Studio Wildcard continues to expand Ark: Survival Ascended with the announcement of Deinotherium, a massive new creature from Garuga123's ARK: Additions mod, arriving on March 26, 2025. The latest Community Crunch also reveals an Astraeos-themed art contest with exclusive prizes, addresses ongoing server issues with extended triple rates, and showcases exciting cross-platform mods.
Deinotherium Stomps Into ARK: Additions on March 26
Studio Wildcard has revealed that Garuga123's popular ARK: Additions mod will continue to see its creatures integrated into Ark: Survival Ascended, with the imposing Deinotherium scheduled for release on March 26, 2025. This prehistoric beast towers over mammoths and brings unique capabilities to the survival experience.
The Deinotherium isn't just another large mammal - it introduces strategic gameplay elements with its ability to charge at survivors and, more significantly, rally allies with powerful morale-boosting calls. This distinctive feature can transform a single encounter into a full-scale stampede, adding a new layer of challenge and excitement to the game.
Players interested in learning more about Garuga123's creations can join Garuga's Discord for additional information and updates on future creatures.
Astraeos Art Contest Launches with Exclusive Prizes
An Astraeos-themed art contest is now underway, running from March 14 to March 25, 2025, with winners to be announced on March 28. The contest features three distinct categories: Screenshots/Vistas, Builds, and Art, giving creative survivors multiple ways to participate.
Impressive prizes await the winners, including the coveted ARK: The Animated Series Cosmetic Pack containing over 75 exclusive skins. The grand prize winner will receive additional recognition by having their artwork featured as the server banner on the official ARK Discord.
Contest Categories and Submission Guidelines
- Screenshots/Vistas: Capture the beauty of Astraeos landscapes
- Builds: Showcase your architectural creations on Astraeos
- Art: Create original artwork inspired by the Astraeos map
Entries should be submitted through the appropriate channels on the official ARK Discord server. Full contest rules and submission details are available in Community Crunch 449.
Technical Improvements and Server Updates
The development team has made significant progress in addressing the black screen issues affecting console players. Through focused memory optimization for the Astraeos map, they've achieved approximately 40% improvement in available memory across all console platforms, which should substantially reduce crashes and black screens.
Unfortunately, the Official Network continues to experience DDoS attacks, though Studio Wildcard reports they're making progress in mitigating these disruptions. As compensation for these ongoing issues, triple rates across the Official Network have been extended until March 19, 2025:
- PVP/PVE: 3x Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding
- Small Tribes: 5.5x Harvesting, Taming, Experience + 5x Breeding
- ARKpocalypse: 6x Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding
Temporary 'Expire' Servers Available Until March 24
To help alleviate pressure on existing servers, Studio Wildcard has launched temporary 'Expire' servers that will be available until March 24, 2025, at 10am PST/1pm EST. These servers allow players to transfer their characters and items freely, providing additional gameplay options during this period of server instability.
It's important to note that these servers will be completely removed after the expiration date, so players should ensure they transfer any characters and items they wish to keep before the deadline.
Cross-Platform Mods Spotlight
Ark: Survival Ascended's cross-platform mod support continues to expand with several noteworthy additions highlighted in this Community Crunch:
- Fortified Wood Structure Skin - Enhance your wooden structures with reinforced aesthetics
- THARAT: Ancient Sand - Explore a premium desert-themed map with unique challenges
- Shamrock Shores Holiday Event - Celebrate with festive content and special rewards
Community Showcase
This Community Crunch also highlights content from popular creators, including Xeridae's impressive "100 Days in Scorched Earth" challenge and Chasun_'s detailed Hobbit Base Building Guide. These creators continue to demonstrate the incredible creativity and dedication of the Ark: Survival Ascended community.
The community's artistic talents are also on display with a collection of fan art and screenshots featured in the Crunch. From custom Dodorex Funko figures to stunning photo mode captures on Astraeos, the creativity of Ark: Survival Ascended players continues to impress.
With new creatures, technical improvements, and community events, Ark: Survival Ascended continues to evolve and expand. The addition of Deinotherium on March 26 will give players yet another prehistoric beast to tame, battle, or flee from as they struggle to survive in this unforgiving yet beautiful world.