The survival game ARK has once again received many new contents, but players are waiting in vain for a sign of life from the successor.
What kind of expansion is this? In fact, it’s even 1.5 expansions. On September 4, ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) received the Aberration
-DLC as a free expansion as well as an update for the paid expansion pass “Bob’s Tall Tales”.
The Aberration-DLC includes the namesake map and associated creatures such as Rock Drakes, Ravagers, and Basilisks, as well as the new dino “Yi Ling”. The map was originally released in 2017 for ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE). Now, the DLC has been integrated into the UE5 remaster of the survival hit.
Bob’s Tall Tales has been expanded with the update Steampunk Ascent
. This includes structures, skins, and devices themed around Steampunk. There’s also a cute spider that lets you swing through the map like Spider-Man.
Here you can see the launch trailer for Bob’s Tall Tales 2:
No information on ARK 2, but tons of new content for ASA
What is the status of ARK? ARK 2 has been silent for months. The latest information is still from March 31, 2023, announcing the postponement of the survival game – that was almost 1.5 years ago.
The release of ARK 2 is currently still planned for late 2024. However, since there hasn’t been a new update from the developers in so long, another postponement cannot be ruled out.
What makes the update so strong? The unique feature of Aberration is that the map is entirely set underground, and you can delve deeper into the underground. This also means you will have to forego the variety of flying creatures and instead do a lot of climbing and gliding. Additionally, Aberration introduces the Aberrant variants of various creatures into the game.
Aberration was already a popular DLC map in ARK: Survival Evolved, especially because it offers a completely different gameplay experience due to the absence of flying creatures. The introduced creatures as well as the overall design of the map were also well-received.
Furthermore, the update for Bob’s Tall Tales allows you to transform the dino adventure into a Steampunk world. There’s a Zeppelin and new structures like a large clock that accelerates crafting devices nearby. There are also new skins for your structures, so that walls, ceilings, and floors appear in Steampunk aesthetics.
Here you can see all the contents that come into the game with Aberration and Bob’s Tall Tales Steampunk Ascent:
How is the latest update being received? Mixed. On X.com, many players are complaining about server and graphics issues. Aberration is particularly described as “unplayable” on console.
On the other hand, the update for the paid expansion pass is well received. Some players are excited about the Steampunk content. The German modder Nekatus also says: “Bob’s Tall Tales Part 2 sounds incredibly strong.”
Just recently, MeinMMO’s community manager Marylin Marx conducted an interview with Nekatus. At gamescom 2024, they talked, among other things, about the profession of a modder and what requirements it entails: A German modder spends up to 14 hours a day modding the survival game ARK and earns money with it – Nekatus in an interview
