Garuga at Wildcard and new dinos

Apr

21

2025

0

By Louis Bang Bang

Reconstruction (paleoart) of Suchomimus tenerensis. Made by Igor Alves (Sauroarchive) and based on Dan Folkes 2023's skeletal (CC BY 4.0)

The popular modder Garuga has been officially hired by Wildcard as a Creature Designer – with the goal of bringing new dinosaurs based on real-life models into the game. With creatures like the Suchomimus, Deinocheirus, and Megaraptor, players can look forward to an exciting expansion of the prehistoric fauna.

In ARK: Survival Ascended, there have been a variety of new creatures in recent months – from insects, birds, and mammals to more exotic species. Now there is exciting news for all fans of prehistoric animals: the well-known modder Garuga has officially joined the development team at Studio Wildcard. As the new Creature Designer, he will work on the implementation of new creatures – including several dinosaurs based on real-life counterparts that will expand the game with exciting variants.

Garuga – From Fan to Developer

Most players know Garuga from his ARK Additions mod, where he has created realistic, scientifically inspired creatures with great attention to detail. Now he is officially part of the Wildcard team and will be primarily responsible for new creatures in ARK. His first official project is the Megaraptor, but this is just the beginning.

Many of his previous mod creatures are now on the verge of being officially integrated into the game. Particularly exciting: some animals will be fully included in the base version – without the need for mods. Others, however, will remain purely modded or available as skins.

These Creatures Are Coming Officially to the Game

Sucho (Suchomimus): A large spinosaurid predator with long, narrow jaws – perfectly adapted to life in the water. In ARK, the Sucho prefers fish as prey and is considered somewhat moody and picky. Despite its size, it is relatively lightweight and can move particularly efficiently in the water. Tamed, it could be a good alternative to the Spinosaurus, although slightly weaker in direct confrontation. In real prehistoric times, Suchomimus lived around 112 million years ago in Africa and likely primarily fed on fish.
Deinocheirus: This massive creature with a duck bill, back hump, and huge claws belongs to the family of Ornithomimosauria – like Gallimimus. In ARK, the Deinocheirus is likely an aggressive, powerful creature with great endurance, making it suitable as a versatile fighter. Tamed, it represents a serious alternative to classic combat dinos like the Rex. In reality, Deinocheirus was over 11 meters long, lived about 70 million years ago in present-day Mongolia, and is also known as the "Danger Goose" due to its mix of size and temperament.
Megaraptor: Despite its name, the Megaraptor is not a dromaeosaur (raptor) but a distant relative of the Tyrannosaurus. In ARK, it will likely combine the speed and agility of an Allosaurus with the striking power of a small tyrant. It is excellently suited as a versatile mid-sized hunter and can even dominate Carnotaurus. Its bite attack is particularly dangerous, as it grabs smaller opponents and bites down hard multiple times. The real genus Megaraptor was a paleontological mystery for a long time and lived during the Late Cretaceous in South America. It is known that this will be released with the official mod map Valguero.

Additionally, perhaps the following animals. The first animal is definitely an option (because it's new), the second has certain similarities with the Fasolasuchus, and for the third, Garuga himself says that he still needs to discuss this internally with Wildcard, but an Acro as a mini open-world boss would be quite nice!

Cryo (Cryolophosaurus): A carnivore with a distinctive crest on its forehead that lived in Antarctica – perfect for icy biomes. In the game, it is expected to stand out due to special cold resistances or effects. Cryolophosaurus lived around 190 million years ago during the Jurassic and is one of the few known dinosaurs from the Antarctic region.
Conca (Concavenator): A compact predator with a striking sail on its back. In ARK, it could become interesting with special buffs or debuffs depending on the environment – for example, through heat retention or camouflage. Concavenator was discovered in Spain, lived about 130 million years ago, and exhibits features that may indicate primitive feather structures.
Savage Acro (Savage Acrocanthosaurus): This particularly powerful variant of the Acrocanthosaurus comes from the ARK Additions mod and is currently only available through a special boss system. Whether and in what form the Savage Acro will find its way into the official game is still open – however, Garuga has hinted that this topic is being discussed internally with the Wildcard team. The real Acrocanthosaurus was a large theropod hunter from the early Cretaceous of North America, known for its distinctive back crest structure. The mod version is available here: Additions Ascended: Acrocanthosaurus.

These Creatures Will Remain (For Now) Modded

Some well-known creatures like the Anomalocaris or Edmontonia will remain purely mod content – primarily because they have been available as premium mods and have already been sold. Many fantasy creatures like the Garugopteryx or the Nyctoraptor are also expected to remain available only through mods. Variants – such as alternative colors or modified models – could, however, make their way into the game as official skins.

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Images (Note! They do not show the final version as it will be integrated into ARK Survival Ascended):