friday the 16th of Oct at 4 PM EST until Monday the 19th of Oct at 3 PM EST. All Official Servers across each platform will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
It's time to Trick or Treat whilst howling under the blood moon! The Dodorex and Dodowyvern will be striking fear into the hearts of Survivors with their fearsome return to the ARK! Hunt for new diabolical chibis, spectral creature skins, event themed threads, and new holiday emotes. Fear Evolved is one of our favorite events and we can't wait for you to experience what we've conjured up this year!
Event Details
This event can be manually activated with the server arg parameter: -ActiveEvent=FearEvolved
Dates
October 22nd to November 6th
Rates
2X Breeding (mating interval, egg hatch speed, and maturation)
2X Player XP
Creatures
In addition to some of the past favorites from Fear Evolved, survivors will find themselves on the hunt for 11 new spooky themed chibi's to add to their growing collection and 7 new ghostly dinosaur skins.
Spooky Encounters
DodoRex (Untamable Boss)
DodoWyvern (Untamable Boss)
Zomdodo
Zombie Fire Wyvern (claimable & persist after Fear Evolved)
Zombie Lightning Wyvern (claimable & persist after Fear Evolved)
Zombie Poison Wyvern (claimable & persist after Fear Evolved)
Skeletal Giganotosaurus
Skeletal Quetzal
Skeletal Jerboa
Bone Fire Wyvern
Skeletal Bronto
Skeletal Stego
Skeletal Trike
Skeletal Raptor
Skeletal Rex
Skeletal Carnotaurus
Ghost Reaper (Surface reapers) *new*
Ghost Bulbdog *new*
Ghost Rex *new*
Ghost Basilisk *new*
Ghost Snow Owl *new*
Ghost Mantis *new*
Ghost Direwolf *new*
Event Chibis (acquired via killing Dodowyvern/Dodorex or Cooking Pot recipe)
Skeletal Giganotosaurus *new*
Skeletal Quetzal *new*
Skeletal Jerboa *new*
Skeletal Bronto *new*
Skeletal Stego *new*
Skeletal Trike *new*
Skeletal Raptor *new*
Skeletal Rex *new*
Skeletal Carnotaurus *new*
Bone Wyvern *new*
Zombie Wyvern *new*
Ghost Creature Skins (acquired via killing Ghost creatures)
Reaper *new*
Bulbdog *new*
Rex *new*
Basilisk *new*
Snow Owl *new*
Mantis *new*
Direwolf *new*
Items
Pumpkin
Stolen Headstone
Scarecrow
Dinosaur Bone
Dino Candy Corn
Emotes (acquired via Cooking Pot recipe)
Scare Emote *new*
Knock Emote *new*
Panic Emote
Dance Emote
Zombie Emote
Skins (acquired via Cooking Pot recipe)
Reaper Swimsuit Skin *new*
Jack-O-Lantern Swimsuit Skin *new*
Pumpkin Helmet Skin
Headless Costume Skin
Hockey Mask Skin
Araneo Swimsuit Skins
Onyc Swimsuit Skins
Vampire Dodo Swimsuit Skins
Creature Event Colors
Dino Darker Grey
Dino Light Blue
Dino Dark Yellow
DragonBase1
Light Brown
Light Grey
Dino Light Brown
Dino Dark Brown
DragonFire
Vermillion *new*
ActualBlack *new*
MidnightBlue *new*
MediumAutumn *new*
DarkWarmGray *new*
Orange *new*
DarkLavender *new*
Jade *new*
Live Tuning System
The latest major PC version supports our Initial Implementation of the 'Live Tuning' system. The 'Live Tuning' system is a dynamic configuration system which will allow server hosts to easily modify supported game properties without the need for mods. All that is required is a simple edit of a json file, and you're good to go! As you can imagine, this new dynamic configuration system will provide useful options for server administrators, especially as we grow it out to support more properties.
For the modding community, this system is also very powerful. Modders may have actually seen it before in the property details panel. When you add variables there is a checkbox for "Live-Tunable". Checking that box on properties will opt them into the system. By doing so, this will allow server owners to tweak mod settings on the fly without the need for mod updates.
As the system evolves, we hope to add more options and expose more values to tweak. The 'Live Tuning' system provides ways for server administrators to offer dynamic events in a quick, simple, and straightforward way. For more information on the 'Live Tuning' system and how to set it up, check out the following thread. We'll be adding more details as the system continues to expand:
One of our constant priorities is monitoring the live-game and server reliability. Over the past few weeks, we've noticed an increase in reports about server instability. The causes of server instability may range but our engineering team has been hard at work diagnosing the root causes.
In a past Community Crunch we noted that we've been working on technical changes behind the scenes to increase server performance and mitigate some of the attacks we're seeing against the servers. We've made improvements to mesh detection, added more protection against DDOS, and fixed various exploits/cheats that could be used to intentionally crash servers. Since deploying those changes we have seen a noticeable decrease in some of the server instability reports and attacks we were seeing. Although things have improved, we will continue to work against malicious players who intend to ruin the experience for others.
Structure Stasis Changes
We've made some changes with a focus on improving performance. This reworks how structures are loaded/unloaded on the server. The simple idea is that fewer calculations take place at a given time with the new system so the server doesn't have to do as much. Something to note is that the performance gains are more noticeable when more active structures are present (so think really busy, large bases) and an increased number of players on a server.
The structures are now broken up into a grid, when a player logs in they are assigned grid cells appropriate to their location, and the structures in those cells are loaded. That way not all are loaded.
This setting is enabled by default on Official Servers, and Unofficials can now opt-into using the new system too by setting the following server parameter in their commandline:
-UseStructureStasisGrid
This will work on both PC and Console, but we highly recommend that it is not used on servers with mods, as there are some assumptions made about structures in stasis and this could cause issues with modded content, however in a future devkit update, you'll be able to opt said structures out of the system to avoid the issues.
TLDR: Predominantly busy servers with a lot of players and big bases will be seeing the most significant performance gains.
Official Discord
Our Official ARK Discord launched a few weeks ago and it's thriving with 35k users already! If you'd like to get in on the action for updates, patch notes, a community hub, bulletin board, and sometimes chatting with us, you can join on the invite below!
https://discord.gg/playark
EVO Event
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It will be active from Friday the 9th of Oct at 3 PM EST until Monday the 12th of Oct at 3 PM EST. All Official Servers across each platform will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
2x Breeding/Maturing
2x XP
Fan Art
Winston
Sith
Kawaranaye
FireRayDragon
Saurvax
moon0w0
Bandi
We're always thrilled to see what our talented Community create and love sharing your fanart. Keep it coming!
Welcome to another edition of the Community Crunch! While we continue polishing TLC 3 and addressing any live-game issues that arise, this week we will take a look at some awesome community fan art and community content.
EVO Event
There will be no EVO Event this week.
Official ARK Discord
The Official ARK Discord is thriving with 30k users within two weeks of launch. We've recently added LFG channels at popular request.
Get into our new hub for info, updates, and news (sometimes you can talk to us there too!)
In this edition of the Community Crunch, we’ll be giving you more details on the upcoming TLC 3 patch and taking a look at some amazing community art.
TLC 3 Update
Excitement is ramping up and we're anxious to share more details on the creature improvements we've been working on. In addition to the creature upgrades we'll been sharing, there's more polish, balance, and quality of life updates in store for the upcoming TLC patch.
Woolly Mammoth
Recently we gave you a peek at the visual upgrades of the Woolly Mammoth but it’s abilities have also seen an upgrade. The Mammoth comes marching in with new attacks and a buff that’s enabled by war drums. We have a feeling you will like the sound of that!
New Abilities
War Drum Saddle and Buff
1 additional passenger seat on a saddle that comes equipped with a war drum that must be played to maintain an AoE buff that improves stamina regen and makes them immune to fear.
New Attacks
Tusk Sweep
Sweeps tusks left or right to gather and harvest thatch
Trunk Trumpet
Emits a trunk roar that does an AOE debuff to all enemies within range
Foot Stomp
Mammoth rears up and then puts all of its weight into a forward “slam” with its front legs to directionally knock back enemies and gather wood
Trunk Grab
Similar to the Karkinos’s grab, it is able to grab, hold, and release smaller targets
Stegosaurus
Primarily known as a harvester, the Stegosaurus will be seeing visual upgrades and an expanded toolset that makes it hard to resist.
New Abilities
Backplate Modes Backplate passive buff and can switch between three modes. Different modes will be indicated visually
Hardened Plated: Applies a damage reduction buff and prevents riders from being dismounted by enemies; Wood harvesting benefit
Heavy Plate Mode: Applies a slow when attacking with the basic tail whip; Thatch harvesting benefit
Sharpened Plate Mode: Applies an armor penetration effect when attacking with the tail whip. Also useful for harvesting berries
New Attacks
Impaling Tail Whip
Able to impale and immobilize players and smaller creatures
EVO Event
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It will be active from Friday the 25th of Sep at 4 PM EST until Monday the 28th of Sep at 3 PM EST. All Official Servers across each platform will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
We’re excited to announce the launch of our Official ARK:Survival Evolved Discord! Along with being a new hub for our ARK community, this Discord will be a source of information for our players where announcements and patch notes can be pushed through to your own Discord if you choose.
At times we may make adjustments to the Code of Conduct based on evolving game meta or as a result of ongoing enforcement initiatives. These adjustments to the Code of Conduct will take place immediately.
Before
Teleportation zones are treated as spawn zones and as such they should not be blocked nor have any turrets in them in either pvp or pve game mode.
After
Teleportation zones (on Genesis) are treated as spawn zones and as such they should not be blocked nor have any turrets in them in either pvp or pve game mode.
Before
Blocking access to important resources (ie. charge nodes, gas nodes, Extinction City Terminals, etc)
After
Blocking access to important resources (ie. charge nodes, Extinction City Terminals, Orbital Supply Crates on Extinction, etc)
If you're planning on playing on the Official Network, please familiarize yourself with the Code of Conduct.
Community Crunch 237: TLC 3, Live Game Update, EVO Event and More!
In this edition of the Community Crunch, we’ll be teasing you with some juicy TLC 3 info along with giving you an overview of what we’ve been focusing on lately behind the scenes.
The much-awaited TLC is getting closer and we’re excited to get some of our re-imagined favorites into your hands soon!
We’ll be reconceiving these veteran ARK friends via visual and mechanical upgrades that will introduce new elements of gameplay. Much appreciated community feedback drew our attention towards the Wooly Mammoth (among others) and it’s time for this relic of the Pliocene epoch to make a new debut heralded by the beat of a new buff bound to add more utility to emergent gameplay, and more!
We hope that drums up some enthusiasm ;)
Live Game Update
Whilst we’re ramping up work on the TLC 3 patch and our climactic Genesis Part II expansion, we frequently pivot to Live Ops and seek to achieve fast iterations on fixes for bugs and exploits.
One of our biggest priorities at the moment is the ongoing investigating and work done on server reliability. Over the last few weeks we have seen an uptick in player reports regarding their servers not listing, not being able to join them, high ping, being unable to transfer, “ghosting”, or offline. While the cause of this downtime may vary, sometimes it is the result of a malicious attack. Our engineers are working with our partners on technical implementations to further improve stability and mitigate the attacks. We will be rolling out changes to all platforms in the near future which will have a serious impact on resolving these issues.
Recently we’ve also addressed issues that include fixes to various exploits including: invulnerability related to characters and dinos, pincode bypassing, further checks between server and client in relation to shooting, and abuse of dino mechanics. We’ve also implemented Level Design changes across varied maps with the purpose of filling in holes that may have allowed players to gain entry into unintended playable areas of the map. A fair environment is important to us and to the health of the game, we’ll continue to address these issues as they arise.
We plan on continuing to improve the player experience with updates like our recent Quality Of Life and Balance patch in the near future...speaking of Quality Of Life, how does an EVO Event sound?
EVO Event
Survivors on all platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It will be active from Friday the 11th of Sep at 4 PM EST until Monday the 14th of Sep at 3 PM EST. All Official Servers across each platform will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
We hope you’re all keeping safe and well. While working remotely has been somewhat of an adjustment period for us, we’ve now hit our stride and look forward to sharing more of what we’ve been grinding away at very soon!
