Feathery Friends Tapejara and Archaeopteryx Join the ARK, Plus Free DLC Map Adds Diversity, Depth, and Beauty
Seattle, WA – September 12, 2016 – Studio Wildcard, the unofficial sleepless in Seattle studio, brought cuteness and beauty today to ARK: Survival Evolved with the addition of two new dinos, Tapejara and Archaeopteryx with Update v247. Both are small, beautiful flying creatures, the latter resembling the modern bird more than any other dinosaur on the ARK. Update v247, which is entirely free on Steam PC, also includes Night Vision Goggles for stealthy raids, and a bevy of performance optimizations and gameplay fixes.
First released in May 2016 as part of the ‘ARK Official Mods Program,’ The Center fantasy map expanded today to now include 13 new mini caves, new explorable area near the “Edge of the World,” more penguin spawns, loads of fixes, re-work of the weather system, and more.
The Center was created by modder Ben Burkart and exudes a rich, hand-drawn Tolkien-esque aesthetic. Players who download this free DLC will more than double the in-game playable geography of the already enormous ARK landscape making it 70 sq. kilometers filled with stunning lighting effects, lava rivers, giant picturesque mountains, misty floating islands, ancient underground ice caves, and more.
The Archaeopteryx is a small bird-like forest-dweller that glides between trees, harvesting their sap as well as consuming small insects. When Tamed, it can be used to collect sap, or held overhead for players to “glide” over long distances!
The Tapejara is a mid-size pterosaur whose large head-fin gives it superior maneuverability. Not only can it ‘strafe’ while in the air, it can only cling onto walls, allowing its rider and up to two additional seated passengers to shoot their weapons!
Feel like riding a dinosaur? Join the ARK community forums HERE: survivetheark.com/index.php?/forums/
Two weeks ago, the ARK: Scorched Earth Expansion Pack (available now on Steam and Xbox One) launched: it an entirely new desert-themed ARK filled with new biomes, creatures, gameplay mechanics, and challenges that will push players’ survival skills to the limit. Players who survive the harsh arid conditions can travel back and forth from the Scorched Earth map to the ARK: Survival Evolved main game, taking with them newly collected tools, weapons, and their new tamed creatures to impress their friends and dazzle their combatants.
Watch the new ARK: Survival Evolved update trailer:
ARK: Survival Evolved is in development for Xbox One via the ID@Xbox program, PlayStation 4 with VR support, and Steam PC. The game is currently playable in Microsoft’s Game Preview on Xbox One and Steam’s Early Access program, which includes Oculus Rift VR support and an integration of Steam community features such as Steam Economy and Steam Workshop for custom maps and mods. Players can host private/LAN servers and have access to a custom-built version of the Unreal Engine 4 Editor for creating mods. The world of ARK is designed to be modder-friendly and ever-expanding!
Related: Studio Wildcard (ARK: Survival Evolved) Announces NVIDIA Ansel Photography Contest
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