Patch NotesARK: Survival Ascended

ARK: Survival Ascended Community Crunch 518: Long (8th August 2026)

The Giganotosaurus is getting a complete overhaul to reclaim its throne as ARK's most fearsome predator, whilst Genesis Part 1 transfers finally arrive next month.

Nathan Lees8 min read
Giganotosaurus concept art showing the creature in a commanding stance, ARK: Survival Ascended
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The Giganotosaurus is coming back. Studio Wildcard has announced a full TLC (Tender Love and Care) for the creature, framing it not as a balance pass but as a restoration project. The pitch is explicit: the Giga was once the undisputed apex predator of ARK, and as new creatures emerged over the years, it lost that identity. This update aims to return it to that position of dominance.

What that actually means in practice remains deliberately vague in the announcement. The studio has shared concept art and thematic direction. The closer the Giga gets to death, the more dangerous it becomes, but no specific stat changes, ability tweaks, or damage numbers. The language about "a crushing answer" and creatures crowding around its feet suggests either a new melee mechanic or an area-denial ability, but that is inference rather than confirmation. PvE and PvP players will both feel this change, but the impact on each will differ significantly depending on how the TLC alters the creature's aggression, pack behaviour, or damage scaling. Solo players and small tribes who rely on Gigas for cave runs or boss fights will notice the shift first; large tribes running organised PvP will assess whether it shifts the meta away from current apex choices like the Griffin or Reaper.

Beyond the Giga, the patch window opens two concrete doors for players. Genesis Part 1 Official servers will allow unrestricted transfers starting September 4th, with a two-week window before the Expires servers shut down on September 18th. That timing matters: it gives players a defined deadline to consolidate their progress and move anything they want to keep. For players still active on those servers, this is not optional planning. It is a hard stop. Conquest Season 8 also goes live with 18 Genesis Part 1 servers across two clusters, 5x rates, and most Tek enabled. Transfers between Cluster An and Cluster B opened on July 17th at 10:00 AM PT, meaning that window is already open as of today.

The bonus rates on the Official Network remain active until Monday, August 10th, offering 2x harvesting, taming, and experience across PvP and PvE, with Small Tribes hitting 4.5x harvesting and taming plus 4x breeding. ARKpocalypse reaches 5x across the board. This is a short window, less than 48 hours from publication, so players planning to breed or grind should prioritise now.

The ASA Mod Jam 2026 finalists are now playable, with 13 community mods available in the in-game browser. Judging runs until August 17th, with winners announced August 21st. This is the modding community's moment to shape what custom content reaches players next, but it also underscores how much of ARK's long-term content depends on independent creators rather than Studio Wildcard itself. The Giga TLC is the headline, but whether it actually restores the creature to relevance or simply makes it a more interesting failure remains uncertain.

Full Patch Notes

▲ Buff

The ground is beginning to shake again.

Once upon a time, the Giganotosaurus was the undisputed king of the ARKs. Few creatures could stand against it, and hearing its roar in the distance was enough to send even seasoned Survivors scrambling for safety, and taming one was a milestone few ever forgot.

As the years went by and new apex predators emerged, the Giga gradually found itself sharing the spotlight. With this TLC, our goal is to restore the presence, power, and identity that made it the terror of the wilderness in the first place.

We're excited to share an early look at that journey with the first concept art for the Giganotosaurus TLC. Our focus is on restoring the Giga's commanding presence and ensuring it once again stands shoulder to shoulder with the mightiest predators roaming the ARKs.
 

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As part of that journey, we’re exploring new ways to remind Survivors why a wounded Giganotosaurus has always been one of the most terrifying sights on the ARKs. The closer it is pushed to the brink, the more dangerous it becomes... and that kind of fury can be contagious. Creatures brave enough to crowd around its feet may soon discover it has a crushing answer of its own, but when its temper finally boils over, friend and foe alike would be wise to give it room.

The king of the food chain is preparing for its return. 
 

Transfers on Genesis Ascended Part 1 Official servers will open on September 4th, allowing players to move items, creatures, and characters onto the map without restriction! We've also aligned the timing with the Genesis Part 1 Expires servers, giving players a couple of weeks to move everything over before those servers close on September 18th.

And as always, don't forget to pack your Dodos in bubble wrap, Survivors!

Conquest, introduced to ARK: Survival Ascended by Snail Games, focuses on large-scale PvP, with increased rates, and other changes listed below. The increased rates will allow tribes to set up and establish themselves quickly and enable them to rebuild after potential losses instead of being wiped completely.

The official Conquest servers are open for PC, Xbox and PlayStation.

If you need any support during the Conquest season, join the Conquest Enforcement's Discord.

  • Conquest Season 8 details:
    • Total of 18 maps all Genesis part 1
      • Cluster A: 12 servers that had transfers enabled with Classic before they shut down.
      • Cluster B: 6 servers with Transfers only enabled between those 6 servers for 2 weeks, Transfers between Cluster A and Cluster B will open on July 17th at 10 am PT.
    • 5x Rates
    • Tek is enabled with the exception of:
      • Tek Grenade
      • Tapejara Tek Saddle
      • Megalodon Tek Saddle
      • Rock Drake Tek Saddle
      • Mosasur Tek Saddle
      • Tek Railgun
      • Map: all 18 maps will become Genesis Part 1

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, August 10.

  • 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

ASA Mod Jam 2026 – Finalist Mods Are Live!

We’re constantly blown away by the creativity of the ARK modding community, especially when players create new opportunities for fellow creators. That spirit is behind the independently run ASA Mod Jam 2026: Build the Future.

Organized by Sandi Studios and CurseForge, this eight-week gauntlet kicks off on May 15th. It challenges solo devs and duos to build brand-new mods from scratch using the official ARK DevKit, with prizes on the line.

The Top 13 finalist mods are now available!

Explore these community-created mods available for you to try. You can easily find all of them in the in-game mod browser by searching for #ASAModJam2026.

Try out the mods, share your thoughts in the comments, and give them a thumbs up in-game if you enjoy them. Your feedback will assist the judges during the evaluation period from August 2 to August 17.

The winners will be announced on August 21st!

Thank you to all the talented creators who participated—this year's quality has been amazing!

Creator: BEYPlaysGames

Bey explores the newest modded map from Nekatus, Bjarnheim!

Creator: LolsAtLance

Learn to build this ocean platform PVE base. This Spanish-inspired build has everything you need to survive life at sea.

Fan Art  by drawolfknight

Night Trio  by sirdrip

Grabbing him like a stray cat  by dovethecat

The Violet Depths  by lightscameraemerald

My brother is a metal worker and he made this for me because I love featherlight so much  by derek25_

Helena’s prophecy  by @TekARK_01

Change into a swimsuit  by @falco_luna

Photo Mode  by yang098071

snow critters  by frozen_soap

Photo Mode  by hizamarukco

Just another aesthetic photo of my Amberveil village  by kocie.lapki

So cute  by mrs.tack

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


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Tags:Patch NotesARK: Survival Ascended
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Written by

Nathan Lees

Gaming journalist and founder of XP Gained. Covering patch notes, breaking news, and updates across 160+ games.

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