ARK: Survival Ascended will soon receive 2 maps and a new dino, and even the mod community will have something to celebrate.
What did fans expect at release? With ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA), Studio Wildcard released a revised version of their successful title ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) on Steam in October 2023 and shortly thereafter on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
However, it was clear weeks before the release of the UE5 remake that the dino adventure would not start with nearly as much content as players had available in the predecessor. Shortly after the first announcement of the remake, there was criticism that players in ASA would not have access to maps they had already purchased for ASE.
Now the developers have shared for the first time a target date for when the “new” maps will be added. The first map that fans would have liked to have at release will come with a new dino as early as February.
February brings The Center and a feathered raptor
What content has ASA announced? ASA is set to receive a content update in February. The map “The Center” will be added along with a new dino.
The new dino is the Gigantoraptor, a significantly larger and feathered raptor species that will turn the food chain of The Center upside down.
Additionally, ASA is set to receive a comprehensive update for the Dev Kit by the end of January, allowing modders to develop their works for the survival game. The update is expected to greatly improve and enhance the creation of mods with new possibilities.
In the accompanying blog post from the developers, it is stated that with the new Dev Kit, it is not only possible to create mods but also “entire Unreal Engine games that are available in ASA.” An example mentioned is a PvP arena where Tek-Rexes could fight against Spinos.
What comes after The Center? On the first of April, ASA is set to receive the desert map “Scorched Earth,” also featuring a new dino: the Fasolasuchus.
Additionally, with the release of Scorched Earth, new structures for customizing your base are expected to appear, designed in a Western style.
This will be complemented by a DLC named “Frontier Adventure Pack,” which will provide new content related to the desert theme of the map. The developers mention the possibility of laying tracks and allowing trains to run through the relentless desert as an example.
But not only for ARK: Survival Ascended will 2024 be an exciting year, as there are a whole series of survival games set to be released in 2024: 8 new survival games you can look forward to in 2024
