This week’s Crunch comes with a touch of the mystical! The Spirit Bear has stepped out of legend and onto the pages of its dossier, a reminder that the ARK’s mysteries run deeper than tooth and claw. And while we’re marveling at that ancient warden of the wilds, the countdown is on for next week’s big splash: the arrival of the Helicoprion, ready to make waves with its jaw-dropping debut.
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Species: Osto silvanimus
Time: Unknown
Diet: Carnivore
Temperament: Passive
This time it feels like I’m trying to describe a supernatural entity, instead of the usual living fossil. Crossing paths with Osto Silvanimus (commonly called Elderclaw) is like communing with a forest’s soul. As much flora as fauna, this ursine avatar seems attuned to local plant life.
Although Elderclaw rarely attacks unprovoked, it won’t shy away from a fight. It instinctively controls nearby vegetation to wrap itself in a thick tangle of protective vines, while sending out roots to entangle any aggressor… assuming it doesn’t just knock them into a stupor with its massive paws.
A nettled Elderclaw will conjure up a Spirit Echo to help ward off threats. This ethereal talisman will then emanate vibrations that weaken threats while invigorating those in its protection. A Spirit Echo collects the energies of nearby violence and imbues its Elderclaw master with enough fury and power to trigger explosive growth.
While Spirit Echoes generally stay immaterial, they can also become tangible long enough to explode. The resulting cloud of charged spores will affect friend and foe differently, burning aggressors but closing wounds on allies.
While I’ve yet to see a tame adult Elderclaw, their cubs (or shrubs?) seem much more impressionable. Sadly, this has led Survivors to hunt and kill these lumbering giants for their seeds. Propagating your own is a long, difficult process, but once a sproutling has grown enough to leave its garden, you’ll gain a protective forest warden that can use its roots to sustainably harvest nearby trees.
Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-browser directly within the game. Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community are fully unleashed for the first time across gaming platforms, and stay tuned as we spotlight more Cross-Platform Mods each week!
This video features:
Rising Blood: Premium Structure Skin Set by J26arkitecto
Tribal Utility Saddles by Blitzfire Studios
Tribal Warrior Saddles by Blitzfire Studios
We’re shifting the arrival of the Helicoprion from August 20 to August 27. This gives us a little more room to ensure its debut makes a real splash when it surfaces in ASA’s oceans.
Thanks for your patience, the wait won’t be long, and we’re excited for you to take the plunge with it next week!
If you’re transferring or ascending to another server with an Armadoggo or Veilwyn in Companion Mode, be sure to exit Companion Mode first. Leaving it active may cause issues during the transfer.
Engineers are continuing to work on the fix with high priority and we hope to set it live soon.
Expire servers are temporary servers across the network that will eventually be removed, and you can find them by searching for “Expire” in the session filter.
These servers will be online until 10 am PST / 1 pm EST on September 1st. We’re preemptively using our allocation for future maps to host some additional sessions that players can travel on to to farm, tame, and experience the newest content Gameplay. The same transfer restrictions apply; you can only download your character, but you can freely take anything off. This is to help reduce the load off some of the other servers, or provide players with an option for those who just want to temporarily jump onto a new map.
Please note that these servers will no longer exist after 10 am PST / 1 pm EST on September 1st, so if you intend to use them, remember to transfer your items/creatures/characters off before that date, as nothing will be saved beyond that time period.
We’re hosting a special building competition!
Four winning builds will be added as official in-game templates for everyone to use.
This is your chance to leave a mark on ARK — create something iconic, creative, and functional that survivors across Official servers will be able to build and enjoy.
Competition Timeline
Entries Open: Friday, August 22, 2025
Entries Close: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Discord Voting start: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM PT
Discord Voting end: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 5:00 PT
Finalists Announced in the Crunch and Final Voting starts: Friday, September 19, 2025
Winners Announced in the Crunch: Friday, September 29, 2025
Prizes
2 Community Winner – chosen by popular vote
2 Wildcard Winner – hand-picked by the Studio
All four winning builds will be added as official in-game templates. Plus, as an added little bonus, each winner will receive a Lost Colony Expansion Pass!
Submission Guidelines
Your build must be Official-compatible:
No overlapping or modded structures.
Should be built on a flat surface so players can recreate it easily.
Must be completable/playable.
Each submission must include a proper template name + in-game description.
Builders must provide their template code so we can verify it against the rules.
Must have screenshots of your work
Content must be your own work.
Content rules:
No NSFW, derogatory, discriminatory, or disrespectful content.
PG-13 only.
How to Enter
Submit your entry as a thread in #asa-build-contest on the Official ARK Discord.
Your submission must include:
Your template code
A brief title and description of your build
Screenshots of your build
ARKpocalypse servers have been wiped today!
What is ARKpocalypse?
ARKpocalypse are monthly-wipe servers with higher than usual rates and monthly curated mods.
Next wipe: September 19th, 2025
For this round, the following mods will be included:
Myrm’s Custom Creations: Draconis Glaucus by myrmecoleontidae
Vectispinus by Tristans_Modding
Super Spyglass Plus by kavan87
Upgrade Station by Ghazlawl
Kibble Vending Machine by Cannibalistik
Crafting Skill Potion by Firesolved
Silent Structures by srdev
You can join them by searching in the server browser! Happy Surviving!
This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, August 25.
PVP/PVE: 2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
Small Tribes: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding
ARKpocalypse: 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding
Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form
Creator: Mike
Mike bred Pyroraptors and discovered their secret power before placing the rest into their paddock in the Sanctuary!
Creator: Brini
Discover this beautiful city built entirely in ARK: Survival Ascended using Flora Moderna Structure Skins!
“Helena…? I’m afraid!” by dovethecat
ASA, ASE model Tamyia 1/35 by nawar111
Battle of Desert Beasts by unalio
Exploring Ragnarok with Ernest by ArwennDelta
Parasaurolophus by IzzyCatacombo
Tenebris by eordaeppel
Light Pet by shinyiguana
Battle for Freedom by akarimmu
Photo Mode by ArkonaDragon
Photo Mode by Skye
With relentless determination, the hunter will never waver until it catches its prey. by thethinguknow2
Precious Dog by strides993
Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard
Twitter: twitter.com/survivetheark
Discord: discord.com/invite/playark
Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark
Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark
Twitch: twitch.tv/survivetheark
Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110
Youtube: youtube.com/survivetheark
Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark
Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark
Official Wiki: ark.wiki.gg
