How to tame Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended: Location and strategies explained

To tame a Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended is a unique rite of bonding, quite unlike the usual taming strategies. This freshly released oviraptorosaur is the biggest known in real life, and Ark Survival Ascended does it justice. It was released on February 28, 2024, as a standalone addition.

Much of the Ark Survival Ascended bestiary is UE5 recreations of creatures featured in Ark Survival Evolved. However, Gigantoraptor is one of the standout exceptions in being an original entry, and a community-submitted one at that.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about finding and taming a Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended.

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Is Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended base game?

Gigantoraptor has to be modded into the game before you can tame it (Image via Studio Wildcard)

Originally supposed to launch with The Center map, the Gigantoraptor has since been decoupled from the DLC and made into its standalone release. It went live as a mod, meaning you must go into your modding section and install it as an official mod.

The developers have confirmed that this is just a temporary solution, and Gigantoraptor will be added to the base game of Ark Survival Ascended soon.

In an official Discord post, Studio Wildcard said the following regarding the matter:

"Regarding Gigantoraptor being a mod: It allows us more time and flexibility when working with a cross-platform environment and ensures we can be quicker to respond to issues should they arise. We'll eventually be merging the Gigantoraptor back to the base/core game in a future update."

Players can expect Gigantoraptor, as well as its novel taming mechanics, to be part of the base game before the release of Ark Survival Ascended: Scorched Earth.

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Where to find Gigantoraptors in Ark Survival Ascended

Known Gigantoraptor spawn locations (Image via Studio Wildcard)

Gigantoraptors are found in jungles, more often than not near rivers. The map above points out the most common spawn locations for Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended.

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Easiest way to tame Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended

You can use an egg to lure out the adult Gigantoraptor (Image via Studio Wildcard)

Gigantoraptor is a passive tame, meaning you need not use tranquilizer darts or put them to sleep to recruit them. As an oviraptor, Gigantoraptor adults must be lured out in the open with an egg before you can tame them.

• Head over to one of the known spawn locations and scout out a Gigantoraptor nest from a distance with your binoculars.
• Lay down a fertilized egg on a flat land - nearly any egg will do the trick, but for our test run we used an Argentavis egg.
• Find a hiding spot so you don't make it aggressive before it locks onto the egg.
• Make sure that the baby Gigantoraptor is lurking around the nest.
• When it is inspecting the egg, sneak to its base and crouch down in the middle of the nest.
• Afterward, the baby Gigantoraptor will make gestures that you must mimic.
• After you successfully mimic the gestures for a couple of times, the baby Gigantoraptor will be tamed!

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Can you use food to tame an adult Gigantoraptor in Ark Survival Ascended?

Thus far, there seems to be no way to tame Gigantoraptors with the traditional hostile tranquilizer-shooting route.

An alternative to gesture-mimicking is finding a Gigantoraptor nest being raided by wild dinosaurs. If you protect the baby during this and fend off the attackers, the Gigantoraptors will automatically become willing tames.

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Check out other guides on this game:

All Ark Survival Ascended Explorer Notes locations || Best Ark Survival Ascended tame for every resource || Cave locations on The Island || All Ark Survival Ascended Kibble Recipes || Ark Survival Ascended DLC Roadmap and map release schedule