News & Patch Notes

Community Crunch 518: Long Live the King!

The ground is beginning to shake again.

Once upon a time, the Giganotosaurus was the undisputed king of the ARKs. Few creatures could stand against it, and hearing its roar in the distance was enough to send even seasoned Survivors scrambling for safety, and taming one was a milestone few ever forgot.

As the years went by and new apex predators emerged, the Giga gradually found itself sharing the spotlight. With this TLC, our goal is to restore the presence, power, and identity that made it the terror of the wilderness in the first place.

We're excited to share an early look at that journey with the first concept art for the Giganotosaurus TLC. Our focus is on restoring the Giga's commanding presence and ensuring it once again stands shoulder to shoulder with the mightiest predators roaming the ARKs.

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As part of that journey, we’re exploring new ways to remind Survivors why a wounded Giganotosaurus has always been one of the most terrifying sights on the ARKs. The closer it is pushed to the brink, the more dangerous it becomes... and that kind of fury can be contagious. Creatures brave enough to crowd around its feet may soon discover it has a crushing answer of its own, but when its temper finally boils over, friend and foe alike would be wise to give it room.

The king of the food chain is preparing for its return.

Transfers on Genesis Ascended Part 1 Official servers will open on September 4th, allowing players to move items, creatures, and characters onto the map without restriction! We've also aligned the timing with the Genesis Part 1 Expires servers, giving players a couple of weeks to move everything over before those servers close on September 18th.

And as always, don't forget to pack your Dodos in bubble wrap, Survivors!

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]](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

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until [color=#3498db]Monday, August 10 [/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=#e67e22]ASA Mod Jam 2026 – Finalist Mods Are Live![/color]

We’re constantly blown away by the creativity of the ARK modding community, especially when players create new opportunities for fellow creators. That spirit is behind the independently run ASA Mod Jam 2026: Build the Future.

Organized by Sandi Studios and CurseForge, this eight-week gauntlet kicks off on May 15th. It challenges solo devs and duos to build brand-new mods from scratch using the official ARK DevKit, with prizes on the line.

[color=#e67e22]The Top 13 finalist mods are now available![/color]

Explore these community-created mods available for you to try. You can easily find all of them in the in-game mod browser by searching for #ASAModJam2026.

**Bridges Ascended** [color=#3498db]by Mobevents [/color]
**Corruption Unbound** [color=#3498db]by Dooms Dahling & Scorching_Kami [/color]
**Engram Fragmentation** [color=#3498db]by Shefski [/color]
**Extinction Overgrowth** [color=#3498db]by Powerpoof [/color]
**Extraction Protocol** [color=#3498db]by Bruno [/color]
**Fera’s TLCs: Megalania** [color=#3498db]by fera_spielt [/color]
**Hyperion** [color=#3498db]by Crane [/color]
**The Obolus Project** [color=#3498db]by Nokosa [/color]
**Reforged Arsenal** [color=#3498db]by Hacki_van_Bane [/color]
**Rustfall** [color=#3498db]by Yutay [/color]
**The Wall** [color=#3498db]by IIvan [/color]
**Vorath: Aquadomes** [color=#3498db]by Trixt3r & Shinygati [/color]
**Whimsical Farming** [color=#3498db]by Lordan_Lafluer & Cliffan [/color]

Try out the mods, share your thoughts in the comments, and give them a thumbs up in-game if you enjoy them. Your feedback will assist the judges during the [color=#e67e22]evaluation period from August 2 to August 17 [/color].

The [color=#e67e22]winners [/color] will be announced on [color=#e67e22]August 21st [/color]!

Thank you to all the talented creators who participated—this year's quality has been amazing!