The Deinonychus will make its official debut in ARK: Survival Ascended alongside the launch of Valguero Ascended on September 30th! This agile predator isn’t just fast; it climbs, pounces, and latches onto its prey with terrifying precision. Whether it’s clinging to cliffs or clawing through your defenses, it’s a creature you won’t want to underestimate!
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While we won’t be able to host our usual 24-hour Extra Life livestream this year, we’re still going all-in on what matters most: uniting as a community to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and unlocking something special for the future of ARK: Survival Ascended.
For every $30,000 raised through the Studio Wildcard Extra Life charity campaign, the community will unlock a Dino TLC pass to be released throughout 2026, breathing new life into a classic creature of the ARK with updated gameplay and style. Up to four TLCs can be unlocked at the $120,000 milestone!
When donating to anyone on the Studio Wildcard Extra Life Team, not just Studio Wildcard directly, include a message with your chosen creature’s full first name preceded by a hashtag, like this (we’ll do our best to identify typos, but try to spell them correctly!):
#Giganotosaurus
Hello #Giganotosaurus
Please give #Giganotosaurus a TLC!
If no hashtag vote is included in the donation message, the donation will still count towards the TLC total, but it won’t advance any particular dino’s voting tally.
Every $1 donated = 1 vote
A $50 donation with #Giganotosaurus = 50 votes for Giganotosaurus
Five $10 donations with #Giganotosaurus = 50 votes for Giganotosaurus (10 x 5)
To keep the vote balanced and consistent, eligible creatures must meet the following criteria:
Must be a creature from The Island
Must be tameable
Must be rideable or a shoulder pet
Must not have previously received a TLC pass
The following creatures have already had a TLC pass and are not eligible:
Argentavis
Dire Bear
Direwolf
Gigantopithecus
Mammoth
Parasaur
Procoptodon
Raptor
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Sabertooth
Sarcosuchus
Spinosaurus
Stegosaurus
Triceratops
November 7 – First Winner
November 14 – Second Winner
November 21 – Third Winner
November 28 – Final Winner
Donate now to any team member listed here to ensure your vote counts!
Starting October 31st thru November 10th, we’ll be rolling out a selection of the community’s favorite dino colors on the official network, along with a sweet twist in place of the traditional boosted donation rates. For the event, you’ll be able to dig into Cake Slices that grant hefty bonuses to:
Taming
Breeding
Imprinting
EXP
Harvesting
Our next Community Creature submission will take place in the simulated biomes of Genesis Part 1! From the crushing depths of the ocean trenches and volcanic hellscapes to the desolate lunar surfaces and treacherous bogs, this unique map offers an unparalleled variety of habitats for your real-world prehistoric creature to call home.
Start brainstorming your creature concepts and prepping those designs now, as submissions will open in the coming weeks. We’re excited to see how your creature adapts to the challenges of the simulation.
Please note that this creature will be released for Genesis Part 1, so make sure your real-world submissions are thematically suited to the map’s diverse environments. We’re always blown away by the creativity and passion the community brings to creature submissions and we can’t wait to see what wild things you’ll unleash this time around!
Must be a real-world extinct/prehistoric creature (dinosaurs, mammals, reptiles, etc)
Supplemental information (wiki links, images, art) is preferred.
*Note that the proposed features for the creatures from the submission entry are meant to inspire their design, but certain aspects may still be modified.
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.
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 26, 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
This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, September 8.
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: Queen of ARK
Never carry around simple cooked meat again! The Queen of ARK shows you how to create custom recipes for all appetites!
Creator: LolsAtLance
Learn to build this cozy starter home with LolsAtLance in this easy-to-follow tutorial! Perfect for both Official and Unofficial players looking to upgrade their early-game base.
Fan Art by duckydave
Rockwell by nanostel
Shadowmane by lunarsiren
Giga vs Giga by draken_ash.
Gelu of the ice by Wyvernadas
Doggie from ARK by @apple-owl
Helicoprion by @rin_survival
Aquatic best friend by xgxbatmanxcx
When she gives you this look by crispnugget
Local survivor discovers cardio works differently underwater by midnight_queen_
The Cedarsaurus by fizzy_pop110
I love these ALOT already by akarimmu
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
