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To wrap up its first month in early access, an Extra Life Stream laid out a complete Ark Survival Ascended DLC roadmap back in 2023. Over a year later, we have deviated significantly from what that roadmap projected, as months-long delays stretched into years-long postponements. To address this, Studio Wildcard refreshed the roadmap this January with new goalposts for 2025 and 2026.
So far, ARK Survival Ascended has had a middling consensus. Other than the leap in requirements (optimization isn't the best on this game), it's mainly the expansion-themed maps that are holding back a full playerbase migration from the legacy ASE.
Here's everything we know about upcoming maps in Ark Survival Ascended, and when they're likely to release.
Current ARK Survival Ascended DLC roadmap: When do all the updates go live?
Here's the current ASA content roadmap for 2025 and 2026, as confirmed by the developers in Community Crunch 440:
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All of these maps are free, except for the first-ever premium map that will be coming sometimes in June. Further details on this are yet to be announced.
It's worth noting that the release months are subject to change. Delays and technical setbacks are par for the course in Studio Wildcard's track record - even down to the last moment of confirmed release time. Looking at the many delays in the past, it's safe to assume that most maps on the schedule after Extinction may get delayed by several weeks, if not months.
Other than this, there's some additional releases on the cards for ASA this year. The will receive an Engine update to Unreal 5.5 in March 2025. On the paid creatures front, Bob's Tall Tales has now concluded, but there's some more bling-pets for those who are interested in yet more pay-to-win content in ARK with five new Fantastic Tames planned for the time being:
- Two Fantastic Tames creatures are coming in 2025: April (alongside Ragnarok Ascended), and August (alongside Valguero)
- Three more Fantastic Tames coming in 2026
What happened to Crystal Isles and Lost Island?
In the release schedule, there has been a lot shuffling from the original order of Ark Survival Evolved maps. The splash of these delays has also hit Crystal Isles and Lost Island, originally expected to be released in 2025.
Don't worry, they're not cancelled. The developers have confirmed they're still coming — just not till 2027, unless some miraculous studio restructuring and tightening of the roadmap happens.
What is the ARK's Lost Colony update about?
Thus far, all the ASA map releases have been faithful Unreal Engine 5 ports of ARK Survival Evolved. However, Lost Colony is the first standout in that regard — it's a completely new free map and story expansion that is canon.
This map will also come original story beats to tie it up, and will serve as a sort of prequel chapter to bridge the continuity from ASA and the upcoming ARK 2.
Which original maps are currently in ARK Survival Ascended?
Other than The Island (base game map), the following ones are currently in the game:
Complete ARK Survival Ascended map release schedule (2025)
The original game, ARK Survival Evolved, has eleven maps (or ARKs), including six ‘non-canon’ ones. The developers plan to eventually remaster all ten alternate maps on Unreal Engine 5 for ARK Survival Ascended, starting with the release of The Center this February.
The expansions themselves will be free, and the new maps will be available for all owners of the base game to try out after their official release. However, accompanying DLC releases such as the Pyromane creature, or the Frontier Adventure Pack, are additional paid purchases.
As per the updated official roadmap, the following is a rough estimation of the map release schedule for ARK Survival Ascended:
Ark Survival Ascended release schedule for new dinos: what new creatures are coming?
New community-voted creatures
Ark Survival Ascended currently does not have as many creatures as the old UE4 title, Ark Survival Evolved. As the developers release recreations of the original Ark Survival Evolved expansions, they will also release legacy creatures tied to the new maps. To up the ante, completely new community-voted creatures will also be added to the maps with each DLC.
- Bison: Coming with the Ragnarok map in April 2025.
- Megaraptor: Coming with the Valguero map in August 2025.
The following exclusive new dinos have been released thus far:
- Giganotoraptor: Released on February 28th, 2024. Here's how to tame a Giganotoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended.
- Fasolasuchus: Released with Ark Survival Ascended: Scorched Earth. Here's how to tame a Fasolasuchus.
- Shastasaurus: Released with The Center in June 2024.
- Yi Ling: Introduced with Aberration. Here's how you can tame a Yi Ling in the Aberration map.
- Dreadnoughtus: Introduced with Extinction. Here's how you can get a Dreadnoughtus.
There is some controversy surrounding the proposed pay-walling on some of these creatures. The Oasisaur, for example, is gated behind the Adventure Pack. This is a paid expansion you have to buy, even though its assets shipped with Ark Survival Ascended: Scorched Earth. The following are the new creatures in ASA which are DLC-locked:
- Oasisaur: Obtainable with the Bob's Tall Tales expansion (Frontier Adventure pack). Here's how to tame an Oasisaur.
- Cosmo: The second tame introduced in Bob's Tall Tales DLC, as part of its Steampunk Ascent update. Here's how you can get a Cosmo.
- Armadoggo: The third tame introduced with Bob's Tall Tales' final update, Wasteland War. Here's how to get an Armadoggo.
- Pyromane: A Fantastic Tame released in June 2024. Here's how to tame a Pyromane.
- Dreadmare: A Fantastic Tame released in October 2024. Here's how to tame a Dreadmare.
Check out other guides on this game:
ASA Fishing Guide || ASA Breeding and Mutations || All ASA Explorer Notes locations || Best ASA tame for every resource || Cave locations on The Island || All ASA Kibble Recipes
