Community Crunch 525: An Appetite for Destruction

It turns out there are worse things than being swallowed by a dragon.

When [color=#3498db]Gargantar[/color] arrives on September 30 for all ARK: Dragontopia owners, Survivors will quickly discover that its seemingly bottomless appetite is good for considerably more than clearing the landscape.

[color=#3498db]Download in full resolution[/color]

The more Gargantar packs away, the tougher it becomes to bring down, turning a well-fed dragon into one formidable presence on the battlefield.

That enormous belly has a few other uses, too. Trusted allies can find themselves tucked safely away from danger, while unfortunate enemies may discover that ending up on the inside is a considerably less pleasant experience.

But Gargantar isn't descending upon the ARKs alone.

Get your taming gear ready, because a massive triple-threat drop lands next Wednesday, September 30! Alongside Gargantar, you will be facing the multi-headed terror of [color=#3498db]Cerberax[/color] and the highly anticipated [color=#3498db]Therizinosaurus TLC[/color] overhaul.

Brace yourselves, prepare your tribe, and watch the skies. We'll see you on the ARKs!

We’re moving into the release phase for ARK: Survival Ascended’s Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade, with the rollout taking place in stages. Because this is a major technical upgrade under the hood, we're rolling out the update in multiple phases to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible on launch day. As part of that rollout, [color=#3498db]the full release is moving to October 28th[/color], with a public beta opening ahead of launch.

Here’s the updated schedule:

• [color=#ecf0f1]October 5th:[/color] [color=#3498db]Public Test Realm (PTR)[/color] beta client launches on Steam. Get an early look at UE 5.8 and help us stress test the update ahead of release.

• [color=#ecf0f1]October 28th:[/color] [color=#3498db]Full UE 5.8 update[/color] launches on all platforms.

This date change won’t affect Cerberax, Gargantar or the Therizino TLC, which are all still arriving on September 30th as planned!

There are also technical notes from Overwolf for modders preparing for the upgrade. Since these details mainly apply to creators, we’ve included their full notes below:

Hey authors, Preparations are underway for ARK's upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.8. Here's the planned timeline and what you should expect:

[color=#3498db]September 30th - Game Update[/color] The next major update will be released for the game

[color=#3498db]October 5th - Offline Time & BTS Work[/color] Cooking servers will be taken down as Studio Wildcard releases the [color=#3498db]5.8 test client & beta DevKit[/color]. This is when we recook all mods in batches Like last time, mods that have significant issues will be collected into a list, to make sure you know which projects require attention

[color=#3498db]October 28th - 5.8 Live & Modding Reopened[/color]

• ARK moves to UE 5.8, at which point modding will reopen, and we'll publish the list of projects requiring author action

• Just like previous major updates, expect a spike in traffic: cooking time & project moderation may experience delays during the first few days after the update

Dates may shift, depending on testing & recooking. We'll keep you updated as we move through each stage

⚡ [color=#2ecc71]It’s Morphin Time… but the clock’s ticking![/color] ⚡️

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premium mods are leaving ARK: Survival Ascended’s shelves after [color=#2ecc71]September 30[/color].

[color=#2ecc71]Both mods are 50% off[/color] now through September 30. Suit up for the send-off and keep them forever!

Conquest, introduced to ARK: Survival Ascended by Snail Games, focuses on large-scale PvP, with increased rates, and other changes listed below. The increased rates will allow tribes to set up and establish themselves quickly and enable them to rebuild after potential losses instead of being wiped completely.

The official Conquest servers are [color=#3498db]open for PC, Xbox and PlayStation[/color].

If you need any support during the Conquest season, join the [color=#3498db]Conquest Enforcement's Discord[/color].

• Conquest Season 8 details:

  • Total of 18 maps, all Genesis Part 1

    • Cluster A: 12 servers that had transfers enabled with Classic before they shut down.

    • Cluster B: 6 servers with transfers only enabled between those 6 servers for 2 weeks. Transfers between Cluster A and Cluster B will open on July 17th at 10 AM PT.

  • 5x Rates

  • Tek is enabled with the exception of:

    • Tek Grenade

    • Tapejara Tek Saddle

    • Megalodon Tek Saddle

    • Rock Drake Tek Saddle

    • Mosasur Tek Saddle

    • Tek Railgun

    • Map: all 18 maps will become Genesis Part 1

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until [color=#3498db]Monday, September 28[/color].

• **[color=#3498db]PVP/PVE:[/color] **2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding

• **[color=#3498db]Small Tribes: [/color]**4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding

• [color=#3498db]ARKpocalypse:[/color] 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding

Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

[color=#3498db]Creator[/color]: The Axeman Axeman explores the premium modded map Forglar 2's secrets!

[color=#3498db]Creator[/color]: LolsAtLance LolsAtLance's building tutorial shows you how to build a Japanese-inspired starter home!

War Bird [color=#3498db]by JonathanGragg[/color]

** (https://x.com/SS38529630/status/1958773391215009925)** [color=#3498db]by @SS38529630[/color]

Juvenile [color=#3498db]by @falco_luna[/color]

Spinosaurus [color=#3498db]by bonetarget[/color]

** (https://discord.com/channels/729837326120910915/1512114369440252085/1551317756014501968)** [color=#3498db]by penguinlover583[/color]

Astraeos Boss Flags [color=#3498db]by nezuyu[/color]

Tyrannosaurus Rex [color=#3498db]by elmehdimouhsine[/color]

Photo Mode [color=#3498db]by harrylarry_8673[/color]

Photo Mode [color=#3498db]by jurassiccomedy[/color]

Almost spooky time [color=#3498db]by bubu_0815[/color]

Canis Lupus [color=#3498db]by rothaur[/color]

My base in official server [color=#3498db]by omar6667u7[/color]

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