In ARK: Survival Evolved, everything is being prepared for the full release. This includes the “Ascension”, the rise. This rise is supposed to represent the endgame. But what is behind Ascension? It is a kind of “New Game+.” We will reveal to you what is known so far.
Currently, Studio Wildcard is working hard on the release version of ARK Survival Evolved. The game is supposed to go into full release “soon”. However, the developers are not yet providing a specific date. The last PC patch – v257 – contains numerous changes that prepare the survival MMO for the endgame. In particular, the overhaul of the Engram tree and the volcano are part of the extensive preparation for the “Ascension”.
The overhaul of the volcano and the engrams prepares for Ark’s endgame
Engrams are permanent “crafting recipes” in Ark that allow survivors to create things like weapons and equipment. Engrams can be understood as skills that survivors acquire throughout the game.
In the last patch, the engram points were reset – players must redistribute them. This also includes lowering the level cap from 105 to 100. The dormant volcano has been a challenging Tek Cave since patch v257. Only the strongest survivors can enter and conquer the volcano.
But what does this have to do with Ark’s endgame and what does “Ascension” mean in this context?
Ascension – The Resurrection
In the official FAQ from Ark’s Steam community, the question also arose as to what exactly is meant by Ascension. Studio Wildcard’s lead community manager, Jat, revealed in his response that survivors will be resurrected as new characters through the Ascension.
Players can imagine the process of Ascension like this:
- Survivors must defeat all bosses and enter a volcano to reach the endgame.
- Players must conquer an extremely difficult dungeon to potentially travel through a stargate.
- There is a fourth, final boss – that must also be defeated.
- Players will have to sacrifice their character to “beat” the game.
- This leads to the “resurrection” with a new character. This is supposed to allow players to experience the true nature of the Ark.
- Survivors receive a “Soul Cube” in the process and can achieve new, progressive level caps.
- Survivors who have gone through this process will face tougher enemies and bosses after their resurrection.
This kind of “higher difficulty” after “completing” a game is also known by the video game term “New Game Plus” or “NewGame+” – the “Nightmare Mode” in Diablo 3 is a typical example of this.
To what extent ARK will implement the “New Game+” model is currently still unclear.
Since Patch v257, the volcano is a Tek Cave – Only advanced players can enter
The volcano in the center was transformed into a Tek Cave with patch v257. The volcano is therefore the extremely hard dungeon that must be mastered for the endgame. Survivors can only enter the volcano after defeating each of the three bosses in Ark. With that, we can tick off the points “enter a volcano, extreme difficult dungeon, and defeat all bosses”. This endgame content has been in the game since the last patch.
In the patch notes for v257, there is also a note regarding “Ascension Game Progression”. Those who conquer the new Tek Cave on the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma levels will receive a reward. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma represent the difficulty levels Hard, Medium, and Easy. Players who complete these three difficulty levels will receive additional levels – up to +15. These will be a new type of level: Ascension Levels. With them, survivors will likely be able to surpass the new level cap of 100.
The Ascension Level will be displayed on the implants of the survivors.
Studio Wildcard has already explained that the new level cap and the overhaul of the Engram tree are related to the endgame. Presumably, the new “Ascension Levels” were meant here.
How the “Ascension” will look is still uncertain
How the further announced content for the endgame will be designed is still unclear at this time. It can be assumed that survivors will undergo some sort of “rebirth”.
What the journey through the stargate will look like, what exactly the “Soul Cube” is, and how the resurrection will run in detail is still unknown. Studio Wildcard is currently working full steam ahead on the endgame. Perhaps we won’t have to wait too long for these answers.
What do you think the resurrection process will look like? Do you like the idea behind it?
You can find the remaining patch highlights of update v257 here: ARK: Patch v257 Attack of the Clone Dinos – What’s in the Huge Update
