Community Crunch 475: Shell we get this party started?

Shell we get this party started? Prepare for some righteous action in ARK!

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The next ARKpocalypse wipe kicks off September 19, and this time it’s back to basics. ARKpocalypse will now run as a mod-free experience, a throwback to the raw survival challenge of classic ARK.

We’re excited to see this retro-style ARKpoc make its comeback.

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.

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:

Shiba Doggo Skins by RodrigoCunha (premium)

Modern Glass by Kokou_kohiro (premium)

Patio Furniture Structure Skins by Genade92

Chinaes_Structure_Skin by 1050695222

Doro Pistol Cosmetics by Shina_Lena

Giao Long by Xumbrai

More Yuty’s by Izurichan93

Obsidian Equipment by Jojosef

Quetzal Turret Saddle by Shinygati

Unleash your imagination and transform your ARK experience with our latest premium mods!

This video features:

Lanthanum’s Custom Cosmetics: Modern Military Vol.1 – Infantry by Lanthanum

Advanced Weapons Premium by Troyar_ARK

Voting is Now Live for the ASA Build Template Contest!

We’ve seen some incredible entries so far, and now it’s your turn to help shape the future in-game templates!

To vote

Head over to the ⁠#asa-build-contest on the Official ARK Discord.

React with the golden check mark on the thread of the build you like best

You can vote on as many builds as you want, but only reactions with the special golden check mark count!

The top 10 eligible builds with the most golden check mark reactions by Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 5:00 PT will move on to the final round of public voting, which kicks off in the Crunch of Friday, September 19, 2025.

Competition Timeline

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!

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!

Araneo

Giganotosaurus

Thylacoleo

Brontosaurus

Megalosaurus

Quetzalcoatlus

Carnotaurus

Megalania

Titanosaur

Ankylosaurus

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.

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, September 15.

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: Akalas feat. Asfax

*international corner* Akalas and Asfax dive deep into the ocean to find an Excellent Tusotheuthis from the mod ARK Descended.

Creator: Skwirelle

Tired of the same old Rex? Want your Thyla to turn heads? Skwirelle showcases 10 free creature custom cosmetics that will totally reimagine your favorite tames!

Perhaps only I see the vision by dovethecat

Managarmr by lunarsiren

Drew my favorite Wyverns by kaijukat

It was a bit cold certainly, but it was still egg shaped and that was good enough for Ginger. by coffeedragonart

It’s always watching… by amethystthegreat

Starter Pack, Land, Air, and Sea by Tox

Giga Fanart by Tiwonix

Photo Mode by nesvog

Photo Mode by tiagozuff2006

Photo Mode by phant0m3595

Father and Son by strides993

Photo Mode by petitpaf

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