Update

Astraeos Mega Update: Pyranthos and Hydra

The map Astraeos, developed by modder Nektatus, received its largest update to date (Client Version 83.x) on February 25, 2026. 

As an official non-canonical DLC for ARK Survival Ascended, Astraeos has already established itself with its setting inspired by Greek mythology. The upcoming update drastically expands the playable area.

Outlook ARK Survival 2026

The strategic realignment of ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) establishes a technological bridge between the current ecosystem and its successor ARK 2 by 2028. The focus of this transformation is the migration to Unreal Engine 5.7 for significant performance optimization, a dense content pipeline with new DLC primary worlds, and the systematic preparation of the player base for the radical conceptual shift of the sequel.

Valguero Ascended – The Return of a Legend

With Valguero Ascended, one of the most legendary maps in ARK: Survival Ascended returns—and brings new legends with it. Face the ancient guardian Grendel, discover the mystical Elderclaw, tame the deadly Mega Raptor, and steal the Deinonychus nests hidden in the snow-white cliffs. New creatures, new mechanics, new dangers—Valguero is more beautiful, more alive, and a little more deadly than ever before.

ARK Survival Ascended Update October 2025

Fresh news on ARK: Survival Ascended: The latest patches bring stability, while ExtraLife 2025 promises Dino TLCs. With Valguero Ascended, the mighty Elderclaw, the Lost Colony cinematic, and a new community creature for Genesis 1, major content is just around the corner.

Lost Colony: Arat Prime and Zombies

What is Lost Colony?

Lost Colony is a canonical expansion pack for ARK: Survival Ascended that bridges Extinction to Genesis and ultimately to ARK 2. The focus is once again on Mei Yin, voiced by Michelle Yeoh, whose story is told through cinematic anime sequences from the renowned studio MAPPA (including Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man).

Valguero Ascended with Elderclaw

With Valguero Ascended, ARK: Survival Ascended will receive another map on September 30, 2025, which is already known from the ASE version. The release was originally scheduled for the end of August but has been postponed by about a month.

Megaraptor – The New Shadow Hunter in ARK

Starting at the end of August 2025, players of ARK: Survival Ascended on the mod map Valguero will be joined by a particularly fearsome predator: the Megaraptor. As the winner of the ninth Community Creature Vote, it enters the field not as a classic muscle-bound beast, but as a deadly hunter from the shadows – with entirely new mechanics and a playstyle that centers on stealth attacks, fear, and psychological effects.

Ragnarok Ascended: The legendary ARK map returns

With the release on June 18, 2025, one of the most popular maps in the ARK community makes its comeback: Ragnarok Ascended will officially launch for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) – completely overhauled, modernized, and developed specifically for Unreal Engine 5.5 for the first time. Instead of a simple port, players can expect a complete remake created in close collaboration with the original mod developers Excited Kangaroo and Jackson Lawrence.

Unreal Engine 5.5 is LIVE (ARK Patch Notes v66)

With patch v66, ARK: Survival Ascended takes a significant step forward: The migration to Unreal Engine 5.5 improves the technical foundation for better performance, stability, and visual quality. Individual DLC maps can now be installed or removed separately – a plus for storage and mod management. Also new is the cross-platform backup system for single-player, which allows for automatic backups, as well as a performance-optimized graphics preset on PC that prioritizes framerate over graphics.