News & Patch Notes

Community Crunch 514: The Belly of the Beast

Ark: Survival AscendedPublished: Jul 11, 2026, 1:11 AM

Don't let the sleepy eyes fool you.

This hulking newcomer has an appetite that extends far beyond its next meal. Be careful when approaching it, as it has a habit of inhaling just about anything that stands in its path. From allies to trees, bushes, and resources, nothing is safe from its seemingly bottomless belly.

Whether you're standing your ground or stocking up for your next adventure, this hungry giant is always ready to lend a helping... lung when it arrives later this year with ARK: Dragontopia.

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The shadow meets its light. [color=#66ccff] Lumina awakens in Dragontopia[/color]! Taking flight as Umbra's radiant counterpart and bringing a brilliant new force to the skies! With celestial power at her command and a bond that burns brightest beside her shadowed kin, Lumina adds a new layer of speed, strategy, and spectacle to the battle above the clouds!

The full patch notes are **available here**.

We’ve loved seeing Survivors dive into the recent releases, explore the new content, and share their experiences with us.

As more players get hands-on, additional issues and edge cases naturally come to light. The team is continuing to work through reports and make improvements, so you can expect a steady cadence of patches over the coming weeks.

Character Restoration Update

Character restoration is still ongoing, with the restoration process having successfully worked through the majority of affected characters. The team continues to address the remaining cases, and if you missed it, you can find more details in our full update **here**.

Major Version Patch Notes

Our recent Major Version update included a broad range of post-launch fixes, stability improvements, and gameplay adjustments. Thank you to everyone who has submitted reports; they remain valuable as the team continues monitoring and working through additional fixes. Read the full patch notes **here**.

Pssst: The forecast is calling for sun, fun, and a little prehistoric chaos, so keep an eye on next week’s Community Crunch for more information about Summer Bash!

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:

Moro's Supercephalosornis (Freemium) [color=#3498db]by MoroNada [/color]
Futuristic Utopia Custom Cosmetics [color=#3498db]by Genade92 [/color]
Mech Creature [color=#3498db]by Shina_Lena [/color]
Shanty Structure Set [color=#3498db]by Sandi_00 [/color]
Player Nameplate Cosmetics [color=#3498db]by Beyonx [/color]
Ice Cape [color=#3498db]by Motokwauso [/color]
Roth's Bestiary: Equus Caballus (Horse) [color=#3498db]by Rothaur [/color]
Dynamic Bridges [color=#3498db]by Snappin [/color]
Arketypes: Scotoharpes [color=#3498db]by Snappin [/color]
Ambient Aquatics: Cricosaurus [color=#3498db]by ZCI5250 [/color]

Conquest 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]](https://steamcommunity.com/linkfilter/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscord.gg%2F4SyXmfyxT6).

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

Adventure is calling!

[color=#d35400] ARK: Survival Ascended[/color] is on sale now on Steam, and if you've been waiting for the perfect time to jump in, you can also play [color=#d35400] FREE all weekend starting July 10[/color].

There's never been a better time to begin your journey. Meet Umbra and Lumina, available now as part of the Day One ARK: Dragontopia content, then get ready to chart new waters withARK Tides of Fortune and experience even more adventures coming to Dragontopialater this year.

Gather your tribe and begin your adventure today!

In celebration of 11 Years of ARK & the upcoming Tides of Fortune, we've partnered with Alienware & IntelGaming to give away a custom-skinned Alienware Aurora 16X Gaming Laptop.

To enter, like, repost & reply [[color=#f39c12]this post [/color]](https://steamcommunity.com/linkfilter/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fsurvivetheark%2Fstatus%2F2070268281504620796) with your best tame & #TidesofFortune

Summer survival tip: Build a raft, enjoy the breeze, and learn what a Leedsichthys is the traditional way.

Super Survival Summer is here: 10 survival games, one very dangerous

Steam bundle, and plenty of new ways to lose your gear!

⛏️Loot it **here**!

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