Studio Wildcard has confirmed the schedule for the annual Turkey Trial event and detailed the massive wins from the recent Extra Life charity drive. Ark: Survival Ascended players can expect the Super Turkeys to invade the Island starting November 25, 2025, alongside a confirmation that the Quetzalcoatlus is finally getting a much-needed update.
Turkey Trial 2025 Dates and Details
The Turkey Trial is officially set to run from Monday, November 25th to Sunday, December 8th. If you're new to Ark, this isn't just a cosmetic drop; it usually involves hunting genetically modified "Super Turkeys" that are surprisingly lethal early-game. While the full patch notes aren't out yet, these events typically bring boosted rates for harvesting, taming, and breeding, giving you a two-week window to accelerate your progress or raise that boss-fight army you've been putting off.
What does the Extra Life success mean for the meta?
The community smashed the fundraising goal, hitting over $181,000 for Extra Life. The gameplay implication here is huge: this tier unlocks five separate Dino TLC passes. A TLC (Tender Loving Care) update essentially reworks an older creature to make it viable in the modern meta.
Wildcard confirmed that the Quetzalcoatlus will be the focus of the second TLC pass. This is massive news for veteran players. The Quetzal used to be the undisputed king of the skies for mobile bases and heavy lifting, but it has felt like a sluggish relic compared to the Rhyniognatha or the Wyverns in recent years. A proper rework could restore its status as a top-tier utility tame.
Malwyn Reveal and Server Sunsets
Looking ahead to the December 16th release of the ARK: Lost Colony expansion, we got a preview of the Malwyn. Described as "Elegance Made Lethal," this creature adds to the expanding roster of the new map. If you are planning to dive into Lost Colony, mark your calendar for mid-December.
Finally, a critical housekeeping note for official server players: Inactive official servers will be sunset on December 8th. If you are playing on a low-population server marked for closure, you need to transfer your survivor and tames before that date, or they will be deleted along with the instance. Temporary "Expire" servers are currently online to facilitate these moves.